Dirty South Divas

by Kia

  I could tell that Slick was fucked up about how it all went down because he didn’t talk about it much. As a matter of fact, he didn’t talk about it at all.

  “Bam! Nigga, give me all that!” Slick yelled when he finally hit.

  “Here, man. Take that petty-ass change,” Percy said as he gave Slick the money that was owed to him.

  “Oh, you quiet now. What happened?” Slick asked.

  “Baby, call ya cousin over here to shut this nigga up,” Percy said.

  “Divine ain’t about to come over here. You know that. I don’t even know why you playing.” I rolled my eyes.

  Divine and Slick didn’t talk at all. He did her so dirty back in high school, I don’t even blame her. That nigga used to whoop her ass and everything. He the whole reason she even started fucking with AJ. I wouldn’t even do her like that.

  “I just saw her earlier at court,” Slick said, rolling the dice.

  “Yeah? How’d it go?” I asked.

  “You didn’t see the news? Man, everybody in that bitch got detained,” he said. I thought he was joking until I saw that he didn’t go back on his word.

  “Word?” I asked.

  “Hell yeah. I just came from bailing my mama out for the fifth time this year. All in that bitch tripping. Her and AJ mama got to fighting and shit.” He shook his head.

  “Damn, that’s crazy,” I said.

  “Ain’t they tired of fighting?” Percy asked.

  “Shit, I don’t know. Like I told my mama, Kenny was my brother, but that nigga wasn’t innocent. It’s all a part of the game. Can’t get mad at AJ’s people ’cause they riding for that nigga, just like she rode for me when I got locked up. But mama ain’t tryna hear that shit. She even got buck with Divine.” He laughed.

  “What Divine say? I know she was talking shit back,” I replied.

  “Man, she went ham on my mama. Thought they was ’bout to box for a lil’ minute.”

  “That’s my cousin. Crazy ass.”

  “Hell yeah, she crazy. She can’t stand my ass either,” Slick said. Just as I was about to respond, my phone rang so I went inside to answer it. It was my twin sister, Neiman.

  “What, girl?” I asked, really not in the mood to be yapping with her. Every time she called it was to complain about her no good ass nigga, Pernel.

  “Is Pernel over there because he’s been gone in my car all damn day,” she hissed like I was the one she was mad at.

  “Bitch, why you yelling at me? Nah, he ain’t here. The only people here is Percy and Slick. Pernel didn’t come to shoot dice today.

  “Can you take me to the store? I’ll give you some gas m—” she tried to finish but I cut her off.

  “Not today, bitch. Not today. That’s your dumb ass letting that nigga drive your car, and I bet he don’t be putting no gas in it ’cause you always calling me for money,” I threw in her face. Hell, I was sick of her being weak behind this nigga. He wasn’t even her baby daddy or husband.

  “You know what, bitch? This why I don’t fuck with you! When you and that nigga Percy was broke and on y’all ass, please remind me where the fuck y’all stayed for a whole damn year? Please remind me who car you drove? Bitch, on Mama, I’ll whoop your raggedy ass one more time for trying to play me!”

  What she failed to realize is that I appreciated her for everything and I loved her dearly. I just hated the way she let Pernel do her. She was too beautiful to be going through this shit. He wasn’t nothing. Probably worth half a penny.

  “Okay, Neiman. I’m not even about to do this with you today. Here I come.”

  “Nah, don’t worry about it now. I’ll have Divine take me.”

  Click

  Looking at the phone, I rolled my eyes before hanging it up.

  “Baby, who was that?” Percy’s nosey ass yelled from the garage.

  “My business!”

  “I’ght! Get fucked up!”

  “Whatever!”

  “Bring me a beer!” he yelled back.

  “After I check on PJ!” PJ was our two-year-old son; my world. Dead ass, I would die for him. He was the perfect son.

  When parents complained about having bad kids with temper tantrums, I couldn’t relate. PJ was so laid back and cool, just like his daddy. Never really had to yell at him about anything. Just give him a TV, carrots, and some apple juice and he was content all day. What kid loved vegetables like my son? I thanked God every day for my family.

  After I made sure PJ was still taking a nap, I took Percy and Slick a beer, but Slick refused.

  “I ain’t no old ass nigga, drinking on some damn beer.”

  “Okay, whatever. That’s all you had to say.”

  After I put his beer back into the fridge, I couldn’t help but admire my life. My man was the truth.

  Chapter Four

  Malina

  Divine and I were riding through South Dallas when her phone began to ring. Since her phone was hooked up to the auxiliary cord, I heard Neiman yelling all thru the speakers the minute Divine answered the phone.

  “Can you take me to the store? ’Cause Pernel bitch ass been gone in my car all day, and Nyssa about to get popped in her mothafucking mouth while she playing with me!” Neiman yelled.

  “But why you bucking with me though? I ain’t did shit,” Divine said while laughing.

  “I’m sorry, cuzz. You just don’t understand how mad I am.”

  “It’s all good. Where you at?”

  “Home.”

  “Okay, I’ll be there in fifteen minutes,” Divine said as we busted a U-turn on Martin Luther King Dr by the state fair.

  “That’s why I love you. I’ll be ready. Got you on gas too.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Save it.”

  That’s why everyone loved Divine. She was the sweetest girl in the world. Her heart made her that much prettier than she already was. She was the backbone of the family. Sweet, but sour. Warm but cold. That was the perfect way to describe her.

  My father and Divine’s father were the brothers of Neiman and Nyssa’s father. My Granny on my dad’s side had three sons, and we were her only grandkids. We were all pretty close, for the most part.

  My dad was locked up, along with Divine’s dad, who was my uncle. Nyssa and Neiman’s dad, who was also my uncle, was a school teacher. The reason Divine and I are so close is because our dads were so close. They even caught their fed case together. Nyssa and Neiman’s dad was the good son who didn’t give my granny all of them problems, but my pops really didn’t fuck with him like that.

  “Pernel gone in her car again?” I asked as we hopped on the freeway.

  “Shit, I guess. Ain’t no telling.”

  “I don’t know why she just won’t leave his ass alone. Nigga ain’t even that cute.” The blunt almost fell as I pulled it out of my purse. Though it was already hot as hell, I needed to spark some shit up.

  “That’s her business. She’ll leave when she gets tired,” Divine said as she sped up. She often did that so the wind could blow harder in the car for cooler air. But the way this Texas heat was set up, that air was hotter than a mothafucka too.

  “I just don’t understand,” I said, taking a puff of my blunt.

  “Let Slick lay that pipe down. You’ll get it then,” she joked.

  “If it’s gonna have me acting dumb as hell, I don’t want it.” I was trying to pass her the blunt, but she refused. The only time she didn’t smoke was when she was up to no good, and wanted her mind to be clear.

  For the last three years, Divine had been in and out of different situationships. That’s what I called it because they were never full blown relationships. She still held AJ down, but make no mistakes about it; she did her own thing too.

  “I need my nails done,” I said as we pulled up to Neiman’s apartment. She lived right down the street from us.

  “You off tomorrow? Let’s go in the morning. I need mine done too,” she said, bending her fingers and looking at her nails.

  Neiman
’s apartments were so ghetto. Ours were ghetto, but Neiman’s took the cake. Looked like they were damn near falling apart.

  “Hurry up!” I yelled out the window so that Neiman could hear me from her apartment. She popped her head out the window in her living room and flipped me the bird. “Shit. It’s hotter than the devil’s coochie out here,” I hissed. Dirty looking niggas were everywhere, along with the thots sitting on the staircase with head scarves on.

  Divine laughed. “Want me to get us a popsicle from the ice cream truck?” she asked as she nodded her head to the ice cream man who was now driving by.

  I shook my head yes and she hopped out the car and flagged him down. The hood niggas were all over Divine. I watched as her long, jet black and bone straight hair blew with the wind. She reminded me of an Indian. All she needed was that diamond in the middle of her eyes.

  “There she go right there,” I heard some bitch yell. Then I saw three bitches charging at Divine. It was Slick’s sister, Kaylin, along with her friends.

  Swiftly, I unbuckled my seat belt and hopped out the car. By the time I hopped out, Neiman had already peeped it and was rushing down the stairs. Divine still didn’t know what was going on until I ran up and popped Kaylin.

  “Bitch!” I yelled as I grabbed a fistful of her hair and swung her to the ground.

  “Watch out, hoe!” Neiman yelled as she popped the one girl that tried to jump on my back. Divine ran up and slammed on the girl that tried to kick me in the face.

  “When… you… gonna… learn?!” I asked with each punch that I landed on Kaylin’s face.

  That whole family was bitter at my cousin because she actually stood by her nigga and didn’t change up. So what Kenny was like a brother to her? So what she used to fuck with Slick? That was high school shit. This would be the last time they tried to sneak us, and that was on the hood.

  “Get that hoe, Kaylin!” Slick’s mom yelled. I stood up, gave Kaylin a real good kick to the face and ran up on her mama.

  “What’s up, bitch?!” I yelled as I hauled off and swung.

  Before my punch could connect, some big nigga picked me up. When he pulled me back, I saw the crowd that had started to surround us. Some other dudes were breaking Divine and Neiman up from the other girls.

  “Fake ass bitch!” Kaylin yelled at Divine as she was being picked up off the ground.

  “Let me go!” I yelled as I tried to squirm away. These dudes had a tight grip on all of us.

  “Watch your back, you dusty ass bitch!” Divine yelled as she spit on Kaylin.

  “Oh hell nah!” Kaylin yelled.

  It was funny because once upon a time, Divine and Kaylin were cool as a fan. But when Kenny got murked and Slick got knocked, everything fell apart.

  “Get off of me!” Neiman yelled.

  “Go home, Kaylin. Y’all just go home,” an older lady said as she limped her way to the street with her walking cane.

  “You a dead bitch walking! And that’s on Kenny!” Divine yelled and started the bullshit up again.

  I don’t know how she did it, but Divine found the strength to get away from the man holding her, pick up a brick, and smashed Kaylin dead in the face with it. Everyone got silent as we watched it happen in slow motion.

  Clack!

  Something on Kaylin’s face broke, and when the brick was away from her face, we all gasped at her hanging nose.

  “Oh my God! How could you? My baby!” Kaylin’s mom yelled as ran over to her daughter.

  “Who else want some? I’m sick of you bitches!” Divine yelled as she looked around.

  Everyone was silent until we heard one bitch calling the cops. Me, Divine and Neiman hopped in the truck and got the fuck up outta there. As we were speeding off, I saw everyone pulling out their phones to record and take pictures of Kaylin’s face.

  “You finally got that hoe! Yaaaas, bitch!” Neiman yelled from the back seat. Adrenaline was still rushing through our veins.

  “I told them to leave me alone! Didn’t I? Didn’t I beg them hoes to leave me alone?” She was now driving crazy. I had to tell her to slow down.

  “Umhmm. You sure did,” Neiman said from the back seat. “Glad I finally got to beat the shit out of Yada. That’s the bitch that was fucking Pernel a while back,” Neiman said, out of breath. Her long box braids were all over her head as sweat trickled down her yellow face.

  “I can’t keep going through this. Something’s gotta shake. These bitches hate me, and I ain’t did shit to nobody!” Divine yelled, in her squeaky voice, while banging her fist against her chest.

  Though this was a serious moment, I couldn’t help but laugh. Who she thought she was? A Gorilla? King of the jungle or some shit?

  Chapter Five

  Divine

  Later that night, I went back to me and Malina’s apartment to lie down and get some rest. My whole body was sore. On top of that, I heard them bitches pressed charges on me, so now I had DPD all in my mix, messing with Kaylin’s dusty ass.

  This was going to be a lose on top of lose battle. Nobody was going to win. Kenny was dead, and that was nobody’s fault but his and AJ’s. Everyone just wanted someone to blame and take their anger out on. And what better person than me? Slick and I were over. Not happening. And this was one of the reasons why. His family always had some shit going on and I hated it. The way I was feeling, a bitch was about to be in a whole lesbian relationship. I liked titties anyway. And pussy couldn’t have me walking around pregnant with no baby daddy like everybody else in my city.

  Yeah, that’s what I’m about to do; start fucking with fine bitches. I grinned at the thought.

  As I was lying there in deep thought, my cell began to ring. It was a number I had never seen before.

  “Who’s this?” I asked as soon as I answered.

  “It’s me… Bishop.” Bishop was AJ’s brother. I was surprised to hear from him because he had moved to Cali and been on some funny acting shit with everybody. Besides, he never called me anyway. For anything.

  “What’s up, Bishop?”

  “So I’m on Facebook and see you slamming bricks all in bitches face,” he said while laughing. I heard him watching the fight in the background.

  “Outta there,” I said dryly.

  “What you doing?”

  “Lying down. What about you?”

  “Shit, chilling. Nigga needs to talk to you in person. I’m in Dallas.”

  “About what, Bishop?” I asked with an attitude. Didn’t really feel like talking to anybody.

  “Damn, shawty, hear me out. Where you live?”

  “In Grand Prairie. Right off I-20 and Carrier Pkwy.”

  “Bet, send me the address. I’m right down the street.”

  He hung up the phone. After sending him the address, I couldn’t help but wonder what this was all about. He couldn’t even come to AJ’s trial, but he wanted to talk to me in person.

  “Who was that?” Malina asked. She was lying at the end of my bed watching the hit TV show, Power.

  “Bishop. Say he about to slide through. Probably want to ask about how the trial went,” I said.

  “That’s weird. Anyway, Ghost is bae,” she joked as we got to the scene where Ghost was making love to Angela.

  “Hell nah. He dumb as fuck for fucking with a cop.”

  “Bet he got an agenda. Bae ain’t just that dumb.”

  “Whatever. Now 50 Cent? That’s bae,” I said with a smile. She threw my pillow at me and said 50 was ugly.

  An hour later, Malina was in her room asleep and I was lying down watching TV alone. That’s when I got a knock at the door. I didn’t have to open the door to know that it was Bishop. The minute I opened the door, him and two other guys rushed in with big black bags and ski masks on their faces.

  “Yo! What the fuck?!” I yelled, waking Malina up. She rushed into the living room with her bat, but quickly lowered it as they removed the masks and she saw who it was.

  “Chill out, killa,” Bishop laughed as he and his
friends plopped on the couch.

  “What the fuck is this?” I asked.

  “I’m in trouble, Divine. I need you bad,” Bishop said as he put all six of his burnout phones on the table.

  “Bishop, we not even cool like that,” I hissed as I folded my arms. I was on some beef shit with the way he barged into my place with these unknown ass niggas. Didn’t appreciate that at all.

  “Malina, take the homies in the kitchen and make them a snack, so I can talk to Divine.”

  “Nigga, what?” she folded her arms.

  “Please,” he asked, throwing her a roll of money.

  “Come on,” she said to the two guys with an attitude.

  When he was sure that they were out of range, he told me to have a seat in my own damn house. Reluctantly, I sat down across from him.

  “Wanna know what’s in this bag?” he asked.

  “Not really.”

  “$750,000 dollars.”

  “Stop lying.” He got up, opened every bag and showed me the crisp bills.

  “$750,000 dollars,” he said again.

  “Okay. And? What? You want me to spend it or something?”

  “Divine, just shut the fuck up and listen. I’ght? I’m running out of time.” I rolled my eyes and allowed him to talk. “I called you from a burnout phone that I’m only going to use once because I’m in trouble. When AJ got knocked, the cops started watching me too, and next thing I know, I’m being followed. I had got them off my back for a while, but they back again and they fucking with my money. Them hoes got me from five different ways, Divine,” he said as his hazel eyes pierced a hole into mine. He was serious. He began to rub his low cut hair.

  “What that got to do with me?” I asked.

  “I need to know that I can trust you.”

  “You already know you can trust me. That’s why everybody mad because I’m loyal to y’all family,” I assured him as I tightened my robe.

  “The feds watching me hard, so I can’t get this money back to my connect. I need you to do it for me.”