Kara picked up her phone and hit the snooze button for another ten minutes. She pulled the covers over her head and dreaded hearing the screeching alarm again. When 8:10 flashed on her phone, she knew that she needed to get up because her opportunities weren't going to find her in bed. she made her way into the bathroom and started her morning routine.

Kara Sanders was your average girl. Behind the bed head she was fairly attractive but she never overdid herself like some girls she saw. She didn't spend all her time shopping for Michael Kors, Chanel, or Prada. She didn't need all of that to make herself feel wanted or to get a man. Plenty of guys approached her but she didn't have time for any of that. She'd always had dreams of becoming a nurse but that was all cut short recently. Financial aid hadn't been an option. Her mother, Delia had made sure of that. When she was younger, her mother seemed to put every bill in Kara's name and rather than pay any of them, she spent her money on bottles of vodka and plenty of bags of weed. When it was time for her to go to college, she applied for financial aid and got denied for bad credit. She was building herself back and just started on the tip of the iceberg on clearing her name. A scholarship was going to be her only hope of getting into school but she recently found out that the scholarship went to someone else. From what she heard, the girl that got the scholarship spent more time with her head in the advisor's lap than in a book. She just wouldn't sell herself out that way and now she was making ends meet by working at the shoe store, Pretty Soles downtown. Kara hated the job at the show store but it was the only way that she could pay for the studio apartment and keep her lights on. The only good thing about it was that she was only a couple of blocks away from home and since she had no car, she could walk to the store. She started the shower, feeling the ice cold water turn warm before she stepped in. The fifteen minute shower did her well as she stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her. She pulled her hair into a messy ponytail, threw on a pair of jeans, a tank top, and some flats. With a little over twenty minutes to make it to work, she grabbed her purse, charger, and keys and headed out the door.

                                                                                          ***

Precious Foster pittled around the two bedroom apartment. She was just about to make breakfast for her boyfriend, DaShon or D-Biggs as he was known by in the streets. Precious had been with him since they were in high school and he was just a no name dealer trying to work his way up the chain to become the biggest dealer in their city. For years he worked and hustled and now he was one of the biggest dealers. And she was his girl. His woman. She was wifey. He made sure to take care of her. Her closet always seemed to be filled with everything from Michael Kors to Gucci. Anything else was beyond her. Even though she came from the hood, she realized that now she had better and all she did was fall in love with someone that was willing to give it back to her. Her silk pajamas billowed behind her as she moved around the kitchen. DaShon would be up and ready to eat. Once he was take care of he would hand her a stack of bills and let her cruise around the city in his all-black Charger. Eggs, bacon, toast, and grits was the menu of the day. She hurried to get everything ready and set up just right. She'd heard the bathroom door close and the shower running for twenty minutes before DaSon made his first appearance of the day dressed in jeans, a crisp black tee, and matching black Jordans to match.

"Hey, baby," She said as she brought the plate to him as he sat down at the table.     

"Hey, baby. Whatchu make today?" DaShon rubbed his hands together ready to partake in the feast she had prepared for him.     

"Just a little somethin'"

"Good lookin' out," DaShon smiled as he picked up his fork and dug in.     

"So what's up for today?" Precious asked as she took a seat across from him and watched him eat.

"Now you know I can't tell you all that. Marko's gonna come by in a few and we gotta make a couple of runs. You take the car 'cause I already know where you goin'," he chuckled and kept eating.

Precious never heard the real stuff that DaShon did. She asked every morning but got the same answer. In her mind, as long as he came back safe, that was all that she could ask for.   "Okay."     

"Get whatcha want," he reached into his pocket and passed her a roll of hundred dollar bills before going back to the plate in front of him.  

"Thanks, baby." She took the cash and put it in her pocket. "I'm goin' to take a shower. You gonna be here when I get out?"  

"I doubt it. Call me later though. I'll be back around one."  

"Okay. Be careful," she kissed him and headed back upstairs. When she came back down, true enough DaShon was gone. She saw his plate in the sink and went back upstairs to try and find something to wear. She went to the closet and opened it. Deciding what to wear was her hardest problem of the day. Whatever she wore, wherever she went, she needed to slay. People knew her and if she slipping that would open up a lot of room for another chick to try and take her place.

Today something about the blue Michael Kors dress called to her and she grabbed the matching boot cut shoes to match. She laid them on the bed to look over how it would look along with the diamond chain she had to go with it. When everything was just the way she wanted it, she slipped on the outfit and started putting on her makeup. Once she was gone, she checked herself in the mirror. Everything was flawless and if it  were up to her she would be walking the runway in that very outfit. Precious smiled at the woman in the mirror, gave herself a wink, grabbed her purse from the bed and headed out the door with Charger keys in hand.