by Sa'id Salaam
"Nah, I'm cool. I'll just pay up front but make sure I only shop with you." She replied.
"Aight, 75 an ounce." He shot back. The sting of being rejected could be heard in his voice but she missed it. Had she paid attention, she would have heard the snake hiss.
She did frown at the high price though. It made her look down at the small bed and think what just took place should at least call for fair market price. The dope girl knew that grade of weed didn't go for more than fifty bucks an ounce. But since she stood to make two hundred at school she said, "Ok."
The trap house was in full swing when the couple emerged from the back room. A young dealer rushed a young crack head in as soon as they walked out. Two thugs sat at the kitchen table cutting and bagging crack while two others competed in a video game. One of them lost it along with one of his virtual lives when he saw Cameisha.
"Oh hell naw! What that bitch doing here?" Big Shawty demanded minus one gold tooth.
"Chill." Pedro ordered as he restrained Meisha from going after him.
"That's right I said bitch, bitch! Don't like it bitch?" Shawty taunted. "Bitch, bitch, bitch!"
Cameisha just smiled and nodded. She would be a bitch for now but made a mental appointment to get that mouth first chance she got.
"Bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch," followed her out the door.
****
“Ok check it. Here go twenty dimes. Keep four for yourself and bring me back one sixty." Cameisha explained to Cynthia who was visibly shaking at the sight of so much weed.
"Six! I get six." She said bouncing eagerly.
"Ok six, bring me one forty." Cameisha readily agreed since she knew she tried her with the twenty percent.
"I'll be right back!" She practically shouted and scooped up the bags. In a flash she was out the door.
"Ay-yo that bitch a fucking junky." Jackie lamented as soon as she left.
"She cool yo." Meisha replied trying to fool herself. In truth she felt the same way. The pretty, young freshman was fucking for weed already, no telling what she would do if she got hold of anything stronger.
"Can you trust her?" Jackie asked testing her naivety.
"No, but it's only for a sec. I aint gone keep selling."
Jackie opened her mouth to say something but the door opened before she got it out. They both looked at Cynthia harshly for barging in again but she came bearing gifts.
“Here!" She shouted shoving a fistful of money at Cameisha. "Count it! It's all there, count it! It's all there, count it!"
Cameisha didn't count it but did look at her watch. The girl was gone for ten minutes and sold out. She felt a sense of dread but still picked up her phone and dialed.
"Sup? I need two more." She told Pedro when he picked up. That's how it began.
Chapter 11
Through Cameisha, Pedro was selling a couple of ounces a day in the college. The only problem was that he was only a petty dealer himself and couldn't make much money wholesaling ounces. In fact, Cynthia was making more off an ounce than he was. She of course, smoked hers all up.
More often than not he either didn't have or couldn't afford to sell Cameisha the weed she needed. Sometimes he could sell her some dimes to flip sometimes not. He always fucked her though. Night after night she compromised herself for an orgasm.
"Can you do anything with these?" Pedro asked after a vigorous bout of sex that left them both winded. He showed her a handful of pills from his pocket.
"What are they? What do they do?" She asked, picking one up for inspection. "X?"
"Yeah, I know yall college kids be rolling so I picked up a bomb for you." He lied. In fact, he got them in a recent burglary.
"I guess they do? Most want weed, you aint got nothing?" Meisha whined. Not only had the hustle bug hit her, she was getting use to getting high every day.
"Tomorrow, but I'll let you get these for….ten for the hundred." He said calculating how much he could spend at the club. "They go for the dub so it’s a quick double up."
"Ok." Cameisha agreed. The quick flip is hard to pass for a true hustler. She figured she would double her money real-quick and then flip that. Her hopes for one more nut were dashed when Pedro hopped out of the bed and got dressed.
She paid him for the pills and squeezed back into her jeans. He drove her back to the school with Big Shawty sulking in the back seat. Pedro demanded that they didn't speak to each other but they still hated to be in each other's presence. As usual, Cynthia was in her room pretending to talk to Jackie, waiting on the weed.
"Did you score?" Cynthia yelled jumping to her feet when Cameisha limped in.
"Did I!" She laughed referring to getting dicked down real good. "But I aint got no weed, I'll let you get these for twenty."
"Cool beans!" She cheered, plucked one from her palm and popped it. "Ten bucks right?"
"Letting them go for twenty." Cameisha replied still counting on the double up.
"Twenty! For X? Where they do that at?" Cynthia laughed. "Girl ten, fifteen tops in the city."
Meisha frowned trying to figure out who was lying. On one hand Cynthia was a crack head in training, a card carrying member of future crack heads of America. She had yet to be introduced to cocaine but when she does, it will be until death do them a part.
Then there was sexy, cool, slimy Pedro on the other hand. Her soul had been telling her not to trust him but he had some good love. If fucking him was wrong she didn't want to be right.
"Well here, I'm out." Cynthia sang and passed Cameisha a ten dollar bill. She grabbed Jackie's soda from her hand and took a swig to pull the pill down her throat. After passing the bottle back she turned and left.
"If I find out that bitch lying about how much these go for, I'ma beat that ass." Meisha vowed.
"And if he lying?" Jackie shot back with venom dripping from her fangs. She had been biting her tongue long enough and decided to speak up.
"Fuck that's 'posed to mean?" Meisha shot back defensively. She knew she was slumming but still didn't want to be checked about it. "Don't let me find out you hatin."
“Hatin? Girl stop! You can do better yo. You a bad bitch and that nigga is a dirt bag. Don't forget how you met him." Jackie replied bringing it down a notch.
Cameisha was too smart to argue against right but too stubborn to admit being wrong. Instead she dropped the pills in her purse and left the room. It wasn't the first flare up the couple had but they were both smart enough to drop it and let it stay dropped. They would agree to disagree and move on.
Her destination was the co-ed dorm a block away. The building was nicknamed the Fertility Clinic because more children were conceived there than some small countries. This is where the resident drug expert lived. The nerdy teen sounded more like a white kid trying to be black than the actual black guy that he was. It was his pretending to be a drug dealer that was about to cost him.
"Ca, ca, ca, c, c." Turbo stuttered upon pulling his door open and seeing Cameisha.
"Cameisha!" She assisted and pushed inside the room. Turbo swallowed with a big gulp in an attempt to pull himself together.
"Bout time you popped by to see a brother." He said batting his eyes. He cracked a slanted smile and nodded knowingly. Cameisha paused to analyze his odd demeanor then frowned when she figured it out.
"You think? Boy stop!" She laughed wiping the smile off his face and breaking his heart. "How much these go for? I'll let you get em for twenty."
"Twenty for X? Try ten but I'm cool." He shot back.
“Aight, just give me ten a piece for them then." She said hoping to recoup her money.
"No can do. My man Dro from the projects is selling me ten pounds for eight thousand." He said proudly. "Bout to be the man!"
"Pedro from the projects?" She frowned. They had just had sex and she knew he didn't have any weed to sell.
She had been trying to get some weight from him for months to satisfy the heavy demand of the college kids. Pedro couldn't come up with more than a few o
unces at a time so where did he get then pounds from? The petty dealer only dealt paltry amounts of drugs.
"That's the one. We cool like that. Said he's gonna take me to the club with him one day." Turbo said smugly. He had actually pulled the money from his trust fund hoping to flip it and put it back before his mom found out it was gone.
"Look Turbo. I don't think that's a good idea. I'm going home for Christmas break and can get you weed cheaper than that." She warned.
Pedro was the type to middle-man a deal and add his fee in but something told Cameisha it was more sinister than that. She put two and two together and got nine.
"Oh don't be a hater!" Turbo laughed. "I know Cynthia was selling for you! You bitches stole all my customers."
"Tell Pedro I said hey." Cameisha laughed. She passed on beating him up for using the B-word in her direction. Knowing he was about to get robbed was payback enough. Out in the hall she quickly called Pedro's phone.
"What you doing? Come back and get me." She blurted when he picked up.
"Can't. I got some shit going on. I'll get at you tomorrow." He drawled and hung up.
Cameisha saw his truck pull up to the building as she crossed the street. A second later Turbo emerged from the dorm and headed for the car.
"Sup shawty, you got that?" Pedro asked as Turbo slid into the back seat.
"Eight th…uh, stacks." Turbo said proudly.
"Aight, let's go get that." Pedro said nodding at Big Shawty in the passenger's seat.
Pedro pulled from the curb and headed towards Cascade road. He pulled to the park, parked and got out. Turbo naively followed him in to the dark park. He was mentally spending his profits as Shawty slipped behind him and pulled a pistol.
"In the woods?" Turbo asked once they past the tree line.
"Almost there." Pedro replied leading him deeper into the woods. "Ok, here we go. Let me get that."
Turbo reached into both pockets and came up with four grand from each. As soon as he handed the cash to Pedro, Big Shawty shot him in the back of his head. His body was still twitching as they left him and walked back to the car. They split the money and hit the club.
Chapter 12
"Yall got weed!" Cynthia demanded as she barged in the girls’ room waking them both up.
"Why you aint lock the door!" Jackie yelled over to Cameisha and tossed her pillow.
"Me? You were the last one in." Meisha shot back sending the pillow with it.
Cynthia watched the verbal volley back and forth like she was at a tennis match as they debated who left the door open. When Cynthia couldn't wait anymore she caught the pillow in mid air interrupting the match.
"I need some weed! That damn X had me so horny I played in my coochie all night! I need me a blunt!" She insisted.
"Eww." Jackie frowned and got up to snatch her pillow back, "I don’t know where your hands have been."
"Go holla at Turbo. He should be straight." Cameisha replied. She took the opportunity to check her phone for traces of Pedro. She both hoped he did and hoped he didn't text or call.
“He dead." Cynthia replied nonchalantly.
"That nigga should have a few pounds over there. I need to hit him my damn self."
"Nah, he dead, dead. Somebody killed him last night so I know he aint got no weed."
"What! Yo that's fucked up." Jackie wailed as tears welled in her eyes.
"Sho’ is! How we sposed to get weed now?" Cynthia moaned.
"Get the fuck out!" Cameisha growled. She leapt from the bed and went after Cynthia. "Fucking junky bitch!"
Cynthia got the hint and got out of the room before Meisha could get to her. Cameisha locked the door then fell against it crying.
"Oh no." She moaned and slid slowly down the door until she was seated. "He was just a kid."
"I know baby." Jackie said and joined her on the floor. She held her while she sobbed and rocked. "It's ok mama."
"Yo, Pedro did that shit!" Cameisha announced switching gears. The tears stopped instantly as rage pushed sorrow aside. She was now as mad as she was sad.
"Say word! How you know?" Jackie questioned.
"I went to ask him about the X pills last night. He told me he was buying ten pounds of weed from Dro. I saw the money and I saw him get in the car with him." She recounted.
"Ten pounds? That nigga couldn't get ten damn ounces!" Jackie frowned. Since Meisha began peddling weed he stood in the way of her doing business because he wasn't consistent.
"That low budget nigga set him up to rob him. They killed him. I should kill his ass." Meisha whispered.
Jackie was a killer and heard the murderous tone. Only killers spoke like that and only killers could hear it. It was like one of those whistles only dogs hear.
"Chill ma, he'll get his." Jackie assured her buddy. She was confident since she decided just then to kill him.
"I know he will." Meisha agreed. She too had made up her mind to murder him.
****
"You sure you don't wanna come? I'll pay your way and you can stay with us." Cameisha pleaded again as she packed a small tote bag.
"For what? I aint got no family. Mom dukes dead and my cousin is on some bullshit. Enjoy Christmas with your family, I'll be alright." Jackie replied hiding the pain hearing the truth caused.
"Mm hm, I bet you will. Probably gone have some nigga in here before I get to the airport!" Meisha laughed.
"What you mean?" Jackie laughed coyly. Her friend had hit the nail on the head because she planned on fucking for Christmas break. She had been a good girl for months but a grad student had caught her eye. They had been flirting for weeks and since he was a local, she was staying.
"Ok, bye." Meisha shouted and took off. She hated leaving her but couldn't wait to see her grandmother and Sincerity. The thought of Dasia and Aqua crossed her mind but she quickly dismissed them. They were from her past. She was focused on her future. The cab pulled up to the dorm just as Cameisha stepped outside and off she went.
Later that evening Jackie prepped for her date. Booty calls don't require much wardrobe so after a hot shower and pubic hair trim, she slipped on a thong and matching bra, scented lotion and a dab of perfume. Just under her navel where his nose would be.
"Who?" Jackie sang and giggled to the tap on the dorm room door. Assuming it was her handsome date delivering some dick she rushed over and pulled it open. She made a wonder woman type stance for inspection.
"Damn Shawty!" Pedro practically shouted when he saw her. His eyes ran up and down her curvy black body recording the sight in his mental. The show got even better when she turned and ran to get her robe. The sigh of her booty clapping made him say, "Damn Shawty!" once more. Limited vocabulary you know.
"Fuck you want!" Jackie demanded, snatching her robe around her. The short, silky garment didn't do much to cover and still gave him plenty to gawk at.
"Shit I came to holla at Meisha, but if she aint here we can hang out." He told her thighs. "I aint heard from Shawty in a couple weeks."
It was true since Cameisha refused his calls and ignored his texts after Turbo was killed. She didn't have proof he did it but still didn't trust him. The spell was broken and she was disgusted with herself for fucking with him.
“That's cuz she don't fuck with you. Take a hint nigga." She shot back. She had no love for the whole ATL, 'Shawty-shawty swag' that hooked her roommate.
Jackie shot a glance over the handle of a huge butcher knife that replaced the gun. She mentally drew a line at his feet and dared him to cross it. The vision of cutting his throat spread a wicked smile on her face. She let go of the robe letting it fall open to lure him in.
Pedro was dumb, no doubt about it, but hood enough to sense the danger. He snapped a few more mental pictures of her crotch as he backed away. "Tell my bitch I said to call me."
“Bitch? I'll be sure to relay the message bitch." Jackie dared.
Jackie's date arrived a few minutes after Pedro slinked away. In her frustration she grudge fucked
him as soon as he walked in. Angry sex is almost as good as make up sex.
****
"Grandma!" Cameisha screamed as she stepped off the plane. She made a mad dash right into her arms for a tight hug. After the embrace, Deidra held her at arm’s length to inspect her.
"Hmp!" She frowned as she looked the girl over.
"Hmp what grandma?" Meisha frowned wondering what was wrong. She showered before she got dressed and knew she didn't stink. She still sniffed her under arms to be sure.
"You got something you need to tell me?" Deidra demanded frowning deeper.
"I love you? I miss you?" Cameisha asked still not sure what the woman was talking about. She sniffed again to see if she could detect weed or alcohol on the lady.
"Mm hmp." Grandma repeated twisting her mouth into the classic, 'yeah right' face.
Deidra let it go and led the girl through the concourse. A hired car awaited on the curb to whisk the women over to the Bronx. Small talk filled the ride to High Bridge.
A brunch of Grandma's braised chicken and her signature carrot raisin salad waited back in the projects. They filled each other in on the events of the last six months as they ate.
"Welp, guess I better get me a nap." Deidra yawned once the table was cleared. She wasn't tired but knew the girl wanted to see her friends but wouldn't have left on her own.
“Ok, guess I'll go check on Sincerity." She said, kissing her grandmother’s cheek.
Cameisha purposely used the project buildings front door. She intended to use the parking lot long way instead of the short cut through the court yard. It was as cold as December in New York is and she couldn't stand to see her old friends on that bench. In far too much of a hurry to wait on the pissy elevator she hopped up the pissy stairs to Sincerity's floor. The smell almost made her lunch come back up.
"Who!" Sincerity barked and snatched her door open. "Chica!"
"Sup mama? What the hell is that?" Cameisha asked in shock.
"Killa was here!" She laughed rubbing her protruding belly. "It's a baby; I hope a girl."