by Twyla T.
Twenty minutes after classes started, they made it to school and snuck by the front office without being noticed. “What up fools? We thought y’all was skipping again!” Derrick, one of their homies, yelled when they walked into class, causing everyone to bust out laughing. Both Babyface and Vice laughed and kept walking to the back to sit down. Mr. Brown continued working on his computer and ignored them for once. The teachers were just ready to get the next week over with and be free for the summer.
By the time lunchtime rolled around, Babyface was alert and ready to eat, then get his hustle on. Vice ate lunch before him and had everything set up in their spot, so Babyface could join and get things popping.
“So, who up first?” Vice asked while pulling the dice out of his pocket when he saw his cousin approaching.
“Let’s get this shit popping!” Babyface said, while grabbing the dice from his cousin and bending down to throw them. Babyface and Vice were up by over two hundred dollars in less than ten minutes.
“How bout we use these dice?” one of the cats who was losing said, while pulling some out of his pocket.
“What the fuck you tryna say? You think we cheating or sum shit because you losing mu’fucka?” Vice said, becoming angry.
“I’m saying let’s use some different dice mu’fucka. You can take the shit however the fuck you want to,” the dude challenged. The newcomer to the game was pissed off because he lost a hundred dollars in five minutes.
“Nigga, we ain’t gotta cheat. We can use your dice,” Babyface said in an attempt to keep his cousin from going the fuck off, since they were at school and trying to stay out of trouble. Pretty much everyone knew not to fuck with Vice, who stood six feet, two inches tall and was ripped from head to toe with protruding shoulder blades. He was more addicted to the ink than his cousin Babyface, and you noticed by the tattoos covering his body. Vice had smooth chocolate skin and he had his share of girls, but they never approached him the first time they saw him because of the mean mug he kept on his face. He was one who wasn’t to be fucked with. He and Babyface worked out on the regular and you could tell by his six pack and muscular arms.
Babyface took the dice from the guy and won another forty dollars on the first roll. “Now, what you got to say, you pussy ass nigga?” Vice asked the guy. The dude stood up and started walking towards Vice while talking shit. When he reached towards his pocket, Vice hit him in the eye and caused him to fall backwards. One of the guy’s partners tried to sneak up on Vice from behind, but Babyface saw him and commenced to beating his ass, while Vice took care of his own business.
“Here come security!” one of the onlookers screamed and everyone took off running. Babyface and Vice were too caught up in delivering ass whoopings to get away in time.
************
Nicole was sitting in the break room pissed the fuck because of the memo she read this morning when she made it to work. She had been working her ass off and she, along with everyone else, knew she deserved that promotion. Working doubles, covering shifts for people, going above and beyond the call of duty, and she was passed up for the second time. She sighed as she checked her bank account on her mobile app, while thinking about all of the money she just spent on Babyface and Vice for senior class dues, invitations, and everything.
“You wanna go grab some lunch?” one of her work friends asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.
“Nah, girl. I’m fine today,” Nicole replied as her stomach was growling.
She got up and went to the vending machine and grabbed a Snicker and a Coke. This will do until I get home to cook, she thought to herself. Nicole ate her lunch and thought about the upcoming bills she had and told herself that something had got to give soon. When she stood up to throw her trash in the garbage, her cellphone rang. “Hello,” she answered.
“Hi Miss Harris. Jaleel and Mario Harris have been suspended for three days for fighting and we need you to come and get them,” the caller informed Nicole.
“What the fuck? Are you serious?” Nicole asked.
“Unfortunately, yes. They will be in detention until you get here to pick them up,” the caller said before hanging up.
Nicole was pissed off as she headed to the school. She couldn’t afford to be missing hours, but there she was leaving again because of foolishness. “I just told both of them to stay out of fucking trouble. They only got a week of school left and can’t even do right,” Nicole fumed. She made it to the school and sighed before going in. Raising two boys as a single parent was hard as hell. She knew the streets of Chicago were ruthless and the boys couldn’t be punks, but she also knew they knew how to act at school and it was always something going on with them. She made it inside and was updated on the situation, as she waited for them to come to the front. Nicole just listened. She had no words. The boys made it to the front and she just stared at them. They knew she was pissed the fuck off, so they remained silent. The entire ride home was eerily quiet.
“Jaleel and Mario Harris, what the hell is wrong with y’all? I just told y’all this morning to stay outta trouble and this is what y’all do! It’s ALWAYS something going on with you two, whether it’s at school or in these crazy ass streets. I’m not a man, so there’s only such I can do. I refuse to bury my babies, so if y’all asses do one more thing, y’all moving down south with Big Mama,” Nicole continued fussing at her son and she looked over at her nephew, who she was also raising in the mean streets of Chicago since her sister died eight years ago due to cancer. His dad never stepped up to the plate, so Nicole took him in with open arms.
“But mama, we are-” Babyface started saying, but his mom cut him off. He knew she was pissed off because she called his government name, instead of the name Big Mama had given him.
“I don’t care if you are graduating high school next week. I’m proud of y’all, but y’all both are still babies in my eyes. Ain’t shit in these streets but trouble. I’m telling y’all now, ONE MORE THING… just one more thing and y’all asses will be leaving here,” Nicole said and walked out of the door on her way back to work, in hopes that she would be able to pick up a double to make up for the lost hours. “And don’t leave this house for shit!!” Nicole stuck her head back in the door and said.
“Man, moms be tripping and shit,” Babyface said.
“Yo bruh, we need to chill out because I ain’t tryna move to no boring ass Mississippi,” Vice replied to his cousin. Babyface agreed. They spent every summer in the south growing up. It was cool to them, but it wasn’t where they wanted to live. They were used to the fast life and, in their eyes, Mississippi wasn’t it.
“Let me hit Sasha up, so I can release some of this pressure,” Babyface said while pulling his cellphone out of his pocket.
“You know Sasha still pissed off at you bout that chick that work at the McDonald’s on Clark Street,” Vice said while laughing. Babyface joined in on the laughter as he thought about the ass whoopin’ that Sasha put on ‘ol girl.
“She might be pissed, but I bet you she come through and get this dick,” Babyface said while texting his girl.
Chapter 2
“I’m so proud of you boys!” Nicole said as tears rolled down her cheeks after the graduation ceremony. “I just wish Jake and your mom was here to witness this,” she continued talking, looking at both young men in the face. Babyface got a little sad at the mention of his dad’s name. His dad was murdered almost ten years ago and his killer was never found. Babyface vowed to find the person who killed his dad and make them pay, if it was the last thing he did.
“Thanks for everything auntie! I love you,” Vice told his aunt sincerely.
Nicole wanted to throw them a graduation party but, with all of the shit they had been getting into, she changed her mind and saved that money and decided they would go out to eat instead. After eating and taking a million more pictures, Nicole noticed it was almost ten o’clock and she was working overnight from eleven to seven, so she needed to drop the boys off at home and leav
e within the next thirty minutes, so they left the restaurant.
“Don’t y’all leave this house tonight,” Nicole warned before walking out of the door.
“She ain’t serious. We just graduated, so she know we going out. It ain’t gon be no problems tonight,” Babyface said while heading to his room to get fresh. Less than an hour later, Babyface and Vice were both dressed and ready to turn the fuck up. Babyface was rocking a red Polo shirt with some Balmain jeans and a Chicago Bulls 59 Fifty fitted hat and some red and black J’s. Vice kept it simple with some fresh Levi’s, a white tee, and white Air Force Ones. They double checked themselves, locked the door, and headed out when Sasha texted and said she was outside. They were headed to West Englewood where everybody who was somebody would be. The liquor was already going to be on deck and they already had their Kush, so they were set.
The party was jumping and everybody was having a good ass time. Sasha left Babyface’s side to go and get another drink, and less than fifteen seconds later, a known round the way girl stepped into the space she was occupying. The line was too long to wait on a drink, so Sasha turned around and headed right back to her man. As soon as she was close, she became angry when she saw a known hoe rubbing on her man’s face while skinning and grinning. Without asking any questions, she walked straight up to her and yanked her backwards by the hair and told her to get out of her man’s face.
“Bitch, what the fuck?” the girl screamed as she chased towards Sasha, only to be hit in the face several times before Babyface pulled her away.
“Sasha chill, you know I ain’t fucking with that…” RATATATAT RATATATAT RATATATAT RATATATAT
Gunfire broke out and cut Babyface’s words off. He pushed Sasha down and immediately fell on top of her. “Arrggghhh!” he screamed after being hit twice with bullets. Vice pulled his pistol out and started shooting after he saw his cousin go down. He didn’t care where the bullets landed; he just let them fly.
“OH MY GOD NOOOOO!!!!” Sasha screamed when she noticed the blood on her man.
One Week Later
On the way to O’Hare International Airport, Babyface and Vice both pleaded with Nicole to rethink her decision. No matter how many times they told her that they were just innocent bystanders at the party, she wouldn’t listen. “Both of y’all asses know once my mind is made up, it’s just that. Babyface, what if you would’ve died from those gunshot wounds. You lucky they didn’t cause any permanent damage,” Nicole scolded. She continued fussing the entire time, then cried when it was time for them to go through security. “I’m only doing what I feel is best. Now, don’t y’all take y’all asses down there and find trouble. I love y’all,” Nicole said and hugged and kissed both of them.
*************
Chyna was riding down Lakeland Drive, swerving in and out of lanes in her white Audi A3 while trying to get to Jackson-Medgar Evers International Airport before her father’s flight arrived. She knew she should have left home before she did but an argument with Pete, her boyfriend for the past two years, prevented her from doing so. He knew she was slipping away from him and tried his best to keep tabs on her, but Chyna wasn’t trying to be tied down. She was set to start school at Jackson State University in the fall, against her parent’s wishes, but she was ready to do something for herself and not for them. Every detail of her life had been planned by them, including her dating Pete, so she declined the scholarship to Mississippi College and would be attending Jackson State, the Sonic Boom of the South.
Mr. Patterson was walking out of the bathroom when a young man walked in that looked like someone he knew in the past. He did a double take, but shrugged it off and kept moving. Pulling out his cellphone to call his daughter, it began ringing before he could dial her number. “Hey sweetheart,” he said, answering.
“Dad, I’m parking now, but I’m about to run inside to use the bathroom. I’m right in the arriving flights lanes with the blinkers on, in case I miss you coming in,” Chyna told her dad. He told her okay and ended the call.
Chyna went to grab a cinnamon roll from the bakery in the airport after leaving the bathroom because they were to die for. While standing in line, she heard someone say, “You got me shawty?” Turning around, she made eye contact with the sexiest chocolate man she had ever laid eyes on. Damn!! This nigga fine as fuck!! Chyna thought to herself.
Breaking herself from her daze, she said, “Why would I have you, nigga?” She walked off, then turned around, and went back after a few seconds. “As a matter of fact, I do got you,” and placed a twenty-dollar bill on the counter and walked off. She heard the guy calling her, but she kept it moving. Damn, that nigga fine as fuck and he look like the type that will get me in trouble, Chyna thought as she hurried away from a man she knew her family would never approve of. She knew he wasn’t from Mississippi by his swag, so the chances of running into him again would be slim to none.
Babyface stood there, somewhat pissed off because he wasn’t used to be played like that. “Nigga, I know you ain’t tripping over that bitch,” Vice said to his cousin. Babyface ignored him. He couldn’t get the mystery woman out of his mind. He actually followed her and purposely got in line behind her, hoping to get her number, but it didn’t go as planned. Her beauty was the purest Babyface had ever witnessed. She stood about five feet, five inches tall with the perfect caramel skin complexion with no blemishes in sight, and the most captivating eyes he had ever seen. She had naturally curly hair, a slim waist, and just the right amount of ass, sass, and class. Babyface smirked as he watched her disappear out of the airport. Vice fussed at his cousin and called him sprung on a bitch whose name he didn’t even know.
Finally snapping from his thoughts, Babyface said, “She ain’t no bitch. I just might like the south after all because that’s gon be my main shawty… just watch!”
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