by Ashley Cruse
Truth be told, though, that bitch was very dramatic—insane, really. She was branded for acting like a clown with whatever nigga she dated. She had done off-the-wall shit, stunts like trying to run her boyfriends’ asses over, stabbing them with knives, and other stupid, childish shit like that. I heard she was bipolar and was supposed to be taking medication for it. But, no matter what, my brother loved that senseless female, so I stomached her. If he liked it, I loved it.
The best thang about my little brother was that he always had money. If I needed it, my brother had it. Even when I didn’t think he had it, he always did. That was my one and only baby bro, and I loved him terribly.
Justine lowered her voice a little. “Did you hear about Corey?” She knew I was writing him, using Grandma’s address.
I shook my head no.
“Corey’s getting out today.”
Chapter 7
It had been two weeks since Corey’s release, and I hadn’t seen or heard from his ass. I wasn’t disappointed, but the least the nigga could have done was holla at me.
I had just taken the kids over to Bobbie’s parents’ house. They wanted to take the kids for the weekend, and I was happy. Majesta, Justine, Bruce, Bobbie, and I were going to go out that night.
Majesta was my best friend. She was younger than me, but she was still my girl. She always had my back. My bestie was a banana-colored black girl. She could be a supermodel due to her tall, slender shape. She had a pretty smile and always wore tracks in her hair. Majesta was young and always dated whatever nigga was on at the moment. However, at that moment, my girl was single, and she was ready to bag the next dope boy making bread. A lot of people hated on her and said she was the neighborhood ho. To me, though, she was a kindhearted person and rode hard for her friends and family. She was always fighting, and she was always high off of something, mainly weed or pills. But she was my bitch.
My brother Drew called to see if we were going out. He was planning on meeting us there. I told him where we were going. I gave Bobbie the phone so he could talk to him.
Majesta and Justine were in the bathroom, putting on their makeup. I joined them in front of my long mirror, which covered almost half of the bathroom wall. I squeezed in between the two of them so I could run some mousse through my curls.
“Bobbie’s coming with us, and I just got done telling Majesta that Corey and Dollie are supposed to be there,” my sister told me.
“He’s going with that bitch?” I made a face while I put the mousse evenly through my curls.
“He’s just using her. Watch, he gonna fuck her over and fuck with you. I know my big bro!” Majesta said. She was spreading glittery lotion across her chest. She was rocking a black tube dress, pointy red Versace heels, and a red Versace bag to match.
“I don’t know. From what I hear, he likes her a lot,” my sister announced as she applied mascara to her eyelashes. “He has her truck all the time. Her uncle offered him a job at his bakery. Plus, I heard they were at Chuck E. Cheese’s the other day, eating like one big, happy family.”
I brushed my teeth as I listened to my sister and Majesta argue for a bit. When I was done, I sat on the lid of my toilet seat and put on my green Converse to go with the outfit I had on.
“Well, Corey has a girl. I got Bobbie, so who cares?” I stated, putting an end to their argument.
I straightened my sister’s hair and then gave her two French braids that went down the sides of her neck.
When we all emerged from the bathroom, Bruce and Bobbie were already taking shots of whiskey. People from around the neighborhood were at the house as well. We all drank shots and then took group pictures. After we were done, we all left for the club.
* * *
Club Shady was right around the corner from the house, but we still drove over there. By the time we got there, a long line had formed outside the front door. People from the other two clubs in the area, clubs that had closed thirty minutes ago, were waiting to get inside. As we stood outside waiting our turn to go through the doors, we joked around with each other and laughed.
About fifteen minutes after we got in line, I caught a glimpse of an electric-blue Chevy Tahoe, which had pulled into the parking lot. It had twenty-six-inch rims on it and tinted windows. I watched as Corey hopped out on the driver’s side. He was fresh to death in his neatly starched Robin’s jeans. Dollie climbed out on the passenger side and pulled open a hidden door so Young Soljah, a homie from the neighborhood, could get out. I had to admit, Dollie was working that navy-blue Prada dress with the matching heels. Her hair was done in a neat updo, with ringlets cascading down and around her face.
Young Soljah was older than me and was a goon, for real. He loved jacking people, and anything you wanted, he could get for you. He was tall and dark skinned, and he resembled a roadrunner to me, especially with the uncombed ’fro he was trying to grow. From a distance, you could see clear as day that he hadn’t combed it, which threw his Coogi outfit off. You had to be on point from head to toe, and Young Soljah never was. That was my nigga, though, with his scrawny black ass.
I watched as Dollie grabbed Corey’s hand. The three of them walked up to the front of the line and disappeared inside.
“What the hell did she just do?” I heard Majesta say.
Dollie had bypassed everybody in line like she was Queen Bee or something.
“She thinks she gets red-carpet treatment,” said a black girl behind us.
I felt my heart drop at that moment, since we had been waiting in the line for over twenty minutes, and it was moving at a crawl. As it turned out, we waited another fifteen minutes before we could finally get inside.
Once we stepped foot inside the club, it was packed. Bobbie grabbed my hand so we wouldn’t lose each other. I grabbed Majesta’s hand so she wouldn’t lose us, either. Bruce located my brother Drew.
Bruce, my brother-in-law, was tall and dark. He was made of nothing but muscle and was very quiet, like my brother. He was actually my brother’s best friend. He was the only one in our hood whom Drew trusted, and they had been aces since they were nine years old. Bruce was far from handsome, but his thuggish ways and his ride-or-die loyalty had made every hood chick want the nigga. They were sick when they found out he had married my sister.
Drew was holding tables for us that were right by the pool tables. He gave my sister and me a hug. Then Majesta pulled out a throwaway camera, and we began taking pictures again.
“Don’t forget about ya boy!” Corey said as he approached us with several of the homies in tow. He had a Black & Mild in his mouth and was holding a Budweiser.
Corey positioned himself between Bruce and Drew. We all jumped in the picture while my friend snapped away.
“Where’s your bitch at?” Majesta teased him after we were through taking pictures.
Corey took his Black out of his mouth and looked at her. “Her name is Dollie, and she’s out there dancing.”
That answer shut Majesta up. She tried to recover by attempting to change the subject, but Corey brushed her off. Justine looked over at me, and I just shook my head.
As the night wore on, I forgot about Corey, as the whiskey shots from earlier had started to kick in. Some of the big homies got me some Crown Royal and Coke. I was faded. Majesta and I walked around the club and started chatting with people that we knew. I decided to head over to the bar to get one of the big homies to get me a Long Island Iced Tea.
“How you been, li’l mama?” I heard a voice whisper in my ear.
I turned and looked up to see Corey right behind me. “What’s up, stranger?” I said to him. I couldn’t even lie. I was happy he was speaking to me.
“Trying to lay low and stay out of trouble. You and Bobbie still together?” he said, nodding his head in the direction of the pool table where Bobbie and Drew were involved in a game.
I sighed and nodded my head.
“When you ready for a change, holla at ya boy!” he said with a huge smile on his face.
“Are you ready for a change?” I challenged him.
He threw me another smile before he walked off.
Let the games begin!
Chapter 8
The next couple of days were pretty busy for me with the kids. Tyrese had a cold. Hanson had gotten bitten by a spider while he was with Bobbie’s parents. So that Monday, I dropped my baby daddy off at work so I could use the car and take the kids to see the doctor. Then on Tuesday, Karen caught Tyrese’s cold, so my sister took her to the doctor for me. I decided to wash all the kids’ sheets and thoroughly clean their rooms. I also decided to have the youngest two share a room since they were sick. Marie was going to sleep in Hanson’s room until Tyrese and Karen were both feeling better.
That Wednesday, I was able to get Majesta to come over and watch my kids. I had to go pay bills. My mom came and picked me up so I could use her boyfriend’s truck. After I paid the electricity bill, I headed over to Top Nails to get my nails redone and a new pedicure.
After I was through there, I headed over to my brother, Drew’s house to say what’s up. As I pulled up, I noticed that Koa’s red Focus was in Drew’s parking spot and Corey’s girlfriend’s truck was in the parking spot beside it. I pulled up on the other side of Koa’s car. I checked myself out in the mirror, wishing I had done more with my hair than wear it back in a bun.
I opened the truck door, and before I shut it, I checked myself out one last time. I pulled my black tank top over my belly and smoothed my jeans down. I made sure that my neatly pedicured toes hadn’t smudged. I slid my Deréon shades on and closed the door. I headed up the stairs to Drew’s apartment and knocked on the door.
My little brother was doing all right for himself. He hustled, and his girl had a regular job at a telemarketing company. They were living in a little one-bedroom apartment that could easily be a two- bedroom due to the study the apartment came with. It was perfect for him and Koa.
“What’s up, Ten?” Drew said as he threw open the door.
I gave my little brother a hug and walked over to sit on his couch. Just then, Corey emerged from the bathroom. He looked so fine in his black tee. His pants were creased, and he had on a black pair of Jordans. He must have noticed I was staring at him, because he laughed at me.
“How I look, Ten?” Corey joked as he sat down.
I laughed at him. “You look a’ight. What you got planned today?” I coyly replied as I positioned my body toward him.
He shrugged his shoulders.
Drew took a seat on the couch, and he and Corey began to reminisce about the past. We all talked for about thirty minutes, until it was time for Drew to pick Koa up from work. He let us know we could kick it there until he got back from getting his girl.
Corey was rolling up his sweet by then. “All right, son,” he responded, distracted by what he was doing.
When Drew closed the door, Corey began to speak to me. “Sorry I didn’t get at ya right away. My mom and them came down. Plus, I’ve been busy with my girl.”
“I ain’t mad, but damn, you could have said hi,” I commented.
He passed me the blunt after he took a hit.
“You right. What’s up with Bobbie?” he asked as he leaned back.
We continued our conversation while smoking the blunt together.
“I don’t have to pick up my girl until five. Let me get some of that,” he said when the blunt was finished.
I was fucked up. I gazed hard at his finger as he pointed in between my legs. I ain’t even going to lie. I hesitated a little, because I knew if I took it there with him, something good or bad would eventually happen. But I’d been hungry for attention, thirsty to be loved, and I knew this was just sex, not love. I wasn’t worried at all about Bobbie. Evidently, he wasn’t worried about his bitch, either.
“Come on and hurry up, before my brother gets back,” I said.
Chapter 9
Corey and I continued to see each other on a regular basis. He’d come over to my house while Bobbie was at work. Sometimes, I’d leave the house as soon as Bobbie came home. He didn’t seem to care whether I stayed or left. We were growing further and further apart.
Obviously, Corey didn’t feel too much for his girl, either. He was coming to my house, driving her shit. If you didn’t respect your girl, you couldn’t love her, so obviously, he didn’t love her. But he did try to hide me from the bitch.
The neighborhood was throwing a birthday bash for Corey at the pool hall. Of course, we all made sure that word didn’t get to Bobbie, so he wouldn’t be tempted to go. Justine came to pick me up. I had decided not to overdo it while getting ready, or Bobbie would have really peeped game on the scene.
I had also made sure to cook a big dinner, big enough to shut Bobbie’s ass up. As a matter of fact, I’d gone as far as to make sure it was done before he got home. I had even picked up the house. I didn’t want shit to look too obvious, so I had left some shit out here and there. Then I took off with Justine, and we headed to the pool hall.
The pool hall was located in the same run-down building that Club Shady was in. The inside of the pool hall wasn’t really much. The floors were cement, and you could tell where there used to be carpet on them, because some of the old glue was still there. The windows were dirty, as were the glass doors. The men’s and women’s bathrooms were big enough for six people each, give or take, but each one had only two stalls.
The whole main area of the pool hall was bright, and they had eight pool tables up front. There was a dance floor to the left, and on the other side of that dance floor were eight more pool tables. Leather couches lined the walls behind those pool tables, and they looked like they had been cut up. So, of course, if you were wearing shorts, a dress, or a skirt, you couldn’t sit on them, unless you wanted the leather to cut your skin.
The bar sat on the right side of the first set of pool tables. It was long, and normally, only two people would be behind it. You could tell the bar was the only thing the owner of the pool hall really cared about, because the countertop was granite and the rest of the bar was refurbished and painted black. Behind the bar was a big-ass see-through fridge that took up the entire length of the wall. You could see what kind of beer, wine, and liquor they had in there.
“Drew and Corey are already there. Corey and his girl are arguing, so he ain’t in her truck,” Justine said as we drove away from my house.
“Oh. Well, I’ll take care of him,” I joked.
My heart raced as we pulled up into the parking lot. I could see that some of our Mafia homies were already inside. When we entered the building, I heard Corey shout out to me.
“Baby!” he yelled, drawing out every syllable as he spoke. He was running up to me while holding a cigar in his hand. He gave me a big hug and then walked around with me, his arm wrapped around my waist. “You’re gonna be my girl. You need to tell Bobbie to move around, ’cause Daddy’s moving in.”
I looked at him and smiled. I was a little shocked at what he had just said. On the cool, I was ready for Bobbie to move out, and I did want Corey to move in. I was just surprised he had said it like that. I stayed glued to his side for the majority of the night. When Justine was ready to leave, Corey kissed me good-bye.
After Justine and I got in her car, we headed to Whataburger to get something to eat. While we waited in the drive-through, I told Justine about the comment Corey had made.
“Wow, big sis! What are you going to do?”
“I think I want Bobbie to leave. I don’t love him anymore. We don’t talk to each other anymore. I love how Corey makes me feel,” I said to my sister.
“Corey’s selling dope again. That’s why him and Dollie are fighting. She seems pretty cool, but she’s too good for him,” Justine replied.
“I don’t care what’s going on between the two of them. I just care about me and him. Who gives a fuck about Corey and Dollie?” I retorted.
By now we had made it to the cashier. We paid for our food, grabbed the bags, an
d headed to my house.
“You better look for a job. If Bobbie leaves, your bill money leaves too,” Justine warned.
“I’ll have him pay child support. I’ll get food stamps. I’m already on HUD. I’ll be all right.”
What the hell was up with Justine? I thought to myself.
“Just be careful with him. Corey’s cool, but I’ve heard stories about him. Make sure you are doing the right thing, ’cause you have four little ones to think about as well,” Justine said.
I nodded my head.
Justine dropped me off, rather than staying and sharing a burger with me. Instead of going inside my house, I sat on my front porch and ate my food. After I ate my last french fry, I rested my head on my hands. How do I make Bobbie leave? Do I want him to go, or do I want him to stay? The children are attached to him. Shit. That’s their daddy, I mused. I gazed off into space as I thought about it some more. When I got up, I had made up my mind.
My baby daddy was going to have to leave, and that was all there was to it.
Chapter 10
Dollie
“Baby, I’ll be there around one thirty to pick you up for lunch. I’m running behind and got something to do,” my boyfriend told me from the other end of the phone.
“That’s cool, babe,” I said. I told him I loved him before I hung up the phone.
Ever since my man had got out, I had had nothing but smiles on my face. He was a true prince, and I loved being with him. I had started letting him use the truck during the day. He had meetings to attend as part of the terms of his parole, and he also was trying to get his ID and his Social Security card straightened out. Of course, all that had vanished when he got locked up, but he had to have that in order to get a job. I sure was glad he was on top of things. It had been a week and a half since he got out, and he was doing amazingly well.