Two Sides to a Love Story: Rico & Raja's Story

by Natavia

  “This is my cousin, FASHION!” Lannie says loudly and I frown up my nose. Something about this Fashion bitch I don’t like already.

  “I don’t give a damn who she is, with her tacky ass! Only Fashion I know is Fashion Bug and honey, that store went out of business years ago. I was wondering where their clothes went and now I know,” Tataliscious says and I laugh.

  Rico comes out the bathroom and the look of guilt was all over his face.

  “Heyyyyy, Darico Lamar Day!” Fashion says to him as he grills her.

  “Does this bitch know your man’s name?” Tataliscious asks me.

  “Yes I do and social security number, birthday, and everything else,” she says laughing.

  “Rico, you know this hoe?” I ask him.

  “Funny, because I just explained to him earlier on the phone who the real hoe was! I don’t even know you and know your name gets around,” she says.

  “Wait a damn minute, cunt, who the fuck you talking to bitch? I will have your ass going from Cinderella to the stepsister all over again real quick bitch! Don’t get cute up in here hoe! You don’t come for that one right there,” Tataliscious says pulling his hair up then kicking off his shoes.

  “Ay nigga, you better chill the fuck out. You ain’t about to act like you fighting no damn female,” Rico says getting mad and the bitch Fashion smiles. I grab the hot curling irons then jumps out my chair charging into Fashion. Rico grabs me making me burn his arm.

  “You lying, cheating motherfucker! Get the fuck off me hoe! That’s why that bitch Lannie be looking at me all funny. You’re fucking her cousin! That’s how you know what I be talking about at the shop, you no good bitch!” I say crying, kicking and screaming. I’m so mad I don’t know what to do.

  “Let that bitch go, Rico!” Fashion says getting amped up.

  “Hold the hell up bitch, I will fight your ass! You better calm the fuck down,” Kenyatta says to Fashion.

  Jamie and Killa pulls up as Rico carries me out the door. I’m holding on to the handle of the door not trying to leave. I want this bitch bad and when I’m done I’m getting Rico’s ass.

  Jamie gets out the car slamming the door running into the shop.

  “You bitch, get the fuck out of here!” Jamie says to Fashion. Tonisha, the older stylist, must have been on the phone with Jamie when all hell broke loose, with her snitching ass!

  “Lannie, if this bitch comes in here one more time you are fired! I might not be here but I still run shit. Bring this bitch in here again and watch what I do,” Jamie says.

  “What the fuck happened?” Killa asked. Rico puts me down and I kick him between the legs as hard as I could. He bends over then I punch him in the eye. I grab his shirt swinging on him. I dig my nails into his face scratching him.

  Killa tosses me over his shoulder. Jamie is being held back by Tataliscious and the next thing I know, Jamie kicks her heels off swinging on Fashion. People need to realize we all stick together.

  Killa still has me over his shoulders as his strong ass pulls Jamie by her shirt. She got Fashion good.

  “Calm y’all asses the fuck down!” Killa shouts.

  “Come on Raja, I will take you home!” Jamie tells me. Killa puts me down.

  Rico grabs my arm and I snatch away from him.

  “So it’s like that? You going to believe that bitch over me?” Rico asks hurt.

  “You defending her?” I asked.

  “That’s beside the point. Gary is still a fucking man, what he needs to fight a woman for?” he asks.

  “Don’t bring your ass home tonight, I mean that shit!” I say climbing into Killa’s truck. Jamie pulls off while Killa gets inside of Rico’s truck.

  “Y’all need to grow the fuck up,” Jamie says and it took everything in me to not smack her simple ass.

  “Excuse me?” I ask her.

  “Really, y’all do. I understand y’all young but y’all have a son and this shit has been going on far too long. You saw how I almost lost Killa. Why are you doing the same shit to Rico?” she asks me.

  “That yellow bitch cheating on me!” I yell at her and she laughs.

  “No he isn’t! You want to believe he is cheating on you so can cover whatever it is that’s really going on. Let’s be real, Fashion isn’t getting the dick,” Jamie says and I just look at her simple ass.

  “You see how that bitch acting?” I ask her. “That bitch getting something.”

  “Have you ever seen how a crackhead acts when they haven’t gotten high in a while?” she asks me turning down the radio.

  “Yeah, and what the fuck does that have to do with anything?” I ask her simple ass. See, you can’t be around people like her when you are mad. I love her to death but she about to catch some blows.

  “The bitch is geeking Raja, damn! Happy side bitches stay in their place. Fashion is not even a side chick! Now, Rico might be talking to her but fucking her, hell no. Rico is different from other niggas. I peeps his whole attitude and he is smart. I honestly believe that he will actually leave you before he cheats. I’m not defending him because he shouldn’t be talking to that bitch period, but she ain’t getting the dick,” Jamie says.

  “I’m not listening to you!” I tell her dumb-ass. This was the same chick that was married to a nigga she wasn’t even in love with. This is the same chick that almost lost Killa because of her silly games. She was married to a man name Ashaun but was in love with Killa the whole time. The games she played between the two were ridiculous.

  “That’s exactly why he’s going to leave you. You are not listening. Do you not see that you are the real problem? Your mouth has gotten worse since you’ve been with him. You are not the same. Your attitude sucks and you are always grumpy,” she tells me.

  “Because he is cheating on me!” I tell her.

  “Stop fucking lying to me! I was just like you! I blamed everyone around me for my problems!” she yells.

  “And you still need Jesus,” I tells her, looking at her like she’s crazy. I don’t care what no one says. All of the Kanes are crazy! Jamie, Corey, and even Royal have something wrong with them. She is their sister. She is the middle child.

  “You’re suspended for a week. You will still get pay but you need to focus on what the hell is wrong with you. I will not be tolerating that bullshit in my shop. You got me out here swinging on bitches,” she says. She lucky I still will be getting paid or else it was going to be some shit.

  She pulls up in my driveway around the same time as a cab.

  “Who is that?” she asks with her nosey ass.

  “I don’t know, but it better not be Rico!” I say getting out. The door opens up and it’s my cousin Lace getting out of the cab. I forgot all about her coming to back to Maryland. She moved to South Carolina when she was ten. She is my favorite cousin. We are the same age and our birthdays are only a month apart. We always kept in touch.

  “Lacceeeee!” I screams running to her hugging her with tears in my eyes.

  “What’s going on?” she asks me in her preppy voice.

  “It’s a long story!” I tell her grabbing a suit-case. I look at the cab driver. “Nigga, get your big ass out and help!” I tell him.

  Lace laughs. “You so crazy,” she says. Jamie gets out then grabs a suitcase also.

  “This is Jamie. Jamie this is my cousin Lace.” I introduced them then they waved at each other.

  “Never mind! You stay your sweaty, funky ass there,” I tell the cab driver with the sweaty neck and dandruff on his shoulder.

  “You need to give her her damn money back for having her ride all the way here in this funky ass car!” I tell him walking away.

  “Your mouth is really like Rico’s. Leave him alone bitch. That nigga might be one of those Arabians that cuts people’s heads off!” Jamie says. I unlock the door then walks in the house.

  “This is really nice, Raja,” Lace says looking around.

  “Yeah, hopefully one day we can own it!” I tell her.

 
“Call me Raja! Killa and I are about to pick up the twins from my mama’s house then we are heading to the airport,” Jamie says.

  “Where y’all going now?” I asked her.

  “Look at some houses in California. Killa is trying to sign more artists to his record label and what place better than Hollywood?” she asks then I got sad.

  “You moving?” I asked her.

  “Yes we are. This place has too many memories for me. It’s time to expand anyway. I want to open up another shop down there. I still will come and visit and the shops will still be opened,” she says.

  “Call me when you get settled and send me some pictures of your options,” I say hugging her before she leaves. If I would’ve known she was leaving us I wouldn’t have been so mean towards her.

  As soon as Jamie pulls out the driveway I broke down. I can’t take this shit anymore.

  “What’s the matter?” Lace asks, rubbing my back as I sat on the bottom step and cried my eyes out.

  “My sister is heavily on my mind. It’s been exactly ten years today she has been taken away from me. I find out that my baby daddy is cheating on me. Jamie is moving and leaving me. She makes me sick but I love her bourgeois ass. Why do people I love always get taken away from me? My daddy too! I was a daddy’s girl then he ups and leaves us for a white woman. Everybody I hold close to my heart leaves me! I thought I could control Rico so he wouldn’t leave me and all it did was push him away!” I sob and she hugs me.

  “You have Zy, me and your mama,” she tells me.

  “I know that. I just always feel neglected. I blame this shit on my daddy. I hate him! If he would have never left, Greg wouldn’t have killed Kemira! I hate fucking hate him! I just want my damn sister back! I miss her. I miss her smile her attitude, all of it. When I go to sleep I relive that moment every night. I just want my sister back and she is fucking gone!” I choked up as Rico walks into the house.

  “Who the fuck are you?” Rico asked Lace.

  “Raja, you called the police on me?” Rico asked. Lace’s old-timey self does look like she is a detective. I shake my head.

  “Leave me the fuck alone! Get your shit and get the fuck out! I hate your ass, you lying cheating bastard!” I scream at him and he just looks at me like I’m crazy.

  “You say that shit so much I really believe you. I’m ready to get my shit now,” he says walking up the steps bumping Lace.

  “Don’t be bumping my fucking cousin,” I shout up the stairs.

  “Fuck you and your cousin!” Rico says.

  “Wow, Raja. He really has a temper problem,” she says nervously.

  I go upstairs and Rico is lying on the bed smoking a blunt, looking all stressed out. His face is scratched up and he has a bubble like blister on his arm from the curling iron. That’s definitely going to be a scar.

  “Didn’t I tell you to get out?” I ask him.

  “Shut that shit up and go comb your damn hair before talking to me!” he says flicking through the channels. His phone rings on the night stand. I grab it then run into the bathroom locking the door. I look in the mirror and I look crazy. My hair is sticking straight up on my head. Tataliscious didn’t even get a chance to perm it.

  “Hello!” I say into the phone.

  “Is this Raja?” the voice asked.

  “Yes, now what you want bitch?” I asked her.

  “I apologize for coming at you like that. Rico has some shit to tell you about me. I’ve been messing with him before you came into the picture. He was cheating on me with you! Then you get pregnant and he leaves me and my son Rico Jr. He died from SIDS two weeks after he was born. I just saw him today and old memories came back. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. Rico and I haven’t slept with each other since he’s been with you, but he does stay over here when you two argue,” she says in a matter of fact tone.

  “Damn, Fashion. Your pussy that bad where as you not even side-chick status! Well, keep on doing what you do boo. I’m not mad at you. But bitch, you can apologize all night and day, I’m still tap dancing on that ass when I see you! Call him again and you just watch how ratchet I can be,” I say hanging up.

  I open up the bathroom door and he is sleeping with his hands in his pants. How can this nigga be sleeping peacefully when he knows he had another damn child? Rico and I weren’t official then so he technically didn’t cheat, but the nigga could’ve told me something. I throw his phone on the bed walking downstairs to my company, Lace. My phone has been ringing and I refuse to answer. It’s no one but Cam, Tee-Tee and Tataliscious.

  Lace sits down on the couch flicking through the channels. “I’m sorry Lace, for putting all my problems on you. You are a stress reliever. As soon as you got out that cab it was like the world lifted from off of my shoulders,” I tell her. I can be myself around Lace. She knows the real me and why I act the way I do.

  “I can’t believe you dreaded your hair! It’s beautiful!” I say touching Lace’s long, pretty, auburn locks that she had styled in Shirley Temple curls. Lace is very down to earth; the way she dresses and the way she talks. She is a little on the thicker side. She is about Jamie’s size, which is a size 14, and she is also dark skinned. She has a nose ring in her nose with a cute face. She resembles Chrisette Michele. Her glasses are a little big for her face but she is still cute.

  “Thanks, but is everything okay with Rico? I don’t know Raja, he seems a little hardcore. Does he a have a gun?” she whispers and I laugh. Lace is so green to everything.

  “Don’t worry about that. He’s not doing shit; pay him no mind. He’s just evil, but there is another one that’s worse than him, and that’s Corey. When those two are together, you run and don’t look back. But anyways, how long are you staying here? You know there is an extra bedroom and you can stay for as long as you like,” I say to her.

  “Thanks, I highly appreciate it. But I get settled into my job next week and in a few months, I will be out of your hair. But this is so refreshing,” she says smiling.

  I had my Lace back and I wasn’t going to let Rico and Fashion’s ugly ass fuck it up, but he will explain to me what the fuck is going on when he wakes up. That bitch is not getting a hold of my damn man. She’s not fucking my family up!

  Tarae

  “Yo, look at that bitch right there! Her shoes leaning like those bitches on hydraulics!” I tell Rico. We are chilling in the hood, just shooting dice and clowning.

  “Yeah nigga, give me my money,” Rico says stuffing the one-hundred dollar bills in his pocket. This nigga is one lucky ass nigga. I hate betting him because he stays winning.

  “Yo, something ain’t right with you,” I say sipping my Cîroc from my plastic cup.

  “You mad nigga? I got a family to feed and baby mama has an expensive taste!” he says and then Mashawn and I laughed.

  “Nigga, you know damn well Raja’s clothes and shoes cheap as shit! Get the fuck out of here with that. She still wears crib shoes!” I tell him, and he smacks my cup out of my hand turning red.

  “Nigga, keep talking about my baby mama and watch what I do to your bitch ass,” he says.

  I look at my liquor on the ground. “Yo, really though?” I laughed.

  “Fuck your fat ass laughing at Mashawn? Nigga, I should push your big ass on the ground and see if you can get up. Nigga’s just like a turtle when they are flipped on their back. Once they are turned over like that, it’s over,” Rico says.

  “Nigga, I want my money back, you cheated,” the nigga Ant says to Rico, flexing on him.

  “Come get it out my pockets nigga! Fuck your dusty ass flexing on me for? Fall back my G before you get that scalp peeled back, bitch ass nigga!” Rico says stepping to him.

  “Lil nigga, you still got baby food on your tongue,” Ant says laughing with a few older niggas. These older niggas be testing us young niggas, until we start busting these niggas’ heads wide open.

  “What the fuck you going to do pretty boy? You know what they do to niggas like you in jail?” Ma
ndo says to Rico.

  “Yo, what the fuck you just say to me?” Rico says getting in his face and I shake my head. This nigga stay in some shit.

  “Hit that nigga in his mouth!” Mashawn boosts.

  “I should hit the nigga shouldn’t I?” Rico asks him.

  “Hell yeah! Bet you won’t knock that nigga out,” Mashawn says. I put my hand on my waist just in case these older niggas get loose.

  All of a sudden Rico swings, knocking Mando out cold.