by J Peach
My insides became jittery as my excitement grew. A hit wasn’t shit to me. I blocked his fist as it came down and I flipped us over. My hand grabbed tight around his neck, choking him hard as my fist came down repeatedly. I released his throat and let my fists go, knocking his ass in the face viciously, constantly. Blood spilled from his eyes, nose, and mouth as I continued to lay into his ass.
All of a sudden his swinging stopped as his body went limp, but I didn’t stop. I kept swinging on him.
“He’s done.” King pulled me up off Leon.
I jerked away from King and pushed him back. “Yo, don’t fuckin’ touch me,” I kicked Leon in his face. “Fuck that pussy ass nigga.”
“I said he’s done. Now you hit him again me and you gon’ have problems,” King stood in front of Leon, guarding him.
“Nigga, you don’t shake me. I ain’t worried about having no problems with you. Since you wanna be that bitch guard, keep his ass away from Syn. He touch her or anything, I’mma kill his ass then bring his ass to you. And whatever problem you wanna have we can have it,” I told King, staring him down just as hard as he mugged me. I ain’t know what was up with mothafuckas, but no nigga put fear in me.
“Y’all, drop that bullshit. King, this ain’t yo beef. Regardless of that being yo boy, had it been yo girl that nigga knocked around, yo ass would’ve done the same thing. So that hostility you got, lose it quick. That mothafucka was wrong as fuck for doing Black like that, period.” Blaze pushed King back before he turned to me. “Come on, let me walk yo ass to yo car. Young ass over here starting shit. And I don’t want you to beat King’s ass, then I’mma have to jump in it,” Blaze laughed.
“Fuck you, bitch,” King told him. “Bell, help me carry this nigga in the house.”
When we reached my car, Blaze started laughing. “Damn, you a little angry mothafucka. You ain’t have to beat that nigga ass that bad.”
“He ain’t have to put his fuckin’ hands on Syn either. I don’t like that bullshit, don’t touch what’s mine,” I shrugged. I didn’t play that shit, I was hella protective when it came to mine. Whether it was my girl or my family, nobody was going to fuck with them while I was around.
“Yeah, I feel you. Now be straight up. How long you and Black been fuckin’ around? I know it ain’t no weekend thing.” He stood on the side of me with his arms folded.
Laughing, I pushed off my car and made my way to the driver’s side. “It was a weekend thing. I don’t call her Syn for nothing.” I left it at that as I hopped in my ride. “Aye, I’mma hit you up tomorrow about that work and them jars.”
“I’ight.”
I started it up and pulled off.
On my way back to Syn’s crib, I shot Chris a text telling him and Mane to head this way. I sent them Syn’s address for them to meet me there in the morning.
***
With the little groceries I got from the corner store, I unlocked the door and walked into her house. I kicked the door closed behind me and walked fully into the living room. Immediately, I smelled the food she was cooking.
Syn’s head peeked out from the hallway before it disappeared again. “Where you coming from?” She asked from the back room.
“I told you I was going to holla at Blaze and King. I went by King’s crib.” I sat the food on the table then went to the stove and saw she had cooked macaroni, string beans, and fried chicken.
“Oh, okay. You can go in the living room, I’ll make your plate and bring it to you,” she said as she walked in front of me. Then she went to the cabinets and grabbed two plates.
“I thought you was sick?” I asked, confused because she had run into the bathroom about four times that morning. I thought for sho’ her ass had a virus.
“I thought I was too. I felt so nauseous, but I feel fine now. I’m still a little tired, but I’m hungry. So I decided to make us dinner.” She looked over at me and then to the food before her head turned back. “Parker, what happened to your face?” She sat the plates down and came to me, taking hold of my chin. “You got a bruise on your cheek. Were you fighting?”
I pushed her hand off of me. “Why you ain’t tell me that nigga hit you?”
Her face contorted into a confused expression as her eye brows rose. “Who hit me? What are you talking about?”
“Don’t play stupid, Syn. Leon. Why the fuck you ain’t tell me that nigga tossed yo ass around because you stopped fuckin’ with him?” I snapped at her.
Her mouth opened and then closed as she was lost for words. But she quickly reframed herself and rolled her eyes. “King talk to fuckin’ much. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t think it was important. And I didn’t end things with him because of you…well kind of. But I didn’t want to keep stringing him along, giving him a dry hope. That’s why I ended it, so I didn’t see the point in telling you what happened.” She grabbed a dish towel and went to the freezer, digging in a bag of ice and putting a handful into the towel. “I can’t believe you fought him because of that.” Her head shook as she pressed the towel to my cheek.
“Syn, I’m good. That hit wasn’t shit,” I pushed the towel from my face.
“Maybe not, but your cheek is swelling. Why would you fight him, Parker? Was it to prove a point? God!” She pushed the towel back against my face.
“You sound dumb as fuck right now. Hell n’all it wasn’t to prove no fuckin’ point. What point would I be proving? Huh? For yo ass to be smart, you dumb as hell. I ain’t beat that nigga ass for no gotdamn point. I did it because he hit yo dumbass. Get that shit off me.” Taking the towel, I threw it in the sink. “Damn, you a stupid ass mothafucka. Yo ass need to start thinking before you say shit. Get the fuck away from me before I choke the shit outda you.” I pushed her away from me and walked out of the kitchen. I went into her room before I choked the fuck outda her dumbass.
What the fuck kind of point would I be proving to that nigga? That she was mine? Shid, her dumbass ain’t even know if she wanted to be with me or not. “Stupid ass mothafucka.” I went back into the kitchen where she still stood. “Yo, the next time that mothafucka touch you or say shit to you, yo ass better say something. If I gotda find out like this again, I’m beatin’ yo ass!”
I went back into her room. As I passed the dresser, I grabbed an envelope from it. I sat on the bed and pulled a sack out of my pocket. I dumped the weed on the envelope and started breaking it down.
After I dumped the tobacco out of the swisher, I began twisting the blunt. I had to get my mind right before I went back in the kitchen and slapped Syn’s ass or went back out and found Leon’s bitch ass.
I had just lit the blunt when my phone started ringing. I took it from my pocket and looked at it. Tameka’s name flashed on the screen. I immediately answered it. “What's up, Meka?”
“Hey, baby boy. I'm glad to hear you're alive. It's been a week and I ain't heard nothing from you. What's going on, P-Nut?” My sister asked, using the nickname she'd been calling me since we were younger.
I knew I should've called her ass once I was available because I knew how she worried about me. But instead of doing that like normal, I went to find Syn’s black ass. “My bad, sweetheart, I got a little distracted. But what's up?”
“Distracted? Oh, by who, Syn?” I could hear the smile in her voice from the way she said Syn.
I knew she had talked to one of my niggas when she said Syn’s name. Out of all the people I fucked with, it wasn’t random that she said Syn’s name first. “Man, who the fuck you been talking to?” I asked, making her laugh. “I bet it was Chris bitch ass.”
“I’m not saying who it was, but is that who you’re with?”
I lit the blunt and inhaled it. “Yeah, I’m out here fuckin’ with her crazy ass.”
The line got quiet for a few seconds before I heard my sister let out a heavy breath. "O…kay, how’s it going? Are y’all vibing? Connecting to something serious? P-Nut, damn, tell me something— No, better yet, bring her to the house so I can meet her
,” Meka excitedly squeaked out.
“Hell n’all! Meka, yo ass not talking to Syn. Fuck n’all, man. Yo ass embarrassing as fuck, yo. But we straight, her ass fuck’d up in the head, tho’. She been messing with too many clowns, so now she figure every nigga want something from her stupid ass. But shid, that ain’t it. I got my own shit, you know.” I started laughing as I thought about some of the shit Syn had said. “Yo, Meka, this mothafucka said she wasn’t gon’ be my body mule and smuggle shit in the prison for me.”
“What? P-Nut, don’t call her stupid. There’s a reason she’s guarded. So just be patient with her and continue to show her how different you are from what she’s used to. Don’t be so hard on her,” Meka advised.
I knew she was right and I was trying to be. But shid, after years of fuckin’ with Syn, she should’ve seen that I wasn’t like them other mothafuckas. Then again, how would she know that when we hadn't really chilled until recently? “I’ight, Meka, I hear you. Shid, I might just come out that way this weekend. I need to see how she’s working and what her school schedule look like first.”
“Ah! I’m excited to meet her. And she’s in school. Wait, I can come down there if you want me to,” she offered excitedly.
“Hell n’all, man, I said we’ll be out there this weekend. Shid, we might just have something at the crib. I don’t know, we’ll see,” I laughed at her.
“I can’t stand yo ass. Oh! That’s not why I called you. LaVar got a football game coming up and he wants his uncle to be there…” She trailed off, getting quiet.
My hand ran over my head before my arm covered my eyes. “When is it?” I kicked off my shoes, laying comfortably in the bed.
“It’s in two weeks on a Wednesday. So you have two weeks to decide on coming. But he really wants you there. All he’s been asking is if his Uncle P-Nut was coming.” She let out a heavy sigh. “I know you’ve been busy with what you do, but Parker, don’t go off forgetting about us. It’s been a month and a half since we last saw you,” she fussed at me. “P-Nut, get yo ass home and you better make it to that damn game. Now I’m not asking you to come. Baby brother, I’m telling you to and if you miss it, best believe I will come find yo ass and beat the shit out of you. Yah hear me?” She snapped at me.
It had been just about that long since I last saw my sister and nephew. I could’ve stopped by her crib when I went out to Bloomingdale with Syn. But shid, at the end of the day I had to make sure we were all comfortable money wise. I could only fuck around for a few days before it was back to the money. Regardless of that, I most definitely needed to go see my nephew. Ever since his dad died, I had been that father figure for him and bouncing off like I had, without calling to talk to him wasn’t cool.
“Parker, don’t yo ass get quiet. Did you hear what I said?” Meka yelled into the phone.
I laughed at her. “Yeah, I heard you. Where little man at now?”
“He’s sleep, why you think it’s so gotdamn quiet and he hadn’t snatched the phone from me,” she chuckled.
“I’ight, I’ll hit yo line tomorrow to holla at little man and see what’s up. If nothing comes up, I’ll see y’all this weekend, bet.” I smiled, knowing what I had said was going to make her snap.
“If it does, I’m guaranteed to see you Wednesday. Don’t play with me, P-Nut. Don’t make me have to come and find you,” she laughed, but I knew she was serious as hell. “I’ight, baby bruh, we’ll talk tomorrow. I love you.”
“Love you, too, Meka— what the fuck?” I shot up from the ice cold liquid that was tossed on me. I look to see Syn mugging me hard. “Bitch, what the fuck is wrong with you?” I stood up, wiping my face with the bottom of my shirt.
“I got yo bitch! You a lying ass mothafucka. You single tho, right? But you got Meka and a little man? Huh?” Syn yelled before she lunged her little black ass at me.
It fucked me up because she acted as if she was straight about to beat my ass. I ain't never had no bullshit like that happen. That mothafucka flipped the fuck out. And the fucked up part about it, her little ass was strong as fuck.
She knocked me back down on the bed and got on top of me. “I'm so tired of you lying, triflin’ ass niggas!” Syn punched my ass twice in the face, hard as hell.
I flipped her ass over and slapped the shit out of her! “Yo, you better calm the fuck down.” I grabbed her arms, pinning them to the bed.
“Fuck you, Parker! Get off of me!” She screamed, before she lifted her head up and bit me hard in my chest.
“Ah, fuck!” I slapped her ass again. I lifted up and flipped her ass over on her stomach. “Man, calm yo black ass down. I'm trying not to hurt yo ass.”
“Fuck you! Let me go so I can beat yo ass!” Her hips bucked and her butt pushed into my stomach. She was determined to get loose and try to whoop my ass.
“Syn, you can't beat my ass, yo. So calm the fuck down and talk to me like a grown ass woman.” That mothafucka was crazy as fuck.
“Let me go! Parker, get the fuck out and talk to that bitch Meka you love and yo son!” She continued to fuss.
Laughing, I got off of her. She quickly jumped up and came for me. I pushed her back on the bed. “If you hit me again I promise you I'mma knock yo ass out. Real shit.” I pulled up my jeans showing her ass I wasn't playing.
She didn't seem fazed as she came for me once again. “I knew yo ass was lying!”
I pushed her back again. “Man, I ain't lie to yo dumbass about shit. Meka my fuckin’ sister, you stupid ass mothafucka.” She stopped moving toward me when I said that. “And little man is her fuckin’ son, LaVar!” She was starting to piss me off with that dumb shit, always thinking a nigga had to lie. “Why the fuck I gotda lie to yo dumbass about shit for? I ain't scared of you and you can't beat my ass so what the fuck I gotda lie about, Syn? Huh?” I muffed her hard in the face, knocking her down on the bed.
“I ain't hearing shit! You just had a lot to say a minute ago. Open that big ass mouth of yours,” I told her. “If I got a shorty and another bitch, why the fuck I'm out here with yo ass for? Huh? Think before yo dumbass speak because I damn sho ain't out here for no gotdamn pussy.”
She sat on the bed looking embarrassed as hell. “She's your sister?” She mumbled.
“N’all, that's my bitch I got a baby with,” I snapped.
Her eyes rolled into her head. “You ain't gotda be a fuckin’ ass about it. You should've told me that then,” she tried to flip it on me.
“How the fuck was I supposed to tell yo dumbass when you tripped the fuck out? Damn! Be grown about yo shit instead of being so fuckin’ stupid and immature. When you overheard that shit you should’ve asked me what was what.” I wanted to choke the shit outda her ass, but I knew I needed to calm myself down. “Shorty, I’m not them niggas and the sooner you realize that the better this can be. Lose those thoughts, man. Damn. I ain’t got shit to hide. I told you that.”
She let out a sigh and folded her leg under her. “You right, I’m sorry. I should’ve asked you instead of flipping out like I did. Parker, I don’t know how to do this. Niggas lie all the time, so it’s hard for me to believe shit one say. I’m sorry, but I don’t know how to let that go. I’m always going to think you’re lying about something until I’m proven wrong. I don’t know how to think any way other than that.”
Her shoulders shrugged. “This is me. My way of thinking isn’t going to change overnight. A part of me sees you’re different, but it’s a whole other part waiting on you to prove me right, to prove that you’re not different. The only reason I’m telling you this because I want to be wrong. I do like you and I want to give this a shot, but I don’t know…” She trailed off while running a hand through her hair.
“When you start liking me? So you don’t see me as a job no more?” I couldn’t help but fuck with her. Syn being open wasn’t something I was used to. From the time I met up with her in Indy to right then, I could see she was trying to be a little open about giving me a shot. Though, the time I knew it wa
s going to take for her to get to that point where she trusted me fully, I honestly didn’t think I was patient enough to continue to wait on her. Shid, I’d already spent almost seven years waiting on her.
“You’re an asshole.” Her head shook and her eyes rolled.
“N’all, fuck that. Answer the question.”
She let out a sigh. “It wasn’t that I didn’t like you, I just didn’t want a relationship. But the night outside the club when you said you had been looking for me, it was nice to know that you had put forth an effort, you know. Then when I tripped out back at your place and you took my mind off of getting high, no one has ever done that for me before.” Her eyes fell on me and she nervously bit into her bottom lip. “Parker, I’m trying to be open about this with you, but I don’t know what I’m doing. I haven’t been in a serious relationship since I was fifteen and I don’t think that counts, truthfully.” She let out a laugh. “I don’t know.”
What Meka said on the phone came back to me. I didn’t know what the hell she had been through, I had only been taking guesses. Baby girl was most definitely fucked up with trust issues, but I had to show her I was different. How the fuck was I going to do that? I didn’t know, but I was going to show her.
“As long as yo ass don’t flip out like that no more, we cool for now. Strong little bitch. Yo ass straight knocked my ass down.”
Syn’s eyes snapped to me and she looked a bit confused as if she didn’t expect that to be my reply. Her eyes rolled nonetheless and a crooked smile formed on her lips. “I feel so embarrassed about that. I’m sorry,” she laughed. “But you slapped the hell out of me, that shit sting now.” She touched her cheek. “I think you need to apologize for that.”
I pushed her ass off the bed and onto the floor. “Get the fuck outda here with that bullshit. I wish the fuck I would. You pieced my ass twice in my jaw and you want me to apologize. Fuck you.”
She hit my leg and pushed herself up off the floor. “I said I was sorry. Next time I overhear your conversation, I’ll ask you before I flip out. And if I think you’re lying, I’m going to beat yo ass.” She pushed me back on the bed and climbed on top of me.
