Passion of the Streets

by A'zayler

  Oni had tried not to assume it was because she was too sexual, but she couldn’t think of anything else. Though she was a bit promiscuous, she wasn’t a hoe. She could count on one hand how many men she’d ever had sex with. The thing about that was, they did it all the time.

  Her sexual partners might have been limited, but the amount of sex she had was off the charts. In her mind she figured that wasn’t too much of a problem being that it was with the same men every time. Clearly the word had gotten around and she’d quickly become a household name.

  “Oni, tell me why you ain’t got no man. Or at least a good one.” Shock brought her attention back to him.

  “I honestly don’t know.” She shrugged.

  “How about you let me spend some time with you and see if I can figure out why you don’t have one.”

  Oni looked at him for a long time before shaking her head. “I think I’m going to have to pass on that.”

  “Damn. Turned down two times in a row. That’s a record for me. I think I feel bad.”

  “Don’t feel bad. I just have a lot of personal issues going on right now.” Oni looked off toward the men who had been out there with them. They were headed into the apartment. “Plus, I kicked it with somebody in your circle once.”

  Shock’s eyebrows raised as he waited for her to tell him which of his friends she was referring to, but she never did. Truthfully, Oni didn’t even know why she’d volunteered that information from the beginning. She could have just as easily said no and left it at that.

  That was another one of her problems. She talked too much. No longer really paying Shock any attention, Oni scrubbed the table and gathered all of the trash along the ground until she was finished. He’d only sat there for a few more minutes before getting up to leave anyway. By the time she was done, Gia was walking toward her with the other black trash bag.

  “Jamil said we can leave them right here and they’ll get them.”

  “Oh, I was about to do that anyway. We’ve already cleaned all this mess up. The least they can do is take it to the dumpster.”

  “I know that’s right.” Gia pushed some of her hair out of her face. “You okay?”

  Oni nodded. “Yeah. I’m cool. I’m just kind of tired. How much longer you want to stay?”

  “Milli said something about them having a few drinks and playing cards. You want to do that or just go home?”

  “We can do that. It’s not like we have anything else to do once we get home anyway.”

  Gia agreed, and together, the two of them walked into the house. Just like they’d done before, they walked straight to Shock’s room to get dressed, totally disregarding his rule about being in his room. They quickly removed their swimsuits and put on the change of clothes they’d brought along.

  “Girl, why Shock keep trying to talk to me?”

  “For real?” Gia pulled her shirt over her head.

  “Yeah, but I don’t think I should. I turned him down twice already and told the nigga I kicked it with one of his friends already.”

  Gia stopped pulling her shorts up and looked at Oni. “You did what?”

  Oni plopped down on the bed. “I don’t know why I said that.”

  “Me either. You need to just hush sometimes. He ain’t need to know that. As far as you know, he and Iverson might not even be friends. You see that nigga wasn’t at the party.”

  “You know something, I didn’t even think about that.”

  “You was too busy flirting with Shock to notice. That’s why you didn’t think about it.”

  Oni smiled at Gia as she rubbed lotion all over her body. “You right. We have been hanging pretty tough today.”

  “I think you should hang out with him. Jamil vouched for him, so he must be good people.”

  “That nigga older than us, though.”

  “I know you ain’t acting like his age is a problem when Isaac is probably his daddy age.”

  “I’m so tired of you.”

  Gia shrugged. “And . . . what’s your point?”

  Oni thought about it and realized she didn’t have one, especially since she was, in fact, dealing with a nigga that was way older than her. At least Shock was only older by a few years.

  “I guess you’re right. I’ma tell him I changed my mind.”

  Gia pulled Oni from the bed. “Thank you.”

  Since they were completely dressed, they headed back out front to help the men clean up. When they got into the living room, Jamil, Shock, and the other two men were all seated around the table with cards in their hands and liquor bottles and shot glasses on the table.

  “I know I told y’all to stay out my room,” Shock said with a blunt hanging from between his lips.

  “We’re finished now. We won’t go back,” Oni told him.

  “Nah, Gee might not go back, but you will. As soon as I can get you to kick it with me for a little while.”

  Oni looked at Gia for reassurance. When she nodded, Oni smiled. “We’ll see about that.”

  Just as Shock turned around to respond, a knock came on his door. Oni and Gia both looked at the door, neither of them moving to answer it. It wasn’t their house.

  “I’ll grab it.” Jamil stood and headed for the door while the girls busied themselves in the kitchen.

  Oni and Gia had been raised to clean up, so no matter where they were, if there was stuff to be done, they had no problem doing it. Especially since they had no plans on drinking or playing cards.

  “I know the party ain’t over already.”

  Oni stilled when she heard his voice. Instinctively she looked up at Gia, who was looking at her as well.

  “What should I do?” Oni whispered.

  “Nothing. Iverson ain’t your man. Chill like you’ve been doing. Just don’t let that nigga be all up on you like y’all go together. You know how niggas like to act.”

  Oni nodded and continued wiping off the counter.

  When Iverson and Jamil came into view, Jamil was looking at Gia. He raised an eyebrow and she nodded. Gia really had herself something with him. It was very nice of him to even consider her feelings when it came to Iverson.

  “Man, how y’all close the party down before I get here?” Iverson slapped hands with Shock first before following up with the other two men.

  “Nigga, it took your ass all day to get here.” Jamil sat down and picked his cards back up.

  “Had business to handle, my boy.” Iverson set his phone and keys down on the table. “Y’all ain’t got no more food left up in here?” He was walking toward the kitchen when he noticed Gia and Oni.

  A smile crossed his face as he headed for Oni. She could already tell by the way that he was looking that he was about to try something slick, so she moved and pretended to be putting the sodas in the refrigerator.

  “Damn, y’all must be special. Y’all get to stay and kick it with the homies.” Iverson was leaning against the counter staring at both girls.

  “Something like that,” Gia offered.

  “What’s up, Oni? You ain’t speaking today?”

  Oni smiled and waved. “You were talking.”

  Iverson’s eyes trailed up her body, stopping at her exposed stomach. “Who you trying to look all sexy for? I ain’t got to beat nobody’s ass, do I?”

  Oni gave an awkward smile and shook her head. “Nah, I’m just chilling. It was a pool party, so I wanted to make sure I dressed the part.”

  “Well, you definitely did that.” He eyed her with lust. “Make a nigga want to do some things to you.”

  “Iverson, damn. Snatch her clothes off and fuck her already, why don’t you? You’re being way too disrespectful.” Gia shot him an evil look.

  Iverson held his hands up in mock surrender before showing all of his teeth to Gia, who found nothing amusing about his behavior.

  “My fault. I ain’t mean no harm. Just expressing my appreciation for something nice.”

  “It’s easier ways to do that,” Gia sassed.

  “U
nderstood.” He winked at Gia and tapped Oni on her butt. “My fault, Oni. Just had me reminiscing for a minute.”

  “Nigga, what the fuck I just say?” Gia got a little louder.

  Oni could tell Gia was starting to get pissed off because that was pretty much the only time she yelled. Though she was grateful to Gia standing up for her, Oni didn’t want to cause any problems with Jamil and Iverson. She could already tell by the looks Jamil was giving Iverson that he was going to be up and ready to fight if he said one more thing to Gia.

  “It’s cool, Gia. I ain’t worried about it, boo.” Oni tried to deescalate the situation because clearly Iverson felt like playing games.

  “I feel you, but you still don’t let no nigga disrespect you like that.” Gia threw the towel on the counter and walked out into the living room.

  “Aye, Milli Rock, you need to check your girl’s attitude. That shit is ridiculous.” Iverson tried to laugh it off, but neither Jamil nor Gia thought it was funny.

  “He don’t have to check nothing over here,” Gia said.

  “Chill, Gee.” Jamil stood. “Iverson, don’t say nothing else to Gee, and leave Oni’s ass alone too. Come sit your ass down and play cards and get out of there with them fucking females.”

  Iverson walked toward the table and took a seat on one of the barstools. “Everybody in this bitch in their feelings today?”

  “Nah, we chilling. That’s your loud mouth coming in here trying to start shit,” Jamil told him.

  “I ain’t trying to start a damn thing. I was just making conversation, but I see y’all niggas ain’t trying to fuck around.” Iverson pulled some folded-up papers from his back pocket and tossed them across the table to Jamil. “Here. I brought you the identity information, and the money contracts and shit we agreed to with Alira’s people. They faxed it to me this morning.”

  “Bet,” Jamil said without even looking up from the table. “I’ll look over it later.”

  “Nah, nigga. Look at that shit now so I can send that shit back to her on my way home.”

  “Boy, hell nah, ain’t no stopping. This nigga got to play his hand first.” Shock spoke up.

  “Y’all can do that shit anytime. Business first.” Iverson sat on the seat looking at them.

  Jamil looked at Iverson. “What’s the rush? Why you can’t just send it in the morning?”

  “Because I got some shit I need to handle in the morning. Plus I told her I was about to meet up with y’all boys and I would send it back to her tonight.”

  Jamil and Shock both ignored Iverson and went back to playing their hand of cards. They were talking junk to the other men at the table with them when Iverson hopped up and walked over. He snatched the paperwork from the table and opened it dramatically.

  “Nigga, look at this shit and make sure everything is right. I’m about to dip.”

  Oni and Gia sat on the sofa next to each other trying to figure out what the big deal was with Iverson and why he was being so extra. The last couple of times they’d seen him he seemed a lot more laid back, but today he was being a tad bit too aggressive for their liking.

  Versus speaking their opinion on something that had nothing to do with them, they both sat back and talked until Gia got up to stand next to Jamil.

  Jamil laughed in disbelief. “Bruh, if you don’t back the fuck up off me.” He playfully elbowed Iverson.

  Iverson took a step back but tossed the papers back down at Jamil. “See, y’all niggas in here playing and shit instead of taking care of business,” he fumed as he walked back to where he’d just set his keys and phone. “Y’all niggas just call me when y’all ready to handle business, because clearly right now ain’t it.” When he turned around to face the table again, seeing Gia leaning on Jamil’s shoulder must have pissed him off, because he really went off then. “If your ass wasn’t so busy trying to show off for these hoes, you could get shit handled,” he bellowed.

  “Whoa,” Gia yelled as she stumbled backward.

  Jamil had jumped up from the table so fast, he’d knocked her over. With one hand around Iverson’s neck, he used the other one to punch him in the face. After the first hit, the two men were involved in a full-out brawl, blow after blow being passed.

  “Y’all break this shit up,” Shock yelled as the other two men pried Jamil and Iverson apart. “Y’all stop that shit. Y’all boys. Come on, man.” He tried to reason with them.

  “Fuck that nigga,” Jamil huffed as he sat back in his seat.

  “Nigga, fuck your illiterate ass.” Iverson wiped the blood from his mouth. “The only reason your ass ain’t trying to read that shit right now is because your dumb ass can’t.” Iverson picked his keys up from the floor. “Dumb muthafucka. You so wrapped up in this black-ass bitch, make that hoe teach your retarded ass how to fucking read. Hell, make the bitch teach your stupid ass cursive. Maybe you can sign your own shit from now on.”

  The entire living room fell quiet for a minute as everybody looked at Jamil. Well, everybody except for Gia. She had just slapped the taste from Iverson’s mouth and was well on her way to doing it again until the side of her face met the back of Iverson’s hand. All hell broke loose after that.

  Jamil didn’t even pass go or collect two hundred dollars before he was on Iverson, practically beating his brains out with the empty Hennessy bottle. Oni and Gia both screamed for the other men to break it up, but they didn’t.

  Blood splattered everywhere as the heavy glass bottle connected with the bones in Iverson’s face over and over. You could hear the low grumbling between the two men as they fought against one another. Sadly, Iverson wasn’t putting up much of a fight with the anger from Jamil and the thick glass of the empty liquor bottle.

  When Oni noticed Iverson was barely moving, she grabbed Gia’s arm and screamed. “He has to stop, Gia.”

  “Nah. Let him get some. That nigga was out of line for that shit,” one of the men told Oni.

  “No. He’s going to kill him,” Gia pleaded.

  “He’s not going to kill him,” Shock said solemnly.

  “Yes, he is. You have to make him stop.” Oni grabbed Shock’s arm and pushed him toward the fighting men. “Please, Shock. Make them stop.”

  He looked at Oni and Gia once more before nodding toward the other two men. Like obedient little guard dogs, they put an end to the brawl. Apparently Shock had known what he was talking about when he said that Jamil wasn’t going to kill Iverson, because Jamil put up no fight as they pulled them apart.

  Jamil’s chest rose and fell rapidly as he tried to calm his breathing. Iverson, on the other hand, was barely able to pull himself up from the floor. His entire face was swollen as he wiped blood from his face with the bottom of his shirt.

  “Y’all help this nigga to his car,” Shock told the two flunkies.

  Each of them grabbed one of Iverson’s arms and threw it over their shoulder as they exited Shock’s apartment. When they were gone, Gia went to Jamil to check on him, only for him to snatch away from her and walk to the back of the house.

  Gia went to follow him but was met with a locked door. Oni and Shock stood in the living room listening to her bang on the door, begging for him to open it for her. After five minutes of knocking, she slid to the floor and sat with her back against the door telling him that she wasn’t leaving.

  Oni’s heart broke for them both because that was a tough situation. On one hand, Jamil’s friend had just told some of the most embarrassing information in front of a room full of people. Though Gia didn’t care and would be there for him anyway, he didn’t know that.

  “Iverson is so fucking lame,” Oni said to no one in particular. Being that she and Shock were the only two in the room, of course he’d heard her.

  “Yeah. That was fucked up. I remember when Milli first told us that shit. I told him he shouldn’t have told Iverson, but he kept saying that nigga was like his brother.” Shock sat next to Oni on the sofa and shook his head. “Iverson is the jealous type. He likes attention. If
he thinks anyone is getting more than him, he’ll do whatever he can to destroy them. Jamil always refused to believe that nigga would do him the same way, but not me. I saw the envy in his eyes for Milli. I knew it was only a matter of time before this shit blew up.”

  Oni sat quietly just listening to Shock, trying her hardest to figure out how someone could feel so much hate and animosity toward a person they considered to be their friend. That didn’t make any sense to her. It didn’t matter what her and Gia went through, she would never tell something Gia had told her in confidence.

  “So he really can’t read? Or was Iverson just being messy?”

  Shock shrugged and scooted farther down on the sofa. “If he could, do you think your girl would be out there begging him to talk to her?”

  Oni could tell Shock didn’t want to tell Jamil’s business and had answered her question the best he could without being disloyal. So instead of pushing any further, she simply nodded and lay back on the sofa with him.

  She didn’t know how long it had been before Gia finally walked to the living room telling her she was ready to go. Shock could tell she was bummed out and begged her not to worry about Jamil, but he and Oni both knew that wasn’t happening. It was written all over her face.

  On the entire ride home Oni watched Gia call Jamil again and again to no avail. She could hear the subtle sniffles every so often as she wiped her eyes continuously.

  “It’s going to be okay, Gia. He just needs some time.”

  Gia nodded and wiped her eyes again. “I just feel so bad for him because I know he’s embarrassed. Iverson shouldn’t have done him like that.” Her eyes began to water again.

  “Yeah. That was low down.”

  “It’s crazy, too, because it all makes sense now. He doesn’t like to text. Anytime I text him, he calls instead of texting me back. He’s always making me spell stuff. Anytime we go out to eat, he never looks at menus. When I try to show him stuff on my phone, he always makes me read it to him because he’s too tired.” Gia cried. “Oh my God, Oni. He really can’t read. I don’t know how I didn’t see it before.” Gia put her head down on her knees and began to cry a little harder.