by S. L. Walker
“No, not at all. I’m simply going off what I see. I think you are a wonderful girl, sweet, and professional and I want it to stay that way. Boys complicate everything,” she giggled, picking up some mail she saw with her name on it. “The flowers are adorable, though. Just remember what I said,” she smiled and walked back towards her office. I looked at the flowers and then back towards where she had walked. Although Nancy was being a hater, she was right. Boys did complicate things and Sam was getting a little too open with his affection. I laid the flowers on the floor next to me and began to rummage through the mail again.
“What’s the matter, you don’t like them?” Sam’s voice startled me. I didn’t even see him coming my way. He didn’t enter from the front area but I guess had already been at the center. He wasn’t sweating or anything but did have on his usual basketball shorts and grey tee with our High School logo on it with the sleeves cut out, showing off his tiny army muscles.
“Hey Sam, these are from you? They’re really nice,” I smiled at him.
“Who did you think they were from?” He asked me, leaning onto my desk.
“I don’t know, I wasn’t even sure they were mine,” I lied.
“Oh they were, just something to put a smile on your face. But I see they didn’t,” he frowned.
“Was I that obvious?” I said, embarrassed. I wasn’t good at hiding my emotions. If I was sad, it was all over my face. The same with angry, depressed, happy, you name it.
“A little. You look bothered,” he scooted closer towards me.
“No, I told you I love them. They even match my scarf,” I forced a smile and pointed to my yellow scarf I had wrapped around my neck that matched my white sweater and yellow jeans.
“It does,” he grinned.
“But um, could we not do this?” I asked him, scared of his reaction. It was now or never.
“Do what?” He asked, dumbly.
“The flowers, movies, all of that. It’s not really a good look, with work and everything,” the look on his face had me instantly regret what I had just said. I almost felt like he had said it to me. Nancy came back around the corner eyeing us. She smiled at Sam but kept walking towards the basketball courts. He vaguely smiled at her and then looked at me.
“I see. Aight. I won’t bother you no more,” he said just like that and walked away. I didn’t even have time to get my thoughts together or to tell him why. I had more to say but maybe Nancy was all the confirmation he needed. I was actually surprised he had given up that easy. I felt like shit as I sighed, took off my sweater throwing it over my flowers, and digging back into the mess of mail I had.
ZARA
I was painting my nails a bright gold when my dad knocked on my bedroom door. I quickly adjusted how I was sitting with my short pink flannel pajama shorts and matching pink flannel tank top.
“Yes?!” I called out.
“Can I come in, amore?” He asked through the door.
“Yeah,” I told him, putting one last coat on my thumb. He entered in the room with “a talk” in his eyes. He was still in his grey work suit and matching grey and black tie. My dad always looked handsome and manly. Always wore a suit unless he had absolutely nothing to do that day and usually that was a Sunday when football was on. I rarely saw him in his grey sweats and crisp white tee, but when I did I knew it was Football time. He sat down on my bed across from me smiling.
“That’s a pretty color,” he said looking at my shiny gold nails.
“Thanks,” I told him, blowing my nails dry.
“Your mom always had her nails painted,” he said.
“I don’t like plain nails, it makes me sad,” we both said at the same time. A phrase my mother always said every time she’d change her nail polish.
“Look, Z, I think it’s time I talk to you about what I do. How we really keep a roof over our head,” he said to me resting his elbows onto his knees.
“I know what you do dad,” I told him. I was curious as to where this was going. If there was more I didn’t know.
“Not just the drugs, sweety. I’m a prime dealer and manufacturer. I have a drug warehouse out in California that I move product to and from, but I also buy and sell illegal guns. I plan on letting Tito take over everything and retiring in a couple of years before it’s too late,” he continued.
My heart raced at all the illegal stuff that he was naming. All the offenses and time in jail he could get. Even life. But I knew my dad was smart and patient. I didn’t know what to say to him. What was he expecting me to say?
“Okay,” was all that came out of my mouth.
“I know Treach has those girls on payroll and I don’t like it. I’ve been hearing some things about him. His greediness and disrespect for women. I know those girls had your back at school, and they will forever be okay in my book, but I don’t want you hanging with them anymore,” he said.
“What?” I cut him off. “At all?” I asked in disbelief.
“At all. I know you gave them guns. I saw four missing from my case in the basement and that’s okay, they are burner guns. They are going to need them working with Treach, but-” he said.
“No! They are my friends! Papa, I get not getting involved in what they are doing, but to just cut them off isn’t fair!” I stood up off my bed not caring if my nails were dry or not.
“Amore-” he tried to say.
“No! Papa, you know that’s not right. So what if they work for Treach. It’s temporary.” I defended them.
“Is that what you think? You think they are just going to do a few jobs here or there and be done? No! That villain got plans for them girls, they just can’t see it,” he stood up from the bed, too.
“What plans?” I said, curiously. My head was beginning to hurt. “You know something I don’t know?” I asked him
“Z, Treach is trouble. He already got some girl prostituting for him and plans on keeping it a business,” he told me, stepping closer to me. I backed up.
“So you think he’s going to try to prostitute them?” I asked, not sure where he was getting at with this.
“I don’t want you getting caught being affiliated with them. If they find out you’re my daughter, or worse, they don’t know you’re my daughter an…” he stopped and put his hand over his mouth afraid to say.
“You’re afraid I am going to ruin your little stupid business with Treach aren’t you?” I backed up from him.
“No, Z. I don’t want you to get hurt,” he walked towards me.
“You mean like last time?!” I said upset backing up again.
“Why do you need to do this business?! Don’t you make good money investing?” I asked him pissed at this point.
He hesitated, “Amore, I stopped investing two years ago. I have been doing this full time. This is my job.”
My stomach dropped. We were officially a crime family. I was officially the daughter of a drug dealer. We didn’t even have anything to cover up where our money was coming from anymore.
“So, you have NO businesses anymore?” I asked him, knowing he was smarter than this.
“I threw some money in stocks and bonds and I been working on getting a barbershop and lounge opening up in California. I’ve already scouted out a place out there and I’ll be flying out there next month to close the deal,” he said.
All I could do was look into his eyes with numbness. I didn’t like this one bit. I didn’t like what my world was evolving into without my permission. He finally wrapped his arms around me and hugged me kissing me on the forehead. I didn’t hug back, I just stood there in shock.
“Bear with me, amore, and I promise you this will all be behind us before you know it. Trust me.”
CHAPTER 18
Raven and Victoria walked up to Treach’s warehouse like regulars; head nodding the guard at the front door as they walked past. Angel had to work after school and Raven didn’t want to keep using Angel because she could tell it was already getting to her. Victoria put her hands in her overs
ized red Sean Jean jacket. She looked around at the same scenery that seemed to never change. Her and Raven spotted Treach at the same time leaning over some blonde chick, who looked like she had been ran through too many times. Her short black skirt had a long split in the front, showing off her skinny thighs. She had on a pink furry half top and her long hair appeared matted and dirty. They couldn’t make out what Treach was saying. They both looked at each other. Raven checked for her gun in the back of her jeans where she always kept it. The blonde girl caught them both walking up and Treach must have sensed it because he turned to look behind him. That same villainous grin crossed his face, leaving Raven with a feeling of disgust in the pit of her stomach.
“Where’s my Angel at?” He asked Raven but looking at Victoria. Neither of the girls smiled.
“She had to work,” Raven told him.
“And I guess she thinks that’s more important than my request?” He said, almost insulted.
Raven rolled her eyes. “Victoria can handle it,” she told him.
“You’re the feisty one right? That pulled a gun out on my man,” he reminded Victoria.
“Yeah, sorry about that,” Victoria shrugged. Raven was a little surprised at how calm Victoria was being. Treach looked back at Raven and then motioned for the blonde girl to leave his presence.
“No matter. Business is business. But if I hear your ass pulling a gun out on one of my patnas again, don’t come to me when they blow your brains out,” he pointed his finger directly at Victoria’s face. She swallowed hard and shook her head.
“Wait here,” he said, walking off.
“I can’t wait till this shit is over,” Raven said to Victoria, leaning on the nearby wall.
“He really has a thing for Angel, huh?” Victoria asked, leaning on the wall next to her. They watched as Treach’s men walked past like busy bees. Flirtatious girls in skimpy clothing, a card game was going down in one of the corners, rap artist, 2 Pac, blasting in the background.
“It looks like it. And I don’t like it,” Raven answered. They both noticed the same blonde girl get pushed by another ran through girl, but this time a sistah.
“Bitch stay away from my fucking customers!” The sistah yelled at her over the music and the voices. Most of the people stopped what they were doing and watched; even the card players.
“Whatever Asia, they like me better, face it!” The blonde girl stepped in the sistah’s face. They were clearly doped up. Asia was really skinny but pretty. She had a long, straight, burgundy red weave in that could also had been a wig. She had no makeup on, which made the bags under her eyes stand out. She also wore a short gold skirt and a leopard print half top with some gold stripper heels. These women dressed like it wasn’t 40 degrees outside.
“Bitch, if I see you around Tommy or Freddy again I will drag your ass across this concrete floor and let Treach deal with your cracka ass!” Asia got in the blonde girls face.
“Who you calling a cracker?! Bitch!” The blonde girl pushed Asia so hard she stumbled over one of the chairs behind her and fell straight on her ass. Everyone gawked and laughed. Asia got up with a quickness on her 6-inch heels and dodged right for the blonde girl.
“Bitch, I’m going to kill you!” Asia’s hands reached out to grab the blonde girls throat but the blonde girl dodged her and karate chopped Asia dead in the throat. Raven and Victoria both stopped leaning on the wall not believing what they were witnessing. Asia held onto her throat as the blonde girl came back with a left punch to Åsia’s face, slurring curse words as Asia struggled to get her breath. The blonde girl hit her again and again with the crowd saying oooouu and daammmmmn.
A shot fired in the air.
Raven and Victoria ducked down on the ground, grabbing each other’s hand. The crowd that had started to gather around the fighting girls scattered. Two baggy jean men came and grabbed both the girls off each other.
“Y’all got me fucked up!” Treach said, standing there with the gun in his hand, pissed off. Next to him was DJ holding a backpack and some other goon dressed in all black holding a 9mm.
“You bitches fighting in MY shit?!” He walked up to both the girls being held by his baggy jeaned goons. Asia was bleeding from the mouth and her right eye was swollen, barely standing in her heels now. The other girl wasn’t touched. Treach examined them both.
“Bridget keeps fucking my customers,” Asia told on the blonde girl, wiping her mouth and trying to get herself together.
“Look at you. She whooped your ass,” Treach shook his head. Raven and Victoria were slowly standing back up, eyes wide, curious as to what Treach was going to do.
“You gonna let a white girl do this to you? You deserve to get your clients taken. Get the fuck out of my site and go clean up,” he waved her away with the gun still in his hand. Asia looked hurt and quickly walked back towards another area of the warehouse.
“And you?” He pointed his gun at Bridget. Bridget smiled like she was the shit as Treach shook his head walking up to her. “Glad to see you taking care of yourself. But taking another hoes clients isn’t a good look and I don’t appreciate you doing that shit without my permission.”
“He pays me more and I give you more,” Bridget said with confidence. “Isn’t that all that matters?” She shrugged.
Treach laughed that uneasy, malicious laugh.
“Baby girl, you don’t get it,” he said. And then he back slapped her with his gun. Raven and Victoria jumped. Bridget fell to the ground on her knees. “Bitch! This is MY establishment! Everything you do is through me! And if you touch another one of my hoes again I will kill your snow bunny ass! Is that clear?!” He leaned down to her level, looking her in her face. She shook her head yes.
“I don’t hear anything!” He yelled again. The girls hadn’t recognized that the music had been turned down. That everyone’s focus was on what Treach was doing. That Kaitlin had walked in the door. Victoria nudged Raven and pointed towards Kaitlin who was also in a short mini jean skirt and all white pumps. She had an oversized zip up hoodie on that showed her white half top.
“Yes,” Bridget said, embarrassed.
“Get the fuck out of here,” Treach told her, standing up. She quickly got up and trotted out of the front door of the warehouse. “Any other hoe in here stealing jobs or got a problem with the way I do my business?!” He looked around at all the skanky women sitting on men’s laps or sitting around with drinks in their hands. There were only a couple of women there who weren’t dressed as prostitutes. But Raven couldn’t ever make out what their roles were. At this very moment, Raven finally noticed all the newly half naked women. All this time she thought they were a bunch of groupies.
“Good!” He shouted. His attention focused back on the girls as he walked back to them. The music in the warehouse turned back up and everyone went back to normal.
“Let’s go in my office,” he guided the girls in his office. They were followed by DJ and the other goon who was holding the 9mm. The girls sat down as DJ and the goon stood up closing the office door. DJ sat the backpack on the desk and Treach sat in his usual office chair.
“This is Nine. He oversees my bigger operations,” he introduced the man with the 9mm. Nine was buff, not fat, but had real wrestler muscles. He was a caramel light-skinned brother and rocked a small high top fade with a line on the left side. He could have been fully cute if it wasn’t for his strong jaw line like Brad Pitt and stocky neck. He wore a tight black t-shirt, black sweatpants, and white and black Jordans. He didn’t look like he could be the head of anything but just another goon with a gun.
“I am putting you girls with a big customer. Some new money. All of you girls will be participating in this,” Treach told them. Raven immediately thought about the prostitution and prepared herself for those words. Treach stood up and opened the backpack full of bricks of cocaine. Victoria and Raven’s mouths dropped.
“This is very important. This here is 2kilos of snow,” he said, showing the girls the huge br
icks. The girls looked at the bag in silence. “His name is Big Willy and he’s, a dick but he is going to make me and you some major money. As long as you keep your head down and guns in your pants, there shouldn’t be a problem,” he looked at Victoria who finally took her eyes off the backpack and looked at Treach.
“What do you mean he’s a dick?” Victoria asked.
“Let’s just say he’s 10 times worse than me,” he chuckled. Raven took her eyes off the bag too and looked at Treach, not liking what she was hearing. Who was Treach exactly?
Nine walked over to the desk.
“Because this is your first big deal and we need this done and done right, we will be accommodating you all with a car, phone, extra guns and anything else you need,” Nine said to them in a professional, deep, raspy voice.
“When do you need this done?” Raven asked.
“This weekend,” Treach answered, closing the backpack up.
“We will be picking you up from this location,” Nine handed the girls a piece of paper. “From there the driver will drop all of you off, wait for the drop and money, and you will come back to the car. And that’s it,” he said.
“Why do you need all four of us for this?” Victoria questioned. The same thing Raven wanted to know.
“Because at some point all of you will be working with me and I need to know you can handle this. Plus, this bitch ass nigga see a bunch of cute girls and won’t feel a threat. He will easily give the money and keep it pushing. But like I said, he is a dick, so whatever he says don’t take offense. Just get our money and get back here,” Treach stood up. He picked up the back pack and handed it back to DJ who exited the office with it.
“Are we clear?” Nine asked them. They nodded.
“Also, wear something a little sexier than those damn hoodies and big jackets y’all always got on,” Treach said.
“Like your hoes?” Raven glared.
Treach laughed. “Hmmmm! Nah! Y’all not on that level yet. Just look decent, damn,” he told them.