Author's note: In feedback and comments from the original "Reversal of Fortune" some readers told me to write another chapter but just stick to the sex and skip all the bad behaviors. Somewhat surprisingly, though, most readers clamored for more of everything naughty and self-destructive. If you like the result, please tap stars to vote, and your feedback and comments are always welcome.
For context, read or reread the original Reversal of Fortune before reading Chapter 2.
It was a weekday. Stan was at his cousin's used car lot, trying to convince a young couple to buy an eight-year-old Toyota. Alexa was working the drive-through at McDonald's, but because business was slow, her boss told her to clock out and go home.
As she drove toward her little old house in what most white people called "the ghetto" Alexa pondered the reversal of fortune that had transformed her family from millionaires to paupers. In just a couple months' time, she had become accustomed to her new poverty-line lifestyle, which was a good thing because her husband had signed a one-year lease, meaning they would not be moving anywhere in the near future. Alexa did take some pleasure in recalling the outstanding sex that she had recently come to know with her black next-door neighbor, Wiley. Those thoughts reminded her that her sweet 18-year-old daughter, Erica, had become sexually active also, with Wiley's son, Travis.
Alexa contemplated how she had feared that the minority neighborhood that they had moved to would have a negative impact on Erica, and it had. Although not yet confirmed, all indications were that Erica was pregnant and would give birth to a mixed-race baby before graduating high school. After living most of her life as a spoiled little rich girl, Erica had assimilated remarkably well -- almost too well -- and she had adapted to her socially depressed surroundings and was well on her way to becoming a "hood rat".
Travis' mother, and Wiley's white common-law wife, Pam, had befriended Erica and her parents. A few days earlier, Pam had demonstrated her amateur hair-dressing skills and transformed Erica's long flowing blonde hair into a head of thick dreadlock-style braids. Besides her appearance, Erica had begun to act and speak in a fashion mirroring the young black people in her new circle of friends. Erica listened to rap music exclusively and her dialect had morphed into a blend of proper English, Ebonics, and gutter slang. Stan and Alexa had always admonished Erica whenever she used foul language, but her cursing and swearing had become so commonplace that her parents gave up on trying to correct her. Erica dropped f-bombs constantly. Just a year earlier, Alexa and Erica were beginning to consider which Ivy League college she would attend. But higher education was no longer an option for Erica. Alexa just hoped that her daughter would graduate high school, realizing that most teenagers in their part of town were dropouts.
Pam arrived home and heard loud rap music blaring from the house. Erica was inside with Travis and two other black teens, one male and one female, smoking weed while lazily lounging around the living room. The music was so loud that they did not hear Alexa park in the driveway.
As Alexa opened the front door, she saw her daughter holding a blunt between her lips, taking a big hit. Erica instantly knew that she was busted and just nonchalantly blew out the smoke. She said, "Hey Mom."
Alexa gasped and yelled, "Erica what the hell are you doing?! Come with me young lady!" As Alexa led Erica to her bedroom for a talking-to, the black girl took the marijuana-laced cigar from her and laughed, saying, "Erica's momma is gonna whip her ass for smoking dope!"
In the bedroom, trying to keep her voice down, Alexa angrily said, "What's the matter with you?! You know that you should not be smoking!"
Erica spat back, "For real, Mom?! You a hypocrite! I know for true that you smoked Pam's cigarettes, so don't give me no shit!"
Alexa fired back, "Well I'm not pregnant!"
"Well, I ain't knocked up neither!" Erica screamed in her mother's face. "My period came this morning, so I guess I musta just been late or somethin'."
"But, Erica, you said you had morning sickness."
"I said I threw up one fucking time! I guess it was just a nervous stomach or some shit."
Alexa breathed a genuine sigh of relief. "Well, Sweetie, you dodged a bullet this time. Let it be a lesson to you. If you don't want to wind up with a part-black baby in your belly you need to get on birth control."
Erica sighed, and in a condescending, haughty tone, she replied, "Yes Mother." Erica left the room to rejoin her "homies".
After Alexa changed out of her McDonalds uniform, she exited the bedroom and found Erica and the three others still hanging out in the living room. Knowing full well that Alexa was watching, Travis pulled a joint from his shirt pocket and lit it. After taking a big hit, Travis passed the joint to Erica, who smiled and took a long pull on the weed while looking at her mother. Erica chuckled as she teasingly held the joint out to her mom. Erica let out a "whoa!" when Alexa grabbed the joint from her hand and brought it straight to her lips, inhaling deeply and loudly. The joint made the rounds three more times. After about an hour of lying around, just being stoned, everyone, including Alexa, rose to their feet and went their separate ways.
Call me White Girl
Erica's reputation for being a party animal and a pothead became well-established in the minority community where she lived. As is common in black culture, her given name was used far less often than her "street name". Erica came to be known as "White Girl". Although she didn't care much for the label at first, she got used to it, and in time she responded favorably when she'd hear someone say "Wassup White Girl?!"
What girls like
It was a day off work for Alexa, who was quick to accept an invitation when neighbor Pam called and suggested that she come over for a beer.
Alexa was immediately surprised to see that Pam did not look her usual, slovenly self. Her hair was shiny-clean and pulled back in a neat ponytail. Her face was lightly brushed with makeup. Lipstick adorned her mouth, and she wore new shorts and a matching print top.
"Pam, you look so nice and pretty today!" Alexa gushed.
"You do too, Alexa, but you always do. You're the most beautiful woman that I know and sometimes you make me want to clean up my act! Just don't get too used to it because I'm still a redneck girl at heart!
After fetching a cold one for herself and Alexa, Pam said, "A little birdie told me that you were a bad girl yesterday and you were smoking weed. If I knew you were into it I would have fired up a joint or my bong a long time ago."
Pam motioned toward the living room and suggested they sit on the couch. While Alexa carried her beer and took a seat, Pam disappeared into her bedroom for a few seconds, then reentered the room and also sat on the couch. Alexa found it odd that Pam plopped down close to her instead of taking up space on the sofa's far end. The close positioning made more sense when Pam put her lighter and a hand-rolled cigarette on the coffee table in front of them both.
"Maybe you'd like to be a bad girl again and smoke a little weed with me," Pam mischievously suggested.
"I don't know, Pam. I don't usually..."
