This Aint That

chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

My 'hood was Down the Way. Downtown Cincinnati renamed by the 'hood niggas. If you ask me, Avondale was where the realest niggas in our city was born and bred at. Other 'hoods was cool, even downtown, but none was like mine. These niggas didn't play wit you. At all. Unlike niggas from elsewhere, they stuck to they word. If they said they fucked wit you, they fucked wit you. If they didn't, they told you and that was what it was. They ain't hide that shit. They not some of these fake ass niggas. Smile in yo face, shake yo hand, then creep through yo bushes at night and merck yo ass on some sneaky lame shit. Na. Those niggas, my niggas, Avondale niggas, got down. If they had beef they handled it right there. Double yellow lines. Fists up. If it got that deep them niggas upped on you, no hesitation. If you was gon die shid, you was gon die. It wasn't no sneaking around doin shit. They did that shit in yo face and left it up to you on what you was gon do. You was either gon bitch up, or go out like a real nigga. Win, lose or draw. That's what it was. And I loved those niggas for that. They had my back and I had theirs. Everybody in the 'hood knew what it was. You rode for the 'hood and the 'hood rode for you. That's just what the fuck it is.

Downtown was just where I stayed at for the moment. I had moved out my mom's house and got my own shit a few months ago when I turned 16. My mom and dad broke up last year and it had my mom's bugging ever since. Always on my back nagging about nothing. The bitch didn't let me have any freedom. She always wanted to remind me that she feels like the streets ain't safe and niggas ain't shit. Half of that was true and I already knew. My father taught me well. Great fuckn advice from a drunk ass bitch. So eventually I got tired of her bottles and bullshit, packed my shit and got up through.

I wanted to be somewhere ducked off where a mufucka couldn't just readily find me or happen up on me so I came downtown. Found me a nice lil one bedroom on a side street and moved in. I found a landlord cool asf and ain't want my info and all that. Well her husband didn't anyway. I met up with him instead of her one day to give up the deposit for the spot and I seen how he was looking at me. He kept asking lil questions starting to get too nosy so I came up with a plan fast. I needed this place and I needed him and his wife to be cool with it and out my business.

“How old did you say you were?” He asked me peering over them ugly ass glasses.

“Old enough to pay rent” i challenged as I flashed his cash. Four hundred dollars in big bills. “That's all that counts right?”

“Na not really. I need to know some more. Ion need no young ass girl in my shit getting me in trouble.”

“I ain't been young for a long time baby. Yo wife ain't worried about it so why are you?”

“Fuck what she worried about. I'm asking you.”

“So do you worry about her some times or am I in the clear?” I set my purse on the floor and took off my jacket.

“What that mean?” He tried to play dumb.

“Shid we can keep perpn or I can show you.” I pushed him against the wall and started working on his belt buckle. He didn't try to resist a whole lot. He said the right words but he didn't reach out to stop me once. At about six feet tall, he could've easily gotten away. He ain't want to. Most niggas didn't want to when it came to me.

“What you doing lil girl?” He eyed me suspiciously but kept standing there watching me. I lowered to my knees in front of him and looked up. “You better be good enough to make me forget my questions.”

“So are you taking my deposit or not?” I asked walking back over to my purse on the floor.

“Make sure yo rent on time every month or she gon be on bullshit. Keep me happy and I'll keep you happy okay.”

“Well then you only need two hundred then right?”

“Ion need shit but to keep lines of communication open. You deal with me from now on and not her. You only call her for maintenance issues got it?”

“That's cool with me” I shrugged putting my money back in my purse. He handed me my keys and I been on my own ever since.

**SPEEDING UP SOME MORE**

“I need to get the fuck out this house” I said when Monay picked up the phone. “Like now”.

“Well bitch be on yo way. I'm at home and ion feel like drivin so don't talk no shit, just pull up”. She hung up.

“Where are you?” I said to Jayci when she answered her phone.

“Home. Why?”

“Bitch meet me at Monays’ the fuck.” I hung up.

“Come out the house.” I said to Antoinette after about six rings.

“Yo house?”

“Na. Mo’s.”

“Here I come”. We hung up. I decided to jump in the shower first cause I knew these bitchs were gon take forever. I like to keep my lil miss clean at all times. Girls our age didn't know anything about that but my daddy taught me a long time ago that no man wanted a stinky girl so I made sure to never be one. I took about four showers a day on a good day. Any other day, at least two. I had to have at least two showers or I wasn't doing anything or going anywhere. Unh unh. Not me. I'm only 16 (remember I backed up) but I had it together. Way more than other girls my age anyway.

After pinning up my hair in a few braids and getting it cute the way I wanted, I lotioned up. I like to be oiled as well as smell good so I mix my pink chiffon scented lotion with some natural coconut oil. Then I take my favorite perfumes or body spray and hit my body with a couple mists. Sliding on a pair of black thongs I stood in the mirror to take a couple turns. Ass and titties still sitting up where they supposed to but I hadn't worked out in a while. I made a mental note to get back to it so I ain't end up fat like some of these other bitchs. I threw on my new PINK gray and blue yoga pants and a matching blue sports bra with all gray Jordans and grabbed my keys. I flew out the door to go meet my girls cause they should be there by now.

I walked in and my homegirls were in deep ass conversation. “What y'all talkin about?” I asked being nosy.

“Girl why Leesha ass just start fuckin wit Trae?!” Monay tells me. “I'm ready to beat her ass. Like for real. This bitch got me fucked up.”

“Yo baby daddy Trae?!” I know she had to have it wrong.

“Hell yeah my fuckin baby daddy! I'm ready to kill this bitch. Like for real dead. This bitch got the right one.”

“Leesha yo home girl from second grade bitch?! Fuck outta here. I'm not goin. That shit ain't true.” I refused to believe it.

“Na it's true.” Jayci chimed in. “I seen it with my eyeballs. They was over there on Burnet coming out the store. I was walkin in and so I spoke. The nigga tried to act like he ain't even know me. Gon look the other way and shit. I spoke to old girl too. Real sweet. She spoke back like it wasn't shit wrong with that fuckin picture. Girl I was hot. I kept that shit cool though cause I ain't know how you was gon feel but I started to punch that hoe. Anyway, I went on 'head in the store. I'm checking out and looked out the window and they all at the car hugged up.” She sounded more disgusted at the shit as the story went on. I'm standing there with my mouth dropped wide open like what the fuck. This shit outta control. “I breezed out that mufucka so quick and pushed down on em. I asked him had he talked to you,” she directed that part to Mo’. “He said Na and shit lookin real nervous. I just turned and walked away. I can't believe that hoe ass nigga. Ugh.”

“I told you you couldn't trust that bitch a year ago.” Antoinette rolled her eyes “y'all don't ever listen to me. I told you to quit fuckin wit these hoes. These hoes ain't about shit, the fuck! You always wanna run behind these hoes like they do something for you wit yo dumb ass!” She was heated.

“Alright bitch damn!” I interrupted. “She get the fuckin point shit. The question here now is what you gon do about it?” We all just sat there for a minute. Passing the L around and thinkin…

“I say we play it how it goes.” Jayci finally spoke up. Shocked we looked at her. My girl Jayci usually the quiet, chill, laid back one but when you got her fucked up, you then fucked up. That girl don't play. You get on her bad side and you better watch the fuck out. “What you mean?” We all leaned in and got to listening. Close.