The Nine

Chapter 8.3: Tara

We pulled in to the large parking lot of a Dollar General. Cori parked far from the front of the building and, as we stepped out into the chilly night air, I noticed a crowd of figures waiting on us to meet them.

As I continued walking, the shapes became more or less familiar. Off to one side was Tevin and his sister - what was her name? I'd only met her once - along with a short, light-skinned girl I recognized as Ashley. On the opposing side was Tammy out in front, along with three girls. Two of the three of Tammy's girls were tall and intimidating, both with rich brown skin and long, stiff weaves. The third girl had her hair cut short, much like Tammy's, and had her phone out ready to record what was about to transpire.

Cori had kept an even pace, but now that we were drawing to closer, she began to break into a sort of jog and then an all out sprint towards Tammy. Tammy and her crew, seeing Cori charge, all braced themselves to fight. Cori sprinted closer and closer, until finally she was nearly on top of all four girls.

That's when Tevin snatched Cori up in his arms and hurriedly carried her off to the side.

"TT let me go! I gotta handle this bitch!" She protested as he held his strong grip around her.

"Girl calm the fuck down before yo duck ass get crowded, arrested and crowded some more, and in that order." Tammy and her girls were laughing. Tevin's sister - Carlise! That was her name - and Ashley were trying to subdue Cori as I finally joined the group.

"Well hey there princess," Tevin commented rudely, taking notice of my presence, "you ain't gone try to calm this wild ass girl you call your sister?"

I rolled my eyes. Easy fix: Cori couldn't possibly stay mad if you caressed the back of her ear. I stroked it and she relaxed some. Tevin let her go and she walked up to Tammy, but stopped a safe two feet away from her.

"Now we both know this meeting gone end in me with a handful of all y'all cheap ass weaves in both my hands," Cori huffed, "but until we reach that point, you could explain to me why you felt like you could play on my fucking phone."

Tammy stood with her hand on her hips, smirking. Her girls were doing the same. The people walking out of the store stopped momentarily to gawk at the scene that was being made, and some even went in their cars and watched us from there.

This is not the place for me, I thought as Tammy responded. "Bitch ain't nobody gotta explain shit to yo la'hoe non-factor ass, and if we doing Q and As outchea, why the hell is you fucking with Cayman? You call yoself wanna be cool with me, meanwhile you begging my nigga to dick you down any chance you get."

Cayman? With her? What was going on? I was never sure on the very nature of Cori and Tammy's beef, but surely Cayman wouldn't have been the source of all this drama! Not only did Cayman not believe in relationships, Cori was not feeling him in that way - at least not from my knowledge. I caught myself laughing at Tammy's words. She turned to me.

"What's funny hoe? I ain't got no problems with you but if you want beef honey, it's up. You laughing at me but you really need to be laughing at that two dollar ass studio y'all operating out of." Tammy's friends laughed, and I laughed hardest of all. This girl really thought she could get to me. Whereas Tevin, Carlise, Ashley, and Cori got mad at what someone had to say about them, Tara Spencer didn't sweat anybody but herself. I simply didn't have the time.

"No bitch, you wanna know what the real problem is?" Coco raised her voice to speak for me. "The real problem is your dump truck pussy having ass think I give a fuck about what dicks you choose to slob on. Baby what you don't realize is that you are a la'girl, with la'girl titties, doing la'girl things and living a la'girl life. If I'm such a non-factor, the fuck you playing on my line for? And yeah you right I fucked ya nigga before, and if you keep talking, I just might do that shit again. Me and Cayman just spoke Thursday and when I dropped your name, he ain't even remember ya exed ass. And if you really that pressed to know who I'm fucking," she flashed a bright, confident smile, "it's your brother. See you at the family reunion bitch!"