Torn

by Tanya Cole

  “How do you know?”

  “I’m cheating with you right?” Free says laughing.

  “Yeah, but that’s only because Tia won’t sleep with you.”

  “Shit, I was cheating before that. So, you know that I know wassup. Let me go get us a pizza. Where is the food stamp card?”

  I walk into the room and get my food stamp card.

  “How much is on here?” Free asks.

  “342.”

  “Aight. I’ll be right back.”

  “Get two and a drink. Faygo.”

  Four hours later, still no Free. I’m sitting in the living room crying and thinking about all the bullshit I’m going through. Free will come back with some lame ass excuse like nothing happened. A knock on the door brings me back to reality.

  “Who is it?”

  “Me.”

  “Me who?”

  “Champ.”

  “Awl okay.”

  I open the door. We kiss and hold each other. As soon as we start to get ready to fuck, Free walks in.

  “Aye, homeboy, take that shit somewhere else! Moet, this is your man crib! Have some respect for yourself! Da fuck wrong with you!” Free says mad as hell.

  “Moet, follow me to the car,” Champ says.

  We walk downstairs to his car, but something is off.

  “Mo, I got to be real with you.” He says.

  “Wassup?”

  “Wifey found out about everything. She’s pissed, but the only way I can get her to stay is if I get custody of MJ. So, I called Children’s Service and they already had a case on you. I got her to agree to let MJ stay with us until you can provide for yourself and him and get up on your feet. That’s the only way she will accept it. Plus, it’s better than what you got going on now.”

  “Give me a few days to think about it.”

  “You got 24 hours. And where is Mark’s stanky ass?”

  “I don’t know. He’s lying about going to work. The apartment is finna be gone too.”

  “Give me MJ. And I’ll take it from there. Here’s some money for a room. I can take you if you want me too.” He says giving me $300.

  “Nah, I’m good.”

  “Aight. Call me baby.”

  “I will.”

  When I walk back in the house, Free is sitting on the couch. We talk about our next move. I give him the three hundred dollars because he can go and flip it. After we fuck, he leaves to go get some dope. I check the balance on my card.

  “The snap balance is one hundred dollars and three cents.”

  The fuck? He only came back with two pizzas and two drinks. How did he spend two hundred and forty-two dollars?

  Mark

  I hate to admit it, but I’m falling in love with Jada. She is all that and then some. I’m thinking about asking her to move in with me when Tia gets her crib. I kiss her on the neck and she wakes up. No time like the present to tell her how I feel.

  “Hey, baby.”

  “I was sleeping good. You put me to sleep. What’s with the crazy look?” Jada asks.

  “I’m falling in love with you. I’m leaving Moet for you. I’ll do whatever it takes to have you in my arms, my bed, my heart, and my life forever.”

  “Mark, wait a minute.” She says. “You’re jumping into something that I didn’t sign up for.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m not leaving Champ. He’s everything that you’re not. I can’t blame Moet for falling for him too.”

  “And what’s that?” I ask.

  “He’s employed, got good credit, stable, makes good money, knows how to handle his business, and he stays fresh. You can’t keep a job and you always living from place to place. You’re always housing these hoes and making fucked up decisions. You think I didn’t notice that you haven’t been to work. Plus, Champ is getting MJ and is going to force Hoet to sign over her parental rights. That’s the only reason why I decided to stay. I just slept with you to get back at him and Hoet. No more, no less.”

  “So, after all the shit I did- I’m still just get back.”

  “Yeah.” She says looking down.

  “Aight, say no mo.”

  We spend the next hour not saying anything. I actually thought we could have something special. I’ve emptied my checking and saving accounts. I gave her all of my paychecks. I’m spending one hundred and fifty dollars a night for this expense ass suite. I even let my rent get behind thinking I was going to get a new life with her funky ass. Now, that I know she ain’t feeling me like that- I got her sheisty ass. I took a few pictures of her while she was naked. I’m going to make a fake page and expose her gold digging ass to Champ and the world.

  “Aye, I’m going to the store. I’ll be right back.” I say putting on my clothes.

  “Bring me back something to eat.”

  “Aight. What do you want?” I ask knowing damn well I won’t be back.

  “Some Tops. Bring me back a jumbo BBQ shoulder sandwich with extra sauce, some double fries, and a sweet tea. I’m sorry Mark, but I’m married. And that means until death do us apart.”

  “Mane, I’m not mad. You’re a bad chick and you can’t blame me for wanting you to myself. That pussy is too good. Good lawd baby. Champ’s a lucky man. I hope he treats you right.”I say

  “He will and your dick ain’t bad either.”

  I walk straight down to the front desk and complain about the smell in my room. They give me a key to another room without any hesitation. I spend my paychecks in here and I’m a regular. Let’s just say I live here. I watch as housekeeping knocks on the door to clean my room. Jada calls my phone, but I blocked her as soon as I walked out of the door. She got me so fucked up. I’ve given her over five thousand dollars because I thought she wanted to be with me. She does her ‘walk of shame’ to her car. When she cranks her car, I unblock her number and send her a text,

  “Champ will love your nudes.”

  “No, please don’t.”

  “When I need some cash, I’ll hit you up. When I want to fuck, I’ll hit you up. When I want my dick suck, I’ll hit you up. Or Champ won’t be the only one getting your nudes. ROTFLMAO. Oan enjoy your step baby.”

  “Okay. Mark, what do you want me to do?”

  “I’ll let you know.”

  I chill back in the room for two more days and when I finally decide to go home; the shit has literally hit the fan.

  “Why ya’ll so quiet,” I ask.

  “Because we have ten days to move,” Free says.

  Chapter 7

  Moet

  I catch the bus to a local shelter with MJ. I explain my situation to the intake specialist. It’s summer and of course, all of the shelters in the area are filled up. The waiting list is so long that they don’t have any openings until November. Then, it’s two hundred women and children on the waiting list. I have only one option left- give MJ to Champ. I know that’s he’s not his dad, but Mark is about to get us put out. He came home like nothing has happened. I catch the bus back home and think about all the bullshit I’m going through. Maybe this is karma for some of the bullshit I’ve put people through. As I walk up to the step with MJ, I think about what I’m going to do. When I make it to the last step, I hear Tia and Mark talking. So, instead of going in the house I stand outside and listen.

  “What are you going to do?” Tia asks.

  “I thought that we can all move in with you until I get on my feet,” Mark says.

  “Hell nawl! Next plan?”

  “Next plan?” Mark says.

  “So, I can’t come and stay with you either?”

  “Um, no. That’s my condo. I’m not obligated to give anybody a place to stay.”

  “But you and your Freeloader are staying here with me now!” Mark says.

  “And before you got this apartment, where did you stay?” Tia asks.

  “With you.”

  “And how long did you stay,” Tia asks.

  “For six months,” Marks says.

  “Yes, s
o for six months you didn’t pay one bill. You didn’t buy a loaf of bread, no soap, or pay a light bill. No one is moving in with me. And before you got the apartment before this one, where did you stay?”

  “With you,” Mark says.

  “And how long did you stay?”

  “For eight months.”

  “Did you give me a dollar on the bills?” Tia asks.

  “Nah, I didn’t.”

  “So, no little brother you cannot stay. It’s time for you to grow up and make your own way.”

  “I know. I promise this is the last time. Sis, you got a condo in the Canterbury Woods and I can’t stay. Come on sis please.”

  “Hell nawl. Find you somewhere else to stay.”

  “Can you at least give me the money to help me keep this apartment?” Mark asks.

  “That would be a no too. I got to save my money for my crib.”

  “So, you got the money and won’t help me?” he asks.

  “I’m barely here, but I put the groceries in here. I buy all the household supplies and I work most of the time. As a matter of fact, I’m the only one working. When I’m not at work, I’m at Trinity’s. But it’s three grown ass adults that I’m responsible for taking care of. Da fuck? That is my place for me. Y'all better find some money and take care of ya’ll.”

  Aight. Say no mo.”

  I can’t believe this selfish ass bitch would let us be homeless. I got a trick for her ass. I called my homegirl. Fatima and ask her if she could take me somewhere. She tells me to give her about two hours. I walk into the apartment and act like I didn’t hear a word.

  “Hey, ya’ll. “ I say smiling.

  “Hey,” Tia says dryly.

  “Mark, can I talk to you?” I ask.

  “Look Moet, I got to go and take this drug test. Tia, you going to drop me off?”

  “Nah, give the keys back to Free. Trinity is picking me up.” She says as she grabs her purse.

  I look out of the window and Trinity is there parked in the parking lot waiting on her. It’s the same car that Free was talking about.

  “So, you’re going with Trinity? Yeah, I bet.” I say as Tia walks out of the door.

  “Make it quick Moet. And I know about Children’s Services.” Mark says nonchalantly.

  “Here’s something that you don’t know. MJ is really yours.”

  “Da fuck outta here with that bullshit Mo.”

  “Aight,” I say as I walk back to the room to get the DNA results.

  “Wassup Moet? I don’t have time for these games.”

  “Here you go, look at this,” I say showing him the papers.

  “Damn, when did you take this?”

  “After Jaden put me on blast. We can still get the test done again if you want to. I just can’t give my baby to Champ.”

  “My baby. No, our baby. Let’s make this right Mo. Does Champ know?”

  “Nah, I been getting money from him to take care of MJ. Just because I ain’t got no job.”

  “Aight, I got it from here.”

  The lights come on.

  “Did you pay the bills?”

  “Nah, and Tia’s selfish ass wouldn’t help me either,” Mark says pissed.

  “I know. I heard. Why the fuck is she here if she ain’t going to contribute to anything?”

  “I don’t know. But the little shit she do for us helps me out.” Mark says defending that bitch.

  “Aye bruh, wassup?” Free says walking in the apartment.

  “Sup bruh? You just missed Tia.”

  “Did she say where she was going?” Free asks.

  “To work and over Trinity’s.”

  “Well, I paid the light bill and here’s the receipt for the rent. I even paid it up for a month ahead of time. That gives us a minute to come up with it.”

  “Mane, Thanks bruh. And oh yeah, MJ is mine.”

  “Bout time you told him,” Free says to me.

  “You knew?”

  “Only cause I was snooping bruh. I got to go though. What you finna do?”

  “Go and take this drug test. I got another job. And it was just in time. You going to give me a ride down there bruh?” Mark says.

  “Yeah, I got you. Plus, I want to see Tia’s face when she sees the roses that I got her. And I got a job too. I work at Damo’s from four to twelve.” Free says.

  “Can ya’ll take MJ? I got to go see my caseworker. And give me those receipts so I can tell her that we keeping the apartment. And she’s going to call the manager to confirm it. That’s cool right?”

  “Yeah, and take the blood test results too. Come on son. Let’s go and handle up so that daddy can make sure you’re straight.” He says walking to the back to get MJ dressed.

  “So, you still gonna chase Tia?” I ask Free pissed off that he’s still chasing her ass.

  “Yeah, I am.”

  “Well, know that she don’t want you. She got approved for a condo.”

  “A condo? When?”

  “Awl now you are concerned? I heard her and Mark talking about it. I’m finna make sure that bitch don’t get it.”

  “Shit, that’s my girl. That’s wassup. It ain’t like she was going to let me come and stay no way. So, make sure she don’t get it.”

  “Aight. So, what’s your plan for her?” I ask.

  “Make her fall in love with me, dog her ass out for playing with me, and then dip. I’ll text you her social security number. I wrote it down in case I needed it one day. Call the condos and cancel that shit. She ain’t finna come up without me and leave me down.”

  “I’m already on it baby.”

  Mark walks back into the living room clueless as always. If I got to live here and be unhappy, that bitch ain’t finna be happy. After Mark, MJ, and Free leave Fatima pulls up ready for whatever. We chill for a minute before Champ calls. I tell him what’s going on and he agrees to let me keep MJ as long as I got somewhere to live with the lights on and food in the fridge. He also brings me two hundred dollars for MJ. After he leaves, we visit the Canterbury Woods condos. We view the sample condo. This is so nice and quiet. Now, if this bitch would let me and my baby stay with her- I’d let her keep it. But since she wants her own space and not help me out- her bad. I download an app on my phone that disguises a number and allows you to make calls from the fake one. I call the office, pretend to be Tia, verify the social security number, and cancel her lease. I call my partner and tell him that I got some mail coming to his address. Yeah, Tia’s deposit will be coming to me. My fee for funding, fucking, feeding, sucking, and supplying her man because she was too lazy to do it.

  Free

  I’m looking at Mark because he’s happy. He really thinks that I give a fuck about him like that. I only paid the bills because I don’t have anywhere else to go. I went over my momma house begging her to let me stay. I even gave her $500 and she said no. Talking about me growing up and finally being a man. Then, she asked me why can’t Tia find me somewhere to stay? That’s a good question. Why won’t Tia let me move in with her? She has a crib, but she ain’t trying to let me stay there. She hasn’t even mentioned it to me. Plus, she’s never at home and always at Trinity’s house. I’ve been spoiling her lately and trying to show her that I still love her. She ain’t trying to make up with me, but she don’t turn down my money. She still ain’t gave me no ass either. She’ll break down though. I’m sure she will. Now, that Moet told me what’s up, I got a trick for her ass. I’ll make it where she has no choice, but to stay with me.

  “So, you good now that you know lil man’s yours?” I ask Mark.

  “Yeah, I got to make it right with Moet. I don’t want my son in the middle of some bullshit like my moms and pops did me,” he says smiling at MJ.

  He sounds like a real idiot. I feel sorry for his Forrest Chump ass. There’s no way that he’s that stupid. Tia and Trinity are both book and street smart. That’s what attracted me to them. He ain’t smart at all. He doesn’t even have common sense.

  “Just be care
ful. You know you can raise a baby without the mom right?”

  “Yeah, but why would I?”

  “Aight, bruh. Let’s go and head out to Tia’s job. I sent her some roses. Are you hungry?”

  “Hell yeah.” He says smiling.

  His fat ass always down to eat.

  “We will go to her job first and then to the grocery store. I just got my food stamps this morning. That way when the caseworker comes over, the fridge will have some food in it because she is going to check. I’ll go over to my mom’s crib for a few days. You can tell her that I no longer live there. I’ll just move out my things for a few weeks and when they close ya’ll case; I’ll be back.”

  “Aight, good looking out,” he says. “And you got a job? You trying to do right ain’t chea?”

  “Yeah, I miss my baby. She’s running around with this clown ass nigga. My lil sistah even seen her with him. I’m finna put on a badge and sit in my baby section. Then, I’m going to tip her really good.”

  “Look at you. Stepping up.”

  “Yeah. Baby, is worth it?”

  I park in the parking lot at Tia’s job. I put on my fake badge. I paid my partner $25 and a bag of loud for it. I know you didn’t actually think I was going to get a job. I’m back to chasing that sack. I just used the Children’s Service case to throw them off track. I’m serving that work again. I’m going to Shayla’s house for a few days to get settled. When I’m through with Tia’s ass, I’m on to the next one. First, I got to stack up my paper.

  “Hey Free. Wassup homeboy?” Tia’s boss says.

  He’s the blackest cracker ever. He’s always talking about calling him McCracker. Townhouse edition.

  “Mane, slow motion. Did she get my roses?”

  “She did. You’re a smooth cat. You ready to be seated? You showed up just in time because her section is almost full. And who is this young man?” he says playing with MJ.

  “This is Tia’s brother Mark and her nephew MJ,” I say introducing them.

  “Alright. Let’s go. And dessert is on me.” he says walking us to Tia’s section.

  “Cool. Alright then.” I say impersonating a white boy.

  Tia walks up and smiles. Mane, she looks so amazing. At 5’3, Tia’s skin tone is just like a cup of mocha chocolate. She has tight, slanted eyes with high cheekbones and a pretty smile with icy white teeth. She has a curvy body with a nice size ass. She ain’t country thick like we like them in the south, but she got a little weight on her. She has on her black pants and white button up shirt and it looks good on her. I haven’t seen her in two days, but every time I do I think about our first time. My dick is so hard it’s jumping through my pants. She smiles and I do too.