Natalia's Beauty Shop

Hello Everyone. I don'thave much to say so you can just go on and read the chapter. Oh, and this is and Itachi Story, and he'll be coming in the next chapter. Please review after your done!

Tess shoes 'thwacked' up the dirty marble stairs of her best friends' apartment building. Tess and Tiffany have been friends since they were in diapers. They even shared the same pacifier. Both did everything together. They started kindergarden, graduated high school both even liked boys and had their 'aunt flow' visit them at the same time. They were always being compared to each other, people often thought them as sisters. The only thing difference about them were their ethnicity. Tiffany's parents were African American while Tess was only half. Ter father was African American, while her mother was cuban.

Tess rang the doorbell, ignoring the cries of babies next door, and the god awful smell in the hallway. There were muffled sounds at the other end of the door, indicating that someone was there, they just weren't opening the door, or they were taking too long for tess' liking. After a series of doorbell ringing and a couple more bangs, Tiffany's little brother finally opened the door. Tess smiled down sweetly at the five year old. Her 'little man'.

"Hey little man, how's it going?" She asked, kneeling down to his size, Ruffling his course black head.

"Why do you always do that? I am not a little boy anymore! I'm five and a half now." Tess' eyes widened in shocked surprise, putting her hand on her heart for dramatics.

"Well! I am so sorry for confusing you, good sir. I now know my place. Tell me, BIG man, is your sister somewhere around?" Tiffany's brother pouted, his eyes narrowed, as if offended.

"Maybe, maybe not. I'm gonna need something to jog my memory. Since you direspected me so much..." Tiffany's brother held out his hand gesturing her to put something in them. Tess raised one elegant brow and smiled. Ah, the children of harlem. You gotta love 'em. She dug in her purse, looking for her wallet until she saw her little man be pushed from the doorway and replaced with someone else who was not Tiffany. Tiffany's older brother, Marcus.

He leaned against the doorway casually, only in royal blue basketball shorts and white sneakers, sizing her up like she was some piece of meat. Tess rolled her eyes. He had seen her in the dorway while 'little man' was bribing her and decided he'd come to say 'hi'.

"Hey Marcus." She said flatly. Marcus leaned in close to her and whispered in what he thought was a smooth tone.

"What's up tess? Hear it's your birthday today. How old are you?"

Tess narrowed her eyes, Almost laughing. " You know damn well how old I am. Where's Tiffie we have to go get our hair done for my party tonight."

"Tiffany ain't here. Why don't you come in so we can talk?" Just as Tess was about to retort, Marcus was grabbed roughly out of the doorway by the lovely Tiffany.

"Get the fuck outta here, this is MY friend. Get it through your head that she isn't anything like the hoes you bring over here. BYE!" Tiffany yelled, emphasizing the last part when marcus didn't move quick enough. When he finally left, slamming the door behind him, Tiffany turned to her friend of ninteen years and they walked down the stairs.

"I'm sorry for Marcus, he just can't get out of his head that he can't have you." Tiffany said. Tess chuckled when she heard Marcus' muffled curses above them.

"That's not important. Just know that as long as he keeps trying to push up on me, I'm always going to say no. Happy?" Tiffany smiled, swinging her arms around her best friend's shoulders.

"So where to first b-day girl? Bikini's or hair salon?"

"Hair salon. My bikini is in my drawer. When I leave, I'm changing at my house."

"Why not my house? Is my humble abode not good enough?" Tiffany said, feigning an offensive tone.

"Why tiffie, you know how much I heart your humble abode. It's just that one of your brothers is a pervert and the other tries to hustle me. You have to know how much I love you. And it hurts..." Tess trailed off, fanning her eyes, holding back fake tears of pain and sadness. Tiffany pushed her playfully as they walked to their favorite place in the whole wide world.

Natalia's Beauty Salon

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"Okay...okay...what about..um, the dude from the basketball court. Damn what's his name? Tess you gotta know his name, he talks to you all the time." Tiffany said snapping her fingers trying to get a clear recollection of this guys' name.

Tess opened one grey eye lazily to adress her friend. Apparently the lady doing her pedicure knew what she was doing when it came to massaging feet. "Tiffie, I talk to everyone. You can't expect me to know this ONE guy.." Tiffany raised an eye brow in disagreement.

"He always calls you miss pretty."

"Ohh, that's Junior." Everyone in the beauty salon as Tess smiled, closing her eyes. The girls were playing a game, often played in this santuary Natalia made as her beauty shop. This game was called 'gay or straight' and Miss Natalia was very skilled in the art of knowing who was who. Well, one would expect one to know, being that natalia was born nathaniel. But no one would dare confront her about this. The last time someone was bold enough to do this, he found his jaw shattered, his ribs busted and a variety of teeth punched out of his mouth. Yes they do know Natalia was a guy, but no one would ever voice their opinions on the matter. well, not anymore.

So, Na--Na, gay or straight?" Natalia slid a hot comb through one of her client's hair as she thought back on who Junior was.

"Oh he's as gay as the day is long, hunny." Everyone in the whole shop cackled and 'ooohed' as Natalia parted pieces of her client's hair to get on to the next piece needing to be straightened. When the shop clamed down, Tess decided to jump into the conversation.

"But he hides it so well.."

Natalia threw her head back and laughed " Ha! yeah he wishes. But he tries, I'll give him that." She said as she gestured for tess to come over so she can take the rollers out of her head. With much difficulty, Tess waddled her way into the chair.

"So, what are you doing for your birthday besides partying?" Natalia said.

"Well, I was hoping to spend time with my parents, but they have to go do this big conference for the newspaper they work for. Eh, just as long they come back some time soon, I'll be alright." Tess said, moving her head from side to side when Natailia was done.

"Once again Na--Na, you have out done yourself. Tiffie, I'll see you later, I have to go and spend time with my parents before they leave. See you all later!" Tess called back. Everyone in the shop yelled back 'Happy Birthday' as she left.