Don't Be Disrespecting Me

Hustled

On the bus, Noodles talked about how he was gonna get some girl to buy him pizza. "And hot chocolate too." He wasn't lying .E knew that. He once saw Noodles talk a girl into paying his way to a $60 rap concert. Saw him get girls in school to lend him bus money , even though the school already gives every student a bus pass.

"Don't be hustling girls around me," E said , getting off the bus and heading for the mall.

Noodles shook his head. "I was born broke, but that don't mean I have to stay broke, especially when so many girls got so much money."

E ignored Noodles. He rubbed his big toe against the hole in his sneaker, then walked over to the pharmacy and put in a job application. A half hour later. E saw Noodles with his arms hanging over some girl's shoulder. E stood nearby while Noodles took her over to a child concrete seat, sat her down , and talked . . . till she took him to the food court and bought him two slices of pizza and a supersize drink. Noodles came back and told E he shoulda come, too. "She had long dollars. Shoot. I coulda got me a shirt out of the deal if I wanted."

E's stomach was growling. He hardly ever ate at the mall 'cause he didn't ever have money. "Let's go," he said. Then he told Noodles how he put in three job applications while Noodles was gone.

Noodles pulled out five bucks. "Here," he said, stuffing the money in E's pocket. "She went to the ATM machine. I told her I'd pay her back, when I could."

E shook his head. Told himself to give the money back, but he didn't. He bought a piece of pizza and a drink , then listened to Noodles say how he was gonna get that girl to buy him some new sneakers and take him out a few times.