From Side Chick to Main Chick

Aisles, Attitudes, and Aftermath

Sasha took one slow step closer like she was clocking in for a shift. “So y’all shopping together now? That what we doing?”

I opened my mouth, but Dre cut in before I could breathe.

“Nah,” he said flatly. “We not doing this in the middle of the damn store.”

Sasha scoffed. “Oh, so you can be in her face, but I can’t say nothing?”

Dre let out a breath and rubbed his forehead like this was the last thing he wanted to deal with. “Sasha, I told you—we off right now. Don’t act confused.”

She turned sharply toward him. “Off don’t mean you get to entertain every girl in town.”

Her eyes dragged back to me like I was the reason her world was falling apart.

I swallowed hard. “I’m not—”

Dre stepped slightly in front of me, cutting her stare without even thinking. “Keisha ain’t got nothing to do with whatever me and you had going on. Don’t put her in it.”

Sasha’s jaw clenched so tight I could see her teeth grinding. “Wow. Protecting her now? That’s cute.”

Dre exhaled, annoyed and tired. “Man, I ain’t doing this with you. Not here.”

For a second, none of us moved.

The whole aisle felt like it was holding its breath.

Then Sasha rolled her eyes dramatically, flipped her hair like she’d rehearsed it, and grabbed her cart handle.

“You know what? Have fun,” she said. “Both of y’all.”

She pushed past us, her cart wheels squeaking like they agreed with every bit of her attitude.

When she finally disappeared around the corner, Dre looked at me, shoulders dropping. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that.”

I forced a smile I didn’t feel. “It’s fine.”

“It ain’t,” he said. “But I’ll handle it.”

Handle it.

Whatever it was.

I nodded even though my stomach was doing gymnastics. “I should get going. I still have… stuff to get.”

A whole lie. I wanted to leave everything in that store—including my pride.

He hesitated, then nodded too. “A’ight. I’ll hit you later, if that’s cool.”

“Yeah. Sure.”

We stood there one awkward beat too long before turning away from each other.

I walked fast, basket shaking in my hand, no idea where I was even headed. I ended up in the cleaning aisle staring at Pine-Sol like it was about to give me life advice.

“What the hell am I doing…” I whispered to myself.

Because the truth hit me all at once:

I wasn’t just in the middle of something messy.

I was becoming part of the mess.

And that kiss… that moment… that choice…

It had already rewritten everything.