by Ace Gucciano
“What the hell you got goin’ on?” he asked, being sarcastic, but already knew what was about to go down. Turning up to her favorite song, she unbuckle his belt, unbuttoned his pants and let down his zipper. He then leaned towards him, licked him in the ear, before going down, kissing and licking all around the tip of his dick prior to sticking it in her mouth. His body shook from the feeling of her warm mouth wrap around him. He grabbed the back of her head
“Slick! Slick!!” his roommate yelled standing over him shaking the bed attempting to wake him up. “What? What, my nigga, damn?!”
“Time to eat breakfast, homie,” his roommate said, but he continue laying there as his roommate left the room saying to himself out loud, “Somehow, someway I’ve gotta get the fuck up outta here!”
$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $
It was the first of the month and about 80% of the people who smoked were guaranteed to get a check of some type. So all the local dope boys got up at the crack of dawn to hit the block, including Smoke and Dre. The moment they saw the two Hispanic guys turn into the complex driving the Altima, and turn again at the first intersection that they came to, Smoke said,
“Maniac must gotta attitude; we ain’t heard from that nigga in a few days, dawg.”
“He mad we won’t rob those migos with him, but he keep telling us they’re a sweet lick, if they’re that sweet, he shoulda been laid they’re asses down the first day he saw them. Ya’ feel me, homie?” said Dre and they both laughed as Smoke replied.
“Come on, homie, you know I feel ya. I just wish--,” and then he was interrupted when his phone began to ring from a number he didn’t recognize. “This gotta be money!” He answered and heard an automated voice.
“Hello. You have a collect call from Sean Bradley, an inmate at the Clayton County jail. To accept this call press one, to reject this call press--,” instantly, he pressed one and they were connected. Slick didn’t waste a second snapping on Smoke.
“What the hell you and Dre broke ass got goin’ on?”
“We on the block tryna get it up; it’s the first of the month…and who the fuck you calling broke, dawg?” Smoke replied angrily as Slick’s statement got to him.
“Both of y’all niggas, as a matter of fact, put me on speakerphone so he can hear this too.” Smoke put the phone on speaker and he continued. “Like I said, both of y’all niggas broke and broke minded. Y’all muthafuckers rather hit the block with nicks and dimes instead of tryna get some real money. I bet if both of y’all put y’all money together that shit won’t add up to thousand dollars, and y’all stay talkin’ about-”
“Hold on, hold on, hold on,” Dre uttered rudely butting in on Slick. “Fuck you got an attitude with us fo’?”
“Cause y’all niggas say y’all tryna get it up, but y’all boys don’t want no money! Y’all been bullshittin’ ever since y'all been home, at least my nigga Maniac is trying!”
“How he be trying, Slick, robbin’ muthafuckers? That’s what got us fucked up the first time, remember or did you forget all about that, huh?” Smoke replied with aggression snapping back at Slick.
“Fuck all that arguing, going back and forth shit y’all got going on. Slick, what’s on ya’ mind, homie?” Dre inquired as the automated recording cut in.
“You have two minutes remaining on this call.”
“What’s on my mind? Shit, let me tell you…as much shit as I did and as much as I do for y’all niggas, y’all supposed to be the main two tryna help me get a lawyer so I can get outta here, not Maniac. I can’t even lie, it hurt like a muthafucker knowin’ he’s out there trying to lay a muthafucka down to help get a nigga outta of jail, and that shit sad cause I ain’t as cool with him as I am with y’all.”
“On the real… you’re right, big homie, I can’t even argue, you’ve done so much shit for me that now I gotta—”
“Sorry, this call was terminated because it reached its length.”
“Aye Dre, I feel bruh pain, dawg… we do need to find a new hustle, cause postin’ up on the block is getting’ old, and being out here all day every day ain’t doing shit but making us hot.”
“Yeah, you right, homie, we ain’t doin’ shit out here but throwin’ rocks at the penitentiary, and sooner or later you’re bound to strike out. You know what I mean?”
“Hell yeah, I feel ya’ dawg. Now I feel like if me, you, and Maniac come together to get Slick out he’ll go ahead and give us the game on that white collar shit so we won’t have to be out here on the block all day.”
“A’ight, that’s what's up, homie…So how you wanna do this shit?” Smoke inquired.
Chapter 5
It was a little after 3:00 am and the Diamond Lounge was closed for the night, and as a result Cierra and her best friend were in the female’s locker room counting up all the money that they had made for the evening. After Cierra lost count for the third time, she became very irritated as she paused for a second and rubbed her eyes.
“Shit! I lost my count again!” she yelled out of frustration.
Hurricane could tell by the troubled look on her face that something was on her mind. So she stopped counting.
“Girl, you a’ight?” she asked and Cierra gave a bitter laugh.
“Yeah…I’m a’ight, what made you ask me that?”
“Bitch! I’ve known yo ass damn near my whole life. I know when somethin’ is on your damn mind, who in the hell do you think you’re foolin’?”
Cierra took a quick sip from the bottle of Patŕon she been drinking on the entire night.
“Girl, I’m pregnant!”
“I knew it, I’ve known yo’ ass for too long, I knew it was somethin’. I thought you said you weren’t having any until you were married. What the fuck happened?”
“Girl I don’t know, but it’s somethin’ about that nigga Trouble.”
“Who? That nigga that just got outta jail?”
“Prison, you mean, but yeah it’s somethin’ about him, girl. He like the male version of me. We kicked it all that night about a lotta shit. At the end of the night we both felt like we’ve known each other for a while.”
“SO, that was a good enough reason for you let him fuck you raw?”
“Bitch, I ain’t no hoe! I believe the rubber must have popped, it had to!”
“Mmm-hmm, if you knew that rubber popped then why in the hell didn’t you go getta Plan-B pill?”
“Bitch, if I knew, I would have. I didn’t find out till a few weeks later when I went to Grady cause I wasn’t feelin’ well.”
“Okay, so why are you sittin’ here all frustrated, you betta take yo’ ass and getta abortion befo’ it’s too late!”
“That’s what got me so frustrated. The doctor told me I’m pregnant with twins! My heart won’t let me get an abortion.”
“So, did you tell ol’ boy that you’re pregnant yet?”
“Who, Trouble, naw not yet.”
“Well, what the fuck you waitin’ on?”
“I don’t know; I’m kinda scared to hear what he might say, girl.”
Hurricane took a deep pull from her blunt of kush, looked at Cierra, and shook her head.
“You scared of what he might say!! Bitch call that nigga number, and hand me the phone!”
“When we was with each other he ain’t have a phone, by that being his first day home…I do remember where he stay though!”
“Okay, well once you finish getting’ ya’ self together we gonna ride through there, so you can get at him!”
“Uhh-that’ll work!” Cierra answered, uncertain if she should pull up unannounced at Trouble’s spot after 4:00 in the morning.
Thirty-minutes later when they arrived in Lexington Square, Cierra rode around the entire complex as if she were trying to find exactly where he lived, but in reality she felt as if she was invading his privacy. So she continued frontin’ like she couldn’t remember.
After riding around the complex a few times too many, they noticed the guys that were posted on the block w
ere starting to look suspiciously at Cierra’s smoke grey Chevy Camaro. The car had tinted windows and you could barely see inside, so the girls knew they were getting ready to start something with them for riding through one time too many.
“Damn bitch! How in the fuck you forget where the nigga stay, you drivin’ all round the complex, got these roggish ass niggas lookin’ at us like they ready to try something! Take me back to my car so I can take my ass home. I’m tired and my ass hurt. His dick had to be good, you can’t remember where to stay!”
Under her breath, Cierra let out a huge sigh of relief, leaving Lexington Square as swiftly as she could.
$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $
Maniac had his attention focused on the two Hispanic’s place, contemplating if he should go ahead and make his move to rob them once they arrived at their normal time 9:00 am, or catch them off guard with the element of surprise by shooting one of them on their way back out to let them know he meant business. Yeah, I’ma catch they ass off guard…the element of surprise is a muhfucka ‘specially when you thinkin’ erry’thang is all good! He said to himself, he took another hit from his blunt of mid, still watchin’ from his window. But dis might be my only chance to come up. If I fuck up or make a mistake all hell is gone break loose round here.
Suddenly, out of the blue he found himself straining his eyes trying to see who the two male individuals were walking his direction…But as they made it a little closer, Fuck dem two scary ass niggaz want, He asked to himself the moment he noticed Smoke and Dre.
At the speed they were approaching, he knew something was wrong, so he grabbed his F&N and hurried to the front door. Putting the anger he had for them to the side, he snatched the door open as quick as he could.
“Y’all musta just got into it wit one of dem niggaz on da block? See dats why I don’t be out there competing wit dem nickel and dime ass niggaz! I do my own thang!”
As they made their way inside Smoke noticed the F&N he had in his right hand.
“Naw, dawg, ain’t shit going on, fuck made you think dat?”
“Yeah, I thought you was bout ta come out bustin da way you came to da door.” Said Dre.
“Shit how da fuck am I ‘pose to know, I ain’t talked to y’all niggaz in almost a week and all a sudden I see y’all from the window walking dis way like some just popped off. What da hell am I ‘pose to think? Dat’s why I came wit da’ strap…Since ain’t nuthin’ wrong, den why da’ hell y’all over here so early?” Maniac inquired while pacing the living room floor…Suddenly, before either of them could say anything Maniac shut his front door quietly “Ssssh!” He went, holdin his left index finger to his lips signaling Dre and Smoke to be quiet as he looked out the window at the Altima that had just pulled up. As the two Hispanics made their way inside carrying two duffel bags each, “Damn I’m slippin'…I ‘pose to be laying y’all ass down right now!” Maniac said in a low voice.
Although he meant to utter his words as low as he could, Dre and Smoke both heard exactly what he said, and from the horrible look he showed they knew he was for real.
“Check dis out homeboy.” Said Dre, putting his hand on Maniac’s shoulder to get his attention.
“What!?” Maniac yelled, turning around to see what Dre wanted, feeling like it they still didn’t wanna hit the lick with him then it wasn’t a reason for them to even be in his presence, let alone his living room.
“Look we got to come together and get out boy Slick out dat cage homeboy. So whatever you plan on doin' to dem Migo’s ova dere make it happen homie.”
Maniac went from a frown to smiling from ear to ear instantly.
“Ha! What made y’all boys change y’all mind, tired of nickel and diming and not going huh?” he asked.
Not wanting to tell him the truth, that Slick had told them he fucked with them a lot harder than Maniac.
So Smoke just told him what he thought he wanted to hear.
“Yeah dawg! Dat shit getting old, and da way da system set up now a nigga will get mo’ time fo’ sellin' dope that murder. It’s time to switch it up a lil, you know, find a new hustle…can’t be on da’ block fo’ eva!”
“Time to find a new hustle…I hope it ain’t hittin’ licks, cause y’all niggaz ain’t bout dat life, plus y’all too fuckin' scary!”
Smoke got offended and stated, “Damn right I’m scary dawg! Shit last time we went to lay a nigga down I ain’t make it back home till seven years later fool! And yo’ ass shouldn’t still be out here tryna lay muhfuckas down. A stack here and there, ain’t doin' shit but creating a nigga mo’ and mo enemies, and yo’ ass prolly can’t even remember half da niggaz you laid down, but I bet they'll notice you from a mile away.”
“Fuck dat shit cuzzo I got to eat, and I’m gonna eat, by any means. But what you tryna say?”
“I’m sayin’, fuck all dem petty licks let’s hit dis one big lick on dem migos, get Slick a lawyer to get em’ a bond, and once we get em’ outta jail, we can get on dem white collar crimes. Muhfuckas don’t get too much time fo’ dat shit.”
Maniac listened to every word Smoke uttered, laughing to himself on the inside the moment he felt him and Slick’s plan to get Dre and Smoke to rob the two Hispanics with him coming together, he then replied.
“A’ight that’s a bet, I’m feelin’ dat… now since we’re all on da’ same mission, lemme tell y’all how it’s boutta go down.”
$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $
A month later, Trouble was in his room playing Madden 25 on his PlayStation when his mother barged in his room, “I’m sick of you sittin’ up in dis room, playin dat fuckin' game all day like you ain’t got shit else to do!” she screamed as she slapped the controller out of his hand. He felt she was ready to swing as him, from all the emotion she was showing. “You’ve been home going on two months, and ain’t tryna do nun with ya’ self…look at you, all you do it play dis bullshit system all day. I hate I even bought that shit.”
“Ma’ why you trippin' on me y—”
“Shut-up!! she shouted cutting him off. “I’m tired of trying to help a man who ain’t trying to do nuthing for himself! Now get off yo’ ass and go find somewhere to work.” She yelled.
Trouble never saw her show so much emotion and anger before in his life, so he remained quiet, and left as she commanded.
The moment he stepped outside and began walking he noticed niggaz standing on the block waiting for their clientele to come through. And here I am tryna be legit and getta job, knowin damn well muhfuckas don’t wanna hire a convicted felon…but bills at da’ crib still gotta be paid, my nigga Slick is in jail, ma dukes startin to put pressure on me…shit I really need to get it how I live. Trouble was confused as he strolled through the block trying to clear his mind…but suddenly out the blue he remember the he applied for the three openings at Kroger. Although it had been a couple weeks since he first put in the application, at this point he felt anything was better than nothing. When he made it to Kroger thirty minutes later, he went straight to customer service. When asked “May I help you?”
He replied, “Yes ma’am I was trying to see if I can talk to a supervisor or someone about employment.”
“Oh, I’m sorry sir! But our supervisors only want to see those who have applications on file. So you have to fill out this a—”
“Ma’am sorry, but I already have one on file.”
“When did you apply sir?”
“Uhh I know it had to be almost a month or so ago.”
“Oh great! What’s your name, so I can get him to pull up your app and come have a word with you?”
“Daunté Jones.”
He responded. At that point she grabbed the phone and dial his extension…Ten minutes later a tall dark skin slender guy in his late thirties, with a head full of dreads, and one gold tooth like Shabba Ranks stepped to Trouble saying
“Yo mon! Are you Daunté Jones?”
“Yeah dat’s me.”
“Okay good, I’m Mr. Johnson or either John-John nice to meet you..
.Now I see here on de bottom of your application you were convicted of armed robbery correct?”
“Yeah that’s true sir, unfortunately.” He replied, as he dropped his head with a good idea of what he was about to hear him say next.
“Well, me glad you told de truth. I hate liars…But on de other hand I really believe in givin people a second chance, someone gave me one when I got out. So I always looked at it as my way of giving back. You can never forget where you came from.”
Trouble felt a sigh of relief and couldn’t stop smiling “So dat means I’m hired?”
“Uhh not quite. You still gotta have another interview with the store manager, plus take a urine test.”
“So when should I be hearing from da’ store manager in a couple of days?”
“Well he interview people in de order de applications is received. Den if you get hired you take de urine test dat day.”
Trouble’s patience was beginning to go very thin.
“So how many people ahead of me, if you don’t mind me asking?” he inquired.
“Off de top of me head I don’t know, but not many. We’re gonna call you when we ready for you to come in. Okay?”
“A’ight cool!!” Trouble angrily replied.
I can’t believe I let dat clown ass fool me. Talkin’ bout he believe in givin’ second chances, nigga you’s a peon! He thought to himself as he exited the store.
Man fuck dis workin, tryna be honest shit…I’m back to da old me. Getting it how I live…Fuck it, I gotta eat!
$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $
Trouble headed to Maniac’s crib to find out what him, Smoke and Dre been up to since he has been missing in action for a while trying to find a gig. But as he was approaching his building he saw two Hispanics in a Nissan Altima pulled up to the building across from Maniac’s. Once they got out the guy on the passenger side looked Trouble’s way with a head nod “Sup homes!”
