RedBone

by Styles, T.

  “Dr. Martin called last night. That was the number on the paper.”

  “For what?” She frowned.

  “He said you were doing something that’s not good for you ... now I know what. He said Grandma called him.”

  Farah walked away and looked into her mirror. “She called him for real?” It angered her that Elise violated her trust. I mean, what was the purpose of a confession? “Did he say what she said?”

  “No. Just that you doing something to make you better that’s not good.”

  “Dr. Martin doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” She walked over to the cooler, reached into it, and gave her a vial. “Here ... drink it again, Chloe.” Her arm remained outstretched. “You don’t have to die.” She smiled and sat next to her. “There’s no better feeling than conquering and drinking blood. You do it anyway; might as well do it to survive. I saw the way you looked when you had them rats in that box, when we were kids. Now you got a reason to kill ... to stay alive.”

  She examined how great Farah looked and took the container from her sister’s hands and drank it all. “Can’t believe I did that again.” She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

  Farah put the empty vial away and said, “Now it tastes even better, right?”

  Chapter 32

  “You’re right, it’s not Farrah Fawcett. It’s Farah Cotton.”

  —Farah

  Farah had to piss as she drove down the street on her way to the Lucky 7 convenience store. She could hear something knocking around under her hood, and prayed it wouldn’t break down on her before she made it home. That’s all I need is for something to go wrong with my fucking car! Getting money from Randy, and trying to hide where she lived, was more trouble than it was worth.

  The moment she stepped out of the car, her body trembled when she saw Juice pull up in a new black Range Rover. His music wasn’t too loud, but she could hear the old-school classic “Tender Love” spilling from the speakers. Before she walked in the store, he rolled the window down and said, “I know that’s not Ms. Farrah Fawcett over there. A nigga like me don’t have that kind of luck.”

  Juice was right on point because when Farah was born, she was so red that Ashur, who was a fan of Farrah Fawcett on Charlie’s Angels, gave her a version of the actress’s name. It didn’t matter that the show had been off for years when she came into the world. “You’re right, it’s not Farrah Fawcett. It’s Farah Cotton.” She smiled, walking up to his truck. “What Randy do, send you to check up on me?”

  “Naw ... I’m just coming to buy a pack of blunts.” He looked at her through his expensive shades and wiped his goatee. His diamond watch flashed and he saw the twinkle in her eyes. “But you did say Cotton, right? Because that sounds familiar. Your father name Ashur?” He pointed.

  She glared. “Yes. How you know him?”

  He chuckled. “Your last name rings bells. My father used to run with him but we weren’t real close. I remember all the stories he use to tell me about Ashur being a hothead. He murdered that family at the bus stop.”

  “You disrespecting my daddy now?”

  “Never that. Just giving you a little history on your people. So ... where you going, Farah? And can I take you there?”

  She was preparing to answer, when a girl came from behind and bumped her so hard she knocked her into Juice’s truck. He quickly got out to examine the damage. “Damn, shawty. You moving a little too quick, don’t you think?” The black paint on his new ride was chipped. “Now you fucked my shit up.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said.

  Farah stood up straight and looked at who hit her. The moment she turned around, Nova slapped her so hard in the face she hit the ground. “That’s for Coconut, bitch! And for telling lies on Shannon, too!”

  Farah snapped and was all over her in a second flat. She managed to get Nova on the ground as she continually banged her head into the concrete. Tears fell out of her eyes and her temples begin to thump as she went back to that day on the bleachers. But when her skin started itching, she knew a breakout was coming and it was this bitch’s fault. Why did she even step to her? For all Farah knew, she and Coconut weren’t even that close.

  “Please stop!” Nova screamed, trying to kick Farah off. It didn’t work because Farah was on her body like a tick.

  “That’s the point, bitch! You gonna remember this shit the next time you look in the mirror! You can tell Coconut I’m coming for her next! And Shannon, too!”

  When the girl looked as if she were delirious, Farah stood up and popped open her trunk. When Juice saw this, he thought things were about to escalate to murder. “What you about to do now, ma? You know everybody watching this shit, right?”

  Farah was zoned out and flipped out and angry at the world. She was tired of people trying her, and she was tired of Randy, her roommate, and her siblings. When Juice saw cops coming, he approached Farah. “You better go,” he said as police sirens sounded in the background. She didn’t move right away, and instead she felt a warm sensation on her legs. “Them peoples coming ... You better get the hell out of here.”

  Farah slowly backed away from Nova, closed her trunk, and hopped into her car. It wasn’t until she sat in the seat that she realized she’d pissed on herself. There was nothing she could do about it at the moment, so she left the scene.

  Farah’s skin was inflamed as she parked at her building, and she could tell she was on the verge of an outbreak. For the moment all she wanted to do was go upstairs, take off her pissy clothes, and do something to make herself better. The moment she got off the elevator and walked toward her apartment someone said, “Can I talk to you for a minute?” Slowly she turned around and saw Slade, but she reeked of dried urine, and she was afraid that he saw her murder. He knows. Now he’s gonna fucking blackmail me or something. He walked closer and she looked at him before taking a few steps back. All her life she wanted a man of her own, and now that he was standing before her, she couldn’t open her mouth.

  “I never got a chance to apologize for what happened at your place.” He frowned and she couldn’t figure out if he liked her. “It was fucked up how my kid brother disrespected your peoples. We from down South and we normally don’t get down like that.” He rubbed his bald head. “I just wanted to tell you that.” Farah nodded but remained silent.

  “Okay, I’m not gonna keep you. I guess I’ll see you later.” Although she felt better because he didn’t say anything about seeing the murder, she wished she could tell him how she felt about him, but in her current condition, now was not the time. She stank and needed to change. So she didn’t move. “Later.”

  Since she didn’t say shit, he turned around and walked away, leaving her standing in the hallway. Slowly she walked toward her apartment, and tried to gain the courage to talk to him from afar. Maybe say something cute like Lesa or Coconut would.

  “Can I have your name?” she heard him ask. She kept walking. If he got up on her and smelled her pissy clothing, she probably would faint. “My name is Slade,” he offered. “In case you wanted to go grab something to eat.” She kept walking. “You know what? Forget I ever said shit to you. His tone was heavy with annoyance. “Every time I try to talk to you, you act like I’m bothering you or something.”

  No! You’re not bothering me. She quickly turned around but he was gone.

  “I’m so fucking stupid!” she said to herself. “Why didn’t I open my fucking mouth?”

  Needing her medicine even more, she quickly entered her apartment and nobody was home. Once in her room, she rushed to the place she kept her cooler. When she opened the closet, she knew immediately something was off. Her skin started itching again, and before she knew it she felt nauseated. Rushing to the bathroom, she threw up the egg and cheese burrito that she ate earlier from McDonald’s that day. Chloe had been in her room and had taken all her shit.

  It was settled. Tonight, she wanted her gone.

  Chapter 33

  “I just need to get som
e more stuff for my sister. That s all.”

  —Chloe

  Chloe and Audio were sitting on the sofa in Markee’s house. He just got the news that a body fitting Knox’s description was found in the woods in DC, not too far from where they were.

  “She gonna be so mad at me!” she said, trying not to get too upset. Although she wasn’t as bad as Farah, any surge of emotion could cause an outbreak, and push the disease into the acute stage. “She gonna kill me, Audio. I just know it!” She cried in his arms as he rubbed her back. Ever since they got together they were hard to separate.

  “What you do?” Her vulnerability turned him on. “She ain’t gonna put her hands on you again, I know that much. I don’t care what y’all beefing about.” Together for only days, he had already assumed the protector role.

  “It’s not even like that, baby. I took something that didn’t belong to me. Something she feels like she really needs. I didn’t want her to have it, because my grandmother told me to throw it away. Now I’m thinking it was a bad idea.”

  “I take shit from my brothers all the time. So the fuck what?”

  “But this is different.” Chloe knew she was wrong for telling him how Farah hit her the other day, but she needed somebody in her corner, and Audio was there.

  “You gotta tell me more than that, Chloe. It’s like you talking around in circles and shit.”

  “You wouldn’t understand.”

  “Then what you want me to do?” he yelled. “You over here crying and shit and I’m trying to talk to you. I wanna help, but if I don’t know what the fuck is up, then what you want me to do? I’m already dealing with my brother being gone, now you over here adding to my load. I’m ’bout ready to say fuck all this shit and murder a nigga!” He got up off the couch and walked toward the door. Wherever he went, he knew he couldn’t stay long, since it was his turn to wait for Knox’s call, and somebody needed to be at Markee’s crib at all times.

  “Where you going, Audio?” She sobbed. “Please don’t leave. I’m sorry!” Young and dumb, their emotions were on ten, and she feared if he left, he’d never come back. Audio was the first man she ever felt love for even though things moved so quickly. She walked behind him, placed her arms around his waist, and rested her head on his back. “I just need to get some more stuff for my sister. That’s all. If I do that we’ll be good.”

  He turned around and looked at her beautiful face. “Okay ... so how we gonna do that?”

  “I gotta contact the dude who helped her before. That’s it.”

  “Okay, how much is it gonna cost?” He didn’t have any cash, and hoped she didn’t try to hit him up either.

  “We don’t need no money for my plan. I just need you to help me bring him to my place. When he’s there, you can leave the rest to me.”

  Chapter 34

  “When you first moved in, you told me you could handle the rent.”

  —Farah

  “Girl, can you talk?” Lesa asked over the phone.

  As she drove, Farah looked at the phone like it was a science project because she hadn’t spoken to her in days. When she came home at night, Lesa was in her room, asleep. And when she got up in the mornings, Lesa was at work. It was obvious that she was avoiding her. “Yeah ... I got a few minutes,” she said, knowing that when she was done, she was gonna ask her about her rent money.

  “I ain’t talking to Courtney and Lady no more. I mean it this time.”

  Farah rolled her eyes as she continued down the highway. She couldn’t care less. “What they do this time?”

  “How ’bout they told the people on my job that when I was on medical leave this past summer, I was actually on vacation. If they investigate me I can lose my job, girl, and they know that shit.”

  Farah had heard enough. She knew she was trying to prep her for the “I don’t have your money today either”gig and she was over it already. “Lesa, I thought you were giving me the money you owe today. I really need it for rent because Vivian came by earlier asking for it. And since her son died, she been really mean. She gonna put me out if we don’t come up with it.”

  “He died? I thought he was missing.”

  She bit her tongue. “I meant missing.”

  “Oh ... well ... I’ma give it to you, but I’m not going to lie, I don’t have it right now.”

  “Well, when you gonna have it? When you first moved in, you told me you could handle the rent. So what changed?”

  “I can handle it,” Lesa said. “But I’m not gonna lie, I don’t think the price is fair anymore. I mean, when are your sisters moving?” Then she paused. “Hold up ... I can’t hear you! Farah ... I can’t hear you! Farah, are you there?”

  Farah looked at her phone and saw the call was over. “Bitch!” she yelled, throwing the phone in her purse. She hit her with the “my call dropped”shit! If she didn’t have her money in the next few days she was putting her ass out. Suddenly, having friends was no longer important.

  She was driving down the road and the knocking under her hood got so loud that she could barely hear herself think. Her skin was inflamed and she decided to pull over and to do whatever she had to do.

  But when her phone rang, she hoped it was Randy so she could get some cash from him to fix her car. Lately she only reached out when she needed something and she knew he was growing tired. When she answered the phone, instead of it being Randy she heard, “You have a collect call from Ashur Cotton, from the federal penitentiary ...”

  She hadn’t spoken to her father since she passed out in the gym, because she felt she was on the verge of telling him her mother’s secret. Lately Ashur’s name reminded her that she wasn’t who she thought she was. Farah wondered if reaching out to her real father was a good idea after all. She was having a serious identity crisis, and didn’t know which way to turn. She sighed, and knew the time had come for her to stop avoiding him, besides all he did was love her. So she pressed five and accepted and said, “Hi, Daddy.”

  “Farah, where have you been? I been worried sick about you.” Ashur sounded different these days and she wondered why.

  “I been around, Daddy. Sorry I haven’t spoken to you in a while. Are they treating you okay in there?”

  “The best they can, considering.” He chuckled. “But how are you managing your illness? When they told me you were in the hospital again, I almost lost it in here. The worst part about being in fucking jail is not being there for your family. Never get caught up in no stupid shit. Do what’s right.”

  “I’m fine, Daddy, and I want you to stop worrying about me. I’m all grown up, and practically taking care of Mia and Chloe.”

  “Your grandmother told me you’re doing something dangerous to get better. And that your mind is wrapped up and confused.”

  Damn, did my funky-ass grandmother put an ad in the paper? “Daddy, I gotta go.”

  “Farah, please. I never got a chance to tell you this, but I’m sorry for what me and your mother put you kids through. We were young and inexperienced, and had no business raising children. It was our biggest mistake.”

  “So you wish I wasn’t born?”

  “Never said that. I said I love you dearly. But if I could’ve had you when I was ready, I doubt Shadow would’ve done time in jail. And that you would be so confused, that you think you have to hurt people to survive. You’re older now and I’m afraid you might be stuck in your ways. Brownie was wrong for what she made you kids do and now you’re actually drinking people’s—”

  “Daddy, not over the phone!”

  Chapter 35

  “You don’t have to talk my head off, baby boy.”

  —Chloe

  Chloe was in her room alone with Amico Glasser, who she met in the game room at the movie theater earlier that night. When she pulled up on Amico earlier, while he was playing video games as he waited for the movie to start, she knew that he was the one. Amico was so entranced by her small waist and thick ass that he ended his game and fell under her spell. Amico was b
ored with his sister and wasn’t interested in a chick flick anyway. So when Chloe put her sex appeal on blast, he rolled out with her in the hopes of getting some pussy.

  “This shit fly!” Amico said, looking around Farah’s apartment as they walked through the front door. Audio was with them, and she told Amico that he was her brother. As planned, nobody was home so it would be easier to see her plan through. “Y’all live here with your peoples?”

  “Yeah,” Audio snapped, angry he wanted to fuck. “Who you think we live with?”

  Amico looked at him and shook his head. On the way over Audio seemed down to earth, but now that the three of them were alone, he was acting differently. “Well, I love this joint.” He rubbed his hands together. “This shit is like that!”

  “Come with me,” Chloe said, grabbing his hand and leading him to the room she shared with her sister Mia. Audio followed. “My room back here.” When Amico looked around the room and smiled, Chloe gave Audio a menacing grin. They had him alone.

  He walked over to the large window and moved the curtains so he could look out of it. “You can see the entire city.”

  “It ain’t like the view is like that,” Audio said. “We still in the projects.”

  He walked away from the window and said, “Wait ... did I do something to you? ’Cause on the way over we were cool, but now you acting like I slapped your mamma. What the fuck?”

  Audio was about to steal him when Chloe jumped in between them. “You got the smoke?” Chloe asked.

  Amico sat down on the edge of the bed and said, “I thought you said you had it. Remember when I gave y’all a ride, you said you didn’t have gas, but you got the weed.”

  She’d forgotten her lie already. “Oh ... yeah ... give me a sec.” Chloe went to Lesa’s room, stole another bag of weed, and brought it back. As she rolled up a blunt, Audio stood over her as he looked at Amico with piercing eyes. “Here you go.”