“Oh, yeah. But did you have to say it like you know me?”
“How would you like me to say Necole?”
“Stop that,” she snapped, not liking the fact that every time he said her name her heart fluttered.
“Why?” he questioned, gazing into her eyes.
“Are you flirting with me, Mark?”
A smile covered his face. “Yes, Necole.”
“Well, you need to stop,” she sassed as she folded her arms across her chest.
“And what if I don’t?”
She eyed him cautiously. “You don’t wanna know, trust me.”
“Oh, I wanna know,” he insisted.
“Okay class, settle down,” Mr. Brown announced as the last bell sounded.
“Another time,” Mark whispered.
“We’ll see.”
Chapter 2
The first day of school soared by and Necole found herself thinking of Mark the entire day. He was definitely fine and all the girls were on his dick. It seemed like every time they attempted to talk alone, some girl would interrupt them, which confirmed things for her. She knew what Mark was all about without really knowing him. That’s why she’d decided to stop entertaining the thought.
“Bout time,” Amber jested as she leaned on Necole’s car.
“How long have you been waiting?” she questioned as she sauntered over to her car.
“Bout five minutes.”
“That wasn’t long,” Necole grinned as she opened her car door and slid in.
“Yes, it was,” Amber teased as she hopped in on the passenger’s side. “Oh, Corrine and Cali are riding with Neal and Donavan.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Necole rolled her eyes as she started her engine. “So, how do I get to your man’s house?”
“Get on 59. It will take you right to him.”
“Okay.”
The two friends rode and chattered about their day in school. They were stuck in traffic, but they hardly noticed with all the gossiping they were doing. “Exit here on Collingsworth,” Amber instructed.
“Okay,” she nodded as she followed directions.
Amber pulled out her phone and called her man. “Bae, where are you?” she listened closely before speaking. “You’re at the house on Kashmere? Oh, okay. We’re in a black Toyota. Yeah, I’m with my girl.”
“Cole, make a left right here.”
“Alright.”
“Stop at the house with the blue Cadillac out front.”
“Right here?” Necole pointed at the brick home.
“Yeah.”
Necole pulled into the driveway and saw that there were about seven guys hanging outside. They were all wearing white tees and some sort of Nikes. She could smell blatant weed smoke in the air. “Damn, who’s smoking?”
“My baby,” Amber cheesed as she hopped out of the car. “Come on, get out, Necole.”
“Alright,” Necole sighed as she slowly eased out of her car. Immediately, all the men’s attention went their way.
“What’s up, Boo?” Amber’s boyfriend stepped up and wrapped his arms around her.
Necole stood back, scoping out the dude. He had an even brown complexion with a slim build. He was about six feet tall, was extremely bowlegged to the point where his legs appeared broken and he wore a freshly-cut tapered fade. He was wearing an Ed Hardy unit along with white Air Forces.
“You, baby,” she smiled as she kissed his lips.
He kissed her back before pulling away. “Who’s your friend, Amber?”
“Oh, this is Necole. Necole this is Lil’ Daddy.” Amber introduced them.
“Hey,” Necole spoke shyly. She was usually a confident person, but she was out of her element at the time.
“What’s up?” Lil’ Daddy spoke. “Amber is always talking about your ass.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Lil’ Daddy, who you got over there?” a dude shouted from the porch.
“This is Amber and her little friend,” Lil’ Daddy answered.
The dude stood to get a better look at Necole. “Got damn it,” he sung. “What it do, lil’ mama?”
Necole shook her head and didn’t bother to respond. The dude was skinny as hell, and reminded her of the rapper Kurupt from the Dogg Pound.
“Oh, okay. So, you high capping, huh?” the dude asked.
Lil’ Daddy looked over at his boy. “Boo, nigga…chill out.”
Boo waved him off before sitting back down.
Now Necole felt slightly uncomfortable. She hated guys that couldn’t take rejection well. She didn’t want to be forced to mace his ass.
“Don’t worry about him, Necole. He ain’t gon bother you,” Lil’ Daddy assured, trying to put her at ease.
“I’m good.”
“Cool,” he nodded. “So, do you smoke?”
“Yeah,” she smiled.
“Alright, so you wanna put one in the air with us?”
“Hell, yeah,” Necole perked up.
“Dope dog ass,” Amber teased as she shook her head.
“Okay, well…let’s go in the house,” Lil’ Daddy commanded as he led the girls past all the hoodlums standing around on the porch. Their prying eyes were burning a hole through Necole.
The girls followed him as they stepped into the house. Necole surveyed the room, checking things out. The home was pretty decent and had nice furniture and a huge plasma TV. She was actually surprised at how tidy things were.
The only person in the living room was some dude playing games on the Xbox 360. He was so into the game that he hadn’t looked up once. Necole found herself staring at him. He was dark chocolate and had thick wavy hair. It looked like he had a fresh haircut too. His eyebrows were thick and his lashes were long. He had soft looking full lips, accompanied with a neatly trimmed goatee. His teeth were covered in gold and deep dimples sunk into his cheeks. He was handsome even though it was obvious that he was a product of the streets. The tattoo underneath his eye that read Bottom Boy spoke volumes. In fact, he had tattoos everywhere. He seemed thug all the way, which was a plus in her eyes. He was even rocking the street uniform: a white tee, blue jean shorts, and fresh white Forces.
“Nigga, stop cheating. I told you to pause the game,” Lil’ Daddy complained.
Finally, the dude looked up. “Fuck you. I saved that game. I ain’t have time to wait on you.”
“Whatever. But uh…this is Amber’s friend, Necole.” Lil’ Daddy introduced as he took a seat on the recliner and pulled Amber onto his lap. “You can sit down, Necole.”
She nodded before sitting on the opposite end of the couch, away from the chocolate thug.
“How you doing?” the dude asked her with a deep raspy voice.
“Fine.”
“That’s what’s up,” he nodded before continuing to play the game.
“Black, where my phone at?” some dude asked as he stuck his head in the glass door.
“I don’t know, nigga,” the chocolate dude shrugged.
“Black, keep Necole company for a minute,” Lil’ Daddy spoke as he and Amber stood and he guided her to a backroom.
“Alright,” Black casually nodded.
Necole sucked her teeth, realizing that she’d been hoodwinked. They were supposed to be smoking, not leaving her to sit with a stranger, looking like a lame third wheel.
“What you sucking your teeth fo?” Black asked as he focused on the game.
“You’re talking to me?”
“Yeah, you the only other person in this room.”
“Whatever,” Necole rolled her eyes.
Black paused the game and looked over at her. “You smoke?”
Necole just sat and stared at him. He looked like his face should have been posted on some America’s Most Wanted posters.
“You can’t talk?” he pressed as he pulled a blunt out of his pocket.
She shrugged. “I don’t know if I should smoke with you. I don’t know what you have in that.”
>
“Oh, yeah? Well, how bout I roll one right now?”
“That’s cool,” she nodded.
“Alright,” he nodded as he felt underneath the couch and pulled out a tray of weed and Swisher Sweets. “I got you.”
Necole sat and watched as he rolled up two blunts. Once he was finished, he lit up one and took a few puffs before passing it to her. She inhaled the blunt and after a few hits she was mellowed out.
“You feeling it?” he asked her.
She nodded as she passed it back to him. “Yeah, this that good shit,” he exhaled before he hit the blunt.
For the next few minutes, they got high together. Necole relaxed a little, until she realized that they were selling drugs out of the house. In just twenty minutes, five crackheads had come by and bought drugs from Black.
“Amber needs to come on before I leave her ass,” Necole stressed as she glanced around paranoid.
“You know that nigga in there banging her back out. Why you in a rush?” Black furrowed his brows.
“‘Cause I didn’t know that this was a fucking crack house,” she frowned.
He took a few seconds to see if she was for real. “You didn’t know that this was a crack house?”
“No, I sure didn’t.”
“Well, technically this is not a crack house. This is Lil’ Daddy’s spot and I hit my licks while I’m here, but ain’t no work in here besides what I got in my pockets.”
“And he’s okay with you doing that in here?”
“Yeah,” Black nodded.
“Well, I’m uncomfortable.”
Black looked her over. “Where are you from?” he asked curiously.
“Sugarland, why?”
“Oh, that’s why you acting like you green and shit.”
“Green?”
“Yeah, green.”
“Whatever,” she rolled her eyes.
“You got a bad attitude, you know that?”
“No, I didn’t know that, but thanks for the memo,” she sassed as she folded her arms.
“You welcome, you smart ass.”
“It’s you’re.”
“You’re what?”
“It’s you’re welcome,” she corrected.
“I don’t need you to school me on grammar. I could probably teach your uppity ass a thing or two.”
“My uppity ass? First of all, you don’t know me. And secondly, I don’t know you, nor do I want to know you. You black ass muthafucka,” she seethed as she stood to leave.
“Oh so, you gon get up and leave after cussing me out?”
Necole didn’t bother to answer him as she stomped out of the house. She hopped in her car and angrily dialed Amber’s cell phone. “If you want to ride home with me you need to come on because I’m not sitting here for one more second.”
“What happened?” Amber questioned.
Necole sucked her teeth. “Are you coming?”
“Yeah. I’m coming right now.”
“Hurry,” Necole urged before ending the call. Three minutes later, Amber walked out of the house with her hair fucked up. “You had fun?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Amber smiled as she slid in the car.
“Good, just don’t ask me to bring you out here again. I don’t want to ever be in the same room with these niggas.”
“What happened?” Amber questioned with confusion.
Necole shook her head as she backed her car out of the driveway. “Don’t worry about it. Just remember what I said.”
“So, does that mean that you’re not coming to my baby’s party?”
“No, I’m still going, but don’t ask me to kick it at this spot ever again.”
* * * * *
Necole pulled into her driveway a little after dark. Her mother’s Range Rover was parked in the garage, so she knew that she was home. After parking her car in the garage, she hopped out. She made sure that the garage’s door was closed before she entered her home. “Mom, I’m home,” she announced.
“Hey, baby. Where did you go after school?” Necole’s mother questioned.
“I took Amber to a friend’s house.”
“Really? Was it some knuckle headed boy?”
“Yes.”
“I knew it. So, did she introduce you to anyone?”
“Not really. I mean…there were guys there, but they weren’t my type,” Necole shrugged as she headed for the kitchen.
“What is your type, because it seems that no guy is your type anymore? It’s time to move on, Nicky. He has,” her mom offered as she followed her.
“Mom, this is not about Carl. That chapter is closed. I just haven’t met anyone that holds my interest yet.”
Janet took a deep breath. “If you say so, Necole. How was your first day of school?”
“It was cool,” Necole shrugged as she made herself a sandwich on croissant bread.
Her mom stared at her. “Cool, huh? Ms. Nonchalant.”
“Yes, it was cool, mom,” she laughed. “Oh, Amber invited me to a party this weekend and I need to pick up something to wear.”
“Well, go look through your closet. I’m sure you can find something.”
“Mom,” she whined. “I need something new.”
“I just bought you bundles of school clothes.”
“Those are school clothes.”
“You’re a spoiled brat, you know that?”
“But you love me, right?” Necole asked with a huge grin.
“You aren’t that cute anymore,” Janet chuckled as she left the kitchen. “I’ll give you the card Thursday. Don’t go crazy.”
“Great. Love you, mommy.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Chapter 3
The week had coasted by and before Necole knew it, it was Friday. She, and all her girls, couldn’t wait to party later on that night. She had purchased herself a Gucci dress that was sure to turn heads. She had gone to the beauty shop the day before, so her hair was looking fresh. She couldn’t stop imagining herself in her new dress.
“Necole, you didn’t hear me?”
“Huh?” Necole said, snapping out of her daydream.
“What are your plans for this weekend?” Mark asked.
“I don’t know, why?”
“I was just asking.”
“Oh. Well, me and a few friends are going to a party.”
“Oh, yeah?” he perked up. “Who’s having a party?”
She waved her head. “You wouldn’t know even if I told you.”
Mark gave her a funny look. “You don’t know who I know.”
“If you say so,” she rolled her eyes. “It’s not anybody around here.”
“And?”
“Let’s just say that you wouldn’t know them.”
“Whatever,” he sighed as the bell rung. “I guess I’ll see you Monday.”
“Touché,” Necole waved as she headed to her locker. She knew that Mark had a thing for her, but he just didn’t have what she was looking for. He was high school hot, which didn’t mean shit beyond those school’s walls. She wanted some grown man gangster shit.
“You ready to party?” Amber asked as she walked up on her.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good. What time are you picking me up?”
“About seven. We can bullshit around for a while. You know it will take everybody all day to get ready. We’re all going to get ready at Cali’s.”
“That’s what’s up.”
Necole drove straight home. Her mom was still at work so she had the house to herself. She stripped down to her panties and bra and scurried to her bathroom. She ran her bath water and then wrapped her hair up. She grabbed her radio and played her newfound anthem, Vivian Green’s, “I Like it (But I Don’t Need it).” Vivian was crooning, Baby with you it’s quite alright. So much better than it’s been with the other guys; but I don’t need a label. Just leave it alone. Don’t want to tie you down, you’re free to go.
She danced around in her panties, before getting completely nak
ed. “Tell ‘em Vivian. A boyfriend ain’t what I want,” she sang as she slowly lowered into the hot water.
Two hours later, she was leaving out the door with her bag in tow. She swung by Corrine and Amber’s house and picked them both up. They then headed to Cali’s.
“Here,” Amber handed Necole a pill. She glanced down and realized that it was a pink ecstasy pill.
“Oh shit. Yeah, buddy…we rolling like a big shot,” Necole boasted, knowing that she was about to get high. She couldn’t wait to pop her pill, so she sped over to Cali’s.
“Where did you get that dress, Necole?” Amber asked as they all dressed.
“From the galleria,” Necole did a little dance as she checked herself out in the vanity mirror.
“She even has the purse to match,” Cali added.
“Cole, your mom spoils your ass, man.”
“Don’t hate. But anyways…Amber did you make sure that your boo will have somebody let us in?” Necole asked, knowing that at seventeen they weren’t old enough to get into the club.
“Yeah. How many times I have to tell ya’ll? He got us.”
“I’m just checking.”
Although the girls all got together at seven o’clock, they weren’t finished until after 10:30. Necole slipped into the kitchen to grab some orange juice and popped her pill. Then they all hopped into her whip. They arrived at the club a little after eleven. Amber whipped out her phone. “Baby, we’re out here,” she spoke into her cell. She listened for a few seconds. “Okay, he said valet-park and he’ll meet us out front.”
Necole did just that and Lil’ Daddy was waiting right in the front for them. “Damn, baby,” he teased as he saw all the girls approaching him.
“Happy birthday, baby,” Amber smiled as she wrapped her arms around him.
“Thank you,” he said, before kissing her lips. He then glanced up. “How are ya’ll doing?”
“Fine,” all three girls spoke in unison.
“Good. Ya’ll can follow me. Big man, they’re with me,” he informed the bouncer as they headed inside the club.
The iBar was jumping and all the girls were ready to dance; but Lil’ Daddy led them to the V.I.P. section first. “Ya’ll can grab a drink or whatever you want. Just have a good time!” he shouted over the loud music as he pulled Amber along and they disappeared into the crowd.
Love is Blind (G Street Chronicles Presents) Page 2