Page 60 of The Prodigy

“Oh. Okay.”

She stared at me in that special way. The way that made me feel like she was studying me. “Your eyes are so big and pretty, but kinda oddly shaped,” she said. “Very unique. Anybody ever tell you that?”

I smiled. “Yes. I get it from my mom. She has them, too.”

“You have any pictures?”

“Not on me.” I frowned at that question. Why the hell would she ask me that?

She shrugged and grabbed her purse off the counter. “I’m headed out.”

“Okay. See you later.”

That was weird.

Jaz walked in wearing the cutest dress I’d seen on her thus far, plus a Prada bag and some gigantic diamond earrings. She was an Instagram baddie come to life. It was amazing.

“Morning.”

She looked up from her phone. “Hey. I’ma need you to get dressed. You’re coming with me today.”

“Coming with you where?”

Her eyes traveled upward as she took in my messy bun. “To get your hair done. And some other things.”

“O…kay. Who said I need my hair done?”

“My brother. He said something about your hair getting wet last night.”

I wasn’t sure how to react to that.

“Yeah, I see your edges snatching back. I’ma take you to my girl. She’s good.”

Well, no arguments there. Jaz’s hair was never not on point.

“Is your girl expensive?”

Her face balled up. “Does it matter? Kari’s paying.”

“He is?”

She sighed. She was starting to lose patience, I could tell.

“The appointment is in an hour, and she don’t take late clients.”

“I’m ready.”

Her eyes scanned me again from head to toe, taking in my oversized Falcons t-shirt and black leggings. “Malika. Sis—”

“Okay, okay. I’ll go change.”

Twohourslater,Iwas sitting in a pink leather salon chair getting my hair blown out by Luna, whose blowdryer must have been set to Hell. My poor scalp cried for mercy, but Luna didn’t hear it. I know she saw me grimacing in the mirror, but she still didn’t let up.

I’ll admit, her technique was impeccable. My blowout looked like a fresh flat iron. That takes a skill I’ve never had, which is why my flat iron jobs always looked like I’d just stepped out of a sauna.

As soon as the dryer went off, Luna and Jaz went right back to their conversation like I wasn’t sitting there between them. I got caught up on all the Midling gossip. Who was pregnant, who was cheating, whose baby daddy got locked up, whose baby mama was passing off a kid that wasn’t her boyfriend’s. It was riveting.

“So anyway,” Jaz said, “after this, I’ma take you to Phipps.” She raised her eyebrows at me. “Malika?”

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