How Do U Want It?

xxi

I stared at the sorted money that laid out on my bed. 204$ to be precise. It was such a beautiful sight to me; especially because the fact that I made it myself. All of this money came from running corners.

I started dealing more often now, it gotten to the point where I've started skipping school. Some people claimed that this kind of power was going to my head; Faith in particular. She says that I'm in too deep, and I should calm down. Me and her haven't seen each other lately, but we talk on the phone every so often; and it always turns into a lecture from her. I wouldn't even argue her down; mentally I was being stubborn, but on the outside I acted as if she was right to be disappointed in me. Even though in reality she was, part of me just didn't want to hear that.

Snoop on the other hand, he was chill. Even though I didn't attend school as much as I should be, I still saw him almost every day. We'd always run into each other, whether I was working a corner, or loitering at the corner store.

It seemed like when I wasn't dealing, I was either somewhere smoking, drinking, or standing in front of the corner store until Rizzoli's old ass came out with his shot gun, as if he was gonna really do something with it.  I also acquainted some new friends through out my endeavors;O-Dog and Caine.

The three of us would be somewhere doing something stupid, but O-Dog was the most craziest out of all. However, Caine was the most naïve. Sometimes I am too, especially when it comes to O-Dog doing some off the wall shit.

Caine was cool, but O-Dog was a ride or die. Even though I met him about a month ago, it feels like we've known each other for a lifetime. He sometimes ran corners with me and we'd split the earnings, sometimes he'd give me extra, 'cause he was straight like that.

My 13 or 14 year old self would look at me as if I were a monster; because at that age I was probably at my lowest point. Never in my life I thought I'd be selling drugs, smoking, and drinking. But all I could say was: Shit Happens.

"Ebelle?" Dre's voice came closer as he trudged up the stairs. I quickly scooped up all my money and shoved it back into the old shoe box that I kept it in.

"Huh?" I called out as I hurriedly placed the box in my bottom drawer of my dresser. My door slowly swung open and Dre peered into my room prior to me acting as if I were brushing my hair in front of my mirror.

"Can you run to the store for me kid?" He asked me and I glanced at him briefly. Even though it was sort of a short while ago when Michel'le ended up in the hospital, I still couldn't look at Dre as if he was some purified angel that took me in. He lost that title the first time I witnessed his abusive side. Deep down inside, I knew he was better than that. And it pained me to see him act like that.

"Yeah, what do you need?" I put my brush down on the dresser and went over to my shoe piled and picked up my pair of Vans.

"Just get me and the guys some junk food, get you somethin' too. Here's the money." Dre sat a 20 dollar bill on my dresser then left. After lacing my shoes, I grabbed the 20 and headed downstairs where all of the guys were. And of course, they were about to smoke.

"That's why y'all want some snacks." I chuckled to myself before walking out the door.

"Wait, don't you need the keys to my car?" Dre caught the door before I closed it. .

I shook my head, "Nah I'm straight." The reason I walked instead of driving was because I had a small gut feeling that Caine and O-Dog were there, and I was pretty bored. Even though I probably wouldn't be back for another 2 hours, they wouldn't notice, they'll be blowed by the time I get back. The store was literally 2 blocks away, but with Caine and O-Dog, there was a guarantee they'll make 2 minutes into 2 hours.

I proceeded down the street and the lights of the corner store could be seen from afar. As I got closer I saw 4 figures that looked familiar, "Ebelleeeeeeee!" The inevitable shout came from one of the figures. I finally reached my destination where I found O-Dog, Caine, Snoop, and for some reason Tupac.

"Hey y'all." I grinned before giving Snoop and Caine daps.

O-Dog came in for a hug, saying "Wassup?" and slickly grabbed my butt.

I immediately pushed him off laughing, "Don't play wit' me!" He laughed along with me.

"That's wassup." Snoop said eyeing the two of us.

I sucked my teeth and said, "I don't fuck with ugly niggas."

O-Dog got on his knees and hugged my waist from behind, "But I like big booty girls." I smacked his arm and everyone laughed, everyone except for Tupac that is.

  "You know I'm just playin'," O-Dog said as he stopped laughing, "You ugly as well so."

I pushed him away from me and he laughed. He was too silly for me sometimes.

"How long y'all been out here?" I asked them before standing up against the building.

"Like, 15 minutes. This nigga right here, Caine informed me then pointed to O-Dog, "wouldn't shut the fuck up about yo ass." O-Dog scoffed before saying, "Y'all know she my bestest friend!" He used a fake cheerful voice. 

"Shut the hell up." I said rolling my eyes.

"Why you up here?" Snoop asked me before shoving his hands into his jean pockets.

"I can't be up here or somethin'? I'll leave then." I faked as if I was gonna leave, and it stayed quiet.

I turned back around and frowned, "So y'all wasn't gone say nothin'?"

"We knew yo ass wasn't goin' nowhere so..." O-Dog sucked his teeth before frowning.

"Oh whatever."

Before we knew it, Rizzoli came out shouting, "Shoo! Get 'way from store!" We stood there just looking at him; that was until his son came out with 2 shotguns, one for himself and his dad. His son shot one in the air, and the 4 of us took off running, with someone yelling out,"Oh shit!"

Caine went one way, Snoop and O-Dog went another, and Tupac and I ran in the same direction. Rizzoli's son chased after us as I couldn't help but laugh, I needed a rush like this today. We turned down an alley where a tall metal fence stood. As Tupac and I approached it, we climbed up it and he managed to get over, me on the other hand, my shorts got caught and I was hanging by a thread; literally.

"Aye!" I yelled out as I finagled with my shorts, and almost panicked as Rizzoli's son turned the corner of the alley.

Tupac looked back and ran to me , successfully unhooking my shorts from the barbed wire. We both kept running and turned another corner before coming to an abrupt stop after realizing we most likely lost him. I stopped on my feet too hard and I fell on the concrete, and I laid there on my back laughing and out of breath.

Tupac was laughing too as we caught our breath. I finally realized who I was with, as before I wasn't really worried about that. Taking in my surroundings, I somewhat stared up at Tupac for a moment as a blanket of silence fell upon us.

I got up from the ground and said, "I'll uh," I was still trying to catch my breath, "I'll see you."

I began to walk back home, empty handed without the snacks I was ordered to get.