Tempest headed to the checkout line and got behind a woman in the express lane who was well over the limit of ten items.
“Is that all you’re getting?” Janessa inquired. “Why the hell did we come in here? We could have gotten a loaf of bread at 7-Eleven.”
Tempest put the two items on the belt and threw a copy of the National Inquisiter in for good measure. She was surprised they even carried tabloids. “Yep, this is it. I’m scared to eat half of the generic stuff they have up in here. Plus, I don’t like the way that woman was eyeing us. I’m not about to give this place a bunch of my money.”
“I heard that!” They waited patiently for the cashier to ring up the customer in front of them. “Tempest, by the way, I want to run something by you.”
“What’s up?”
“I’ve made a decision.”
“What type of decision?”
“After what happened on New Year’s Eve with Dvontè, I realize I’m concentrating on the wrong things in life.”
Tempest put her arm around Janessa’s shoulder and gave her a loving hug. “That’s a good thing. What do you plan to concentrate on?”
“School,” Janessa blurted out. “I’ve decided to apply for the fall semester.”
Tempest squealed, and suddenly all eyes were on them. “That’s spantacular! What school?”
“I’m thinking about Howard, if I can afford it.”
“I have some information about scholarships at my office. We can stop there on the way home and get them.” Tempest was so excited, she wanted to jump up and down and do cartwheels. Janessa going back to school had always been a dream of hers, but it had never been Janessa’s dream. Not until now. “This is so cool!”
“Thanks, sis!”
The cashier started ringing up their three items. “What are you going to major in? Have you decided?”
“Pharmacy,” Janessa replied. “I’ve always wanted to be a pharmacist, ever since we were little.”
“I never knew that.”
“That’s because I never told you, dufus!” They both giggled and chided each other until they got outside.
Tempest started pushing the cart back to the lock-up. “Whatever happened to the cart you took home?”
“Fred gave it to one of his homies, Benito. He uses it to collect soda cans.”
Tempest wondered why a man Fred’s age would be collecting soda cans. “Dang, is he homeless?”
“Naw, he’s shacking with his girl, but he doesn’t work. Trifling ass!”
“So he uses the money from the cans for food?”
“Naw.”
“Drugs?”
“Naw.”
“Then what?”
“Niagra.” They both cackled. “He must have that limpdickitus,” Janessa added.
Before Tempest could push the cart back on the rack, they heard someone shout, “Hey, gurls!”
Both of their eyes almost popped out of their sockets when they spotted Janessa’s grandmother, Mrs. Porter, approaching them, all hugged up with a man.