by Renee, Mimi
Larry had been all over the city looking for well-paying work, but with no real work experience, the only opportunity he had was a job at fast food restaurant. So when the manager at McDonald's hired him on the spot, Larry took the job and ran with it. The job was thirty minutes away in the valley, so he was confident that Bright wouldn't find out. And he planned on saving every last dollar that he made for Bright and their unborn child. Larry knew that with school, basketball, and work that he would have less time to spend with Bright and that she would complain, but he knew that his hard work and efforts would pay off in the long run, and that he was doing the right thing.
********** After spending Terrence money on her boyfriend and their baby, Bright and Treasure decided to have lunch at Subway in the Lakewood mall. Treasure had met a new boss baller named Rafael (a.k.a. Monster), that kept her pockets fat, hoping he would get her in bed soon. He gave her money every time she mentioned she wanted or needed something.
“What you gone tell Ice about you being pregnant, Bright?” Treasure asked curiously.
“That it's his baby, what you thought?” Bright said,
swallowing a huge chunk of her tuna sub. “Can't just be
giving up money,” Bright said, pulling a bankroll out of
her bra.
“You said y'all used protection all the time, though,
Bright,” Treasure said, confused. “So how you gone pull
that off?” she wanted to know.
“I ain't but four weeks now, so when I see him I'ma
let him hit raw dog and then four weeks later, I'll tell him
I’m pregnant. That simple,” Bright said, feeling good that
she had come up with a master plan.
Treasure nodded her head. “I hope this brilliant idea
work out for you, girl,” Treasure said in between sips of
her Diet Coke.
“It will. I’ll almost be eighteen by the time I have the
baby, and me and Larry plan on getting married and
moving in together on my birthday. So I'm not trippin’,
I'ma dump Terrence, tell him the baby is not his, then get on,” Bright summed up. She had been going over the
plans all night.
“You better hope and pray that fool don't kill you,
Bright,” Treasure said with a serious look upon her face. “He gone have to find me to try to kill me,” Bright
laughed.
“Alright, it’s your life,” Treasure shrugged.
“I personally think you got yaself a good dude in Larry
and that you should just stop fucking with Ice, now,” she
said, giving Bright direct eye contact. Ice had a
reputation for being crazy, and she didn't want Bright to
get hurt or chance losing Larry.
Bright stood to dump her tray. “Trust me, Treasure, I
gots this,” she said confidently. After they caught the bus
back to the Norfside of Long Beach, Treasure and Bright
went their separate ways.
********** “Hey baby, how are feeling,” Bright asked Terrence sympathetically once she answered her phone.
“Where you at?” he asked her.
“Just walked in the house from shopping.” She put
her bags on her bed, then took a seat to rest her feet. “You sound a little better baby, does that mean today has been a better day for you?” she asked again.
“I wanna fuck, can I come pick you up?” he asked. Bright sighed with an attitude. “Terrence, why are you coming at me like that, and why the hell are you avoiding my question?”
“Look, I'm alright, Bright.” He paused. “I wanna see you and I wanna fuck, now can I come pick you up?” he asked, getting straight to the point. He was heartbroken and messed up in the head over the passing of his wife, and he just didn't want to talk about it; he wanted to fuck. Bright was ready to snap, but reminded herself that he had just lost his wife, so she rolled with the flow. “Pick me up down the street from my house in about an hour, daddy.”
“I'll be there in an hour,” Terrence replied, then hung up.
Quickly, Bright hopped in the shower and threw on a pair of booty shorts and an “I Love Hot Guys” fitted T-shirt. She fixed her side pony tail, threw on her sandals, and then left out the door. It was her mother’s off day, so she didn't have the responsibility of her siblings that day.
Terrence pulled up in his truck, looking physically and emotionally distressed, and Bright could tell from his weight loss that he hadn't been eating. She wasn't gonna make him feel bad about it, but she was definitely gonna get him back together, starting with washing and braiding his hair, then she planned on fucking the life back into him. And with Larry's tight schedule, she knew she'd have the time to do so.
“Hey, Daddy,” Bright climbed in and said in a comforting tone, then she reached over and hugged him real tight and planted soft kisses all over his face.
Terrence forced a smile. “We gone go back to my place,” he said, pulling off her street, bumping his music. Bright nodded her head in agreement and tried reaching for his hand, but he pulled it away.
Terrence’s mood was so dark that he couldn't see the light. He tried breaking out of it by reminding himself of Tameka's last words to him: “I'm not afraid to go, I'm hurting here and I'll be in a much better place,” but nothing helped. He knew she had to go, but he just wasn't expecting her to go before he came back with her ice cream.
On the ride to his house, Bright tried her very best to comfort and cheer Terrence up, but he kept drowning her out with his music, which caused her to fall asleep. When they arrived at his house, he awoke her by squeezing on her pussy.
Inside Terrence's four bedroom luxury suburban home, Bright thought, Wow this would be my life if I didn't have, Larry. His house was decked out modernly and he had all the newest house appliances and electronics, his all-white living room suit looked as if it was hardly ever sat on. Terrence sat on the couch and flipped the television on, then began to roll up a blunt. “Want me to roll it for you?” Bright asked, wanting him to be able to relax and clear his head.
“Bright, I'm good, don't start treating a nigga like no baby and shit,” he said, looking in her direction. “That’s the last thing I need right now, just chill out,” he said, then got back to rolling the blunt.
“Say no more,” Bright said, backing off with her hands in the air. “Now, where's your bathroom? I'ma run you a good bubble bath.” She paused, looking at him. “Can I at least wash you up and give you a massage, Daddy?” she smiled seductively.
“That’s more like it! Go upstairs, down the hall and to the right. I'll be up there in a minute.” He hoped getting some pussy and head would relieve a little of his stress.
“Bring the blunt up too!” Bright yelled down to him.
After rolling the blunt, Terrence went upstairs and climbed
inside the hot bubble bath that Bright had drawn up for him, then they shared a blunt. Bright gave Terrence a good bath. She washed him up, massaged his shoulders, and even climbed inside for foreplay. She rubbed her fingers through his hair and passionately kissed him like she never did before while she straddled him. Once they got out, she dried him off from head to toe, then landed on her knees where she used her mouth to suck a nut out of him.
“Oh shit, Bright!” he moaned. “That shit feel so good,” he said, holding the back of her head. Bright worked him, causing him to explode in her mouth. “Swallow it,” he looked down and told her. As instructed, Bright swallowed it then licked her top lip, hungry for more. Then he led her to one of his guest rooms. In bed, Terrence climbed on top of Bright without using protection, just as she hoped he would. Then he penetrated her hard and fast, making the headboard slam up against the wall with each pump. “This shit feel so good, Tameka, make slow soft love to me, Teddy Mama, just one mo time” he moaned with his eyes closed.
Instantly, Bright was turned on hearing Terrenc
e call her another woman's name, so she grinded her magic on him soft and slow, gripping him as if her mouth was on him. Nice and tight. “Oh, Tameka!” he said, burying his head in the pillow with Bright’s legs held high over his shoulders. Bright kept at this rate until he begged her to go faster, and seconds later he came inside of her. She felt bad for letting him come on top of her baby’s head, but it was all a part of her plan.
After a few more, rounds Terrence told Bright to cook him something to eat. She fried up a batch of chicken strips, made a couple of loaded baked potatoes, and boiled some corn on the cob. When he finished eating, he gave her props on her cooking skills, hit it once more, then took her back home. Before she climbed out of his truck, he passed her a roll of money.
Terrence liked spoiling his women; it made him feel good, and kept them loyal to him. At least, that's what he thought he was doing with Bright. “Buy yourself something nice,” he told her, feeling better than he was before he picked her up.
Bright smiled, “You know I will.” Then she closed the door and made tracks in the direction of her house.
Stepping out of the courtyard, Cordell spotted Bright getting out of Big Ice from the east side’s Escalade. He wondered, what is Bright doing with Ice? Then he hit the corner to catch up with his partners.
************ “Hurry up, Bee,” Treasure said after their first day back to school. “Nicole gone meet us at Burger King then drop us off at home.” As usual, both girls were the best- dressed females on campus, representing the Norf’s baddest. Every guy in school had their eyes on them, and the females hated.
“Nicole, Nicole, Nicole,” Bright said in an irritated tone. “Didn't her ass graduate from high school, or can’t she find any friends in college?” Bright hissed.
“Bee, quit being like that, Nicole is the homegirl. Besides she tutors me in algebra. I'm tryna get a scholarship, so I gotta keep a high grade point average,” Treasure replied.
“Fuck a scholarship when you can have a balling ass nigga worship the ground you walk on and take care of you,” Bright said catching up to Treasure. “I'm just tryna graduate from high school...and that’s just for my Mama,” Bright admitted honestly.
Treasure just shook her head at Bright. It was funny to her how Bright was still the same, and how in many ways she herself had changed. Education had always been important to her, but now she was really interested in going to college, then later to grad school. The idea of messing around with different ballers in hopes of being their main chick was no longer her M.O.; she was feeling the idea of finding and falling in love with a guy that would love her for her. She had even kicked Larry's friend Reggie to the curb for seeing her as nothing more than a booty call. Her priorities were falling in line, and she wanted to be respected for more than her body, big behind and a pretty face; but more so respected for her intelligence and mind.
“What’s up with you and Lil Boo?” Bright asked curiously as they crossed the street.
“We still cool, I just been on some other shit lately,” Treasure said like his name left a bad taste in her mouth. “And plus that nigga been acting funny ever since that night we stayed over his house. Maybe he mad cause he ain't get none, I don't know!” Treasure said, waving the conversation off.
Bright thought, Yeah that nigga ain't get no ass alright, but he was all up in this, and matter of fact I'ma put that nigga on my list just in case Terrence start tripping! She laughed. “That’s cause you slippin’ in ya pimping, pimpin’!” Bright yelled, elbowing Treasure. “That nigga ‘pose to be filling them pockets up, why you playin’?” She said seriously.
“I'm cool on all that,” Treasure said nonchalantly. “But what I'm about to do is pimp these fucking books so I can get a damn scholarship, pimpin’!” She shot back. “Besides that my little friend Monster stay paying the lady...and he still ain't hit it.”
“Yeah, you definitely been hanging with Nicole,” Bright said with her lips twisted up. “Cause one thing for sure, and two for certain, a bitch with good looks and a bomb ass body can get and have whatever the fuck she wants from a nigga, so why go to school when you don't have to? That’s for ugly hoe's,” she laughed, hoping to get Treasure back on track. As Bright was preparing to get more information on money-man Monster and ask Treasure when she was going to finally introduce them, Treasure interrupted her thoughts.
“There go Nicole right there, Bee,” she said, waving to her friend. “Her brother gave her the Beamer as a graduation present, wasn't that nice?” Treasure said, happy for Nicole.
“If her brother giving away them kind of presents, I may need to meet him,” Bright laughed.
“He's married,” Treasure said.
Bright laughed, “And what is that supposed to mean to me? Married men money is the best money, cause they'll do anything to keep a bitch mouth shut so they can fuck.”
“You're pregnant, Bee, no more niggas and sponsors for you!” Treasure warned, then grabbed Bright's hand to run across the street.
After having a snack at Burger King, Nicole dropped Bright off at home, then they headed to Treasure's house to study. Once Bright made it inside the house, her mother passed her the phone.
“Right on time, it’s your little friend, Suge,” she said.
Excitedly, Bright grabbed the phone. She hadn't talked to Suge in a while; they had been moving her from house to house, making it hard to keep a number on her. “What’s up, Young? How you been?” Bright smiled.
“Hi, Bright,” Suge laughed, just as excited to speak to her. “You know I miss y'all, but since they been moving me around so much, I haven't been able to call as much as I would like to,” Suge said.
“I understand, Suga mama,” Bright took a seat on the living room couch next to her mom. “So tell me, what’s been up, and how you been doing, girl? And they better be treating you right over there too,” she said seriously.
“At first, I thought it was a bad idea, but it’s better now. I'm gonna be placed with a really nice Muslim family. The lady is real nice and, she seems like she's really interested in me too, so things are looking up,” Suge said.
“A Muslim family?” Bright said as her smile turned into a frown.
Suge laughed. “Yes, a Muslim family, Bright, they seem like wonderful people, and they have a daughter my age too,” she smiled.
“Well, as long as you happy,” Bright said, “I just don't wanna catch you on Long Beach Blvd. selling bean pies,” she teased.
“Yeah right!” Suge said.
After talking for an additional ten minutes, Suge told her that she had to go. Then Bright called Larry to ask him for help with her homework, but he didn't answer.
“That's odd,” Bright said to herself as she dialed his number again. He hardly ever seemed to answer her calls lately. Is he cheating on me? She thought. After calling him back to back a few more times with no answer, Bright fumed with anger.
L
ately, things seemed to have changed between Bright and Larry. They hardly ever had time to spend together; he was either always too busy or
too tired. And for the first time in their relationship, Bright felt neglected. Approaching four and a half weeks since Bright had first slept with Terrence without protection; she dialed him up to follow through with her plan to tell him that she was pregnant. As the phone rang, Bright prepared herself to cry and act afraid; she was even preparing herself to tell him her true age.
“What’s up, beautiful?” Terrence said after turning his beat down.
“I need to speak to you in person, daddy,” Bright cried into the phone.
“What’s wrong, baby?” Terrence quickly asked in concern.
“Just come pick me up from my house, it's important,” Bright cried.
“I'm on my way,” Terrence said, then hung up the phone.
Five minutes later, Terrence was in front of Bright’s building blowing his horn repeatedly. Terrence figured since Bright turned eighteen, there was no reason for him hiding or picking Bright up d
own the street from her house any longer.
“Who's that?” her mother asked, looking out of the living room window.
“That's, Treasure's cousin, Ma. He's dropping some of her stuff off to me, since she's not home,” Bright said, heading to the door. “I'll be right back, Ma,” she said, then ran down the stairs of her apartment.
The second, Bright climbed inside of Terrence's truck, he immediately asked her what was wrong.
“I'm pregnant, baby,” Bright cried.
“You are?” Terrence said excitedly. “What you crying for then, girl? You don't wanna have my baby or something?” he asked her with a disappointed look on his face.
Bright just continued to cry.
“After everything I've been through lately, a baby would be the perfect thing in my life right now,” he said turning, Bright’s crying face to his. Two of his baby mama's lived out of state, and the other one made it difficult for him to even see his son. With Bright, he knew that things would be different.
Bright looked at him through tear drenched eyes, “I do wanna have yo baby, but-butbut,” she cried, “I haven't been as honest with you as I should have been, Ice,” she said, putting an award winning performance on. “But it was only because I wanted to fucking be with you,” she explained.
“You fucking another nigga, Bright?” he asked, pulling into the gas station parking lot, on Artesia Blvd. and Cherry Ave.
Bright turned and looked at him, “No, baby, I would never cheat on you,” she cried. “Never!”
Growing impatient, Terrence spat, “Well, what is it that you ain't been honest with me about, Bright?” he asked her once he parked next to the pay phones.
Deciding that the timing was right, Bright let it out, “My age, Terrence; I'm not eighteen, baby, I'm only seventeen years old.” she cried. “But I still love you, and wanna be with you, and have your baby though,” she pleaded.
The blow from Bright's revelation was dazing, and all he could do was sit there and stare at her for a few moments. “So you mean to tell me that I was fucking a sixteen year old, and that all this time you've been lying to me?” he said angrily.