by Meesha
I knew that room was going to be my mama’s because it was away from the other two. Walking to the first bedroom, I looked inside and I knew right away that I wasn’t going to like it because the closet was too small. I went to the other room and when I saw the bathroom inside, I was sold. That meant that I didn’t have to leave my room for anything except to eat. The closet space was a tad bit bigger than the other room, but I had my own bathroom.
Walking to the window, I looked out and saw Nihiyah and her group of newfound friends talking to some guys. They were having fun while I was waiting for the movers to bring my things to my room. I decided to go downstairs and tell my mama which room I wanted. Finding her in the kitchen I waited until she ended her call.
“Hey ma, I know which room I want. Come on so I can show you,” I said happily as soon as she said, “I’ll talk to you later girl.”
“Nija, I know you chose the one with the bathroom inside of it. But I picked that one out for Nihiyah, she is the oldest you know.”
“Ma, Nihiyah hasn’t even been inside this house since we got here. I saw it first and I like it. Please let me have it,” I whined.
She thought about what I said and was about to respond when the movers came in with my bed. “Where do you want this, ma’am?” he asked.
She looked at me and smiled, “go show them where to put the bed, and you better keep the room clean at all times.”
I ran upstairs leading the movers to my new room. Nihiyah was mad because she got the room that was left but that’s what she gets for staying outside until dinner time. I spent the week helping my mama get the house together while Nihiyah hung out with her new friends. Mama was constantly fussing at her because she was always outside and barely helped with anything. The girls she befriended seemed kind of shady to me, but that was something she was going to have to deal with.
The first day of school came and I didn’t know anyone. It felt odd going to a different school than my sister but she was in high school. During lunch I sat by myself eating the food I’d packed the night before. A group of girls walked past and one of them snatched my Capri Sun juice and kept walking. I was one of those bad-tempered girls so I continued to eat without saying anything, I didn’t need to get in trouble for fighting.
A boy walked up to the girl and snatched the juice from her hand and said something that had her looking really scared. He came to the table where I was sitting and returned my juice before taking a seat in front of me.
“Hey, you’re new here, huh?” he asked.
I didn’t know what to say because I had never talked to a boy before so I shook my head and kept eating. Guys were like friends to me, I was what most adults called a tomboy. I played sports, chilled at the park, and played video games with boys, I didn’t have any plans of doing anything else with them.
“You are going to have to start standing up for yourself. Tasia and her friends are straight bullies and if u let them keep picking on you, you are going to have a rough time at this school. I’m Mauricio, what’s your name?” he asked.
“My name is Nija, and I don’t care about them girls. If I wanted to, I could’ve gotten my own juice back. Fighting is something that I don’t want to do, I’ve been in too much trouble behind it in the past. Best believe, I can hold my own. I just let the little shit slide today.”
“If anybody messes with you, come tell me. I don’t care who it is. You are new to the school so these girls are gon’ try you, don’t let them do it,” he said.
From that day, he and I had been best friends. My feelings for him go beyond friendship though. We have done many things that couples did, but we haven’t put a label on what we have. Mauricio was my homie, lover, friend that loved any kind of woman. I tried to stay away from him on that level but he was like a gnat that lingered around.
Whenever I even thought about being with a man, he found a way to cockblock like he was my man. I was always cussing him out about his actions because I never tried to shit on what he had going on. There were plenty of times I could’ve acted a whole ass, but I didn’t.
Sosa called me and the first thing that came to mind was, he’s looking for Ricio. I didn’t have a clue where he was because I hadn’t seen him in a couple days. Sosa explained that he was throwing Mauricio a surprised twenty-first birthday party at Paradise Kitty’s strip club and he wanted me to get his brother there. I agreed but I didn’t have a clue as to how I would pull it off.
I was sitting on the side of my bed from a long day of work and my stomach sent a reminder that I hadn’t eaten. Being a caseworker at the Department of Human Services was so stressful. The job itself was easy, it’s the people who are being serviced that made it unbearable at times. It wasn’t my fault when someone didn’t recertify on time or their benefits were cut for whatever reason, I was always the blame. I did my best to make the situation right but when you are screamed at, cussed out, and being called everything but a child of God, you tend to say fuck it. Sometimes I had to mentally remind myself that it was my job because I was ready to slap the shit out of some of the people that came to my desk.
Cooking was something I didn’t feel like doing, so I picked my phone up to order takeout. As I thought about what I wanted, my phone started ringing. Looking down at the screen, Mauricio’s name was displayed. Sosa had talked his brother up.
“What’s up Ricio?” I bellowed out as I put the call on speaker.
“Why you screaming in my muthafuckin’ ear, Nija?” he shot back.
“I wasn’t screaming, my voice is high pitched and you know this already. Anyway, what you want?” I asked rolling my eyes as I slipped out of the slacks I had on.
“I was calling to tell yo’ mean ass I was on my way to take you out to eat. Knowing you like I do, I bet you ain’t ate all damn day.”
“Don’t act like you know me, Ricio.”
“Tell me I’m wrong then, Ni.”
I couldn’t say anything because he was right. He always came through for me without me having to call. That was one of the things I admired about him. Mauricio was hard on the outside but could be really softhearted and loving at times. Many people said that he was a complete asshole because they didn’t see the man as a whole. He only showed them what he wanted them to see.
“Just like I thought. Hurry up and get in the shower, by the time I get there you should be ready. You don’t have to get all dolled up and shit, we aren’t going anywhere spectacular this time around. I want to kick it with my favorite girl and have some fun. Is that all right with you?”
“Yeah, that’s cool. I’ll be ready.” I said smiling from ear to ear. “See you when you get here.”
“Bet,” he said ending the call.
I rushed to the closet and decided to wear a pair of black capris’, a hunter green halter top, with my green low top chucks. Laying the outfit out on the bed, I walked to the dresser and grabbed my black laced bra with the matching boy shorts. As I passed the mirror, I made a mental note to flat iron my hair and went into the bathroom.
I was moving fast as hell to get myself together. Drying off after my shower, I wrapped the towel around my body and plugged in the flat iron. Quickly brushing my teeth, I ran the flatiron through my hair, making sure my shit was laid. I did my makeup and went back into the room to throw on my clothes.
As I was tying my shoes, the doorbell rang. I grabbed my purse and stuffed my keys and phone inside as I made my way to the door. When I reached for the knob, this fool started ringing the bell repeatedly and my arm automatically dropped to my side. I hated when his ass got impatient. It irked my soul and the bad thing about it, he knew how I felt when he did it.
He started knocking on the door like he was the police and I snatched it open with force. “What I tell you about doing that? Damn you get on my nerves with your irritating ass.”
Giving my body the once over, he shook his head. “Didn’t I tell you not to get all dolled up, Ni?”
“I’m not dolled up, I grabbed somethi
ng out of the closet and put it on. It’s not my fault I look good in anything I put on,” I said rolling my eyes.
“You are dolled up. The makeup, your hair straight as hell, and you smell good as fuck.”
“Boy bye! This is me all day, every day, this ain’t nothing new. You said that shit like I walk around looking like one of those bum bitches you seem to fuck with nowadays.”
“That look don’t look good on you, ma,” he said laughing.
“What look would that be, Ricio?”
“Salty, mufucka! Outta all people, yo’ ass should know that I don’t remember what the fuck these hoes be having on. As long as my dick is satisfied, I don’t give a fuck!”
“Well you need to care. Fuck around and let one of them wrap their lips around ya shit and catch something you can’t get away from. Move the fuck back so I can lock my damn door!” I said pushing him in the chest.
I was low-key mad at what he said because he had everything he needed in me and didn’t see it. Sweating a nigga was not something I would ever do. As much love that I had for Mauricio, I was not going to force it upon him to love me back the way I wanted him to. But when he sees me happy with another, he’s not going to be a happy camper.
“Damn, why you got to put ya hands on a nigga though? You always set yaself up for the truth that flows effortless out of my mouth. I’m a real mufucka and if you don’t want to hear facts, stop reaching.”
Locking the door, I left his ass standing there and walked down the steps to his car. I stood by the passenger side of his money green 2018 Mercedes CLA Coupe. He took his time coming to the car and he still didn’t pop the locks so I could get in. I shot him the meanest mug and he started laughing as he unlocked the doors.
I got inside and automatically fastened my seatbelt. As he got in the car, my phone chimed indicating I had a text message. My cheeks damn near touched my eyes as I read the message. Preparing myself to respond, my phone was snatched from my hand.
“Who the fuck got you smiling like you won the mufuckin’ lottery or some shit?” He asked looking down at the phone. “Are you available to hang out tonight, beautiful?” he read the text out loud.
The only thing I could do was smirk at his ass because he was doing too much. Trying to get the phone back wasn’t worth the effort because he would fuck around and throw it out the window. The text was from a guy I met one day on my lunch break. I was sitting alone and he asked if he could join me and I said sure. We enjoyed lunch, exchanged numbers, and kept in touch. Honestly this was the first time he ever asked to hang out at night.
Focusing my attention back on Mauricio, I noticed he was replying to the text on my phone. I tried to snatch it from his hand but he slapped my arm away. “Ricio, give me my phone! You don’t have a right to reply to any texts that are meant for me.” I attempted to get my phone back and failed a second time.
He looked at me as if he wanted to kill me, “I don’t have a right? Get the fuck outta here with that bullshit, Ni. I paid the bill on this mufucka a year in advance! I can check this bitch for the next six months whenever I want to! Fuck you mean?” he gritted.
“It’s not because I can’t pay the bill myself, you went to the Sprint store and did that shit on your own. I didn’t find out about it until I went to pay it and didn’t have a balance! Give me my phone!”
Hitting the send button, he handed the phone to me. I looked down at the screen and gasped. This muthafucka was something else, I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about the guy hitting my line again. Surely, he would put me on the block list immediately after reading Mauricio’s reply.
“Really, Ricio?”
“What? I didn’t do shit but tell that nigga what the fuck it is.”
“Look fam, Nija don’t need another nigga hitting her line but me. I got her in every way imaginable. You was just something to keep her occupied until I got back. Don’t hit this line if you like breathing. Oh, and that wasn’t a threat.” I read out loud. “Do I take your phone and reply to them busted ass bitches you fuck with? You are always throwing a monkey wrench in shit when someone is trying to get to know me. I’m gonna need you to stop threatening people too! If you want to run niggas away, claim me as your own and then you would have the right to be mad. Until then, stay the fuck out of my personal business.”
“That was cute,” he said starting the car and backing out of the driveway. “You are my business, Nija. I don’t have to claim you in order for you to know that you mean the world to me. I won’t apologize for what I did because I’ll do the shit again. But, I didn’t come to scoop you up to argue the whole night. Let’s enjoy our time together and make it count.”
I didn’t say shit to what he said because it was bullshit to me. We were cruising down the street for a few when he made a right onto 79th street. I was avoiding eye contact with Mauricio because he had truly pissed me off.
“What the fuck is this lil nigga doing now?” he said out of the blue as he whipped his car along the curb.
He jumped out of the car and stormed toward the liquor store on the corner. I let the window down because I couldn’t really see what was going on. When I spotted Maximo, I knew all hell was about to break lose.
Mauricio and Sosa were trying to get him to stay off the streets but it wasn’t working. He had just graduated from high school and he was determined to graduate from the University of Narcotics. Big Jim created a monster when he gave him his first pack to get off as a test, now he thought he was Nino Brown of Chicago and didn’t know shit.
Maximo was beating the shit out of a dude on the side of the building. Mauricio ran up to him and yanked him off the guy. I could tell Mauricio was hollering at him but I couldn’t hear the exchange. Whatever Maximo said, didn’t sit well with his older brother. Mauricio punched him in the jaw and Maximo pulled his gun. I turned off the car and pocketed the keys before I jumped out to stop what was about to go down.
Chapter 4
Mauricio
Nija was mad at me for replying to the nigga that was on her phone trying to shoot his shot. What the fuck did she think I was going to do, sit there while she was skinning and grinning because of another nigga? Nah, that would never happen. It was quiet in the car but I refused to turn on the radio. I loved to hear her breath when she was frustrated, the sound alone turned me on.
I had bitches from here to Cali but Nija was one that would forever have a place in my heart. She was there through all the bullshit I had to go through after my parents died and I would forever be in debt with her. I did all that I could to make her life comfortable. That was the reason I paid her bills even though she begged me not to.
We started out as friends but it turned into something else one night while we were chillin’ in my dorm. Getting in her guts and taking her virginity was not in the plans, that shit just happened. I knew I wasn’t going to be exclusive with her because I was running up in any bitch that would spread them cheeks for me.
The feelings that I tried hard to keep at bay for her only emerged when I saw another nigga trying to move in. I knew the shit was foul because she deserved to be with someone that would make her happy, but in my mind, Nija was mine. One day I will stop playing games and cuff her ass and she would be right by my side permanently.
We were rolling down the Nine when I just so happened to look over at the liquor store. My lil brother Maximo was stomping a nigga the fuck out. Without thinking, I curbed my ride and hopped out. I snatched his ass off the nigga by the back of his neck.
“What the fuck are you doing, Max? You love putting on a show for these niggas, don’t you?” I was referring to the dumb mufuckas that were standing around cheering his goofy ass on while he broke dude up. “This is what they want you to do! This stupid shit could leave you behind bars. With the shit you out here doing, you might want to keep a low profile from the law, stupid mufucka! I bet yo’ ass dirty as fuck too. This is the reason you need to take yo’ ass to school!”
“Man fuck what you talking
about, Ricio! That school shit was for you and Sosa, I ain’t wit it. My calling is to slang these rocks out here. College can’t teach me shit about the streets. I’m a grown ass man and you niggas can’t tell me what the fuck to do with my life. It worked all those years that I didn’t have a choice, but it won’t work no mo. So, you can get the fuck outta my face trying to be a big brother because I don’t need yo’ ass. I’m good with holding Big Jim down until he gets back out in these streets.”
Before I could stop myself, I hauled off and rocked his ass. His head whipped to the side and he spit out the blood that filled his mouth. I was mad at the way he had outright disrespected me but I wasn’t expecting what the lil nigga did next. Swinging back around to face me, I was face to face with a .38 chrome.
Chuckling like a hyena, I couldn’t believe this mufucka was treating me like an op. “Brother or not, I hope you know what the fuck to do with that mufucka. Make yo’ one shot count because if you don’t, my mama is gon’ have to forgive me because you gon’ die behind this shit. You want to act tough, I’m gon’ give you the chance to show these pussy mufuckas what yo ass about.”
His hand was shaking because my little brother wasn’t about that life. He didn’t train stupidly like Sosa and I did and I knew he wasn’t a match for me. I was taught that a scared man, was a deadly man. All it would take was for him to get too scared and squeeze the trigger slightly.
“Y’all are not about to do this! Max, put the gun down, now! This is your brother!” Nija screamed as she got between the two of us.
"Nija, go back to the car!” I screamed keeping my eyes on Maximo’s hand that held the gun.
“I’m not going anywhere! Y’all family and this wouldn’t be right if your fa—”