New Native Land (The Next Step) (Book II)

Chapter 12 (Let Your Hair Down)

I was driving to the usual spot where I meet up with Ahm sometimes because he told me to do so. I was excited, I haven't seen him in a couple of days because we've been both busy. He says that he was taking his finals early because that's what the seniors did at his school. I was so happy for him, he was graduating!

When I pulled up to the spot I saw Scrap doing the same ol same ol, and I laughed at him and I got out the car and said "Scrap, park my car, please." He mugged me because he hated when I asked him to park my car. I can't parallel park, what are you going to do? "No, park that shit yourself." He yelled and I rolled my eyes at him.

"Damn Scrap that was mean just go park the car man." Shad told him "Yeah, Scrap, just park the car." Ahm chimed in and he sucked his teeth. "That's yo girl, you park the car." Scrap said back to Ahm. "She asked you." Ahm replied and he sighed out in frustration. "Park it your damn self, right behind Ahm's car." He told me and I tilted my head at him. "I'll give you directions." He assured me and I looked uneased "What if I hit his car?" I asked Scrap. "Then I'ma beat Scrap's ass cause he should've parked the car." Ahm told me and it made me feel somewhat better.

I got back in and I shifted the gear to reverse and Scrap lead me back and then I went forward, and I turned and I did a whole bunch of stuff, but I finished, and Scrap gave me a thumbs up. I got out and saw my final product, it's not as good as Scrap's work but I was happy none-the-less because I did it.

I walked up to Ahm and he nodded in approval and he said encouraging "Good job baby." I was so happy at my work. "Hell yeah, Scrap was so close to losing his life." Shad added and I laughed. "You just need to believe in her some more. Like I do." Scrap said and Ahm glared at him. Smokey and Shad smacked their lips. "See, I had a strategy. I just made her park behind Ahm so she knew not to hit his car. It's called reverse psychology." Scrap explained proud of his plan.

I smiled at him but the others laughed "Nigga, you sound dumb as hell." Shad said while shoving him and Ahm shook his head at him. "Don't worry Scrap, I get." I said understanding his plan. "See! We dealing with stupid people. They don't understand." He said like he couldn't believe they didn't understand, which made me laughed some more.

Ahm stood up and tapped me on my ass slightly "What you up to tonight?" I went to thinking and remembered my mom was coming into town. "Hanging with my mom." I answered and his eyes shot up surprised. "Wait, you going to Houston tonight?" Scrap asked and I looked at him like he was dumb.

"No, she's coming here." I answered and Shad shoved him again "Dumb." Scrap shoved him back "I ain't know. She might've just took a surprise trip or something." Scrap tried to explain himself. "Does this mean we get to eat some real Southern cooking?" Shad asked me ignoring Scrap and I nodded "If you want to." He beamed.

"Oh shit, Ahm, you gotta meet her mom's." Shad realized but Ahm's face didn't change. "No, he probably won't. She's going to be staying with her people. I think she said they lived in Washington Heights?" At he same time they exclaimed "Hell nah." And made stank faces. I made my own confused face I asked "What?" Because I didn't know what that meant.

"Yo mom's peoples are from the Bronx?" Scrap asked me and I shrugged and said "I don't know where that's at." Shad laughed "You haven't been to the Bronx yet, have you?" And I shook my head no. "Do I need to go there?" I asked and they all shook their heads no. "You don't need to go to the Bronx Shawty." Smokey told to me and I looked at him weird "Why not?" I asked and he looked at Ahm and Ahm quickly gave him a look and then went back to me.

"Why yo moms coming while school is still going on for you?" Ahm asked adverting the question, I eyed him suspiciously. "She's staying until I get out. I only have a couple of days left, and then I'm going back to Houston with her afterwards." I explained and Ahm's face struck with confusion. "You spending the summer in Houston?" Scrap asked sadly. I laughed and asked jokingly "Why? Are you going to miss me?" He sighed.

"Ahm, tell her she can't go." Scrap said to Ahm and his face went to serious in an instant and he shrugged his shoulder "She spent all year here, let her go home." Scrap breathed out. "I was gone show you all the dope spots to go to in the summer. It was about to be fun, and you could've brought Draya." He complained some more. "Nigga, she don't wanna hang out with you in the summer. She got a whole other life somewhere else, you forgot?" Shad said to him but I could tell he didn't want me to go either.

"Y'all are silly." I laughed "I'm only staying for a week." The look on all their faces brightened. "Yo, you played a trick on us!" Shad said shocked and I rolled my eyes "I definitely didn't. Y'all went to assumin and stuff." Scrap and Shad laughed. "Yo accent bro." Scrap said and I flicked him on the forehead like I always did.

"Anyways, my dad's family is coming into town when school lets out, so I gotta get out the house while they're there." I admitted and they all looked confused, and then Scrap looked at Shad and Smokey looked at Ahm and vice versa. "Why?" Shad asked me and I shrugged "Just a crowd I don't need to get mixed in with." I said repeating my dad's words to me and they looked uneasy. "What?" I asked them because they were acting weird.

"Nothing baby, how was your recital today?" Ahm asked me quickly changing the subject once again and I rolled my eyes "Really well, I got some nice compliments." He smiled like he was proud. He said "I'm sorry I missed it." I shrugged it off "I didn't invite you in the first place." I joke and he smacked his lips. "I could've came; why didn't you tell me?" Scrap said and I rolled my eyes at him "You would've been sitting through an hour of classical music before I stepped on the stage. I wasn't going to do that to you." I answered back and he made a face.

"I might like that stuff. I know about Mozart and Beethoven." He defended himself. "No one played Mozart and only one person played Beethoven. So, like I said before, you probably wouldn't have been entertained." He smacked his lips at me. "You be underestimating me."

I turned and looked at Ahm, and said "When's your graduation?" He looked up and said "I'm not going." My eyes open wide "Why?" I asked him curiously. "Because, I don't want to go." He simply said and looked back at me with that dull face and his eyes telling me to let it go. "Ahm, ain't you graduating top 10, why you ain't going?" Scrap spilled out and I looked at him with my eyes wide open and in shock. Scrap knew he messed up and Ahm glared at him.

"You're graduating top 10 of your class? Seriously?" I asked him and he shook his head. "No." He lied and I sucked my teeth "I'm proud of you." Shad said "Aw." Ahm glared at him too and but he didn't stop teasing him. "You see what I'm saying? What I been telling you? You making me look like a soft ass nigga." Ahm said to me and I shrugged. "You'll be alright. You can always hit him if you want to." I told Ahm and he smirked a little. "Why you do me like that Texas? I thought we were cool." Shad said and I laughed at him.

"I'll be soft for you. But when these other niggas come trying me, what do I do?" He asked me and I smiled "You get em." I answered him and he smirked "Alright." I saw Smokey give us a genuine smile.