by A. Marie
“Leah, your mom came by today, she said you hadn’t been answering her calls,” Stacy said as she flipped the chicken.
She knew how Leah felt about her mother and the things that had taken place however, Lena was still her friend which meant she wanted things between her and Leah to be hashed out.
“G mommy, you know that woman only coming around now that I'm grown. I haven't heard from her in 3 years, now all of a sudden I'm 5 months away from my 19th birthday and now she’s calling and coming around. Naw, I'm good, I don't want to speak not a word to her,” Leah said, getting emotional.
The day was turning out to be awful and now Leah was losing all control.
“What kind of woman allows a man to stay in the home after his grown ass son rapes her daughter HUH?”
Leah was crying at this point at the thought of the trauma she endured when she was 11. Stacy cut the grease off, not caring that chicken was still frying. She headed straight to Leah pulling her up and wrapping her in a hug.
“Oh, baby girl it’s okay,” Stacy said soothingly while placing Leah head on her shoulder and rubbing her back.
“But it’s not though mama, I barely sleep at night and I think of what happened all the time,” Leah said while shaking her head.
Stacy grasped Leah by the arm leading the way to the living room. She took a seat in the corner of the couch. Leah laid across it laying her head in her lap, as Stacy rubbed her head.
“Leah, you never told me you were uncomfortable with that boy daddy still staying there,” Stacy said. “I would have taken you sooner had I known all this.”
Leah cried, uncontrollably, the memory always haunted her. It confused her often on why her mother would allow her rapist father to remain in their home after what his son did. How was Lena able to still lay in bed with the man that raised that type of boy? Did she not think that it could have been learned behavior? Did she not consider how Leah might feel about looking at the man with the same face as her perpetrator? All these questions skipped through Leah’s mind constantly, like a scratched up CD.
“G mommy I've always been scared of that man, a little before what happened and even more after it happened.”
Leah cried as her chest heaved. Stacy looked down at her daughter with an aching heart. She never knew that Leah was at war with these things within herself. How did she miss the signs? She would hear Leah up at night but never questioned it. What type of god mother am I? she thought. Stacy wiped at Leah’s face.
“Leah, baby, you should have been said something, you know I don't play that shit when it comes to you, YOU KNOW THIS,” Stacy said. “Remember when he whooped you when you were a little girl and you called me about it.” Leah chuckled a little remembering that day she called her godmother after her mom's boyfriend had whopped her. She wiped at her face, sniffing.
“Yeah I remember,” she said with a smile.
“You came around that corner so fast with a bat swinging.”
“That’s right,” Stacy said laughing at the memory herself.
“I was about to remove his black ass head off his shoulders over my baby. Me and your mom didn't talk for a couple of weeks after that and she kept me away from you over it but for you, it was worth it. Leah, don't ever keep stuff in and not tell me, you know we’re better than that.”
Leah’s phone began ringing while she and Stacy continued to talk. She ignored it needing every moment of this time with her god mom. Her phone rang again.
“Ugh, hold on mommy, let me make sure this ain’t Nu calling back to back like this,” she said as she lifted from the couch to fetch her phone.
Leah grabbed her phone from her bookbag and answered.
“Hello,”
NuNu was yelling. Leah could barely understand what she was saying.
“Wait, what’s wrong Nu? You okay?” Leah asked in alarm.
She listened as NuNu spoke, confused.
“Nu, how you picking me,” she said, shaking her head.
Leah knew she had to be joking. It was no one way NuNu was driving. NuNu could barely drive at night, so she always had Tyson drive her places when it got late.
“You took Ty’s car, Nu what the hell?” She asked.
“Okay, okay, I’m getting ready now.”
Leah hung up the phone. NuNu had said three words to let her know that it was about to be some stuff going down. Leah didn’t know what exactly was going on but hearing NuNu say put sweats, sneakers, and grab the vaseline was all she needed to hear. She would get the details on the way.
“That was Nu mommy I'll be back,” Leah said running to her room.
She took off her work clothes, threw on a pair of Apple Bottom valor sweats, a plain black t-shirt, and all black air force ones. Leah then threw her hair into a ponytail, grabbed the vaseline off her dresser and headed out the house.
Leah hopped in Tyson’s all red old skool 88 Buick regal that sat on 20in rims. “Nu who the hell your pregnant ass think you’re about to fight?” Leah said as she started putting the vaseline on her face. That was her and NuNu’s ritual when it came to them getting down, it would make it hard for the other person to scratch their faces. Other hoes wind milled and scratched all the damn time but not them, they were rough and threw hands like they were boys.
“Leah, listen Tasha just called me and said she saw Marcus with some bitch in the club all over each other, bumping and grinding like it's nobody's business,” NuNu said as she hit her blinker to turn right onto Sylvania Ave.
Vamps nightclub was 10 minutes away from her house but NuNu cut that drive down to 5. Leah’s mind was racing. She couldn’t fucking believe what she was hearing. I just know this nigga not playing me like a shorty, she thought.
“Nu, is Tasha sure it was him?” she asked.
Leah wanted to be sure. Hell, she wanted to be more than sure, because there was no way he was at a club with a bitch. Marcus had just left her house just an hour ago. This day just couldn’t get any worse, she thought as NuNu pulled in the parking lot of the night club carelessly.
“Nu, be careful parking this boy car or he for sure going to have a fit,” Leah said holding onto the door.
“Girl, Tyson doesn't run anything but his mouth, I run him, let's not get that fact twisted,” NuNu said smiling.
“Anyways,” Leah said, rolling her eyes as they both hopped out of the car.
“Nu, you better not jump in, I got this, it's bad enough you out here while you’re pregnant,” Leah stated.
“Girl, I don’t want to hear that shit right now,” NuNu shot back.
They entered the building with ease bypassing the others waiting in line since Tasha’s uncle was the one who owned the club. Tasha was already by the door waiting. The music was bumping, and lights were flashing different colors throughout the building. The club was poppin for sure. Leah had wished they were there under different circumstances, because now that they were, she wanted to kick it.
NuNu spotted Marcus and the girl on the dance floor rocking to Lil Jon and the Eastside Boyz new song BIA BIA. NuNu tapped Leah.
“There he is,” she said pointing in his direction.
Leah squinted and started heading to the dance floor to act a fool. Here was Marcus black ass on the dance floor with the same bitch he claimed was Shan Shan bopper. This lying ass nigga, she thought.
“Girl, that's Chrissy ole trout mouth ass that he is with,” NuNu said.
Leah stopped and started nodding her head, she was going to do this shit right. NuNu, was confused at what the hell her friend was doing but without question, she started nodding as well. Chyna White’s verse of the song came on and the two girls started rocking to her part, rubbing their hands together like they were one of the boys, getting in each other’s face moving side to side. Leah nodded in Marcus and the girl's direction and NuNu followed suit as they kept their same movements going but were making their way over to them. Marcus and the girl weren’t aware of their surroundings as Leah said “Leah a thug bitch with no
feelings inside” making the artist words her own in that moment as she bumped the chic Marcus was with. Chrissy caught her balance and then thought she saw a ghost when she saw Leah’s face.
“Yeah, bitch,” Leah barked as she swung on her, punching her straight in the mouth.
“Bitch you thought I wouldn’t find out,” Leah roared as she was laying hands all over the girl’s face.
Chrissy tried to grab Leah by the hair but was unsuccessful.
“Should have been quicker on your feet hoe,” Leah spat as she wrapped Chrissy's ponytail around her fist, cocking the other one back to deliver a blow to her face.
Marcus knew he had fucked because he stood there. He didn’t know what to do. Leah was beating the breaks off of Chrissy's ass as NuNu stood off to the side with a crowd of partiers watching, making sure no one jumped in. She noticed one girl looking like she wanted parts
“Aye, this not even yo beef boo, let my girl get her round, cause trust me the bitches connected to each one of my wrists you don't want to meet,” NuNu announced to the girl, wanting her to jump bad. NuNu wanted Chrissy’s friend to give her a reason to rock her ass real quick. The girl crossed the dance floor in irritation and NuNu went back to cheering Leah on as she continued rocking Chrissy’s boppin ass.
“Stomp her ass, Leah!” NuNu shouted as she clapped her hands together.
Marcus went to pull Leah off the girl but then he felt a shove from his right side.
“Don’t fucking touch her you sorry ass nigga,” NuNu yelled.
She never liked Marcus and didn’t see what Leah saw in him. She wanted better for her friend and hoped that this would be the end of them. NuNu had every intention of calling Tyson if he even flinched at her.
A bouncer came across the dance floor as the music was stopped and grabbed Leah up from off Chrissy. Leah was over the bouncer’s shoulder talking shit with tears falling as she was carried out the club. NuNu was right behind her but not before she kicked Chrissy ass in the stomach just for GP.
“Nu, get me the fuck out of here,” Leah cried as the bouncer placed her on her feet. They headed towards Tyson’s car.
“Come on, Nu please,” Leah said, snatching on the handle of the car door.
“Okay boo, okay I'm hurrying,” NuNu replied as she quickened her steps to hurry up and unlock the car doors.
NuNu popped the locks and right before Leah went to open the door she folded over, vomiting. NuNu closed the driver’s side door and rounded the car to comfort her. She pulled Leah’s hair back while rubbing her back.
“Let it out baby,” she said, “it's okay.” Leah was a mess as she continued to puke up everything in her stomach.
“I can’t fucking believe this nigga,” she cried wiping her mouth after she was finished.
“Leah you don’t need him, fuck him and Chrissy dusty feet ass,” NuNu said with sympathy.
Leah leaned against the car, defeated. The day was one emotional day and Leah had no energy left in her. She couldn’t believe that her man had turned out to be one dog ass nigga. Here she was standing outside with her heart shattered and Marcus still in the club leaving her to pick up the pieces on her own.
“His ass still in the club with this bitch,” Leah said as she slid to the ground.
“No, no, that's what we are not going to do Leah,” NuNu said as she lifted her friend from the ground.
“Get up and let’s go now, you not about to let these bums see you sweat or cry over no nigga. Come on,” NuNu said opening the passenger side door for Leah to climb in.
Leah got in and before she got to shut the door her mouth started watering and the contents of her stomach came up again. Luckily she was quick and opened the door wide so it wouldn't get all over Tyson’s car. This time NuNu got in the car as she waited for her to stop throwing up. Leah’s heart was broken and she couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that Marcus still hadn’t brought his stupid ass out of the club. He doesn’t care, Leah thought. She spit the remaining fluid from her mouth as she closed the door and leaned the seat back. Leah was hot. She rolled the window down as she tried to let air flow through the window to cool her down. I can’t believe this muthafucka.
“You can pull off. I'm ready to go home, shower and go to bed Nu.”
“Okay boo I gotchu,” NuNu replied as she pulled out of the parking lot and into traffic. NuNu’s phone started ringing and she had Leah answer.
“Leah where’s my baby mama at?” Tyson asked.
“She's right here Ty, she’s dropping me off and then heading home,” Leah responded in a low tone.
She now had a headache and wished she would have never come up to the club.
“Okay, tell her I’m on her head for taking my car to take yo ass to knock some bitch out.” He shot back.
“Ty we both know you not going to do nothing to her, so stop it.” Leah chuckled.
“You right, but didn't nobody ask you, Leah tell my baby to hurry,” Tyson said hanging up.
Leah looked over to NuNu, “Ty said hurry up Nu, he misses you.”
“Girl I know he was talking shit and then changed his tune when you said y'all both know he is not going to do nothing.” Leah laughed slightly knowing NuNu knew her man all too well.
“Yeah, you right but how does he know what we were doing if he was sleeping when you left?” Leah quizzed.
As if they could read each other's mind they both said at the same time looking at each other, MARCUS.
Chapter Eleven