Every girl comes to a point in their lives where they start to notice boys, and even more dramatically, the boys start to notice them. Then there are the next few stages that we slowly progress through on the way to adulthood. The curious stage, the expert stage, puppy love, heartbreak, hoes stage, and, of course, we all strive to fall head over heels in love with one person. Depending on when we develop our lovely attention-grabbing lady lumps, we might skip a stage or two, but as young ladies, we have them all.

My name is Annette Brooks, and I was always a bookworm, a good girl, so most people thought. I had big dreams as a girl of getting married to my first love, having children, and getting into a career I loved. I grew up in the hood, where everything always seemed to come to us the hard way. My mother always worked more than one job to support me and my two brothers and always gave us a nice, comfortable home. She was wonderful. Me being the oldest, it sometimes seems like I got the short edge of the stick. My younger brother, Charlie, was a troublemaker and kept a lot of her attention on him. While I only got into trouble when it had something to do with him. My youngest brother came along when I was thirteen and by that time, I had gotten used to how my family moved.

The lack of attention and the two jobs was the reason that when at fourteen my lumps came in full force, I didn't notice, and neither did my mother. My eighth-grade year came and when I got on the school bus that first day, I noticed something different. The same boys I had known for years were all up in my face and asking for my number. Of course, I was too shy and surprised to take any of them up on their offers. I was absolutely shocked. These were the boys who used to tease me and pull my hair when I wasn't looking, and they were trying to holla at me, and as far as I was concerned, I had a boyfriend.

Not a boyfriend, per se, but we talked every day on the phone. We never saw each other because he lived on the other side of town. Mick was a perfect over-the-phone, no-pressure relationship, and we had plans that included him being my first when I turned eighteen and going to the same college. As far as I was concerned, I was taken. But that didn't stop the boys from trying, and much as it annoyed me, it boosted my ego a bit.

I had never really considered myself to be fine, or as the boys said a dime piece. I was always too short, only five foot two, or two chubby size twelve, or the one I hated the most, too dark-skinned. I thought I was gorgeous, and I just figured it would take a special guy to notice my beauty. It was more than skin deep. I was short, dark-skinned, and what most people considered thick. My hair never grew to its full potential, so I usually kept braids or a weave ponytail, but it stayed done. I got lots of compliments on how pretty my skin was, and how unusual my eyes were, so I knew I had certain attention-grabbing qualities.

As I got older, my friends became fewer and I kind of became a loner. My freshman year, I was in a c cup bra and a hip-hugging size fourteen. Still short, I had only grown an inch or two. But whatever the guys liked, I seemed to have it. So, a lot of my childhood friends started hating and for a while, I was truly alone. I and Mick were talking less and less and my friends from the neighborhood always wanted me to go with them and do things but I couldn't. My mother was still working all the time and that meant that after school, I went straight home to babysit my baby brothers. Getting out to me was sitting on my porch or walking to the store. So, I took comfort in romance novels. They were my escape and earned me a reputation of being a nerd. Until, one day, it all seemed to change when I met Christian James.

I did not know the impact he would have on my life. I did not know the life I would soon be living, of the changes I would undergo. The life I would live beside Christian and my friends would seem surreal. But our story is what could happen where we are from.

*****

I was sitting in the house as usual, mad at Mick for calling me some girl named Kim when my cousin came inside my house. She only lived downstairs and came by daily to try to get me to go on the block. I wasn't interested. Every time I went over there, it was so bullshit going down. I always ended fighting or getting pulled into a game that also ended up with a fight. I didn't have time. Her name was Ciara and while she was younger than me, and she was my best friend.

"Girl, forget that boy, let's go to the block, and play some cards." She was saying while picking up one of my books and flicking through it.

I looked at her and then looked down at myself, and thought she had to be kidding. I was wearing a t-shirt and a pair of shorts that were only appropriate for the house. My hair was not done at all, just combed to the back, and I was not about to change. My mood wouldn't let me. Ciara had on a nice mini denim skirt and a pink tank top. Her hair was in a ponytail and she looked cool. "Look at me. Do I look like I feel like going anywhere? Girl stop." I said, snatching my book that she had. It was a favorite, and I didn't want her greasy ass hands on it.

Ciara scrunched up her nose and said "Who are you trying to impress this the hood? Everybody knows you, and you got the right to a bad day. Shit, fuck these people. Who really cares?"

"You know I don't for real," I said. I didn't care. As much as I wanted to stay in the dumps, I knew I had to get over it. I hadn't seen Mick in like six months. Ciara was right for once. I grabbed my flip-flops. "One time around the block, and don't start no Shit, Ciara." Ciara was always getting us into some kind of altercation with somebody I didn't even know. I was known for kicking ass, and she was known for running when it came crashing down. She was all bark and no bite, whereas I was all bite and I did very little talking.

So, we hit the block, with no fighting. Everybody was outside kicking it dominoes, cards, dice. A few dudes slap boxing in the middle of the street. People were posted, having a good time, and it made me hate how much I missed staying at home. However, it was what it was, that was my life. We hung out for a while, before making our way back to our building.

On the way home back to my nice quiet block, I noticed a guy hanging out on the stoop down the street from me. I had never seen him before, so I had to scope him out. He looked nice from a distance, at least. I knew we would all know him soon enough. As we walked by his stoop, he tried to holla, which took me by surprise. I just knew he wasn't talking to me since I was looking like a hot mess. Before I could stop myself. I copped with an attitude. My protective instincts kicked in full force because Ciara was only fourteen and he looked to be about sixteen, too old.

"Who are you talking to?" I asked, with my hand on my hip.

"I was talking to you," he said, smiling.

That's when I notice he was cute, nice smile, tall, caramel complexion. He had a gap, a very large one, oddly it added to his appeal. Had to hand it to him though, he still seemed so confident with that big ass smile and the jogging teeth. Not to mention he was trying to holla at me when I'm at my worse. So, with no intention of calling him ever, I took his number and name. His name was Christian.

When I walked away, Ciara started cracking up. "Girl, he was cute, but his teeth need a doctor." I laughed too. It was funny, and it was true. "It's cool girl, I won't be calling him." But when I got to my stoop and looked down the street to his, he was still looking at me. Like he was gone be waiting on that call. He would be waiting, I thought as I walked inside.