Loyal to His Lies

by T. C. Littles

  Izzi wanted me to help him lock down the east, and yeah, I felt him. They were over here getting straight buck wild with the package, and they most definitely needed a thick wooden bat upside their craniums. I instinctively pulled out my piece, pressing the cold silver steel onto the side of his left temple.

  “You think I’m gonna put my word on a basehead? I know you smokin’,” I alleged, getting louder.

  By now the entire block was coming back out of their houses to catch another show starring me. I was being extra hard because I was forced to. Just a few short hours ago, shit had gone berserk between me and my baby momma. I had to let the hood know, young and old, that I hadn’t lost control of any situations.

  “Come on, Nardo. Please, man. I ain’t smoking no more. Please, I got kids at home and mouths to feed.” He pleaded for his life. “Just give me another day or two.”

  I slid my burner back into the waistband of my pants, deciding I was not gonna catch no case on this fool. He just needed a Scared Straight tactic. I had no choice. I did go upside his head a few times with my fist, and when he landed on the ground, I kicked his fragile, bag-of-bones body. “Nate, I want my money tonight, or for real for real, you can lay out your casket clothes ahead of time.” I walked away, feeling vindicated in front of the hood.

  “I see you can’t keep yo’ shit low key all of a sudden, with baby momma pop-ups and drama on the block with these heads. Niggas over here trying to make their money, and you’re setting the spot on fire.” Izzi grimed me as I walked on the porch of our spot.

  “You and Z fuckin’ around, dawg, or what?” I accused him, getting straight to the point.

  “You playing me real close. But right about now, why you even care what I might’ve done? Last I checked, you ain’t give a fuck.” He lit the blunt in his hand, obviously throwing up our conversation we had on the way to the club. “What? Now you do?”

  “Yeah, well, even if I didn’t, that was not an all clear to bang my baby momma.”

  “Look, Nardo, we got money on the streets and heavy weight to throw around. Now, you can keep dwelling on this bullshit, or get straight to business. But whatever the case, I’m gonna get mine. I ain’t got time for no broads, least of all yours.”

  “I’m with that most def, but I still ain’t trying to hear on the streets that you hard-dicking her.” I swole up, staring him dead in the eyes, but he didn’t even seem shook. “Zaria is off limits! Ya feel me?” We were standing toe to toe.

  “Call it what it is, Nardo, but don’t come at me with no shit unless it got to do with gettin’ that bread.”

  “Well, we’ll get that dough till it plays out. Let’s roll and set up shop.” I came back to my senses as I started walking to the truck. “I don’t know why I’m bugging out. We better than that anyway.”

  Me and Izzi got in my truck and headed toward the east side location where we’d cook up at. Izzi’s great aunt’s senior citizen’s apartment was the perfect place. We played it off like we were going to visit, but low key we had our empire in there. No one even knew this spot existed, except for us two and her.

  Auntie Eva was very well taken care of, and we always looked out for her friends in there also. Shit, old folks need money and love too, and we provided that for her. She wanted for nothing.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Zaria

  I sat in the parking lot, waiting on Melanie to walk out of the county jail. I had let a thousand fall out my pocket for her freedom. She owed me big time, and I was gonna straight use her. Yeah, I fucked Nardo right out of her arms, but before all that, we were thick as thieves. I didn’t care how hurt or betrayed she felt sitting behind those cell walls. I was not down for a bitch coming to my house or calling my phone, trying to play me like a fool. She was about to learn a lesson.

  “Excuse me, miss lady, can I have a few dollars for a burger and a cup of coffee?” A bum eased up as I stepped out of the car so Melanie could see me.

  “Naw, I ain’t even got it to spare,” I shot back, giving a cold stare to the front. I couldn’t stand people asking for my goddamn money. Now, if you want to pick the trash up around my house or do some extracurricular tasks, then I could hook you up and pay for your time, but free change? Fuck naw! That was why when Melanie stepped foot out of lockup, she was gonna work that G off, whether she wanted to or not!

  Melanie

  “You’ve made bond,” the officer announced.

  I could’ve sworn she was coming to take me for some more questioning about the events that had went down at Zaria’s house, but obviously, Nardo had come to his senses and was about to bail me out.

  “Damn, he made a sister wait it out,” I nonchalantly mentioned to the officer, trying to make conversation as we took our walk from the cell.

  She didn’t say a single, solitary word to me. I guess she thought she was something extra special because she had a gun or some crap like that, but whatever it was, at least I was outta that joint.

  Forgetting about my so-called life change I’d vowed to make, I was angry once I was back on the street. Nardo was gonna hear my mouth about making me wait, but first I had to re-pussy-whip this fool ’cause he done lost his mind, thinking he could have me sit up like some caged bird. Anyways, I couldn’t wait to get out and get back to my house and soak in a hot-ass bath. The jail smell was awful. I smelt my damn self!

  Zaria

  Melanie came out of the jail looking just like she always looked to me: rough, raggedy, and tore up from the floor up. Of course, they made her take her hair down and take the strings out of her sneakers. Mel thought she could roll with any big dog, but low key, she couldn’t hang with the broads in the county jail.

  I locked my eyes onto her and was staring hard. I was prepared to scrap with her right outside of the jail if need be. That’s how pissed I was. Our eyes met each other, and that was it.

  “Awwww, hell naw! So, you posted a bitch’s bond! You dumb as I thought you were,” she said, walking toward me. “You dropped a grand to see my pretty ass?”

  “Naw, not dumb, homegirl, but pissed off. What box of tough cookies did you swallow that had you geeked up like Jeezy to come to my crib?” I questioned, walking up to meet her with a clenched fist.

  “Excuse me, ma’am, do you have some loose change that you can spare?” the bum asked Melanie before she could even get back with me.

  “Naw, I ain’t got a dime for ya. Besides, didn’t you just see me get out?” she screamed at the begging man then turned her attention back on me. “And as for you, Zaria, I ain’t had nothing but bread and water in this piece, and I’m still ready to fuck you up,” she yelled.

  “You so freaking stupid, Melanie. Let me clue you in on a few things. Nardo left you for me and only hooked up with you behind my back. He still doesn’t claim you and will never want you. Isn’t it obvious, since he left you up in jail with murderers, thieves, and whatever other lunatic that’s lurking up in there? What’s wrong with you?” I asked, talking patiently, wanting to bring her self-esteem down to a pulp. “And dang gee, yo’ breath stank like the sewer!”

  Melanie covered her mouth shamefully as she spoke. “Nardo might’ve left me for you, but he still kept creeping back. Now, what does that say? Hmmm, to me that says your cat ain’t shit, and I got that comeback.”

  “Well, you ain’t shit but some pussy,” I said, raising my voice. She was aggravating me once again. I was mad bitter that Nardo kept backtracking with her. That gave her a little leverage on me and some truth to hit me with. “Don’t think for one second that I won’t beat the mess out of you. This right here, baby girl, is not a game. I have never been sloppy nothing. He left you in the gutter. He chose me,” I proudly stated like Nardo was a crown prince.

  “First of all, you ain’t gonna lay one finger on me. Second, this right here”—She laughed, mocking me—“is a game. If it was not, you wouldn’t have bailed out the female he was cheating on you with for the whole relationship. And lastly, most importantly, he chose
the next ho, not you, and definitely not me. So, what dream world are you living in?”

  “You got some nerve, Mel!”

  “Excuse me, excuse me!” the bum interjected once more, interrupting our argument.

  “What!” we screamed in unison at him.

  This guy was ticking me off. Why couldn’t he just move on down the street to bother some other suckers willing to give their change up for a blow?

  “Please spare me some change,” he begged like begging was going out of style.

  “Don’t you see I’m in the middle of getting ready to beat this tramp down?” I asked him seriously, waiting for an answer.

  “Yeah, okay, act like it, slut. You must want this grungy bum to see me lay you out. And who would give a rat’s ass if they locked me back up?” Mel boldly blew out her mouth, really feeling herself.

  The bum then got cocky, having had enough of getting insulted as if he was not even standing there.

  “Naw, y’all dumb, cheap, no-spare-change-having bitches! What I see is that a real pimp is playing y’all both to the middle, getting pussy and respect all the way. He really got that power. Where he at? Maybe that kingpin got some change to spare,” he mumbled walking away, damn near falling off the curb.

  Me and Mel were left standing there dumbfounded. His dirty ass had went off on us, and to make matters worse, he was telling the truth. We were once aces, and dick had torn us apart. Because of Renard, she had threatened my life, and I was coming to mash her head in front of the county jail. It was what it was! That nigga really was pimpin’ our asses.

  “Look, I appreciate you getting me out of the pokey, but if your scary ass wouldn’t have stolen my man and called the po-po, I wouldn’t have been in there anyway.”

  “No matter what a woman of my caliber does for you, it’s always our fault you fucked up.” I was condescending and agitated by her pathetic ways.

  “You know you started all this junk. But let’s just call a truce. Nardo is the real target here, like the bum just said. He was playing both sides to the middle,” she responded. “We could just go back to being friends.”

  “I really don’t have time for childish stuff, Melanie. I have Cidney, a hurt heart, and most importantly, I have unfinished business with my baby daddy and his mistress. I bailed you out, not because I missed our friendship; because a female’s truce don’t mean shit to a hungry mouth or an empty pocket. I bailed you out to beat your ass down, but now I could use you in my plan to bring Nardo on his knees,” I said to her, basically ignoring that she wanted to be aces again. “You with it or what?”

  “I’m down for whatever, but I don’t want revenge because of you. Nardo crossed me too.”

  “Yeah, act like it, Mel. I’m out for self. You can do whatever you want after you follow my rules.”

  She smacked her lips. I knew she couldn’t stand that I was in control, but I had her right where I wanted her. Mel had no idea that I truly did miss how we would hang back in the day, but I couldn’t trust anyone, so I had to play the role.

  After a few brief moments of scheming, we jumped in the car. I had to get to Kimmie’s cousin Sue Lee quick. In between her and Kimmie talking shit to me about their time, I’d have two more enemies in the streets.

  As time ticked by, I was itching more and more to ask her just how her and my daughter’s father had hooked back up. I know that whole saying about never ask what you can’t handle or what you really don’t want to know, but fuck a rule.

  “So, how long after me and Nardo linked up did y’all start on the sneak tip?” I inquired, tapping my nails on the steering wheel as I hit the freeway.

  “Let’s get something straight, Zaria. Me and him were never sneaking. He was mine first. Remember when you decided to break the code? But to answer your question: honestly, we never really stopped. Things were off and on at times, but never completely off. He always used to say he couldn’t stop messing with you because you looked out for him when we were kids.” Melanie sat in the passenger’s seat, smirking.

  I knew she wasn’t lying over what she’d said. Nardo had to tell her how my parents looked out with the knowledge he capitalized on.

  “You’re dirty as shit, Mel. Calling my phone with that drama, messing with him while I was pregnant.”

  “Oh, and you’re just the goddamn friendly fairy,” she said, cutting me off in mid-sentence. “Your brain must be frozen solid, or you’re just stuck on stupid. He was mine first, so that makes him your sloppy seconds.”

  “Hmph. Yeah, does it appear that I’m second to you?” I hesitantly conceded, turning the radio up.

  I was not even trying to make her a priority. I had to get my game straight for Renard. I couldn’t do anything but laugh at the whole situation in my mind. Here we were, letting a Negro come between our childhood friendship, all because I was status and money hungry. And then that fool Nardo had the audacity to leave me and her both hanging out to dry for the next bitch. How did this happen? Who did Renard think he was?

  There was now an unspoken understanding between me and Melanie that we would bond for at least a short time, in order to pay Nardo back. She was cool in the past, but on the real, I think we’d gone too far to even go back to being all buddy-buddy.

  “So, how’s Cidney?” Melanie genuinely seemed concerned, trying to make small talk and help break the tension inside the car.

  “First, take this Tic Tac. Then we’ll talk!” I clowned her.

  It was actually good to catch up on old times, seeing as how I really didn’t have any female friends except for Kimmie. We kicked it back and forth for a while until we pulled up in front of the shop.

  When we stepped out of the car, Kimmie’s slanted-eye expression was priceless. I knew she was going to be talking mad ying-yang. I just hoped I could understand her crazy ass when she got going, mixing two languages into one. Kimmie always had me rolling.

  Started from the bottom now we’re here.

  My cell had kept ringing that song the entire ride from the jail.

  “What, nigga?” I answered the phone screaming, knowing that Nardo was wanting nothing but drama. I was tired of him blowing up my shit.

  “Baby girl, I know you’re pissed off, but chill out so we can talk,” he blurted out as if nothing had just happened.

  “Now you wanna talk to me, Nardo? I tried that tolerant game with you before you yoked me up in front of your crew of losers and before you let Spice put her hands on me and shoot up my car. I know for a fact you don’t think talking is going to solve the problems you’ve created. Or are you really that stupid?”

  Nardo was quiet, and I was done with the pointless conversation. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m busy at the moment. And P.S., stop calling my fucking phone!”

  Both Kimmie and Mel were all in my mouth.

  “Okay, chick, I need my nails soaked off, and then Sue Lee can get to my Beyoncé-type sew-in.” I got straight to the point, hoping I’d distracted her from the phone call.

  I really didn’t want to go into detail with either one of them about my conversation with Nardo. Had I been on my toes, I wouldn’t have said anything about the fight or the bullets Spice let out, but I was still furious, so it slipped. Kimmie couldn’t wait for me to get into her shop.

  “Me not stupid, Z gurl. Nardo kick you ass?” she inquired, locking the door after me and Melanie walked in. “And what thee fuck! You and this thang here friend now or what? Hell must freeze over. Me not know this shit.”

  “It’s a long story, Kimmie, but I really need for you to move your feet and get at me A-one. I have things to do. Where is Sue Lee? Eating rice?”

  “Kimmie make time for you nails and make cousin squeeze you in, and you get the smart mouth. Oh, no. You not respect the game, Z gurl,” she scolded, shaking her head, walking toward the back area where Sue Lee was perched, eating a huge bowl of white rice, just like I thought.

  “Hey, dirty one who smell like hot fire shit on stick! You broke ass get nail done too?
” She dogged out Melanie, who, real talk, truly did need a bath badly. “You pay first. I know you type. Full set and run!”

  “Dang, Kimmie, you just don’t know when to stop, do you? News flash: this is America. You ain’t nobody over here!” Mel retorted, apparently pissed that she’d called her out. “I used to be one of your best clients back in the day.”

  “Yeah, but that day long gone.” Kimmie snapped her fingers. “Long, long gone!”

  “You bitch!” Melanie acted like she was ready to swing on Kimmie.

  “Oh, fuck this, Z gurl! You bring drama back to Kimmie shop.” She twisted her upper lip, waving that nail file at me. “That stinky gurl talk crazy talk! Her sick in head!”

  “Okay, y’all, let’s just chill out. Kimmie, you were wrong for coming on Mel like that, but anyway, just squash it so I can get my shit right.” I had become the instant peacemaker.

  Kimmie sucked her teeth, and Melanie walked away to sit in the waiting room.

  “Yeah, you sit stink ass over there!” Frowning, Kimmie sprayed almost the entire can of air freshener.

  “Fuck you, Kimmie, and your raw-cat-eating ass!”

  I couldn’t blame Mel for being upset with Kimmie. She was blunt and didn’t care how you took it, but I was not getting ready to side up totally with Melanie. We might’ve resolved the issues momentarily, but I was not her best friend by a damn sight.

  “You sit down right here in chair and explain. Kimmie don’t like to not know gossip.”

  “Yeah, all right,” I replied, taking a seat.

  She couldn’t believe that Nardo had actually let Spice shoot up my car and fight me. Yet, it was not unbelievable to her that he had put his hands on me. He’d done that several prior times, which forced me to wear my celebrity shades to hide my bruises.

  “So, how you come to be back friends with that ugly-faced troublemaker?” Kimmie shot Mel the true evil eye.

  “She called my house and left a few messages. I bailed her out to kick her ass, and out of some magic, we squashed the beef. She wants revenge on Nardo just like me, and I might as well use her as a pawn. I plan on doing some real scandalous stuff in a few days, and she’d be a perfect candidate to take the fall.”