RedBone

by Styles, T.

  “Y’all wouldn’t happen to have any men clothes in here for my brothers, would you?” Slade asked Mia. “I’m tired of looking at them like that.”

  From the kitchen Chloe yelled, “I got some! Give me one second.” She handed Audio a cup of water. “I put extra ice in your cup, since I know you like it so much,” she said, referring to the meeting they had earlier at the ice machine. He winked and drank his water, his eyes on her the entire time.

  “What’s going on now?” Killa asked Slade as he paced the living room. “Outside.” He pointed. “The cops still there?”

  Slade looked out the window. “Yeah; them mothafuckas coming into the building now. I wonder who called them.”

  “Bro, you was outside crushing, dude. The nigga was crying for his life. Anybody coulda made the call,” Killa said.

  Chloe returned to the living room with a pile of Zone’s old clothes, which included a few pairs of sweatpants and some jeans. “Here y’all go ... this all I could find. Hope you can fit ’em.” Major and Killa made their selections, while Audio unknowingly frowned. Chloe immediately picked up on the reason for his dismay and said, “These were my sister’s ex-boyfriend’s clothes. It ain’t even like that.” He nodded and took a pair of grey sweatpants from the pile.

  “What are your names?”Slade said, trying to make nice so the girls wouldn’t be so nervous around them. After all, four country niggas at one time in anybody’s house could cause anybody slight disturbance.

  “I’m Chloe, and this is my oldest sister, Mia.”Chloe moved to shake his hand, but Slade avoided her, and walked closer to the window.

  “Okay ...”she said, feeling that was weird.

  The other brothers shook their hands as Slade took another look outside. More cops were coming, and he could hear the sound of walkie-talkies going off in the hallway. Although he was older than the men she usually went for, Mia, still being attracted to Slade, stood up and walked next to him. “You seem like you got a lot on your mind.”

  He looked at her, made a half smile, and refocused outside. “I do.”

  “I don’t know what happened in that hallway, but whatever it was, that nigga must’ve deserved it. For you to beat him that way.”Slade didn’t look at her as she stood so close to him he could feel her body heat. Mia softly touched his arm and said, “You want anything to eat?”

  Slade jumped back and moved toward the wall. After seeing how he was in the hall, for the moment she feared for her life. “Look ... I’m sorry. I ... I ...” He swallowed and said, “I just don’t like people touching me.”

  Mia frowned. “You act like I punched you or something.”

  “It’s not like that.” He shook his head. “Don’t take it the wrong way, please. It’s a long story. Can I use your bathroom?”

  “Yeah ...” she said, still stunned at his actions. “The guest bathroom is back there.” She pointed, and he walked away. Mia looked at the brothers, hoping they could tell her why he reacted that way.

  Audio chose to speak up first. “He don’t like to be touched. By women anyway.”

  Her eyebrows rose. “So what ... he gay or something?”

  Audio’s forehead creased and yelled, “Fuck you just say about my brother?”

  Just as wild as him in the bark department, she said, “Nigga, who the fuck is you talking to?” Mia continued moving into him. “You in my house.” Audio didn’t give a fuck and was about to charge her when Major and Killa held him back.

  “Stop it!” Chloe said, not wanting her sister to ruin her situation. “Now, Mia, you know that man ain’t hardly gay. If he don’t want you touching him, leave him alone.”

  “I never heard of a man not being gay who don’t want a bitch to touch him.” She sat on the couch. “That shit don’t hardly sound natural to me.”

  “Look at who’s touching him,” Audio said. “Maybe that’s the problem right there.”

  “Nigga, I will fuck you up in this apartment!”

  They were about to square off again when there was a knock at the door. Slade, who was now back in the living room, wondered if the police knew he was involved and was inside.

  “Don’t worry. I got an idea,” Chloe whispered, taking off her dress before flipping off the lights. Then she wiggled to the door and opened it halfway. She peeked out and in a sleepy voice said, “Yes?” She rubbed her eyes. “Can I help you?”

  Two white male officers were outside. One of them said, “I’m sorry, ma’am. Did we wake you?” They tried not to gawk as one of her titties revealed itself. “We just have a few questions about a matter that happened in the hallway not too long ago. We were wondering if you saw anything ... or heard anything at all out of the ordinary?”

  “No. I was asleep.” She rubbed her eyes again. “But is everything all right?”

  “Ma’am ... do you mind putting some clothes on? So we can come in and talk?”

  “I don’t mean to be rude, but this is my house and I was asleep.” She rubbed her eyes harder for effect. “You can’t come in. Now if there is nothing else, I really wanna get back to bed.”

  One of the officers grabbed a tiny white pad from his shirt pocket, along with a pen. “Actually there is something else. Like I said, there was an altercation earlier tonight. Do you remember hearing anything at all?”

  “No. The only thing I heard was you banging on my door and waking me out of my sleep.” She paused, and looked into the hallway at an officer questioning Markee. “Was anybody hurt?”

  One of the officers cleared his throat. “Ma’am, a man was killed tonight. That’s why we would appreciate a little cooperation. . . on your part.”

  “A man was killed? How?”

  “He was beaten to death. Now did you hear or see anything that could be useful in this investigation?”

  “No. But if I do, I’ll let you know.”

  “That’s all we can ask for now.” He handed her a card. “Enjoy the rest of your night and be careful in there. You never know what kind of crazy you have lurking around. When she closed the door, she put the lights on and slid back into the dress.

  “What happened?” Mia asked, walking up to her.

  Chloe looked at the Baker Boys and said, “They said a man was killed.”

  Chapter 31

  “You do it anyway; might as well do it to survive.”

  —Farah

  Farah’s headache was rocking when she stepped out of her Benz to enter her building. Randy had somebody fix her car temporarily, but warned it would need serious work soon. Last night was long and hard, because Randy came back into the house drunk and wanting sex. There was nothing appealing about him when he was buzzed, but since he almost caught her in a lie at the club, she did what she had to do. The only good thing that came about last night was that she was able to bury the hatchet with Rhonda, when Rhonda called to apologize. She felt like it was only because she wanted her to throw her shower, but after how Lesa treated her the night before, having her friendship was better than nothing.

  When she activated her alarm at five o’clock in the morning, she was surprised to see Lesa getting out DeWayne’s white Lexus. Lesa blew him a kiss and he winked before speeding off. At first Farah was going to ignore Lesa because of the fight she had with Courtney, but when they looked at each other, Lesa smiled. “I’m sorry about that shit last night, Farah. My friends be tripping sometimes. That’s why we had a falling out a while back. I don’t know why Courtney don’t like you ... she’s never acted like that before.”

  Farah stopped walking and said, “I ain’t gonna lie, I was mad because I hate when bitches think I’m soft just because I bite my tongue. I’m through being a punk. People messed with me too much when I was a kid. I’m telling you, if she really knew me she would not have carried shit like that. I could snap on her ass.”

  “Normally I’d go to war for her, for both of my friends, but last night she was wrong as shit.”

  “I don’t see why you hang with her anyway.” Farah opened the bu
ilding’s door. They both slogged inside and approached the elevator. “She don’t do nothing but hear herself talk. I hate bitches like that.”

  Lesa laughed. “Courtney kinda cool, but when she’s drunk, she trips. Trust me when I say you gave her a taste of her own medicine last night. Sometimes people are afraid of her because she knows a lot of people.”

  When they got on the elevator Farah said, “So how was your night? It looks like you had fun with one of Juice’s friends.”

  Lesa blushed. “Girl, me and DeWayne, aka Chews, got an understanding just like me and Diamond D. Shit ain’t even like that.”

  “Chews?” Farah giggled as they stepped off of the elevator and on to their floor. “How on earth did he get a name like that?”

  “A long-ass story.” Lesa reached for her key to open the door. “I just like hanging out with him because he’s not heavy. It’s nothing for Chews to take me out to eat and bring me back home without trying to fuck. He don’t be pressing me out like most niggas just because you smile in they face. Chews is the last of a dying breed.”

  “I feel you.” When Farah opened the apartment and stepped inside, they couldn’t believe their eyes. Major and Killa were on the floor asleep, wearing her ex-boyfriend’s clothes, while Mia was on the sofa with the one man who made her heart skip a beat. “What the fuck is going on?” she whispered to herself.

  Lesa looked around and said, “Farah, can you explain this shit to me?”

  “I don’t know what the fuck all this is about.” She shrugged. “You saw me walk in here just like you did.”

  Lesa tramped into the living room and said, “Can somebody tell me what’s going on?” Everybody shuffled but Slade was the first to rise.

  The moment he looked at Farah she said, “I’m gonna check on our rooms.” She looked at him again before walking by.

  When Farah was alone, she paced the floor. Her puppies jumped around her ankles and she picked them up and placed them in the bathroom. She was just about to go back into the living room, when she heard Lesa’s scream from the hallway. “Ahh!” Lesa yelled out. “What the fuck is going on in here? On my new sheets!”

  Farah rushed to her room to see Chloe buck naked in the bed with Audio. Lesa’s new Gucci dress was lying on the floor, destroyed, and her closet was wide open. The Baker Boys and Mia stood outside of Lesa’s door, waiting to see what would happen next. Lesa walked inside, picked up her dress, and said, “Farah, what the fuck is up with your sisters?” She raised the dress in the air as if it were Simba from The Lion King. “When I moved in I said I needed my privacy, and I didn’t want anybody going through my shit.”

  “Lesa, you can’t be blaming me for this shit. I walked in here with you.”

  “But this is your family and they in my room.” Tears rolled down her face. “I was gonna wear this to the show. I ain’t sign up for none of this shit! I feel violated.”

  “Lesa, I’m sorry,” Farah said softly. “I would’ve never allowed her in here to wear your clothes if I was home.” She addressed her sister. “Chloe, what are you doing here anyway?” Farah was enraged. “Before I left out last night, I told you not to go into her shit.”

  Chloe got up and said, “What it look like I’m doing?” She grabbed Lesa’s expensive sheet and wrapped it around her body as if she owned it. “I was fucking until y’all came in here with all this bullshit and interrupted us. Oh, before I forget”—she walked to the dresser and handed Farah the note from Dr. Martin—“this message is for you.”

  Lesa looked at the stationary, and her jaw dropped. “You went in my drawers, too?”

  “Chloe, get your shit and get out of this girl’s room,” Mia interrupted. “I should’ve known I couldn’t go to sleep with you in this house with that boy. You been eye fucking him from the gate.”

  Chloe was embarrassed. “What ... you mad ’cause you wanted to fuck him or something?” She was entertaining her audience. “After all,” she said, looking at Audio, “he does meet your age preference now, doesn’t he?”

  “Little girl, don’t make me fuck you up! Come on ... let’s go.”

  She rolled her eyes, knowing Mia could stomp her into the future if she bucked.

  “Audio, let’s bounce,” Slade said. “We got shit to do back at Markee’s anyway.”

  With everything happening at once, Farah almost forgot he was there until his voice reminded her. She wanted him more than anybody she’d ever wanted in her life. When she looked in his direction, he was staring and her stomach fluttered. He was for her and she knew it.

  Audio got dressed and Lesa rushed around her room, examining the damage. “Farah, we gotta have a house meeting. If this type of shit gonna go on, I’m not gonna be able to stay here. For real. I’m not gonna let nobody disrespect me. She went in my closet, ruined my dress, slept in my bed, and wrote on my stationary. What kind of shit is this anyway?”

  “So what you want my sister to do, throw us out or something?” Mia yelled, stepping up to Lesa. “Because it seems like you hinting around to it.”

  “Call it what you want, bitch!” Lesa said, stepping closer to Mia. “Because I think I made myself clear.”

  “Bitch?” Mia repeated, preparing to pull a few patches out of her hair. “Whore, I would murder you!” Killa and Major held her back before she leaped on her.

  “Farah, either they leave, or I will!” Lesa continued. “I’m not about to put up with nobody jumping in my face and shit. My own mamma don’t get in my face, and I’m damn sure not gonna take it from nobody else. Fuck that.”

  “Can everybody just calm down please!” Farah yelled. “We still got people in the house.”

  There was a lot of shrieking and fussing, until there was a knock at the door. Since the Baker Boys were able to keep Mia from scratching Lesa’s eyes out, Farah decided to see who was there. When she opened it, she saw her neighbor from down the hall. “Hey ... you used to fuck with Zone, right?” Markee asked, pointing at her.

  “Yeah. So?” she said with her hands on her hips.

  “No reason.” He shrugged. “Me and Zone were good peoples.”

  “Well, how come I don’t remember him talking about you?”

  “We weren’t that close. But I was fucked up when I heard what happened.” He looked deeper into the apartment and saw his cousins. “I’m here to get my peoples.” He pointed at them. “My cousins.”

  Slade looked at Farah before walking out the door and his brothers followed him. Farah was just about to close the door when Markee said, “You better be careful; shit been happening in this building. A lot of people are coming up missing, even that fat kid across the hallway.”

  When Lesa left to go over to Courtney’s the house was at peace. Mia and Chloe were in the living room watching the movie Friday for the hundredth time, while Farah felt the desire to get what she needed to survive, before remembering she had some in her room.

  Farah grabbed the cooler and set it on the bed before going into the bathroom to throw cold water on her face. When she came out, Chloe was sitting on the bed holding an empty vial of her medicine. She’d just finished swallowing it all.

  “Oh, my God, Farah! What is that?” She pointed at the tube. “What are you drinking?”

  “The question is, why you swallowing my shit? You been here less than two days and already you in everybody shit. That’s your problem, you don’t respect people’s privacy!” Farah put the vial back in the cooler and stood over her.

  “What the fuck is that stuff you drinking? Chloe screamed, wiping her lips. “What is that? It taste like ...”

  “Shut up!” Farah screamed, looking at her with evil eyes. She knew what it was but didn’t want to say it out loud. All she knew was that it worked and that was all she cared about.

  “Look at me, Chloe! Look at my skin!” She stood up and walked over to her sister. “This shit has done more for me in a month than Dr. Martin could do in years! I’m getting better, Chloe. I know you see it.” She smeared makeup off of he
r face so that she could see her tone clearly. “You see ... I don’t even have to wear makeup anymore. I found the answer to our problems.”

  “But you can’t drink that!” Chloe yelled, as tears rolled down her eyes. “It can’t be good for you.”

  Farah felt like smacking her. She knew people wouldn’t understand, and that’s why, before her grandmother, she never told a soul. Even Cosmo was unaware of her plan of action. “I’ma tell Mamma!” Chloe acted as if she were still a kid.

  “I don’t give a fuck what you tell that woman.”

  “Then I’ma tell everybody else. And then people gonna think you a freak.”

  Farah couldn’t take it anymore. It was bad enough she fucked her man; now she was in her bedroom making her feel like shit. She pushed her back on the bed and crawled over her body before she smacked her again and again. It wasn’t until Farah realized that she wasn’t fighting back, that she stopped. Chloe had shit with her, but at the end of the day they were still sisters. When Farah saw her body curl up on the bed she sat next to her and touched her back.

  “I’m sorry, Chloe. You my baby sister, and I didn’t want to hurt you like that.”

  “Farah,” she said, wiping tears off her face, “why are you drinking that shit? I don’t understand.”

  “I have to do this for me, Chloe. And you can’t tell nobody because I’m gonna get locked up if people find out. They not gonna understand. Now y’all hurt people all the time and nobody said anything.” Chloe was silent.

  “But what if it makes you worse?” she said softly. “I don’t want nothing to happen to you.”

  “It won’t.” A crooked smile spread across her face. “I wish you could see how I feel inside. I haven’t felt this good in years. The shit Dr. Martin gave me work for you and Mia, but it never helped me. I would never do this if anything else worked. I wanna live, Chloe.”