Heaven's Hell

by Takerra, Allen

  “So Heaven, what are you doing after high school?” Shay asked, dipping a tortilla in salsa. She was seated in between Loc and G. Heaven and Khalil sat on the opposite of them.

  “Um, I’m going to college,” Heaven answered, very general. She didn’t really want to get into this discussion because she couldn’t be completely truthful in front of Khalil.

  “What school? Chemistry major, right?” G asked, taking another swig of his Corona. Heaven looked at him surprised. She stammered in her reply.

  “How did you, well, yeah, Chemistry. I’m going to-” Khalil cut her off.

  “She’s going to Kean.” Heaven dropped her head, and by her body language, G could tell that it wasn’t her choice. He wondered why the hell she would go there anyway if she got into Harvard, and why she was letting this dude control her future? He ignored Khalil and continued his conversation with Heaven.

  “You left your book in my car.” She managed to whisper an ‘oh yeah’, but was thrown off by G’s confidence and smile. The way he sat across from her, making direct eye contact, and completely ignoring the fact that Khalil was next to her, he was so smooth, so in control. It made Heaven swoon. They continued their meal with light fun conversation between the five of them. And it seemed that every time Heaven looked up from her plate, her and G made eye contact. The last time it happened, she actually managed a slight smile while Khalil told a corny story. However, her smile faded when she noticed a group of beautiful women approaching their table.

  “Geeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!” One of them squealed, as she leaned over and hugged him tight. “We’ve been looking for you.” She wore a dress so short that when she bent over, Heaven could see the bottom of her ass. The other girls wore similarly erotic clothing, and one even looked like she had lingerie for a top.

  He hugged her back with not even half as much enthusiasm as she seemed to have.

  “Where’s Real and Slim?” He asked.

  “They’re on their way in. I told them that yall were probably down here already.” She stood there and smiled at G, waiting for him to either get up or move down so she could sit, but he did neither. When she saw that he wasn’t moving she began looking around at all of the faces at the table. She looked at Heaven and her immediate thoughts were that she was pretty, but she didn’t know what to do with it.

  She looked at Khalil and picked up on his lustful eyes burning holes through her. She waved at Loc, but didn’t go into too much conversation because she knew he didn’t care for her. Then she saw Shay. Ugh!

  “Oh hey Shay, I didn’t even see you over there.” She flipped her honey blond hair with her manicured hand and gave a fake wave to Shay.

  “Angie, please okay,” Shay replied, not even beat to pretend to be civil with this groupie. Just then the rest of G’s squad walked up. Everybody exchanged ‘w’sups’ and G introduced Heaven to everybody, most of them knew Khalil. After a couple of more drinks, everyone began making their way out of Mixx, Khalil damn near bumped into a pole staring at Angie in her miniature dress. The large crowd walked down the hall towards the lobby tipsy and laughing, having a good time. The dudes walked up front with Angie and her crew as Heaven and Shay walked a little behind them. Even with all of the people, Angie’s loud and annoying laugh could be heard echoing everywhere and she seemed to laugh at everything out of G’s mouth.

  “I’m suddenly not having fun,” Heaven whispered, showing it all in her face. Shay sucked her teeth.

  “Heaven, please don’t even worry about them. Just do you and be yourself.” More laughter could be heard from up front as one of the girls let it be known that she wasn’t wearing underwear. Heaven turned to Shay in disbelief.

  “What are they, attention whores?” Shay giggled then shot back.

  “Girl, they are everything whores.” Just then, G slowed his pace and made his way to the back with Shay and Heaven. He got in between them and put his left arm around Shay and his right arm around Heaven.

  “I’m saying, can I walk back here with yall?” He asked both of them. He looked at Shay with a silly smile but then looked at Heaven with a playful lust that made her melt. Heaven inhaled his scent and couldn’t even believe that he had his arm around her and she was still able to walk. She couldn’t even believe that she found the confidence to answer him.

  “I don’t know, I think you’ll be missed up there.” Shay smiled, proud of Heaven’s sassy response. Go head girl. G smiled.

  “Oh yea?”

  “Yea,” Heaven shot back at him.

  “Well guess what? He asked, getting close to her face, still smiling.

  “What?” She asked, heart beating faster.

  “I don’t give a fuck,” he said, mocking Tupac from Juice. They all three busted out laughing causing Angie to turn around with a serious face. Everyone else seemed to not notice. Angie looked at G and tried to read the body language he was giving the young girl. Nah! She thought. I’m way badder than her. Yeah her ass is a little fat and she’s cute, but she’s wack. She don’t even know how to work her shit. She dismissed her notions and continued walking.

  “Nah for real, though,” he continued. “I won’t be missed back here?” Heaven didn’t answer, she just turned her head in the opposite direction. Shay responded.

  “Of course G, we’ll miss you. Stay back here with us.” He turned to Heaven again.

  “Am I making you uncomfortable? You want me to take my arm off of you?” Heaven looked up at him and smiled because she knew he was a little tipsy from those drinks he had. He went from barely talking to her this afternoon, to having his arm around her.

  “No, but I think Khalil may feel some kinda way,” she said softly, wishing that she didn’t have to worry about him. But something in her stomach was saying ‘Heaven, you better slow down before you get yourself into some trouble.’ G chuckled, but still kept his arm around her shoulder.

  “I think Khalil’s focus is elsewhere right now.” Then he leaned down closer to her ear and whispered so Shay couldn’t hear. “Plus I’m not scared of Khalil baby, you are.” She felt dizzy with all of the attention he was giving her and she was sure that the last comment had an underlying meaning. When he whispered in her ear, his breath tickled her and it made her cream. She couldn’t take it. She wiggled out of his embrace, giggling as they made their way out of the hotel into the bright daylight. Everyone stopped and waited for G, Shay, and Heaven to catch up. For the first time since the bar, Khalil noticed Heaven.

  “Hey come here girl,” He drunkenly mumbled. She twisted up her face and walked over to him.

  “G daddy, where we going?” Angie moaned. She seemed to moan everything.

  “Listen sweetheart, I aint got no kids so all that daddy shit is unnecessary. It does nothing for me Ang, you should know that.” She gasped, embarrassed, as Shay laughed out loud. Everybody else laughed a little as well.

  “But G, I’m saying.”

  “I’m saying nothing ma, stop trying to play me like them trick dudes you be fucking wit. But anyway, we going over to the Convention Center.” He walked over to the valet to request his truck and he stayed in that spot, keeping a distance between himself and everyone else. Angie remained silent, completely shocked and feelings beyond hurt as the rest of the crew went to get their own cars. Her friends tried to carry on general conversation but they were embarrassed for her.

  G felt a little bad for going off on the girl but he couldn’t help it, the minute they came outside and Heaven went to Khalil, it changed his whole mood. But he didn’t really understand why. As they made their way to the fight, G remained silent. They arrived at the front of the Convention Center and G gave everybody their tickets. Khalil reached out his hand for his and Heaven’s ticket but G only gave him one. He handed Heaven hers personally. Heaven noticed how G always treated her as her own person, she loved that. He asked her opinion on things, included her in conversations, and treated her like an adult, instead of like a little girl the way Khalil did. What Heaven didn’t know was th
at the reason G gave everyone their tickets is because once again his clever mind was at work. He made sure that she would be next to him and although Khalil would be on the other side of her, Angie would be on the other side of Khalil. They entered the building and were escorted to the front and to their seats as Heaven looked around and took it all in. They were sitting ringside!

  “Oh my god, I didn’t think we would be this close,” she said to G, who was ordering drinks for everyone from the waitress that had approached him. He looked at her with a smile. He could never stay mad with Heaven around.

  Heaven felt a painful pinch in her side as she turned to face Khalil.

  “Ouch!” He shot her an angry look.

  “What you telling him for, I’m the one who got the tickets.” He made sure to say this low enough so G couldn’t hear. “You better just sit back and shut the fuck up, alright?” Then he put on his smile again and turned to finish talking to Angie. Heaven frowned slightly, knowing that her fun would be ruined. She had gone too far, talking with G, laughing with him, and one more false move and Khalil would start to suspect something. Then she’d never be able to be in his presence, period. She figured she’d just do what Khalil ordered her to, sit back and shut the fuck up. As the fight began, Khalil continued to ignore her while G made small talk, explaining to her things about the fight, who the boxers were, how the fight was judged, and why it was wrong when one guy hit another in the nuts. However she stayed her distance and she didn’t get too comfortable, although it was the hardest thing in the world to do. The fight was exciting, a couple of times G would stand up and scream getting amped, and Shay would do it just as much as him. Heaven would just sit there and laugh at them. But by some weird twist of fate the strangest thing in the world happened at the end of the fight. As everyone made their way out of the arena, Loc started talking about some after party at the 40/40 club. Angie and her crew got excited and were talking about all of the ballers that would be there and then Khalil turned to Heaven.

  “C’mon lets go to the 40/40,” he said excitedly.

  “Khalil, I’m not 21.” She replied, looking at him like he was crazy. Angie jumped in.

  “Well maybe we can slide the bouncer a few bills. I mean as long as you’re 18 it shouldn’t be a big deal.” Heaven paused, then she answered.

  “Yeah, but I’m not 18 either.” Angie laughed out loud as her and her friends started walking away, whispering and laughing. Shay came over to Heaven.

  “Girl don’t worry about them, trust me, you aint missing nothing.” Khalil rolled his eyes and started his antics once they reached the outside.

  “God damn Heaven, I can’t have any fun. Fuck I gotta do, baby sit you all night?” She looked up at him and she could feel tears in her eyes. She was more hurt that he was embarrassing her in front of all these people than anything. But she knew she wouldn’t let those tears come down for nothing. Just when she was about to stand up for herself, Shay jumped in.

  “Khalil you don’t have to talk to her like that. And you don’t have to baby-sit her, I don’t feel like going anyway so I’ll stay with her. That shit gonna be way too crowded.”

  “You sure Shay?” He asked, getting excited, not even acknowledging Heaven. She didn’t care anyway.

  As soon as he had Shay’s assurance, he was running to catch up with Angie and her crew. “Yo Angie, wait up!”

  Shay and Heaven sighed a relief of happiness, Heaven’s because Khalil was gone and Shay’s because the groupies were gone. They made their way down the crowded boardwalk but stopped when they heard their names being called. They turned around and there he was, G, running up to them.

  “Damn, yall leaving a nigga, what’s up with that?” They both laughed as he caught up.

  “G, you not going with them to the 40/40?” Shay asked. He twisted his face like ‘yeah right’.

  “C’mon now. You know my style, I’m trying to hit up that blackjack table.” Heaven smirked, because she remembered Shay saying that he liked gambling. He turned to Heaven.

  “What you smiling about, Miss?” She shrugged her shoulders and grinned wider, he licked his lips. Shay walked next to them thinking, Aw hell no! I gotta spend the night with these two mothafuckas playing games all night! But she knew it would be cool, Heaven and G were both cool peoples.

  “So, what yall getting into?” He asked. Heaven couldn’t believe how fly he was. All his boys went to the club with a bunch of groupies and this nigga stayed behind solo, doing his own thing, no crew, no girl, no nothing.

  “Nothing,” Heaven answered, praying, just wishing, he’d ask them-

  “Yall wanna roll wit me?” He asked, cutting off her thoughts. Heaven and Shay looked at each other nonchalantly as if they had anything else to do, and both nodded as they made their way to Bally’s with G.

  Shay and Heaven made their way through the casino, taking a break from gambling the money G had given them. The combination of the free drinks and the fact that she had won close to $400 on slot machines had Heaven feeling good! They went to the blackjack table where they had left G, but he wasn’t anywhere to be found. As they looked through the crazy crowd, Heaven spotted him.

  “There he goes, Shay!” Shay looked at Heaven teasingly.

  “Either you got some good eyes or you got that G radar or something.” Heaven sucked her teeth and laughed as they made their way to the crap table where he stood, surrounded by people. The liquor had Heaven feeling bold as she walked up close to him.

  “What happened to blackjack?” She asked him. He looked down and studied her pretty eyes and smiled before answering.

  “I got bored.” Shay rolled her eyes jokingly and jumped in.

  “You mean you was losing, nigga. Yeah I know.” They all laughed and then Heaven leaned in close to him to speak. Something came over her, as she looked him dead in his eyes.

  “You get bored easily?” He looked at her seriously, and wondered what it was about this girl and the things that she said to him that drove him crazy. He could see how a weak nigga like Khalil would try to control her because with the right amount of independence, Heaven could have anything and anyone she wanted, including him. He couldn’t answer her question. Of course he could’ve lied and said no, but for some reason he didn’t want to. The truth was he did bore easily.

  “Blow on my dice.”

  “What?” Heaven asked, completely thrown off. He laughed and held up the crap dice he was holding.

  “Can you blow on my dice, Miss? For luck.” She smirked before responding.

  “I don’t know how lucky I am, but okay.” She leaned into him and blew sweet breath on his dice, as onlookers watched G shake, rattle, and roll ‘em down the middle. There was a brief silence followed by a shatter of screaming. Heaven had no idea what was going on. G picked her up and spun her around as her body went limp in his arms. Shay was excited too; she seemed to know the game a lot better than Heaven did. He put her down and Heaven looked at him dumbfounded.

  “What? I don’t get it. What happened?” G handed Heaven five chips still smiling.

  “What happened is you just won me this pot, and this is for you.” She looked at the chips and they all had $1,000 written on them. Shay gasped, thinking damn I should’ve blown on them bitches. Heaven looked at him like he had lost his mind.

  “G! This is $5,000! I can’t take this.” He didn’t answer her; he just winked and turned his attention back to the table.

  “G! I can’t take this,” she repeated, trying to give him the chips back. He turned to her.

  “Take it Heaven, you earned it. You could’ve made any nigga lucky, but you chose me. You’re worth more than you think you are baby.” Once again, Heaven felt his words had underlying meaning, but she took them for what they were.

  As they made their way from the crap table, Shay explained to Heaven that she had won G close to $20,000. Heaven almost passed out. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and G was there.

  “So you just gonna ta
ke the money and run, huh?” She laughed before responding.

  “I thought you were still playing.” He looked at her with the same look he had given her at the table. It was weird, like a serious look mixed with sexy.

  “Nah, I’m done playing. No more playing.” That definitely had underlying meaning because even Shay had to purse her lips and look away. It was all way too intense for Heaven. “Where yall heading now?” He continued, lightening the heavy aura present.

  Shay looked at him and couldn’t help but smile. Heaven had him open like a 7-11. G was always on his own, doing his own thing, and although he and Shay were cool, he never wanted to kick it with her like this. The girls shrugged their shoulders simultaneously, they had no destination. G invited them up to his suite and although skeptical, Heaven agreed. It was only one in the morning and she knew Khalil and them would probably party all night long. Plus she was with Shay. The funny thing was she could care less about what Khalil was doing or who he was doing it with, she just wanted to beat him to the room so she wouldn’t get her ass whooped in A.C.

  After they cashed in the chips, they rode in G’s truck back to the hotel and made their way on the elevator up to the top floor. Once they reached the door, Heaven’s feet suddenly began hurting like crazy. She wasn’t used to wearing 6-inch stilettos for such a long period of time.

  “My feet hurt,” she announced, as he opened the door.

  “Well I don’t rub feet, sorry,” he joked. Heaven once again feeling bold, shot back.

  “There’s a first time for everything.” Shay almost choked on her gum. Where was Heaven, and who was this girl? Heaven walked over to the couch and sat down. She took off her shoes and curled her legs up, sitting on her feet. Then she took out a hair tie from her purse and pulled her long hair up into a bun. G watched her in silence. She looked at him and smiled innocently as he sat next to her on the couch. Shay sat on the loveseat across from them.