Clown Niggas

by T. Styles

  “Girl I’m so tired of that weak bastard.” She flopped on the sofa and pouted. “The more I think about it the more I know the obvious, I chose wrong.”

  “Does he know you want to fuck Wyld yet?” Tawny dampened the blunt’s fire in the purple ashtray on the glass table.

  “Girl, I all but told him to his face the way I feel. But he so drunk half the time I don’t know if he remembers. If I even thought Wyld would give me a chance I’d be gone already.” She removed her brown leather right flip-flop and then the left.

  “His wife dead so why not make a move now? Instead of wasting anymore time with second place?”

  “He not even second place. For some reason I don’t think Wyld is as trifling as my last boyfriend’s cousin who fucked me. But Spyrit said something about some chick being over his house already.” She sighed. “I’m not gonna give up hope though. I just need some more time and a master plan.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Wyld

  “Leave Now While I’m In The Forgiving Mood.”

  The small carryout on Greenmount Ave. smelled of the best-fried food Baltimore had to offer, as Wyld stood inside gazing up at the colorful backlit menu. “Let me get an order of fries, extra onions on a steak and cheese, add hot peppers too.” He dug into his designer jean pocket and slammed a one hundred dollar bill on the counter.

  Way more money than the tab.

  “No problem, Wyld,” the cashier said. “Right away.”

  When he backed up slightly to kick a napkin covered with mayonnaise off his boot he bumped into a customer standing behind him. He was about to say my bad until he saw Amelia Rios’ face.

  His eyes widened as he gazed upon the pretty Latina. “Damn, I didn’t think I’d see you again.” He said with a smile. “How you been?”

  She rolled her eyes and stepped to the counter after he clutched his change from the cashier. Ignoring him she flung her hair over her shoulder so that it hung on the right side of her cheekbone, hiding his view of her face. “Can I get six wings fried hard and fries, with extra ketchup please?”

  Wyld moved the hair out of her face and tucked it behind her tiny ear. “So you gonna pretend you wasn’t in my crib a few months back? In my bathroom trying to see a nigga naked and shit?” He joked but she wasn’t a fan.

  Amelia cleared her throat. “How much is my food, please?” She asked the cashier.

  Wyld frowned. “So you gonna just ignore me?”

  “6.85.” The cashier responded.

  “Hold fast, man,” he told the cashier with an extended hand. “I’m talking right now.”

  Amelia reached inside her purse but he prevented her hand from removing money by weighing his heavily over top of hers. Using his free hand he reached inside his pocket and pulled out the cash for the bill. “I got your food.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I hate to be a bother.”

  For the first time she looked into his eyes and he was feeling her instantly. She was beautiful. When he was going through his worst pain after his wife was murdered he never focused on her eyes. He never focused on her period. Her face was a soft blur and he was surprised he remembered her now. And he wanted her.

  “I pay my own way.” She shook him off, rolled her eyes and removed six bucks, which she scratched from the bottom of her barren purse. She sat the money on the counter and Wyld pushed it to the side, and paid the bill anyway. Instead of scooping her money, which she needed, she let it remain.

  “Wow,” he said. “I really got on your bad side didn’t I?”

  “I’ll wait over there for my food.” She told the cashier before turning around and walking across the carryout without another word. Pinning herself against the grungy green corner, she removed her cell phone from her pocket and texted Mr. No One.

  He checked her out for a second, taken aback by how she disrespected him so fluidly. Part of Wyld wanted to say fuck the bitch and the other part wanted to play along. Besides, he liked her, just didn’t feel like getting to know anyone so seriously when his wife was first murdered. So why was she giving him such trouble?

  It wasn’t like he couldn’t pull another chick. His restless good looks and sly smile made him a preferred amongst the ladies. But she was different. The fact that she was interested and now seemed done with him made her somewhat of a challenge. Which he was up for but he would play the game his way.

  When his food was ready he picked up the bag from the counter and walked out without giving her a second glance. From his peripheral vision he saw the disappointment on her face and grinned inside.

  A few minutes later Amelia’s food was ready and when she picked up the order and moved outside she was stunned when Wyld grabbed her bag and tossed it in the filthy blue trashcan on the corner. Her eyes widened. “Why did you just do that?” She yelled. “I was hungry!”

  “Buy something else.” he said sarcastically, knowing she was broke. “Since you got an attitude and all.”

  A Baltimore character had already scooped the abandoned change she left on the counter so that avenue was gone. “I don’t have no more money, Wyld.”

  He stepped closer. “Guess you have to let me take you to dinner then. Or dig in the trash and go eat.”

  She shook her head and rolled her eyes.

  The sun retired for the day as Wyld and Amelia sat in an elegant restaurant overlooking the sparkling dark water of the Inner Harbor in Baltimore. Amelia fussed with her clothes constantly feeling as if she were unworthy of such an establishment. In all of her life she’d never been in a more beautiful restaurant and already she felt as if she were living a dream.

  “I can’t believe how pretty this place is,” she whispered while leaning her head toward him, trying not to disturb others. “Had I known I would’ve worn something nicer.” Although she had no idea what clothes she would’ve donned since everything in her collection was some shit.

  “It’s nothing,” he said scanning her face. Where have I seen you before? He thought to himself. “I’m just glad I could do this for you. Seeing as how I tossed your food out and all.”

  She giggled. “It’s okay I—”

  “Why were you in my house that night? Helping me?” Wyld’s tone grew dark and his stare intense. He wanted an answer that was pleasing to him after recalling that a few seconds before she showed up someone had confronted him on the street that day. “It seemed mighty convenient that you were willing to help me moments before I was about to kill a nigga. Did you set him up to knock on my window and get fucked up?”

  Amelia sat back, the white linen napkin clutched in her hand as if doing so she could squeeze out the perfect response for what she believed was a strange question. “What? No! I don’t understand what you’re accusing me of.”

  “Who you with?” He said firmly, his teeth bearing.

  “Nobody. I…you were in the street.” She placed one hand over her heart but dropped it in her lap when it felt too heavy. “About to kill someone and I stopped you. That’s all that happened.”

  He looked at her long and hard and sat back. “If I find out you lying to me…about anything…I will hurt you, Amelia. I’m telling you now so you’ll know my words speak truth.” He paused. “If you a liar I suggest you leave now while I’m in the forgiving mood.”

  Her mouth opened and closed. “Wyld, I don’t know who you think I am, or who you want me to be, but all I wanted was to get to know you.” Her voice was full of passion. “If you want more from me then that maybe I should just leave.” She stood and he grabbed her hands softly.

  She sat down.

  “I’m sorry, Amelia. But I got enemies. Many. And I can’t have just anybody around me without making sure they’re true. I hope you—”

  “Oh shit! Is that my nigga Wyld?” Cranston walked up to the table and Wyld rose to give him some dap. “I gotta be seeing things.”

  Wyld took a seat and looked at Amelia. “Cranston, this is Amelia.”

  He nodded at her and shook her hand. “It’s nice
to meet you.”

  She smiled. “Likewise.”

  “So what’s been going on, man?” Wyld asked Cranston.

  “Shit, you know it ain’t nothing. The streets the same. Just missing you is all.”

  “I’m back out here. Just taking my time.”

  “Understandable considering.” He paused, thinking about Wyld’s wife. “Well it’s good to see you, bruh. I’ma let you enjoy your evening with your lady friend.”

  When he walked away Wyld attempted to refocus his attention on Amelia but was interrupted two more times in the same friendly manner. He was well known but since Anna died he had virtually disappeared from the planet and people who fucked with him were happy to see he was on the stage again.

  “You’re a popular man.” Amelia sipped her red wine. “A very popular man.”

  “I’m a wealthy man. There’s a difference. And a lot of people depend on me to make a living.” He paused. “But enough about them niggas. Tell me who is Amelia Rios.”

  “Not sure if I’ll be able to.” She smiled. “With such a popular character sitting across from me and all. Somebody may come over again.”

  He laughed.” I promise. No more interruptions if I can help it.”

  But that was also a lie because within seconds Ryan bopped up to the table with a young, ignorant freak on his side shocked to see Wyld sitting with Amelia. “Ain’t this some shit,” Ryan said to him.

  Wyld sighed when he saw his face. “What up, man?”

  Ryan frowned. “What’s up is that I’ve been hitting your phone all week, cuz. And ain’t been hit back.” What’s up with that? No love left for a Heart?”

  “I don’t have to answer that because you already know what it is for me right now.”

  Ryan laughed. “This can’t still be about Anna. ‘Cause you seem to be just fine these days if you ask me.” He glared at Amelia.

  “Ryan, put brakes on whatever you about to say. I’m warning you.”

  “Well why no love for me, Wyld?” He looked over at Amelia. “You been spending more time with this bitch than your own family.”

  Wyld reached the point of no return. He jumped up and chin checked Ryan drawing blood on his knuckles. “You had that coming for a minute.” He shook his throbbing hand.

  Ryan licked the blood off his lips. “I see you can still rock a jaw. Always was good at low blows.” He paused, remembering the disrespect on the steps. “But I forgive you, cousin. I can take whatever you bring my way.”

  “Get the fuck out my face, nigga.”

  Ryan frowned at him and then Amelia. He grabbed the steak off of her plate and bit down in it. With a mouth full of meat he said, “Whatever you say, big cousin. Whatever you say.” He winked and slowly walked away capturing the attention of everyone in the restaurant.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Ryan

  “You Still Stewing Over Me Killing That Whore?”

  E.M.’s yard was littered with fallen leaves from the large oak trees dressing the front of her property. Contemplating life, Ryan focused on a puddle of water a few feet over that held the reflection of the massive moon in the night sky above.

  “This nigga disrespected me in front of this new bitch, man.” Ryan said to Cujo as they sat on the porch. “Then had the nerve to swing at me.”

  “Swing? Look like he connected one to me.” Cujo sipped from his Corona and shook his head after gazing at his swollen lip. “How long you gonna play the punching bag though?”

  “Fuck you talking about?”

  “Ever since he pulled that shit on the stoop in front of the city he been acting like you did something to him. And you letting him get away with it too.” He paused. “He showing he don’t give a fuck about you, it’s time you match his attitude. If you ask me we should get at that nigga.”

  Cujo looked at Ryan from the corner of his eye. In the past he talked recklessly about Wyld and caught flack but his snake-ish moves worked on the long game premise. He was slow and steady and knew if he kept on him that in time Ryan would come to see things his way and his diligence worked.

  “I’m starting to think you right, Cujo.” He frowned. “Why should I give a fuck about a nigga who never cared about me?”

  “A nigga with paper at that. Which we can use!”

  Ryan nodded. “If I’m gonna do this shit this time I gotta be smart.” He looked over at him. “You willing to put in the work? And hit the nigga for me?”

  Cujo almost choked on the beer he was quaffing. Like most snakes he was all about the planning stage but short on execution. “You know that wouldn’t work, man. Wyld would see me coming.”

  Ryan focused on him hard. “You sure you not scared?”

  “Never!”

  “So why can’t you suit up and do what need be done? He won’t know it’s you.”

  Cujo turned toward him and pleaded his frightened case. “You not thinking smart. If we gonna make a move on this nigga then we both have to be somewhere public to prove we weren’t involved.”

  “Why both of us gotta go public?”

  “I’m hand to the king,” he said puffing up Ryan’s ego. “If that nigga go down and I don’t have an alibi they gonna suspect me. You said it yourself, everybody in the restaurant saw him punch you. So if he show up dead they gonna be looking at you first and then if you have an alibi it’s me.” Cujo stared at him long and hard, hoping he would grant him a reprieve.

  “You right.” He nodded

  Cujo exhaled, although quietly. “I know I am.” He paused. “You talk to Spyrit anymore?”

  “Sometimes, but he been giving me the boot too.”

  “When you gonna tell me what Kante’ said that day when we were sitting in the car? It seems like since then you haven’t been fucking with them niggas.”

  Ryan sighed. “I’m gonna check on a few facts and then I’ll let you know what he told me. He a head and sometimes I think what he says is too far off to be true. Although he claimed to have a lot of fact.”

  Cujo stood up. “Well let me get up the block. Hit me when you wanna finish working off them plans.”

  Ryan dapped him. “No doubt.”

  When he walked away Ryan watched him move past Dick’s white pick up truck in the driveway. He hated that Dick was over the house so much but tried not to rock the boat when it came to E.M. Besides, his fan club was dwindling by the day and he didn’t want to piss off everybody who loved him.

  He figured it was time to hit up Spyrit so blocking his number he made the call. His blood boiled when he answered. “So now you pick up the phone, nigga. Since you didn’t know it’s me.”

  Spyrit sighed. “You gotta slow down, Ryan. I heard from Wyld how you carried shit at the restaurant.”

  Ryan rolled his eyes. “Are you still stewing over me killing that whore? Because you and me both know the married man bag ain’t never been for Wyld. He already moved on with a badder bitch so I did him a favor. He need to be clipping my toenails.”

  Spyrit laughed sarcastically. “You were jealous, man. Just be real with yourself. You killed her because—”

  “She was mine first!” Ryan yelled, causing a dog across the street to bark. “And that nigga took her like he does everything else. What about me? What about what I want?”

  Spyrit sighed. “Now the truth has fallen off your poisonous lips. And much too late too because I been waiting on it. Here you got Wyld thinking you were over Anna and the whole time it was all a joke.”

  “I made that bitch! I taught her how to suck good dick and everything. And what does she do? Fuck my cousin!”

  “You said you was over her. I heard the words mumble out your lips. Besides, she was five years older than you so that makes her his age.”

  “Don’t nobody even know what my real age is,” Ryan said under his breath.

  “Why you keep saying that?”

  “Where is my birth certificate? How come I haven’t seen one document with my name in its original form? It’s like I never existed. And why w
as I homeschooled? It’s like niggas was hiding me or something.”

  Spyrit sighed. “So is this what’s got you tight? Because either you bipolar or just lunchin’ if you think you ain’t blood, man.”

  “Answer the question.”

  “I don’t know where your documents are. I ain’t employed with the government. All I know is that we family. We all look the same and we got the same blood running through us. That should be enough for you.”

  “I’m sick of this nigga’s games, Spyrit. Sick of the disrespect and I’m feeling trigger heavy now.”

  “He’s your blood, Ryan. Are you willing to forget that just because you didn’t get your way?”

  “Maybe you wanna remind that nigga who I am because he’s obviously forgotten. Whatever happens to him is on his head…literally.” He ended the call, dropped the phone in his pocket and walked into the living room, flopping down on the sofa. E.M.’s dog walked over to him and flopped his weight over his feet.

  Suddenly his senses where heightened and he heard noises coming from E.M.’s bedroom. Thick sexual moans filled with lust that he wasn’t use to hearing at her house.

  “Give me that pussy, bitch,” E.M.’s boyfriend said from behind the walls within the room. “Open it up wide for me.”

  Thinking he was hearing things he kicked the dog off his feet, stood up and moved closer to the door. Placing his ear against the cool paneling he realized he was hearing correctly. E.M. was getting her back banged out severely. It was so rough it sounded like she wasn’t going to make it.

  “Damn this pussy tight, Beverly. I fuckin’ love you, woman. Keep throwing it back just like that.”

  “What the fuck!” Ryan frowned.

  Incensed with anger he gripped the doorknob preparing to stomp inside when he heard Dick say, “That was nice.” He slapped her on the ass and it sounded loudly, angering Ryan even more. “After the way you just fucked me I gotta get you something to drink. You deserve at least that.”