I sat on the steps of my house with my black barbie doll pinned between my legs as I struggled to get every knot out of her kinky hair. Ma had promised to buy me a new one for my birthday and even though she might have been lying, the thought alone made me so happy.

"You'll finally have a friend, Brandy." I said pulling at a knot at the tips of her hair.

"Look at that beauty." I moved the doll from my legs and held her out to get a better look.

She looked just like me, brown skin and hair that could break a comb if left alone for a few days. Her eyes were dark brown but mine are light, like my mothers. My whole life the children at school teased me because they thought I was wearing contacts.

The sun was out and my pretty pink pants along with my bouncy curls caught the attention of everyone on my block in the Ville.

"Yo, Chanel?"

I heard a boy doing a very horrible impression of a girl's voice. I looked up, already knowing who it was. Dark skin and almond shaped annoying eyes with long eyelashes and waves in his hair that he brushed everyday.

"What you want, Trevon?" I answered already with an attitude.

"You always playin with that ugly bald headed doll." He said snatching her away from me.

I jumped to my feet in hopes to snatch her back but he was too quick.

"Don't you got somebody else to bother? My mom said she would buy me one for my birthday. Brandy ain't even bald headed. But you know who is? " I yelled as I chased him down the block.

"Don't say nothing crazy." He warned laughing before he stopped by a dirty puddle in the street that had accumulated from rain. He held Brandy over it by only a strand of hair on her head. "Go ahead, tell me who bald headed. " He taunted.

He stood there with the devil in his eyes and I stared at him speechless, afraid of what he was about to do. The water looked disgusting and it smelled terrible.

"You not gon say nothin?" He asked smiling.

"Trevon, can I please have my doll back?" I asked nicely.

"Now you want to be all polite? "

"Mama said boys only behave like this when they like a girl." I said putting my hands on my hip.

"Mama said boys only behave-be quiet. Aint nobody like you." He got serious now and let the doll slip. He caught it before it hit the water and I screamed in disbelief then began crying.

"Please Trevon! Just gimme my doll!" I covered my eyes and really put down the water works. "Give her to me!"

All jokes were gone now and he saw that I was actually upset. He held the doll out to me and didn't move when I went to grab it from him like I thought he would. I took Brandy and hugged her tightly, still crying.

"Why you still crying? I gave her back." He said patting my shoulder. I pushed him off as quickly as he touched me.

"Why are you so mean to me? I never did anything to you!" I responded. I cried and cried until he was just standing there without words.

"Maybe yo mama was right." He said. He didn't even wait for me to process the words. It took me some time to figure out what he was talking about, but when I finally did, I avoided Trevon as much as I possibly could.