Bruise Violet

I could smell the citrus blossoms and sages in full bloom even though the ides of March were barely upon us.

“I can smell spring” I said to Monique in the passenger seat.

“You can smell that over the smoke?” She chuckled, passing me the J I rolled earlier. I took a draw and blew it into the air.

We drove with the top down cause the sun was bright and the wind just right. The only thing you had to worry about was a seagull shitting on your ride or just-styled hair.

“All I can smell is the salt of the sea and this weed... mixed with some stank of marsh and sewage.”

“Thanks for killing my vibe with that imagery.” We laughed.

“That's a little dramatic ain't it? My vibe is still on point.”

“Just sayin all I can smell now is stank as opposed to the sweet scents of spring girl!”

“Since when do you even like sunshine and spring? I pictured you more of a winter type.”

“Just because I like punk rock doesn't make me Emo.”

“You listen to AFI.”

“You listen to AFI!”

“Nostalgia.” Monique blew smoke back into the air.

“We aren’t even that old.”

“We’re already quarterlifers.”

“Man if Rafi heard us bitching about being old birds like this, he'd flip a nut on us.”

“Right?”

“Anywho, what's the agenda today? Where'm I even going?” I tapped the wheel along with the lo-fi music

“Cami Bautista, some hotshot fashion influencer or something.” Monique said.

“Must be if she’s in Bankers Hill”

“Bougie.”

“Mhmm.”

“Like them jewels you’re rocking there.” She pointed to my blingy rings, particularly my pave butterfly, a personal fave.

“Hey, I earned these. ”

“Mhmm. Least I didn’t forget how I got these.” She pointed to her gold hoops and chains.

“Right? Guess this bitch forgot where she came from like Danerys forgot her character in season 8.”

“Jesus nerdddd!”

“Shut up.”

“No, you’re right, nothin’ wrong with living the sweet life but don’t ever forget to give cred where creds due.”

Our boss Rafi Navarro always emphasized the importance of gratitude. Never forget where you came from. Hell hath no fury like a woman who thought she didn’t have to.

When we pulled up, I grabbed the package out of the trunk and made our way toward the building.

I admired the sherbet roses that climbed the entrance gate.

“Nice place.” I said aloud.

“Yea I’m digging the florals.”

“I’d love to move into an art deco pad like this.”

“Sure right? Start influencing.”

We shook our heads smirking, pushing open the surprisingly unlocked gate and headed upstairs to the second-floor condo.

“This it?” I asked Monique as we stopped in front of a door with a ceramic sunburst plaque going on.

“Yea.” We pulled up our rhinestone mesh masks and Jackie-Os down and proceeded to knock.

“Amazon!” I called out. Monique smirked again.

“Coming!” I heard the approaching footsteps before a slender golden tanned figure with long, dark brown hair opened the door.

She was just in a short silk kimono robe applying a sparkly chandelier earring. She looked observantly at the box in my hands.

“That’s a big package what is it?”

“Let us show you!” We pushed our way inside.

“What the hell are you doing?! I’m getting ready for a livestream!”

Monique flipped open her switchblade and sliced the box open, pulling out two baseball bats. She tossed me my custom pink one.

“The fuck is going on? Ima call the cops!” She reached for her phone, but Monique swung it right out of her hand. “The fuck do you want?!”

“What we’re owed...”

“What?!”

“Well, what our boss is owed.” I said.

“The fuck are you even talking about?!”

“You know, the little loan Mr. and Mrs. Navarro lent you for this bougie business you got going on here.”

“What? I mean, like, I don’t have that right now, they said it was a gift…”

“A gift?! Ha!” I laughed. “A gift huh?”

“Yea, well I’m like doing promotion for her brand —"

“Really? Ima bout to go Hulk smash on a bitch in a minute,”

“Beat you to it nerd!” Monique smashed her bat into a nearby glass table.

“OMG don’t do that!”

“Alright, we’ll stop smashing once you stop lying.” I swung and hit a gold leaf trimmed mirror sending shards of glass flying towards her. She screamed and threw her hands over her face. “So, where's my money?” I asked.

“I’m telling you I don’t have it! I’m putting it all into the business!”

“You don’t got it? Girl, you’re living the nice life up here and you don’t got it?!” Monique said.

“Yea this rent’s gotta be upwards of at least 4k a month.” I looked around at all the expensively showy decor and gauzy voile curtains drifting over the patio windows.

“For real. Sounds to me like she’s just lying again.”

“Right?” I swung my bat across a row of framed photos and knickknacks on her bookshelf.

“Goddamnit!” She shrieked.

“Nah, God is dead and so are you if you don’t give us something to take back.”

“Check my wallet I got nothing!”

“Mo, go check her room, I’ll have a look around here.”

I looked down at one of the cracked picture casualties. It was a high school volleyball team photo. I recognized the insignia on their uniforms.

“You went to Camelot High?

“Yea, why? ”

“No reason.” I glanced down at the picture again and then I realized where I knew her from. I’d had a class with her back then, something I half paid attention in like bio or social

studies. She was prom court, Associated Student Body (all over but not really landing it anywhere). Course someone like her wouldn’t even be able to know who I was anyway, mask or not so I had a bit of fun with it. I smashed the picture again.

“What was that for?!”

“Because bitch don’t have my money that’s why!” I kicked the frame aside, giggling lightly to myself. She shrieked again and I just wanted to hit her cause that shit was getting annoying, but I checked myself before Monique came in bearing a carved walnut jewelry box.

“I think we got our prize.”

“What is it?” I asked, my brow raised in intrigue. Cami noticed this and gasped.

“Don’t you dare! That’s my Bulgari collection!”

“Oooh nah homegirl. Look Vi, I could rock me some rings like yours…”

“Lemme see that.” I went over and peered into the box of shiny colorfully bejeweled accessories.

“Well, damn...”

”Fuck you ratchet hoes!” All of a sudden Cami lunged for me. I heard a gun go off. Cami fell back screaming, grabbing her arm.

“Oh come on, I barely even hit you.” Monique said, waving the gun in her hand a little too casually for my comfort.

“You were carrying this whole time?”

“Duh…these are just for show girl, and a little more subtle, sometimes…” Monique waved her bat lightly looking around the room.

“You still got me though, bitch…” Cami muttered to herself, looking at the thin red line forming along her bronzed skin.

“Try something funny again I won't miss .” Monique said up in her face now.

“And if you happen to mention this little incident, don’t forget we got access to them tweets from 2013.” I said. Her face changed immediately. Monique chuckled, shaking her head.

“Mhmm so quiet when u got her in a corner.” I came over and pat her lightly on the head.

“That's a good girl. We’re calm now, right?” She didn’t answer, only maybe giving us a micro head nod, clutching her arm tightly.

“Right, she’s good.” Monique nodded at me.

“Alright, lets split yea?”

“Sounds good .”

We grabbed some pieces from out of the walnut box before we left with it.

I admired my pieces in the entryway mirror, but the rubies didn’t shine the way I thought they would.

“What tweets were you talking about?” Monique asked, tilting her head at me. I closed the door, shrugging.

“I dunno. I just know she’s always posting some dumb shit online since the school days, I just said that.” She shook her head, smirking.

“Girl! Anyway, what you think that take is?”

“Hmm I don’t know to be honest. Gotta get that shit appraised. I’m satisfied with it though, no?” I picked a violet from the white ceramic planter by the entrance gate door. The petals were a little bruised around the edges, but the color still popped. I smiled, tucking it into my hair.