King of Queens (a Nas Story)

FOUR

Gia | 2:22pm

The month of January was coming to an end. My shifts were getting longer at the diner and I was seeing less of my mom as the weeks went by. My tips were enough to cover the light bill next month, which was a blessing in itself. 

My mom was working another double shift tonight and had just left the crib after packing lunch and dinner to bring back with her to the hospital. Once again, I was alone in this apartment. George was kind enough to give me two days off in a row. 

There were no more extra shifts to pick up and he said that my mother and I had been working too hard. I have to agree with him. I lied on my back, atop my plush mattress. My comforter doing its best to keep me warm. Our heater was busted and mom was picking shifts up to get it repaired. 

I stared at the popcorn ceiling that sheltered me, daydreaming about Nasir again. I hadn't seen him around lately and he hasn't called me. Not that I was waiting for him to call me anyway. He's too busy making a name for himself. 

I sighed as I closed my eyes and envisioned him standing in front my front door. I tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable enough to take a midday nap. All of that was interrupted by a loud thudding sound against the front door of my unit. 

I tossed the thick comforter aside and sprung out of my bed. I pulled the drawstring of my grey Champion hoodie and tied a bow around my neck, staring out of the peephole to see who was banging on my door like it was one time. 

His waves gave his identity away as he hung his head low, looking at the boots on his feet. I turned the locks and peered my head beside the crack of the door. 

"Yo." Nasir said simply with his hands in the pockets of his grey sweatpants. A grey hoodie to match, almost the same as mine. A black North Face puffer to layer against the cold and black Timberland boots. He stood firm in front of me, waiting for me to invite him in. 

"Hey." I said nervously. I wasn't dressed at all and wasn't expecting to see him here. 

"Your folks home?" He tried to look inside of the dark interior of my living room. Squinting his eyes, he kept his voice low in case someone else was home. 

"It's just me. You can come in." I opened the door completely. He walked by me slowly. His puffer jacket brushed against my chest as he kicked his Timbs off at the front door. I took his puffer jacket off for him and hung it on the back of the dining chair in our open kitchen and living room area. Our floor plan was similar, but furnished differently. 

"This shit is laid out, Gia. What your folks do?" Nasir spun his head around our living room, impressed by our record player and vinyl collection. My mother had a glass case where she displayed my father's china from various countries he had traveled to during his time as a soldier. 

"My dad was a drug dealer turned war vet. My mom is a nurse." I emphasized that 'was' so that he would understand me without prying too much. He nodded his head and took a seat on our sectional. 

"I'm sorry to hear about your pops." He said softly as he kept his eye on our VHS tape collection. 

"Oh shit, you got Scarface?" He sprung up his feet and pulled the tape and its box covering out of the pile. Scanning Al Pacino on the front cover. "This is one of my favorites." He pointed at Al Pacino on the cover and turned towards me. I was still standing in the center of the open shared space.

Watching him was like watching a kid in the candy store. 

"Scarface was cool, but The Godfather part one was better." I shrugged my shoulders as I stated my opinion openly. I took a seat on the sectional across from the couch Nasir was once seated on, watching the back of his silhouette for a moment before he kissed his teeth and turned to me.