by CJ Hudson
“Fuck outta here,” Bobby said when Tammy revealed to him that she could sing.
“I’m for real. I can hit high notes like Whitney Houston.”
“Let me hear something,” Bobby challenged her.
“In here?” she said, looking around.
“Yeah, why not?” he asked.
Tammy thought for a minute and shook her head.
“Scaredy-cat,” he said as they both laughed.
Bobby was very impressed that Tammy was on her way to college. He liked that she wasn’t the same as many other chickenheads and gold diggers who did nothing more than wait for a man to take care of them. He was enjoying their conversation so much that he decided to let her in on a little-known secret of his own.
“Not many people know this about me, but I like to write.”
“For real? What do you write, rap songs?”
“Hell nah,” he said, laughing.
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. It’s just that everybody wants to be a rapper nowadays.”
“Not me.”
“What do you write about?” Tammy asked, now genuinely interested.
“I like to write stories.”
“Stories?” Tammy asked in a confused manner.
“Yeah. Hood stories, about the type of stuff that happens around here in the hood.”
“Oh, I see.”
“But even if it were rap, so what?” he said, smiling. “Hey, you can’t knock someone’s hustle or the way they eat, know what I mean?”
Tammy made a mental note that he had used the word “hustle.” That alone pretty much told her what he did for a living. She didn’t like to stereotype people, but the way she grew up was if it walked like a duck and talked like a duck, then Aflac. She was just about to ask him what he did to make ends meet when Bobby reached into his pocket and pulled out a blunt. After seeing the surprised look on Tammy’s face, Bobby just shrugged his shoulders.
“Hey, if you’re gonna be hanging around me, you might as well get used to seeing a nigga hit the trees.”
“And who said I was gonna be around you that much?” Tammy said sassily.
“Oh, I didn’t mean to imply that—”
Tammy burst out laughing before he could even finish his statement. “I was just playing with you.”
“Oh, I see you like to play games, huh?”
“Sometimes. It depends on what kind of games you’re referring to,” she sexily said.
Bobby’s dick almost punched a hole through his pants. His eyes lustfully traveled up and around her model-type frame. Her smile could warm even the coldest thug’s heart. “Girl, you betta quit playing before you start something that you ain’t willing to finish.”
“I’m willing to finish anything I start.”
Although Bobby’s penis was as hard as a piece of steel, he had been around women trying to spit game too long to not know when he was being tested. Every fiber in his being wanted to call her on her bluff and ask her to go to his place. But he was smart enough to know that, from her conversation, Tammy was not the type of girl who gave it up easily, and if his calculations were correct, she would be more than worth the wait.
“Pretty lady, we just met. Don’t you think we should take things a little slower?”
“If you say so,” she said. Inside she was as giddy as could be. If Bobby had invited her back to his place, she would have walked away from him in two seconds flat. But because he didn’t, she planned on giving all of herself to him . . . when the time was right.
Meanwhile, Nancy and Hank had snuck off to a nearby closet. After talking to Nancy for a few minutes, Hank had figured her out completely. He kept a bag of blow on him just in case he ran into the type of jump off Nancy was. It took Nancy all of five minutes to suck Hank to an orgasm. As soon as Hank left her in the closet alone, Nancy started sniffing. When she came back out to the party, she was so high that she couldn’t see straight. Tammy, who was enjoying her conversation with Bobby, made the mistake of thinking that she was just tired. When she saw her with her head down, she thought she was sleeping and let her stay there until the party was over.
* * *
After Ivory dropped Nancy off, she turned to Tammy and asked her how long Nancy had been getting high.
“Getting high? Nancy doesn’t get high.”
“You crazy! That ho was high as fuck! If you weren’t sniffing up behind Bobby’s ass all night, you woulda peeped that shit,” Ivory said, laughing.
“First of all, I wasn’t sniffing up behind anybody’s ass. And second of all, we had to take a drug test to get hired at our job.”
“So fucking what? Maybe she started getting high after she started working there, and the boss is covering for her ass.” When Tammy didn’t respond, Ivory kept on talking. “How many one-on-one meetings does she have with your boss? I’ve met that asshole, and I see the way he looks at some of the white women who go shopping there. I betchu he bonin’ her white ass.”
Tammy remained speechless while wondering how in the world a good friend of hers could be on drugs and she not know anything about it.
Chapter 16
After putting in work on the block for more than half the night, Hakim decided to head home. Unbeknownst to Hakim’s mother or sister, Dru had been trying to get Hakim to join his crew for a couple of months now.
“When you ready to make some real paper, come holla at me,” Dru had said to him. So three days ago, Hakim did just that.
“Does that offer you made me about making some real paper still stand?”
“My word is my bond. You damn skippy the offer still stands.”
“Good. ’Cause I’m tired of pitching in the minor leagues. It’s time to step my game up to the majors.”
Dru rubbed his chin and nodded. “A’ight. I’ma put you down, but first, you gotta prove ya’self.”
“What do I have to do?”
“I’m gonna have you post up on the block with my boy James and see if you got what it takes to make money in the jungle.”
While Dru and Cedric attended a meeting disguised as a party for Red’s girl Cookie, Hakim and James stayed on the block and got off as much work as they could. A smile crept across Hakim’s face as he counted out $3,500 for a few hours of work. He handed the money to James, who, after peeling off $500 and handing it to Hakim, stuffed the rest in his pocket. Hakim thought briefly about asking James to give him a ride home but let it pass. He figured there was no way in hell James was going to leave the spot unoccupied with the way the fiends were flocking toward them. Hakim had to wait almost forty minutes for a bus to arrive.
“Fuck this shit,” he said to himself. “As soon as I save up enough bread, I’m gonna get me a muthafucking whip.” Hakim stepped on the bus, paid his fare, and headed toward the back of the bus. He hadn’t made it halfway before a beggar started hounding him for his money.
“Excuse me, sir, but could you spare—”
“Hell nah. Get a fucking job.” Hakim cut him off.
The beggar frowned and flipped Hakim off once his back was turned. Hakim was already pissed about having to catch the bus in the first place. The last thing he wanted or needed was for someone to be trying to siphon off his hard-earned dough.
During the ride home, Hakim thought about his sister. He hated himself for hitting her. For the most part, they had always gotten along, and to see her lying on the ground as a result of his hand made him feel like stir-fried shit. He made a promise to himself right then and there that he would do everything in his power to make it up to her. He felt the side of his face and smiled slightly.
“I shoulda known that she was gonna slap the shit outta me when I called her out of her name like that,” he mumbled. “That’s another thing I gotta apologize to her for.”
Hakim understood why Tammy went ballistic, and he appreciated that she was trying to keep him out of trouble. But Hakim was fast becoming a man. In his mind, that meant doing whatever was necessary to eat. If he was making
enough to live on and have at least some of the things he wanted, he probably wouldn’t be selling drugs. But the little money he was making wasn’t enough to buy him a decent pair of jeans, let alone name-brand shit.
Hakim knew that Tammy would never understand where he was coming from because she would never be able to see the world through his eyes. In less than six months, Hakim was going to be 18 years old. He was tired of sneaking girls in and out of his mother’s house. If he wanted to continue to get laid, he would definitely need to get his own apartment. Hakim was in such deep thought that he almost missed his stop.
“Shit,” he yelled as he pulled on the yellow cord. The bus driver glared in the rearview mirror at Hakim as he brought the bus to a stop. Hakim ignored his stare as he jumped off the rear entrance of the bus and headed home. He looked across the street and noticed his ex-girlfriend, Nikki, walking alone. The fuck she doing out here this time o’ night? he wondered.
“Hey, girl, what the hell you doing out here in the wee hours of the morning?”
“Oh, hey, Hakim. Come here for a minute.”
“Where yo’ boyfriend at?” Hakim asked. “I’d hate to have to fuck his punk ass up out here.”
“Ain’t nobody here but me. Come on and walk me home.”
Although he didn’t feel like it, Hakim knew the dangers of the neighborhood, so he decided to be nice. He quickly dashed across the street. The second he got close to her, Nikki’s perfume attacked his sense of smell, causing his dick to do a somersault.
“You still ain’t told me what the fuck you doing out here this late.”
“’Scuse me? Don’t be talking to me like you still my man,” Nikki said, rolling her neck.
“Oh, is that right? Then you need to be calling that nigga to walk yo’ smart-mouthed ass home.”
“You know you wanna walk me home. And to answer yo’ question, I was going to that Arab store that stay open late.”
“For what?”
“Damn, you nosy. I wanted to get a box of swishers, okay?”
“I was just asking yo’ smart ass.”
“Mm-hmm,” Nikki said as she turned and walked away from him. Nikki was a chocolate-skinned honey with more ass than a strip club. Her long, flowing weave hung to the top of her ass cheeks. She sometimes wore gray contacts, which only added to her sex appeal. Hakim licked his lips as he watched his ex’s hot ass leave smoke trails on the sidewalk.
“You never did tell me what was up with you and ya man.”
“We broke up, okay?”
“Nigga couldn’t hit that shit right, huh?”
“Why you say that?”
“I can tell. That nigga don’t know what to do with no pussy.”
“Oh, and I guess you know what to do with it, huh?”
“Stop fronting. You know I used to put a hurting on that thang.”
“Whatever!”
Hakim then intentionally slowed down so that he could get a good look at Nikki walking. The sexy way she switched her ass was turning him on.
Before the two of them knew it, they were standing in front of Nikki’s apartment building. Hakim opened the door for her to go inside and was almost knocked down by a charcoal black nappy-headed youngster. The young thug gave Hakim the “what’s up” nod as he came out of the building, zipping up his pants. His smile almost blinded Hakim as the light from the lamppost caused the gold grill in his mouth to gleam.
“My bad,” he said to Hakim. Nikki rolled her eyes and started walking up the stairs. Hakim followed her and wondered why her mannerisms seemed to change so suddenly. She was no longer walking like the sexy vixen she was a few seconds ago. Now she was stomping toward the apartment on a mission.
“Everything a’ight, Nikki?”
Instead of answering Hakim, Nikki picked up the pace. By the time Nikki got to her door, she was steaming mad. She opened the door and stormed in. Hakim wasn’t sure what was going on, but he followed her in just the same. Nikki stopped dead in her tracks when she saw what was taking place on the sofa.
Sitting amid a cloud of smoke were Nikki’s mother and sister sharing a crack pipe. Hakim looked around and was amazed at how different the place looked from the last time he was there. It was a far cry from the immaculately clean apartment where nothing was ever out of place. Now it was a disheveled mess with clothes strewn about the floor. Empty soda cans, beer bottles, and debris were everywhere. Nikki was so distraught that she just stomped into her bedroom and slammed the door. Even though they were not a couple anymore, Hakim felt he had to go and make sure that Nikki was all right.
“Nikki? You straight in there?” Hakim asked as he lightly knocked on the door. When she didn’t answer, Hakim took it upon himself to walk right in. Nikki’s room didn’t look anything like the rest of the house. Surprisingly, it was neat and clean. Hakim stared at Nikki as she lay facedown on her bed, crying her eyes out. He walked over to her bed and sat down. He had no idea what to say or how to soothe her pain. He had seen plenty of people on crack before, but this particular situation hit close to home. It didn’t matter to him that he and Nikki weren’t together anymore. The only thing he saw was that someone he cared about was in pain. When he reached down to put his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, she sat up.
“Hakim, I have something to tell you. I didn’t break up with you because I liked someone else. As a matter of fact, there has never been anyone else.”
“But I thought you had a boyfriend.”
Nikki looked at him through tear-soaked eyes. “Tell me something. Have you ever actually seen me with anyone?”
Hakim racked his brain. For the life of him, he couldn’t ever remember seeing Nikki with someone.
“Think back to how I broke up with you. I did it over the phone. I avoided you at all costs, and whenever you tried to call and talk to me, I would tell you or have my sister tell you that I had company. The truth of the matter is that when my mother and sister started smoking that shit, I was ashamed. I didn’t want you to think that I was a piece of shit just because my family was strung out.” Nikki laid her head on Hakim’s shoulder and sobbed. “I’m sorry. I know I was wrong for dumping you, but I just didn’t know what else to do.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Hakim said as he stroked her hair.
“Do you think you can stay with me tonight?” she asked out of the blue. Hakim glanced toward the door. “Don’t worry about them,” Nikki said, reading his thoughts. “They probably won’t remember what day it is by the time they get finished smoking their fucking brain cells away.”
“A’ight. Let me go home and pack a few clothes,” Hakim said, and he got up and walked out of Nikki’s room. Hakim took one look at Nikki’s mother and sister and shook his head. Although he knew that Red was the one to turn Chanel on to drugs, he wasn’t dumb enough to tell Nikki. He liked Nikki but not enough to tell her Red’s business and risk having to go toe-to-toe with the Cleveland drug lord.
After leaving Nikki’s house, Hakim walked down the street, wondering how he was going to get out of the house so he could go back and spend the night with Nikki. The fact that he was almost 18 years old made no difference at all to his mother. School may have been out for the summer, but she wasn’t about to let Hakim stay out all night for no good reason. Wanting to bang his ex-girlfriend damn sure wasn’t going to be a good enough reason for her.
“Fuck it. I’ll just tell her that I’m tired and that I’m going to bed. When she goes back into her room, I’ll just sneak the fuck out,” he mumbled to himself when he couldn’t think of a lie good enough to get back out of the house.
Hakim had just reached the front of his house when Ivory pulled up. After looking through the windshield and seeing his sister, Hakim figured that now was as good a time as any to apologize. Where the hell is she coming from this time of night? he wondered. He walked up to the passenger’s side door and waited for her to get out. He took a step back when he heard her pop her lips through the window. Tammy got out, rol
led her eyes, and walked right past him. Hakim turned and looked at Ivory, who just shrugged her shoulders. Hakim then broke into a light jog in an attempt to catch up with his sister.
“Sis, hold up a minute.”
“I don’t want to hear it.”
“Come on. We’re gonna have to talk about the shit sooner or later.”
“Well, it’s damn sure not going to be sooner. And stop talking so loud before you wake Mama up.”
When Hakim walked through the door, he noticed that his mother wasn’t standing at the door or sitting in the living room, tapping her foot and looking at her watch. Since Tammy had made it clear that she didn’t want to talk to him at the moment, Hakim left her alone and went upstairs to his room, thinking about Nikki. This shit gon’ be easier than I thought, he said to himself. Hakim grabbed a blue Nike duffle out of his closet and packed it. He started toward the bathroom door but stopped when he heard the shower running.
The last thing he wanted to do was climb into bed with Nikki smelling like a sweaty rat, so he fell back onto his bed and waited. His dick started to throb as he daydreamed about thrusting his manhood inside of Nikki’s luscious walls. After ten minutes, Hakim got tired of waiting and decided that he would just take a shower at Nikki’s place. He decided that he would just tell his mother that he got up early and went jogging. It was a weak lie but one that she might actually believe. Hakim hopped out of his bed and headed out of his bedroom. He did a double-take when he looked toward the bathroom and saw Steve standing at the door, trying to peek into it.
“Nigga, what the fuck you doing?” he said as he stomped angrily toward Steve.
Steve almost jumped out of his skin when he heard Hakim’s booming voice. He’d been fantasizing about Tammy ever since her mother had introduced the two of them. Now here he was getting busted while looking through the keyhole trying to catch a glimpse of her naked. Steve quickly thought of an excuse.