The Diary of a Side Chick 6 (SCD)

by Tamicka Higgins

  Tron chuckled softly, looking away as he took a sip of his orange juice. That ass, he thought. That ass was part of the reason he didn’t pull off. Now that she was even plumper, and in all the right areas, watching that robe get snatched away from her body in broad daylight surely was a sight to see. Tron even recalled seeing Desirae’s ass and legs jiggle on a few occasions during the fight. But Desirae’s attitude and demeanor, not to mention her way of forcing herself on people, nearly negated every positive physical trait she had going for herself.

  Tron and Reese chatted while they waited on their food to arrive at their table. As Tron was cutting his pancakes and Reese spread grape jelly on her slices of toast, Reese looked up at Tron. Things were going rather nicely between the two of them, especially since it wasn’t serious but rather a friend with benefits relationship. While they saw each other on a regular basis, different thoughts had begun to pop into Reese’s mind. There was a question Reese really wanted to ask Tron.

  “Tron,” Reese said. “I got somethin’ I wanna ask you, since we doin’ all this talk about Desirae.”

  “Yeah, what?” Tron said.

  “How do you see me?” Reese asked. “I mean, since you was sort of talkin’ to Desirae when we met and stuff. How do you see me?”

  Tron looked up at Reese, pausing. This was a question he didn’t have an answer for, and he really wished that she wouldn’t have asked.

  ***

  Nalique was resting at her apartment out on 38th Street. She’d just gotten home from having what she’d thought of as a “fun aunty” day with her niece and nephew. She’d taken them to the Children’s Museum as well as out to eat then the park before the temperature began to dip a little. After dropping them off with her sister, she came back home and plopped down into her couch.

  Nalique’s apartment was pretty nicely designed, especially since so much of the furniture was from when she’d lived with her no good ex-boyfriend, Tyrese. She’d added a couple pieces of furniture to the two-bedroom, as well as permission from the landlord to repaint the walls. They had been a plain, bland white. Now the walls were a rich, creamy color that was much more pleasing to the eyes.

  A mirror rested on the wall, across the kitchenette. When Nalique had sat down, she could see her reflection.

  “Damn,” she said. “A bitch look tore up, don’t she?”

  Nalique got up and approached the mirror. She didn’t like what she was seeing. It was definitely time to get some new hair and take the old out. She also wanted to change up the style, and maybe try something a little longer. Fuzzy hair with a lot of new growth was something Nalique rarely showed to the rest of the world.

  Shawna, who had been with Nalique’s ex’s best friend for some years, popped into her mind. Nalique remembered that she had made a mental note to call Shawna and see about getting the hook up with her hair. In fact, the last time Nalique had gone to Shawna’s salon, which was the night she and Shawna had gone up to Honeys East – the night that Nalique had to get in that stripper Diamond’s ass about her little favors for Tyrese – she had noticed that Shawna did pretty good work.

  Nalique grabbed her phone and looked through her contacts, hoping that she still had Shawna’s number saved after all of these months. When she found it, she tapped it and waited.

  “Hello?” Shawna answered.

  “Girl, what is up?” Nalique asked. “It’s Nalique, girl. How you been?”

  “Nalique?” Shawna said. “Girl, I been good. How you been?”

  “Been okay, been okay, girl,” Nalique said. “Been a lot betta since I got that no good nigga, Tyrese, outta my life for good.”

  “I know that’s right,” Shawna said. “I was kinda hurt at first, but now I know I made the right choice.”

  “Girl, well, I was callin’ you to see when I could get an appointment,” Nalique said. She then pushed the tips of her fingers into her thick hair, feeling the roots. “A bitch need these roots done ASAP, and…Shit, fuck it. I just need it all redone. Every fuckin’ thing.”

  Shawna chuckled. “Girl, when you wanna come in?” she asked. “I’m free tonight, actually. I thought about goin’ out and stuff, but I just don’t feel like it. Tomorrow, I won’t be free until the afternoon. How soon were you try’na get in and get it done?”

  Nalique thought about it. The weekend would be better considering the weekdays could be a little unpredictable. “Girl, I can come today,” she said. “Just tell me what time and I’ll be over there. I remember where it is, on Thirtieth Street, off of Central, right? You still over there, ain’t you?”

  “Girl, yes,” Shawna said. “I’m not gon’ leave that place. All my clients know it and are used to coming there. You wanna meet me over at the shop around six, or is that too soon, too late? What?”

  “Six is coo,” Nalique said. “I’ll be over there in a little bit. I’mma stop by the ATM and get your money for you, okay girl? I’ll be over there.”

  When Nalique walked into the salon, she was instantly greeted by Shawna. Nalique, who was noticeably bigger than Shawna, hugged her. The two realized how cool they’d been for those years that they dated Tyrese and Tron at the same time. However, in the back of her mind Shawna still didn’t like the fact that Nalique was the kind of chick to start some stuff. Yes, Nalique could be sweet and very likeable. She was also hood to the very core. In many ways, Nalique could only be described as the epitome of ghetto to Shawna.

  “Long time no see,” Shawna said as she led Nalique over to her chair. Nalique nodded and waved at the other stylists who were busy with their own clients.

  “Girl, I know,” Nalique said as she sat down. “When the last time we saw each other?”

  Shawna twirled the chair toward the mirror to where she now looked into Nalique’s eyes. “Girl, you know when,” she said. “That night you caused that shit and got the club on the news. You know damn well when. I knew I shouldn’t have gone up in there with your ass.”

  “Don’t say it like that,” Nalique said, smiling. “I ain’t mean for all that to happen. I didn’t think I was gonna shoot at her.”

  “You didn’t think that you were gonna shoot at her?” Shawna asked. “Why the hell were you carrying the gun if you were just going up there to see what was going on?”

  “Girl, I don’t know,” Nalique said, waving her hand in dismissing the topic. “Something stupid. I caught a charge over that. I shoulda just beat the bitch some more. Hell, I might not be done, especially if I see her ass again I just might be liable to get in that shit again. Maybe not. I’mma lady with class now.”

  Shawna smiled and rolled her eyes as she asked Nalique what she wanted to do with her hair. Nalique explained that she wanted to take the hair extensions out and, on second thought, do something with her real hair.

  “Oh, really?” Shawna asked, surprised. “You gon’ let the real show.”

  Nalique nodded. “Yeah,” she answered. “I think a bitch need to let the real show once in a while. Need to let these niggas out here know that I got some hair, and I got that good shit. Just take the weave out and we can go from there. I want my shit laid, though. I know that.”

  Shawna took the hair extensions out of Nalique’s hair. Nalique looked at Shawna in the mirror, noticing that she looked a little more rejuvenated than she remembered. Shawna’s thick black hair had grown even longer, now reaching beyond her shoulders. The red highlights were so cute while still being professional. Shawna also looked as if she’d been working out. Her figure was nice, with her waist dipping in above her hips.

  “Girl, what you been up to all these months?” Nalique asked. “I see you back there, lookin’ all healthy and shit. What you do now? You one of them chicks that be in the parks downtown with them white girls doin’ that yoga shit or somethin’?”

  “Girl, stop it, Nalique,” Shawna said. “You know damn well I ain’t in no parks downtown doin’ yoga with them white people. I don’t know. I just been takin’ care of me and stuff. Doin’ hair. My sister g
ot married, so I’m not stayin’ with her no more. I got my own place. What about you? What you been up to?”

  Nalique let out a deep breath. “Shit,” she answered. “A bitch just been workin’, for real. Up at this dollar store.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Shawna asked. “How is that goin’?” Deep down, Shawna wondered how well a person like Nalique got by in customer service environments. She simply didn’t strike Shawna as the kind of woman who would want to work in that kind of place.

  “It’s alright,” Nalique explained. “I ain’t had no shit happen yet. Made a little buddy up there. This chick they hired like a couple weeks ago or somethin’.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Shawna said. “That’s good. I like that I got a couple of friends up here in the salon, too. It’s definitely nice to have somebody you work with that you can talk to. I’ve had some jobs where the people weren’t friends and everything was all stale. It definitely makes a difference.”

  “Yeah, but I can’t say that I trust her,” Nalique said. “I mean, she my buddy and stuff, but she one of them side-piece bitches, you know. Like the one I had to run up into Honeys East and handle, like you so lovingly remember.”

  Shawna tapped Nalique’s shoulder. “Girl, I remember,” she said, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. “Ain’t no need in you remindin’ me. But, um, why you say that she one of them side chick-kinda bitches? You know that’s why me and Tron broke up. He had a side chick and even got her pregnant.”

  “I heard,” Nalique said. “And that’s some fucked-up shit, girl. I don’t know what I woulda done if some bitch woulda trapped Tyrese back when we was together.”

  “Maybe you woulda actually shot her,” Shawna said, sarcastically. “Girl, I’m just playin’.”

  Nalique squinted her eyes in the mirror at Shawna. “Hmm, hmm,” she said. “So, yeah, I mean we coo and stuff, but I don’t trust her cus she one of them side chick bitches. Niggas be hittin’ on her ass left and right when they come up in that Family Dollar. One of her first days, or maybe it was later in her first week or somethin’, she had this fine ass nigga hittin’ on her in her line. Next thing we know, the nigga done walked out the door and in come his wife. And girl, let me tell you, this bitch was ready to jump on my buddy like she had nothing to do tomorrow but sit in jail. I felt sorry for the girl—my friend—because I really don’t think she knew he was married or whatever, which I understand that. It’s one thing if you know, another if you don’t. But she is kinda provocative.”

  “She’s hot?” Shawna asked, wanting clarification. “Girl, you know how them older people be using the term hot when they’re talkin’ about a girl or woman who gets the attention of a lot of men.”

  “Exactly,” Nalique said. “She is hot, I guess in more ways than one. I wanna tell the girl to tone it down a little bit before she get that ass beat by the manager’s wife. Now that is one woman who don’t play.”

  “What? Is the manager fine himself or something?” Shawna asked. “Why she gotta watch out for the manager’s wife?”

  “Hell naw that nigga Greg ain’t fine,” Nalique said. “In fact, I heard the nigga was a freak and got into some trouble at another Family Dollar location, or at least that’s what they say, anyway. But, naw girl, I just say that she betta watch out cause it look like the store manager might have a little thing for Miss Thang. He be out on the floor, lookin’ at her ass and stuff. He be havin’ talks,” Nalique made the quotation marks hand gesture, “in his office damn near every other day or some shit. She say that he just talkin’ to her about the incident, because it did get kinda loud and make the store look bad, but girl, I think that something else is goin’ on between the two of them. I think he prolly back in that office fuckin’ her or somethin’. I heard his dick little too, so I wonder what she gettin’ outta it.”

  Shawna playfully tapped Nalique’s shoulder. “Girl, be nice,” she said. “And it sound like you really got this girl profiled as a hoe.”

  “I swear to you, Shawna, she is coo people,” Nalique said. “I will give her that. We be talkin’ and shit, and one time we even hung out at the mall. She just had twins, but she lost a lot of weight fast. I be lookin’ at her like damn, Desirae, thinkin’ to myself you are a pretty girl, but you sho are a thot.”

  Desirae? Shawna thought. Did Nalique just say Desirae?

  For a few moments, Nalique went on and on – her talking became zoned-out background noise to Shawna. After about a minute, Shawna leaned up from Nalique’s head and stopped what she was doing. She looked at Nalique in the mirror, telling her that something was up.

  “Girl, what?” Nalique asked. “What’s wrong? Why you look all serious all of the sudden?”

  “Did you just say Desirae?” Shawna asked. “Is that the name I heard you say?”

  Nalique, appearing confused, looked around for a moment. She shrugged. “Yeah,” she answered. “That’s her name…Desirae. Uh oh, you don’t know her, do you? My bad, Shawna. If she yo cousin, girl, I take back everything I said. I ain’t mean it like that. I…”

  “Girl, stop,” Shawna said, shaking her head. “She ain’t my cousin or nothin’ like that. What she look like?”

  Nalique described Desirae to Shawna. First she brought up how smooth her skin was, as well as its unique shade of brown. Nalique then went on to describe her 5’2 height, how much of a shape she has (something that could not be left out), and her demeanor. She told Shawna about how her coworker and friend had just had twins by some dude that didn’t even want to be bothered with her in the first place. “Do you know her?” Nalique asked Shawna.

  Shawna grinned, thinking of how the last time she’d seen Desirae was when the two of them had been coming out of the store at the same time. Shawna had asked her how she could be okay with just being a side chick, as her favorite client Miss Susan had just begun to secretly see a married man over in Dayton, Ohio. That chapter of Shawna’s life seemed to be closed for good now. She smirked, thinking about how easily old memories can be brought back to life.

  “Yeah, I know her,” Shawna responded. “That’s the chick Tron was fuckin’ around with and got pregnant.”

  The mirror was no longer good enough to serve as a means of proper eye contact. Instantly, Nalique turned around in her chair. As she turned, her eyes locked with Shawna’s eyes.

  “What?” she said. “Are you fuckin’ serious, Shawna? Desirae is the side chick that Tron was fuckin’ around with and got pregnant?”

  “She full of herself, ain’t she?” Shawna asked.

  Nalique didn’t respond. Rather, she nodded her head.

  “Yeah, that’s her,” Shawna said, shaking her head. “And she just might be fuckin’ around with the nigga in charge. I ain’t got nothin’ against her, especially not at this point. But she prolly is gon’ catch it from the wife sooner or later. She don’t care who man she sleep with, I can tell you that. I wound up finding out that Tron was messing around with her for months. I wound up going up to the mall, where she used to work.”

  “In Clarke’s?” Nalique asked. She thought back to just days ago when she and Desirae had gone to the mall.

  Shawna shook her head. “Yep,” she said. “You know her, that’s for sure. Like I was sayin’, I wound up gettin’ into it with her at her job, like fightin’ and everythin’. She was beggin’ for it, but we realized how stupid we were bein’. I let her have Tron. If that’s what he wanted, over me, then that is fine with me.”

  “Over you?” Nalique asked, clearly surprised. She turned back around and faced the mirror. “She coo people and stuff, I guess, but Shawna she ain’t got nothin’ on you. I mean, you got class and are accomplished and stuff. Pretty. Like the wifey kinda chick, if you know what I mean. This Desirae chick.” She shook her head. “Even with how she stands, you can tell that she give it up to just about any nigga if his dick is big enough. She has a deep arch in her back that I think she done developed from years of walkin’ with her butt out stuck out.”

  “Hmm, hmm,” S
hawna said, nodding her head. “She walk like her shit don’t stink and like any man within eyesight is about to come runnin’ up and wanting her to fall into their arms.”

  “Girl, I’m just shocked that you know her,” Nalique said. “That she is the same chick that messed up your relationship with Tron.”

  “She ain’t mess it up, girl,” Shawna said. “Tron is the one who messed it up. All that I was doin’ for him, I can’t believe that he would go over onto the south side and get some side chick to mess around with. The straw that broke the camel’s back for me as far as gettin’ back with Tron was the fact that he got her pregnant. I don’t know if he meant to do it, or if she one of them girls who is into try’na trap these men to her, but I didn’t care. I didn’t even like that I’d given it the time of day to even think about it.”

  “That make me look at her in a totally different way,” Nalique said. “I mean, I had my guard up before, like I do with any chick that I don’t know, but now I’mma really be havin’ my eyes open. Somethin’ about her not only remind me of the chick whose ass I had to beat that night up at Honeys East but she just seem like she thirsty. I’m tellin’ you girl, I really do think that she messin’ around with the manager. Don’t nobody have that many meetings with Greg’s ole ugly ass and not come runnin’ out the door complainin’.”

  “And you said that his wife is a crazy bitch?” Shawna asked.

  Nalique opened her eyes wider and nodded her head. “Hmm, hmm,” she responded. “I can already see it now. Greg’s wife, Veronica, would fuck that bitch up, any time of day, any place. If she fuckin’ around with Greg, she don’t know what is liable to happen to her.”

  “Girl, don’t warn her,” Shawna suggested. “I’m tellin’ you, she need somebody to get in that ass again. She a home wrecker and she know it. I’m over it now, but I feel bad for you. You gotta work with her every day. She didn’t seem that coo to me to where I’d wanna be bothered with her on a daily basis. Watch whatever man you bring around her, I guess.”