It is What it is: A Hood Love Story

by B. , Ivory

  As Lucky and Ty were walking away Rel thirsty ass couldn’t help himself while watching Ty’s healthy helping of ass and hips sway by him. “Damn ma, you thick ass shit. I’m tryna find out what it’s hittin for, can a nigga smash?” Ty stopped dead in her tracks annoyed that yet another immature, disrespectful dude who didn’t know how to talk to women tried to holla at her and actually thought he might have a chance. “It ain’t hittin for a muthafuckin thing, besides lil nigga you wouldn’t know what to do with all this, I don’t play with people kids, you gon have to get ya father!” Everyone that was in ear shot burst into laughter. Lucky pursed her lips together trying to stifle a laugh. She didn’t have to come to Ty’s rescue or jump in, Ty was a straight shit talker that could handle her own. “Fuck outta here, that’s what you say now. I bet if I get you alone I’ll have ya ass naked with nothing but a leash and g-string on.” Ty laughed at his comment. The more he talked the more he sounded like some desperate horny teen. “Listen, you a little ass boy that needs to learn how to talk to women.” “Little! Ain’t shit lil about me ma. Real talk,” Rel spat angrily not taking being called little lightly. “Ya wrist game saying otherwise lil homie, it’s sayin you a damn toddler still blowing spit bubbles and kicking up sand in the sandbox! As a matter of fact,” Ty said flipping her wrist exaggeratingly to look down at her Cartier watch. “Ain’t it about past ya bedtime? Take ya young ass in the house somewhere talkin that dumb shit! I’ma grown ass woman out here in these streets.” Ty rolled her eyes and continued to walk out of Jimmy’s with her head held high and laughter roaring from behind. Nice found himself damn near in stitches. He didn’t want to do it to his lil homie by laughing like that but Ty went in. Rel blinked rapidly trying to come to terms with Ty’s words. “Fuck you! Stank Bii…” he stopped his angry rant short when both Nice and Los shot him menacing glares that said he better not. Ty flipped him the bird over her shoulder never slowing her stride or turning around. “C’mon youngin don’t take it there,” Nice chastised. Rel was pissed Ty had played him like a lame in front of people. “See that’s ya problem youngin, you gotta learn the difference between a bitch and a woman. Now if you would’ve approached a bitch the same way you just approached ole girl she would’ve probably thought it was a compliment, but you can’t approach a grown ass woman on that same bullshit. If you do they’ll do you dirty, nah mean,” Nice advised. “Damn she straight son’d you, said ya wrist game sayin you still blowing spit bubbles,” Chilly instigated through laughter, holding his stomach rubbing salt into Rel’s open wounds. “Yo, chill,” Los said feeling bad for his lil homie, but Rel had stepped into that pile of manure himself with that disrespectful shit he was on. Rel bit into his burger violently taking his anger out on his double cheeseburger. He didn’t want to hear nothing Nice was kicking right now. Ty was lucky Los and Nice was there, if not he would’ve slapped the shit out of her for that slick shit she was poppin.

  Los looked towards Jimmy’s door before looking back at Nice. Nice already knew what his brother was on so he hopped up before Los could even say he was ready to leave. As soon as Los stepped into the cool early morning air his eyes began scanning up and down the street. Lucky and her girls had just left the diner a couple of minutes before him so he knew they couldn’t have gotten that far but she was nowhere in sight. The streets were crowded as hell and every couple of minutes people were trying to holla at him but his mind was focused on one thing and one thing only Lucky.

  When the group of men finally made it to the parking lot across the street from Jimmy’s Los sent Rel and Chilly to look for the three girls. Chilly looked at his cousin as if he were crazy, he’d never known Los to chase after no pussy but then again shorty Los was looking for was fiyah. After looking up and down the crowded parking lot to no avail Chilly and Rel returned empty handed. Los felt disappointed and looked just as disappointed for an instant. “Fuck it,” Los stated flatly. Nice and Los were walking side by side in back of Rel and Chilly, when Nice turned towards Los and said “Ayo I’m tryna skate before Shasona come her thirsty ass out here. I was supposed to bring her to the telly after this but I ain’t on it like that no more.” Los looked at Nice with a raised eyebrow and called him out. “Yeah ever since you seen Ty you ain’t feeling that shit no more ha?” Los cackled catching the way Nice seemed almost mesmerized while looking at Ty. Nice gave him a dirty look, “You the one out here stalkin after pussy nigga, not me.” Los laughed at Nice’s comment getting a kick out of Nice catching feelings and getting mad. Both men were still talking shit to one another when they entered the second half of the parking lot and noticed their cousin Jah talking to a group of females. As Los got closer he realized it was Lucky and her little crew. Lucky was standing the furthest back from the group looking up at Jah and her girl causing a scene. Her girl was all over Jah, she basically had youngin pinned up against the car kissing and groping him. Both Ty and Lucky were looking on in amusement and shock. They couldn’t believe for one minute how Keema was acting, this wasn’t like her. And she wasn’t drunk because she only had one drink while at the club earlier.

  The three of them were on their way to their separate cars when Keema ran into mystery man and damn near lost her mind. “Lucky there goes one of your boy’s whips,” Keema said nodding her head towards a midnight blue Bentley coupe pulling out from the far end of the parking lot. “My boy who?” Keema smirked, seeing that Lucky was trying to play dumb. “Your boy Los. That’s his car right there.” Lucky looked over at the car and thought to herself Damn. Suddenly a look of confusion spread across her face. “Nah Keem I don’t think that’s him, he was still in Jimmy’s when we left.” “That’s his car. I don’t know who pushin it but that’s his car,” Keema said matter of factly, damn near everyone in Philly knew that was his car. Suddenly the car came to a stop beside them and the driver’s side tented window rolled down. “What up girl? Come holla atcha boy!” A real handsome dude said with a bright smile on his face. Keema froze in her tracks before looking towards the car. The dude stepped out of the car and Keema went running over to him throwing her arms around his neck. “Jaahhhh!” Lucky and Ty looked at each other with confused expressions. Neither of them had ever seen this dude before and naturally they knew the same people Keema knew since they grew up right next door to Keema and had always been the best of friends. They were further surprised when ole boy started palming Keema’s ass and she didn’t slap his hands away or check him. His strong hands roamed Keema’s body with familiarity like he’d done this thousands of times before. Ty and Lucky necks whipped around giving each other the ‘what the fuck’ look. Just when Lucky thought the night couldn’t get more eventful than seeing Keema practically making out like a sex starved teen in public she heard a deep voice pierce the night air.

  “Ayo! Take that shit to the telly and get off my whip.” There was a lot of laughter after that comment. Lucky looked in the direction of the voice and her heart sped up. Carlos was headed straight towards her with a cocky smirk plastered on his face. He was still feet away walking in her direction with his signature walk. His swagger was undeniable, he had enough swag to loan a few niggaz hands down. The way he walked, talked, everything was sexy and hood with a little bit of sophistication all at the same damn time. Lucky looked over at Ty with panic in her eyes, for some reason she felt like running to her car to get away from him. She was a nervous wreck and her heart was beating a mile a minute. Lucky’s nerves finally got the best of her as she turned and started towards her car. “Ay! Stay ya lil ass right there!” Carlos barked at her. Lucky stopped dead in her tracks and looked at Los with attitude, hand on hip and everything. Who the hell do he think he talking to like that? As if he could read her mind he pointed right at her. “You. You heard me, don’t move.” To Lucky’s surprise she didn’t move either.Ty was standing next to her cracking the hell up. Lucky cut her eyes at her cousin right before she felt herself being lifted up off her feet in a big bear hug unexpectedly. Los was holding her up in his arms with the fr
ont of her body pressed to his.

  “What up funny ass? You can’t speak?” At that moment Lucky found herself completely speechless looking in his face. This man was fine not to mention he smelt and felt so damn good. The parking lot was filled with onlookers who had seen the whole thing go down, him screaming at her not to move and now him holding her up in his arms. “Whateva nigga, put me down,” Lucky said with much attitude. Carlos jerked his head back surprised at her attitude before he bent his knees slightly, and hoisted her over his shoulder as if she were nothing but a mere sack of laundry. Lucky yelped and clung onto the back of his shirt as she hung down his back head first with her ass sitting on his right shoulder. She was scared as hell. Los was tall, so if he let her go it was a long way down for her head first. Smack! The sound rang through the air as Los slapped her hard on the ass. Lucky first felt the sting then heard heavy laughter from around the parking lot, even Ty was laughing. She was so embarrassed; thank God no one could see her face because it was on Los’s back. Her hair hung down over her head and she knew once he put her down it would look a mess. “Ma until you got something better to say ya little ass is on punishment,” he called over his shoulder with a tinge of cockiness and humor. He slapped her on the ass again for good measure and the laughter from their little audience rose. “Ayo Los, you wild for that shit right there. I feel you boss, you gotta train they ass from early on,” some groupie nigga screamed at Los. “Fuck outta here, it ain’t like that, this me right here,” Los said pointing to Lucky’s ass stating his claim. “Yeah god you scooped you a hot one!” Lucky heard another dude yell “Don’t I always,” Los chuckled.

  Lucky was heated, and her head was starting to hurt from hanging upside down for so long. “Carlos put me down please! I’m starting to get a headache,” Lucky whined. Without hesitation he flipped her back over his shoulder and eased her down until her heels hit the ground. Lucky pouted raking her fingers through her hair while shooting him a evil glare. She knew her hair had to look a mess. Lucky stood there for a minute trying to gather herself, feeling foolish and embarrassed. Even though, she wanted to spaz out on his ass for embarrassing her like that, she knew better. Lucky let her eyes do a quick scan around the lot and noticed people were still staring at them. Her eyes locked back on Los, looking up at him with puppy dog eyes, letting him know with just one look that her feelings were hurt. “What up ma? Why you acting up ha? Why you showing ya ass on me?” he asked as he gently brushed a few stray strands of hair from her pretty face like nothing happened. Lucky’s eyes cut into evil slits causing him to chuckle and his dick to stiffen. Damn she sexy when she mad he thought to himself. “I see you tight as hell about something. So you not gonna say nothing? A nigga can’t get a Hi, a hello, a hug, nothing?” “Well I don’t know if your girlfriend will approve of that,” Lucky said, deciding to take a shot at him. Los tilted his head to the side with a smirk on his face. “I don’t have a girlfriend, but I see you the jealous type.” Lucky was silent for a few seconds before responding. “Oh so that’s not ya girlfriend?” Lucky asked pointing over his shoulder at Shyanne, who was shooting daggers with her eyes at the both of them from across the parking lot. “Hell nah, that ain’t my girl. That’s just a lil freak I used to pop from time to time.” The little audience that they had around them eavesdropping started laughing. Lucky shook her head back and forth with disapproval, “You know you dead wrong for that right?” She didn’t even give him a chance to respond before turning and attempting to walk away. He grabbed her up in a bear hug from behind burying his face in the crook of her neck. Los took big slow steps in a smooth rhythm, his movements made their bodies’ rock from side to side like a slow wave. His cologne alone was making her wet not to mention his strong arms wrapped around her had her body tingling and her head spinning “C’mon ma, why you acting funny wit me?” Los whispered in her ear tickling her neck. He was honestly wondering where all the attitude had come from. “I’m not the one acting funny. It’s funny that you wanna be bothered with me now; I haven’t seen or heard from you in almost a month. Why the sudden change?” Lucky asked with slight attitude. She tried to hide the fact that she was salty about him not staying in contact with her after their little date. But she was open, and couldn’t hide her feelings even if she tried. Technically, she really had no reason to be upset. He wasn’t her man or anything, but for some reason she was.

  Los stopped dead in his tracks, lifting his head from her neck, “Ooohh! So that’s why you hot with me.” He stated with a chuckle. “Baby girl there’s a lot of reasons I chose to leave shit as it was and not stay in contact with you.” Lucky’s head was spinning, A lot of reasons? A lot of reasons like what? She thought to herself genuinely confused. Maybe she had read him wrong and jumped to conclusions. She thought they made some type of connection that day at the casino, obviously the feelings weren’t mutual. He let her go catching an unreadable expression on her face. “Ayo, we cool now or what?” Los asked. Lucky shook her head with her eyes down cast to the ground. “You leaving?” Los asked. “Um…um, yeah,” Lucky stammered finally finding her voice again.

  There was something in Lucky’s voice that sound funny to him, it had lots of emotion in it, and he could guess why. She probably took what he just said as a put down, it wasn’t at all. He was feeling the shit out of Lucky. His better half told him to leave her alone though. He convinced himself after that day at the casino that it was better to leave her alone. But after seeing her tonight, and getting that same tingling feeling to run up his spine when he touched her, he knew he had to pursue her. He would just warn her ahead of time about what she was getting herself into messing with a nigga like himself, if she chose to ride with him, then she would have no one to blame if things didn’t end up the way either of them had anticipated. He didn’t set out to intentionally hurt her or break her heart but it was a big possibility with the life he lived. It is what it is, was his motto, he had to get it how he lived. But for some reason he couldn’t explain, he wanted to protect Lucky from that side of himself.

  Los turned towards Jah who was by his car hugged up with Keema. Nice was standing next to Ty trying to holla but you could tell from her body language she wasn’t having it at all. He turned back towards Lucky “Who you rode with?” “No one, my car right there,” Lucky said jutting her chin towards her car. He looked over at her car and shook his head with a half smile, he thought that was Lucky’s car when Nice first pulled up. “A’ight come take a ride wit me.” Lucky flashed him an incredulous look as if he were crazy. Here it was almost 3:30 in the morning; there wasn’t anything open at this hour but hotels and legs. And those legs damn sure wasn’t going to be hers, if she could help it. I know this dude don’t think he gon hit? Oh no! He sensed what she was thinking from the look on her face. Los chuckled a little and threw his hands up in front of himself. “Nah it ain’t like that. I’ll be on my best behavior, I promise. I just wanna spend some time with you.” Lucky looked up into his amber brown eyes and felt safe and she couldn’t lie to herself she missed him. “Okay, but what about my car? I can’t just leave it out here” “My cousin Jah can drive it home for you. You stay back in Philly now right?” Lucky gave him the side eye. First of all she didn’t know Jah to be letting him drive her car. Furthermore, how the hell did he know she was staying in Philly now? “How did you know I was staying back in Philly?” She asked with her eyebrows furrowed. A slow smile spread across Los’s face before he said “Cause, I know everything I need to know about you Louchanna.” She froze, as a look of alarm shown through her pretty eyes. Lucky hadn’t told him her government, she was sure of that. He picked up on her alarm and started laughing “Ayo, calm down. I’m not no crazy ass stalker. I know ya name because you gave me your student ID with your name on it when we brought you to get ya whip,” Los explained. “Ooohh!” Lucky was glad it was dark outside so he couldn’t see how flushed she became from embarrassment. “I don’t chase or stalk after women ma that’s not me. So what up? You wit me or wha
t?” “I don’t know your cousin. What if he fucks up my car?” Los raised an eyebrow “Then I’ll buy you another one,” Los said in an unfazed tone. Lucky looked at him with doubt. “You have no idea who you fuckin wit ma, no idea,” Los said with a slight smirk. No. Lucky didn’t know but she had a feeling she’d find out sooner than later though. “You can trust Jah with your car. I trust him with mine,” Los said pointing to the Bentley. Lucky looked at the car, it was fly as fuck. The rims on that baby was sick. She looked from the car to Los with a serious expression “Okay, but if he wrap my whip, you not going to buy me the same car. You gon upgrade me to some big boy shit like that,” Lucky said pointing to his Bentley. Los cracked up laughing but agreed to her terms. “A’ight I’ll co-sign that. If he wraps ya whip, which he won’t I’ll upgrade you to some big boy shit, that’s my word. Other than that, you won’t be getting no whip from me anytime soon. To get a gift that big you have to be wifey status. And I ain’t ran into a chick yet that got that far with me.” Lucky wasn’t deterred by the comment at all. She was up for the challenge. She wanted him plain and simple. “Well you just haven’t run into a chick like me. I’ma make you love me baby,” She said with a smile and flirtatious wink. Los smiled seeing that Lucky had a little feisty side to her. “Yeah we’ll see Lucky Charms.” Lucky couldn’t help but to blush, he was the only person to ever call her that. “I’ll be right back, let me go holla at my cousin real quick.”