"Girl! You need to just pull yourself together and say fuck that nigga. Don't be letting him have you like this. Letting that motherfucka stress you out and shit. Fuck him anyway. It’s obvious that he playing games already. Read that note to me again,” Jasmine told Hope.
**********
Ginger walked out the door with her co-worker running behind her... "Girl what are you doing? Don't quit, just fall back for the rest of the day. At least keep the job until you find something else, what about your little girl?” she reminded Ginger of her priorities.
"Listen, I appreciate what you're trying to do for me and all, and I know what I should do right, and it’s probably the right thing to do, but a very special friend of mine once told me, FUCK doing what’s right, sometimes you just gotta do what’s best. And for real this is really what’s best for me. I'll be okay”, she said. Ginger hugged her co-worker and that was that, she didn't even look back.
*********
Harlem and Beans pulled up in front of Tiffany and Tasha’s house. "Slim, you sure it’s cool with your Shawty? Harlem questioned Beans again.
"SLIM! You already know how I do with the bitches,” Beans bragged.
"YEAH! That’s what I'm scared of”. Harlem laughed while grabbing the bag with the things in it and hopping out heading towards the door.
Beans wasted no time jumping in the driver's seat and changing the cd before pulling off. He was feeling himself so much; he pulled off before Tasha could open the door completely.
He adjusted the seat, let the windows down and just enjoyed himself as if it was his truck. He honked the horn at a few females as he passed them and even looked in the mirror and sang to himself, "FOR THIS PAPER I MA SLAVE, AND I MA CHASE IT TIL MY GRAVE." LOST & TURNED OUT!
*********
Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock, knock, knock! Harlem banged on the door. Somebody yelled "COME IN!" Harlem didn't move.
Tasha appeared at the door and let him in. Once she opened the door she turned and walked away, without ever really looking to see who it was.
Harlem walked in looking around, “You shouldn't just tell people to come in, don't you want to know who it is first? I could be here on some different
shit”, he said.
"WHO ARE YOU?" Tasha asked recognizing his face, but not as one that came pass her house for either her or Tiffany.
"That’s exactly my point”, he said with a smile. “I'm Harlem and I'm here with Beans, for Tiffany. Well... Not exactly here with Beans because he just pulled off. Slim told me to wait here for him”, he said.
"She not here! And Beans just pulled off. Pulled off in what, his broke ass don't have...,” she said before Harlem cut her off.
"I know, he got my truck, and he went to take care of something for me. You must be Tasha,” he said.
"YUP! Sure am”, she confirmed with a smile.
"Sup Tasha?"
"Ain't nothing what’s up with you? Oh”, she said as it suddenly dawned on her“you're the one Beans trying to hook me up with huh?” She said looking him up and down, trying to recall all that Keke had said to her about him when they talked.
"Why you say it like that?” he asked.
"Because he mentioned it once or twice. That’s why you're over here ain't it? I recognize the game, WEAK! But, I recognize it”, she laughed.
"NAH! That ain't why I am here. I mean, he did mention something bout me hollering at you and shit, but I left that alone because that’s my dude and all but we cut from different cloths and don't really have the same taste in a lot of shit. Like, I ain't rocking with no ugly bitch”, he said.
"So, you think I am ugly huh?” she asked obviously offended.
“NAH!” I didn't mean it like that, and I definitely wasn't tryna sneak dis
you. The reason I'm over here is to put this together,” he said opening the bag to show her the contents. ”Slim said that it would be cool. You good with that because he ain't say nothing bout you, he said his folks. That’s your sister right?” Harlem asked.
"Oh! It’s cool and I’m straight with it, but what he think this is?” she asked bluntly. Tasha
was straight up and straight forward with Harlem, which was something that he wasn't necessarily accustomed to where females came into play.
She thought that Harlem coming over like he did was all part of the game that Beans was running in order to hook her up with Harlem. Often dudes did things like this to hook their man up with the friend or sister, or whoever the other female was, but the more she talked to him the more she liked him.
It wasn’t hard to tell that he and Beans were not cut from the same cloth. Harlem was more of her type, while she considered Beans a cornball.
Harlem was shocked at exactly how straight up and forward she was. Most females
he encountered tried to act like it was all about them or that they didn't do this and that.
They acted as if they were better than what he had to offer them, yet, not Tasha. It seemed she wasn't moved by anything although she appreciated him being straight with her about why he came there, rather than just faking.
He thought to himself that she must be used to seeing dudes bagging up shit, or maybe it was Tiffany, he wasn't sure. Yet, it was obvious that one of them, if not both of them were down with the get down.
"You need any help?” She asked.
“NAH, not really. What you know about this”, he asked genuinely surprised.
"PLEASE! I know that, that’s about a half of a bird and that the right size pills will get you more money than them joints you using”, she advised sitting down beside him. “What’s this straight power? Oh Boy! Everybody and their mother knows what this is. You act like you was cutting up snatch and sniff”, she said chuckling.
"I heard that.” He smiled. "You don't fuck around do you?” He asked as they started bagging coke.
"HELL NO! Boy is you crazy”, she looked at him. "Do I look like I would be fucking round with that shit? I just asked because me and Tiff be handling
things for a few dudes”, she said.
“Who you be fucking with? Because I might be able
to get you some cheap prices. You seem like you would appreciate it,” she asked intrigued by Harlem.
Shocked, but still maintaining his composure, Harlem just simply thought to himself that Tiffany and Tasha must be "UP" in the game.
"I'M GOOD!” He
replied. “It don't get no cheaper than the price I pay now”, he said. He watched Tasha mentally calculate his money, "SHIT! Maybe
you can spend that money with me. You won't have to go outta state, and the price will definitely be cheaper, which would give you more for your money and for your pocket”, she said.
Harlem was beginning to feel Tasha and vice versa. She wasn't bad looking and had a very nice shape, with one of those asses that screamed "FUCK ME," all mingled with street smarts and being down to earth.
She was absolutely fuckable but for some reason or another, there seemed to be so much more to her that Harlem was picking up on.
"You should cook some of this shit. You know them motherfuckaz be going crazy bout that hard. Plus, are you down with the pills? More and more people popping them bitches. In a minute, I am telling you, everybody is gonna be eating them shits! Watch that I tell you”, she said.
"Oh Yeah! You think so?” He asked. “I thought that pill popping shit was some white boy shit or something”, he said.
"Nah, Niggaz be buying them motherfuckaz for like two dollars
a pill, then turn around and re-sell them for like twenty-five dollars a
pop. The real money is in making them shits. The Big Homie "C" be making them and moving them shits. He don’t even have a name for them, he just call'em triumphant, always saying he make a dollar everyday. I guess he do, shit! All them fucking pills he moving. I like him though, his favorite shit is, HOPE U AIN'T DIRTY,” she laughed “But just think like, you move fifty thousand pills, which ain't shit. All at twenty-five a pop. You know how much money that is?” she asked.
"DAMN! I can imagine... But, I gotta stick to what I know best. You feel me? Slow money is the best money sometimes because you get to actually see your money, which means you get to consciously spend it”, Harlem said as his phone rang. "Get that for me please”, he asked her.
"HELLO!" Tasha answered his phone.
"WHAT! HELLO!” Ginger responded in a shocked tone that another female was answering Harlem's phone. “WHO THE HELL IS THIS?” Ginger screamed in the phone.
"Excuse you? You called here, WHO THE HELL IS THIS,” Tasha shot back completely calm.
"IS THIS HARLEM’S PHONE? This is Ginger”, she said angrily.
"HOLD ON!" She put the phone to Harlem's ear, so that he didn't have to stop what he was doing. Harlem smiled, not only at the way she handled herself on the phone, but at the compassion she easily showed.
"SUP! WHO THIS?” He asked.
“NO! WHO WAS THAT WHO ANSWERED YOUR PHONE?” Ginger snapped. “And don’t lie like it was your sister either, but if it was tell her that I said I apologize. I am really having a bad day”, she said.
“It shouldn’t matter who answered my phone, you still shouldn’t have came out your mouth like that. It’s nothing though. So, what’s up? Why are you not having a good day? And why aren’t you at work?” he asked.
“I QUIT! I couldn’t take it no more. That faggot ass motherfucka got on my last nerve,” Ginger whined.
“Why you do that? It couldn’t have been that bad. You’re acting like you were doing that job for yourself. What about Lil Shawty and bills? I mean, I got you but…”, he said as she continued talking.
“I’ll find something else. You just don’t understand. That faggot ass nigga was just on some totally different shit today because I wouldn’t close for him”, she explained.
“Why didn’t you just close?” he asked, growing impatient.
“FUCK HIM! When I ask for days off or to switch days, he doesn’t let me slide, so I’m not letting his shit slide. Remember you were the one who
told me fuck doing what’s right, sometimes you gotta do what’s best. Well, that was what was best for me”, she said proudly.
"I heard that. I got you though you already know that. Aye, so where are you because I gotta finish doing what I’m doing. I'll be over there tonight”, he said.
"A'ight” You still ain't tell me who was that who answered your phone”, she asked determined to get an answer from him.
"And I’m not going to tell you”, he said.
“WHY?” She asked.
“Look, even if you don't
trust yourself... Trust me and trust me until I give you a reason not to trust me”, he said. “A'ight”, she said feeling a bit better. “A'ight One!” he said ending the call.
"So who was that your girl?” Tasha asked.
"I don't have a girl. What a girl gonna do for me? Why? You gotta boy or a man?” he asked with a sly grin.
**********
By the time Beans made it to the school, a crowd had gathered and at its center stood a caramel complexion, nicely shaped female named Ro-Ro.
Things at school had gotten a little heated between Dukeland & Harlem, and Baltimore & Hilton. The girls had been on "READY" all day.
Since Shannon told Ro-Ro who shot Skip and how Fella was putting bones out on her, she was already overwhelmed and ready to lash out. Then she heard the same females who were standing before her, wanted to fight because a nigga around their neighborhood had shot somebody around her neighborhood.
The crowd consisted of Ro-Ro, Shannon, and their girlfriends minus Keisha. They were staring down Tyrikah, Sharnet, Trenita and their girlfriends.
Niggaz mingled in hoping to perhaps see a little more than a girl fight. Possibly a tittie or two, maybe even an ass cheek.
Beans made his way through the crowd and snatched Ro-Ro up and drug her to the truck. It wasn't easy, but he got it done despite the refusal, kicking, bucking, and screaming for him to let her go.
Somehow, he got her out of the crowd and into the truck. As soon as he did and she was no longer in the middle of the crowd, the crowd began to break up and tempers started to rest.
But, it was far from over. In fact, it was the very beginning of something that would always be. At least that’s the way it seemed.
"Yo! What the fuck’s up with that shit? The fuck was that about?” Beans asked. His face revealed that he wasn't too happy about what was going on. Ro-Ro didn't answer him she didn't even look in his direction when he spoke.
She just sat there with her arms crossed upset about what was going on and him pulling her
away from the beat down she was prepared to dish out.
She wasn't no punk, but she also wasn't for the bullshit. The sad part of it all was that, before it would all be over and done with, somebody or bodies was gonna get hurt bad or even worse "KILLED."
"YO! What’s up? What the fuck is going on?” he demanded to know. Still she didn't answer him. She just simply sat looking out the window.
Ro-Ro was the type of female that always bottled up what she felt or was feeling, especially if it was something that upset her.
She always held her emotions in, the only time she displayed her emotions was with Harlem whom she was passionate about and accustomed to sharing her feelings with. His emotions reflected her emotions quite often.
Ro-Ro would always hold in whatever she was feeling until she was about to burst. It was rare to see her unhappy, but whenever you did you knew somebody had pissed her off. Even in her anger, she was sexy. Harlem often told her that when she was mad, she looked like penny from GOOD TIMES.
"WHERE IS MY BROTHER? And take me home”, she said with her arms folded across her chest. Was the first and last time she spoke the entire ride.
"Yo! I ain't gonna baby you like Slim. I’ma take you home, but first I gotta make one stop and then home it is for you”, he said. He kept talking, trying to fish, hoping that she would sooner or later say what was wrong.
Beans pulled up in front of a house that wasn't his house, which was right next door to Harlem's mother’s house. "THIS IS NOT YOUR HOUSE!" She uttered right before he jumped out and ran into the house stopping to impress one of his female friends.
"OH SHIT! STOP! STOP! THAT’S HARLEMS TRUCK!” Hope screamed out at Jasmine.
"WHAT? WHAT’S WRONG?" Jasmine slammed on the breaks concerned.
"THAT’S HARLEM'S TRUCK!” HOLD ON”, She jumped out and ran up on the trucks side where Ro-Ro was sitting, and tapped on the window.
"WHAT?” Ro-Ro asked letting down the window with a look of confusion as to why anyone would be coming up to the truck.
"WHO ARE YOU?" Gizzell, or Keisha? And where is Harlem?” Hope asked in a tone that revealed her anger.
Ro-Ro wasn't certain if the female in rage was one of the girls from Baltimore & Hilton or one of Harlem’s female friends. "NO! I am not Gizzell or Keisha WHY? And what you want with Harlem, who the hell is you?” Ro-Ro snapped.
"I AM HIS WIFE BITCH. WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?” Hope replied.
"BITCH! Who the fuck you calling a "BITCH?" I got your bitch right here bitch”. She said opening the trucks door to get out.
As soon as the trucks door opened and she stepped out, Hope reached out and grabbed Ro-Ro and a fist full of hair and started swinging. With that, the fight was on Ro-Ro wasn't an easy win though. She grabbed
a hand full of Hope’s hair and swung like crazy. She landed several solid
punches, two of which hit Hope right in her face. Hope took her down, and
for a minute was getting the best of Ro-Ro returning the blows to the face.
Then Ro-Ro came to life rolled Hope off her and pinned her down and whipped her until Jasmine finally realized what was going on and came to assist.
Lucky for Ro-Ro, Beans came out when Jasmine was running over and ran down to the truck and broke up the fight before Jasmine could even get a chance to sneak in some punches. Ro-Ro was a pretty good fighter but even she would not have been able to fight them both.
Jasmine grabbed Hope and Beans grabbed Ro-Ro. They separated them. It wasn’t easy but they got them apart. "Yo! Yo! CHILL THE FUCK OUT!! SHIT!” Beans yelled trying to get Ro-Ro to calm down and stop swinging and kicking.
He finally got her into the truck again for the second time today, then went over to Jasmines car to see who the hell they were and what the fuck had just went down.
Before he could reach them Jasmine pulled off. He shook his head, wondering if they had followed him from the school. He walked back to the truck. “Yo, what the fuck is going on? Who was that?” Just like up at the school, Ro-Ro still didn’t say a word.
"GIRLLL! what the hell was that about? Who was that and why didn't you tell me what was up? You know I would have helped you whip that bitch’s ass. I didn't even know you were fighting at first”, Jasmine said.
Hope flipped down the mirror and checked her face out. Breathing heavy, she felt a little crazy at what had just happened.
She was determined to show Harlem that he was fucking with the right bitch. She kinda felt that she might have jumped the gun after seeing Beans come out. She thought at first when she seen the truck and the female sitting there, that she had caught Harlem.
It had been a long time since Hope had been in a fistfight and it showed. She knew it showed but it wasn't even about the fight or winning. It was more about the message that would get her point across to Harlem.
Jasmine continued to ask questions about what just happened, who the female was and who the dude was. But all Hope did was bang her fist against the dashboard and scream "HARLEM!"
**********