No. 99 (Joey Bada$$)

13• Don't Trust That Boy

"Where you been the whole day?" My aunt questioned

"I was with a new friend."

"OOO what's her name?" She was putting dishes in the cabinet

"HIM!!! And his name is Joey. His mama calls him Jo-Vaughn. He's one of them pro era boys." I helped with the dishes

"Pro Era boys?! Uh uh, stay away from him."

"What!? Why?"

"I don't trust you with him."

"I thought you liked Pro Era."

"I like they rhymes. Not them personally. They gonna get you in trouble with all the hustling."

"He don't hustle...I mean, I don't think."

"Don't get into no trouble. Stay away from him and the group. It ain't like back home where you can trust a stranger to be your friend. Choose wisely."

"I don't understand why you sayin' it like he pushin' bricks."

"Do you know him?!"

"I KNOW HIM ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT  HE DONT WANT TO HURT ME!" I raised my voice and slammed a cup down "He different. He rude sometimes but he's sweet. He cares about me."

"How the hell are you gonna say some shit like that?" She said calmly "You can't let no boy get in your pants like that! Are you crazy!?"

"I ain't tryna sleep with him!"

"Watch him drag you into his bed."

"Are you saying that I'm gonna sleep around!? I ain't fast like that!"

"That's what it looks like!"

"Why are you jumping to all these conclusions cuz I'm hanging out with a boy I have no interest in and I told you earlier that I was with him." I lied about not being interested

"I ain't know he was a Pro Era boy!!! He ain't your typical boy! Watch him hurt you. It's gonna happen reallllll soon or later. Them Pro's aint no good for you."

"I'm tired of y'all babying me."

"Who is y'all?"

"You and my parents!!! That's one of the reasons why I left! They keep trapping me! Trust and believe if there is a boy and or a car involved I won't be apart of it. I understand y'all looking out for me but there's a fine line between looking out and excluding me from the world. I can't learn from mistakes I never made."

She sat there processing what I told her and spoke up a couple seconds later "You right. You didn't come up here to be trapped again. You're 17 years old and should be able to make some of your own choices. I apologize."

"It's cool. Imma be in my room talking to Aliyah and Laila."

"Y'all real close, huh? Go 'head and do ya thing."