Against the Grain

by Freeze

  A group of young girls came down the street laughing and giggling to themselves. They were seniors in high school and just getting out of school for the day. The prettiest one stood out amongst the rest of them because she was 5′7″, light-skinned, bow-legged, half Jamaican, half Chinese, with long black hair down her back. She looked like a model. Her name was Tralese. She and her family had just moved to the neighborhood from Canada over the summer. She was only seventeen years old and she had a crush on Tank. So every chance she got, she would get her girlfriends to walk to the store with her so that she could see if Tank was out there. When she and her friends came out the store, she said, “Hi, Tank,” then whispered something to her girls.

  “What’s up, shorty?” Tank spoke back. Everyone admired Tralese’s beauty, but knew she was too young to touch.

  “One day I’m going to bite her on her little ass,” Tank joked.

  “And I hope they put yo ass under the jail, nigga,” Scatter said.

  “Shut the fuck up, you old bastard. Ain’t nobody talking to your bitch ass anyway,” Tank told him. At first everyone thought they were joking until they saw Tank’s facial expression. Then Tank walked over to Scatter and took his right index finger and poked Scatter in the middle of his forehead. “I’ll fuck you up out here,” he warned.

  Out of instinct, Scatter grabbed Tank’s finger and bent it back until everyone heard it snap. With his left hand, Tank punched Scatter in the mouth. Scatter punched him back in the mouth and the two of them locked up. Everyone rushed in to break them up. Because Kay didn’t want Tank to get the best of Scatter while they were breaking them apart, and Mike didn’t want Scatter getting the best of Tank, neither side wanted to let go. A crowd had begun to form. They watched a shoving match start between the fellaz. Somehow, Kay lost his balance and fell. Big Duke pulled out his burner and let off a round in the air. The crowd scattered. The rest of security pulled their burners. The shoving and push-ing stopped and they just stared at Big Duke.

  “Everybody back da fuck up!” he yelled. Tank and Scatter let each other go. Big Duke helped Kay up, never taking his eyes off anyone.

  “Ya’ll niggaz is fam and ya’ll out here buggin’ like this? C’mon, man, ya’ll know this shit ain’t right,” Big Duke said.

  “Da mon right, you know?” Gee said out loud.

  “Yo, Duke, you pulling guns and shit on me now, nigga? That’s for me and you?” Mike asked as he stared at Big Duke.

  “Nah, Mike, don’t take it personal. I’m just watching my man’s back, that’s all.”

  “Yo, let’s go,” Kay told Scatter, Dre, and Big Duke. No one said a word as Big Duke got in the truck. “Meet me around my mama’s house,” Kay told them. Big Duke drove off with Scatter on the passenger side. Tank gritted on Scatter until he was out of sight.

  “You aiight?” Kay asked Tank.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m getting ready to go to the hospital for my finger though.”

  “Ya’ll niggaz was trippin’. But I seen that shit coming a long time ago. Sometimes it’s good to let men get shit off their chest. That’s why I let ya’ll fight,” Mike said.

  “It ain’t nothing. I’ll see his old ass again,” Tank responded.

  “Yo, Gee, drive this nigga to the hospital,” Dre said as he looked at Tank’s finger.

  “Yeah, mon, mi ah deal wit it.”

  “I’ll catch you niggaz later,” Kay said as he and Dre got on their bikes and left.

  Once they got around to his mom’s, they parked the bikes and got in the truck with Duke and Scatter. Scatter was smoking a blunt. He wasn’t even fazed by what had just happened. “Yo, let’s ride down on Pratt Street, stop at the Gallery,” Kay said. No one mentioned what had just happened. As Big Duke drove through the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Martin Luther King Blvd., Kay saw a young woman walking who really looked familiar to him. He just couldn’t figure out where he knew her from and he never forgot a face.

  • • •

  A few nights later, Kay got a call in the middle of the night from Victor Ortiz telling him that the police were on their way to raid Mike’s house. He hung up and dialed Mike’s number. Lyniece answered the phone, “Hello.”

  “Where’s Mike?”

  “He’s sleep. What’s wrong?”

  “Wake him up, it’s important.” Shu-Shu was wide awake now.

  “Mike, here, it’s Kay,” Lyniece said as she passed him the phone. “He said it’s important.”

  Mike turned over and took the phone. “Yo, what’s up, nigga?” Mike asked still half asleep.

  “The cops are on their way to raid your house. If you dirty, nigga, get right. Call me back when they leave.” Kay hung up. Then he turned on the TV and waited.

  Everything turned out fine. The only thing Mike had in the house was money and a few guns that he stashed behind the wall in the basement. Lyniece’s gun was registered to her so he didn’t have to hide it. Before they could call Kay back, Mama called them. Kay told her to check on them and let them know that he was on his way to Sonia’s because Lil ‘C’ called upset asking for a gun. Magic had punched Sonia in the face and blackened her eye. Lyniece got dressed and went to check on her nephew. By the time she got there she saw Mama, Tramaine, Caleek, Big Duke, Dre, and Mina standing in the living room. A few moments later, Kay came out of Lil ‘C’s bedroom and shut the door.

  “Is my grandbaby alright?” Mama asked.

  “Yeah, once I got him to calm down he went right to sleep.”

  Lyniece and Mina went to the bathroom door and knocked. Sonia let them in. She was still crying and washing her face.

  “Damn, girl, look at your fuckin’ eye!” Mina said.

  “What happened?” Lyniece asked. Sonia put the toilet seat down and sat on it, then said, “You know Magic has been down North Carolina hustlin’. Well, he was suppose to be back here yesterday. He called me when I came home from work and said that he was in New York taking care of some business and that he would be here sometime today. That wasn’t unusual of him so I didn’t think anything of it. About an hour later, I was checking my caller ID and I noticed Magic’s call came from North Carolina. Usually when he calls me from down there, it just says out of area. Then I thought, why did he lie about being in New York. I called the number and a bitch answered, so I said, ‘Hello, may I speak to Magic?’ She told me, ‘Hold on,’ and she passed him the phone. When he came to the phone I said, ‘You busted, motherfucka!” and he hung up. I kept calling back, but the phone just kept ringing. Then a little while ago he comes up in here wanting to explain. I already had his shit packed, sitting by the door. I told that nigga to get the fuck out of my house or I was going to call Kay. That’s when he punched me in my face and said fuck me and Kay. Then he left. When Lil ‘C’ heard the front door slam, he woke up and came in my room. When he saw my face, he just started screaming and crying. He scared me worse than Magic did. That’s when he called his daddy. The cops got here before Kay and I told them what happened, so they’re looking for him now.”

  The tears kept coming down her face. Mama knocked on the door and walked in. “The police called and said that they are arresting Magic, so relax. Here, put this on your eye for the swelling,” Mama said as she handed Sonia an ice pack.

  • • •

  A week later Lyniece and Lady were riding around with Shu-Shu in her 996 Porsche Carrera Coupe. It was girls’ day out and they had just treated themselves to full-body massages, manicures, pedicures—the works.

  “Where’s that hardheaded-ass man of yours, ShuShawn? I told him to come take my car to get it washed yesterday and he told me he would. I haven’t seen him yet,” Lady said from the backseat.

  “Them niggaz is somewhere fighting their pits.”

  “I can’t stand to see that shit, girl. Mike took me one time. I got sick from watching them poor dogs kill each other,” Lyniece said. A slow song, “Let’s Get Married” by Jagged Edge, came on the radio.

  “Ooh, I like this
song,” Shu-Shu said as she turned it up.

  “Yeah, I like that song, too,” Lyniece said.

  “That’s what’s wrong with you bitches now, always got your mind on some love shit and wearing your heart on your sleeve,” Lady chastised the two younger ladies.

  “Shiiit, not me. I never gave a fuck about a nigga until I got with Kay. When it comes to feelings, I put them shits under my feet and walk hard,” Shu-Shu said.

  “And you can’t be talking about me,” Lyniece chimed in, “ ’cause I don’t even know if I love Mike anymore. I’ve just gotten used to him being there and he’s the only father my daughter has ever had. I think I’m just infatuated beyond reason.”

  “Nowadays these young bitches out here is using sex to get romance and the niggaz is using romance to get the sex. Then the dumb bitches is wondering why them niggaz ain’t calling back when they page them,” Lady said.

  “I wouldn’t know about all that, ’cause I got a man and he calls me all day. But I do know that I’m kinda hungry and I’ve got a taste for some fries,” Shu-Shu said, pulling into a McDonald’s parking lot.

  “Ya’ll want something?” she asked.

  “Yeah, bring me a vanilla milk shake,” Lady said.

  “Yeah, bring me one, too,” Lyniece told her. When Shu-Shu walked into McDonald’s the first person she saw was Sonia at a table eating with another girl. Sonia rolled her eyes when she recognized Shu-Shu. She still couldn’t stand the fact that Shu-Shu and Kay were together. Shu-Shu knew about her thing with Magic and noticed that her eye was healing. Shu-Shu didn’t say anything; she just walked past them to the counter.

  “Good evening, welcome to McDonald’s. May I take your order?” the young girl asked.

  “Yeah, let me get a small fry and three vanilla shakes,” Shu-Shu said.

  “Would you like a hot apple pie with that?” the cashier asked as she rang up Shu-Shu’s order.

  “No thank you.” As Shu-Shu watched the girl fix her order, Sonia and her friend walked up behind her.

  “Excuse me, can you make that a super-size fry?” Shu-Shu asked the young lady.

  The girl just smiled at Shu-Shu and shook her head yeah.

  “I wish this bitch would hurry up and move. I want to order a soda so I can go. I don’t like her ass anyway,” Shu-Shu heard Sonia say to her friend Kimmy. She knew that Sonia was talking about her, but she refused to stoop down to her level, so Shu-Shu didn’t say anything. As she paid for her food, four girls got in line behind Sonia and Kimmy.

  “Ay, Shonda, ain’t that the bitch that got Magic locked up?” one of the girls asked, pointing at Sonia. Shonda was Magic’s baby-mama.

  “Yeah that’s her. Yo, bitch! Why you put the police on Magic?” Shonda yelled. Sonia turned around to say something to her but changed her mind when she saw how many girls there were.

  “Yeah, I’m talking to you,” Shonda said as she got in Sonia’s face. Shu-Shu paid for her food and walked around the crowd. She looked back over her shoulder and smiled at Sonia, then walked out. Sonia saw her but couldn’t say anything. The four girls surrounded Sonia and Kimmy. It was about to be on. Shu-Shu went back to her car and sat in the driver’s seat. She passed Lyniece and Lady their shakes, reached for her bag, and dropped the money that was in her hand inside. She took out her Vaseline and put some on her face. Then she popped the trunk, got out, and slammed the door. When she got back to the driver’s seat, Lady and Lyniece were looking at her like she was crazy.

  “What’s wrong with you?” Lyniece asked.

  “You’re not going to believe this. Sonia is in there. She just tried to start some shit with me, but then, that nigga Magic’s baby’s mama came in with her crew and they are about to beat Sonia down in there,” Shu-Shu said as she put on her white shell-toe Adidas.

  “Oh shit, here we go,” Lyniece said as she put her shake down and kicked off her shoes. She didn’t have any sneakers, so she was going to roll barefoot.

  “I haven’t beat a bitch down in years,” Lady said as she got out the car.

  The three of them walked back into McDonald’s with Shu-Shu leading the way. She’d pulled her hair back into a ponytail. Just as Shonda slapped the shit out of Sonia, Shu-Shu grabbed Shonda by the back of her hair and drug her to the floor then started stomping on her. By the time the other girls figured out what was going on, it was too late. Lyniece was all over one, and Lady was on another. Sonia jumped on Shonda with Shu-Shu and Kimmy took the other girl. The manager came running from the back and tried to break it up until he got kicked in the nuts by Lady.

  “Call the cops!” he yelled to one of his employees. Hearing the word “cops” got the girls’ attention. They all ran. Shu-Shu, Lady, and Lyniece jumped in one car. Sonia and her friend jumped in another. They went in different directions, leaving Shonda and her crew in McDonald’s.

  Later on that night, Sonia called Shu-Shu to thank her and to squash the beef.

  • • •

  When Mike saw Magic in the mall he knew it was time to deal with this nigga once and for all. Mike sent this shorty from around the way named Nyree at him. Nyree was an exotic dancer that used the name Tasty and looked like Naomi Campbell. As soon as she walked into the sporting goods shop, Magic and his crew were all over her. She did as she was instructed to do and chose Magic. She hung out with him all that afternoon and they eventually ended up at the hotel. As soon as they got in the room Magic took out his dick and she started sucking it. Just when he was about to cum, she stopped. She didn’t want him to cum because then he might try to leave.

  “Damn, shorty, what’s up?” he asked when she didn’t jump right on it.

  “Nothing, just relax. Let me slip into some sexy shit and dance for you first. I’ma let you cum on my face and all that. I love that shit,” she said as she picked up her bag and went into the bathroom. Magic smiled and got undressed. Nyree turned on the shower, sat on the toilet, and took out her cell phone. She paged Mike and put in her code, the number to the hotel, and the room number. Then she got undressed and took a shower. She came out and danced for Magic then fucked and sucked him until he couldn’t get hard anymore. They were both lying on their backs out of breath looking up at the ceiling when Nyree heard her pager vibrate. She picked it up and looked at it.

  “I’ve got to use the bathroom. Your dick’s too big. Felt like you was hittin’ something up in there,” she said to Magic, stroking his ego. He smiled harder as he watched her walk toward the bathroom. But instead of going to the bathroom, she went to the door, opened it, and walked back toward Magic. Mike, Tank, and Gee, along with a few of their bodyguards, were right behind her. By the time Magic looked up, it was too late. He still reached for his pants that were on the other bed because that’s where his gun was. Nyree was working him so good, he hadn’t even noticed when she picked up his gun and put it between the bed’s mattresses.

  “Yeah, playboy, you don’t want to do that,” Mike said as they surrounded the bed.

  “What’s this all about, Mike?” Magic asked.

  “Shhhh, don’t speak. Just get your bitch-ass up,” Mike told him.

  “And hurry the fuck up!” Tank yelled. Nyree bent down and got Magic’s gun and handed it to Mike.

  “Bitch! You set me up! I’ma put my foot in yo ass when I see you again. You triflin’ bitch.” Everyone laughed because they knew that he wouldn’t be doing anything to anyone after tonight. She bent down and picked up her clothes. She was still naked. Mike handed her three grand and smacked her on the ass as she disappeared into the bathroom to get dressed.

  “Let’s go, main man, put your shit on,” Mike told Magic. He got up and got dressed. Mike told Gee to frisk him. He didn’t want any suprises later. All Magic had on him was $4,200 in cash, his two-way, his cell phone, and about thirty-five or forty grand worth of jewelry.

  “Let me get all that shit. He ain’t gonna need it no more,” Mike said. Nyree came out the bathroom dressed in a two-piece business suit. She looked like a lawyer.<
br />
  “Here, shorty, you can keep this shit. Just sell it when you get where you’re going. Try to stay gone at least a year. That will give shit time to calm down. You know his peeps seen you with him, so they’ll be looking for you. Don’t call or come back for shit. I’ll make sure your moms is aiight,” Mike told her as he handed her the jewelry and Magic’s money.

  “Okay, baby, I hear you. I’m going to miss you though,” she said as she hugged Mike.

  “A year ain’t nothing, ma. You’ll be back in no time. If you run out of money, page me.” He kissed her, then he and the crew left with Magic. Nyree finished putting on her makeup and called a cab to take her to the Amtrak station.

  • • •

  Mike called Kay on his cell phone. “A yo, what you doing, nigga? Yeah? I got something for you. Nah, I ain’t talking about no bitch. Just meet me at the spi-dot.” Kay agreed. “Aiight, one,” Mike hung up the cell phone.

  Kay, Big Duke, Dre, and P-Nut met them at the old warehouse. Kay hadn’t been there since he scared his father off years ago. As they pulled the old hooptee they were driving into the warehouse, they noticed Magic hanging butt naked in the air by chains. He had been beaten pretty badly. They stopped the car right in front of him. Mike opened the back door and told P-Nut to get out so he could take his seat.

  “I told you I had something for you,” Mike said laughing.

  “Damn, the nigga looks like he’s dead already,” Kay said.

  “Nah, he just wishes he was dead right about now. Shit, I owed him that for putting his hands on Lil ‘C’ a while back. I don’t know why you didn’t kill him then. Let a nigga violate Lyniece or T-Kie, he’s a fuckin’ dead man.”