Ghetto Girls

by Anthony Whyte

  “Jo, your lips remind me so much of that girl in the park. Could it have been?” Danielle said.

  “No,” Josephine said with mock vexation. “If I had done all that sucking, my tongue would’ve been tired and I would definitely be thirsty.”

  “What’re they talking bout?” Deedee asked.

  “Get yourself looking this good and you won’t have to wish about anything.” Danielle licked her lips and said: “You won’t have to use your suckers.”

  She patted her hip and arched her chest. Josephine kept on laughing. Coco and Deedee stared at the other two. Then all four girls began laughing, not really knowing the whole reason.

  “Let’s go check out that new movie wid 2pac. I heard it’s all that,” Josephine said still giggling.

  “No, let’s check out some breakfast. Now that will hit da spot,” Danielle said.

  “Sounds good to me,” Deedee said.

  “Alright, yo. Where?” Coco asked.

  “Mickey D’s” came the chorus. They continued chattering as they headed to the breakfast place.

  Josephine continued teasing Danielle. “I can’t believe you be telling people your name is Daniella, with accent and everything like you’re Spanish,” she giggled.

  “Well, you be walking up to people saying, ‘yo, my name’s Jo,’ like your ass is somebody an’ shit,” Danielle said.

  “Well I am somebody,” Josephine said.

  “And I get the men sweating me because let’s face it; I’m exotic,” Danielle said. She batted her eyes like Betty Boop.

  Coco and Deedee walked ahead, within ear-shot, glancing over their shoulders and laughing along with Danielle and Josephine. Deedee was caught up in the moment. She laughed freely, completely enjoying the exchanges. Memories of the rape faded. Coco stopped, lit a cigarette and kept on walking. She had enjoyed Danielle and Josephine’s performance, but what was important was sharing the ordeal she had gone through with someone she knew could truly understand. She slowed into her bop.

  For breakfast the girls had only fruit juices and sodas. This ‘hooky day’ was nourishment enough for all.

  “That nigga was walking like he had shit up da ass, yo,” Coco said.

  “He wuz dead into Daniella”, Josephine said.

  “Who’s Daniella? You mean Danielle, right?” Deedee asked.

  “Daniella. You know, that fake-ass, wannabe-Spanish girl sitting right next to my black ass,” Josephine said. She laughed loudly. The other patrons, seated and standing, looked their way.

  “Oh, no. Don’t even try it. That little nigga knows a fine sister, no doubt,” Danielle said. “You’re just jealous that he ain’t all up on you.”

  “Si, lo que se. Si, si. Mira, mira,” Josephine said. The jovial mood infected the entire restaurant. They heard the rest of the patrons snickering from all directions.

  An old lady hobbled over. “What did y’all mothers give y’all today?” she asked.

  “Vitamins.”

  “Well, aren’t y’all s’pose to be using all that energy in school?” The old lady waited for another answer. She didn’t get one.

  “Let’s go check out that flick, yo.”

  The girls rose and walked away from the table. The old lady’s stares followed them out the door. They strode past rushing pedestrians and homeless people waiting for a break.

  They walked side by side as they entered the movie theater, laughing and throwing verbal pellets at each other. Like bored kids throwing spit-balls, it was done just for simple fun. The jocularity extended until they left.

  “Yo, yo, let’s go window shopping,” Danielle suggested.

  “Deedee can show us where she gets that hot shit she be wearing,” Josephine said. She winked at Deedee, who grinned at Coco.

  “Yo, that’s cool. You wear some funky stuff, too,” Deedee said.

  “Alright, yo, let’s go already. Damn clothes addicts,” Coco said.

  “That’s because you’re always wearing them baggy jeans. Try something else, something that’ll show your figure, girl,” Danielle said. “That shit that be making you look like a nigga sometimes,” Danielle laughed. Coco didn’t laugh. She lit a cigarette and hung it between her lips. She tilted her collar upward and slid her hat down to the top of her nose. She mimicked a boy’s body language.

  “Well, at least my jeans ain’t wedged up into da crack of my ass causing me major discomfort, yo,” Coco said. She lit the cigarette, a smirk on her face. Josephine laughed and applauded as Coco pulled her baggy jeans tight and imitated Danielle’s walk. Deedee laughed, too, and pointed at Coco. Even Danielle, with the proverbial egg on the face, managed a smile.

  “Hey, yo, let’s go by the rink and rent some skates,” Josephine said.

  “Sounds good,” Deedee said, still laughing.

  “Okay, yeah, let’s,” Danielle said.

  Coco had moved further up the block doing the imitation of Danielle, rejoined them.

  “Wanna hang at the rink?” Danielle asked.

  “Yeah, yo,” Coco said with sudden urgency. “Five-oh is giving out summonses to some kids. We better bounce, yo.” The four girls ran for the skating rink.

  Two hours later, they emerged, still laughing. Deedee phoned Uncle E. She asked him to pick her up a few hours later than usual. She was going to watch Da Crew rehearse. Sunlight strained against heavy dark clouds as the girls slowly made their way back to the school. The mood was light as they shared cigarettes and a joint.

  “This shit taste kinda nice, yo,” Coco said. “Where’d ya cop it?”

  “Oh, yo, from Cory. I don’t know where he copped it.” It gave Danielle a greater high when Coco was impressed. It was as if she had gone one-up on the not-so-easily moved and streetwise Coco.

  They passed a group of guys on a corner and ignored their advances.

  “And pleased to meet ya and suck my Johnson. Bi-yotches.”

  The girls kept moving in silence. They heard chuckles from the guys. Josephine broke the silence.

  “What if we ran back there and be like, yeah, nice to meet you Mr. Johnson, but you rather short. Too short to be sucked. Now, all that little Mr. Johnson needs is someone to crack open a can o’ that good ol’ ass whipping for him. A nigga try to pull some shit like that, ‘bout ‘bitch, suck my dick,’ we fighting, cuz that’s big disrespect.”

  “What if they got guns?” Deedee asked. “That makes a huge difference.” She wanted to share her experience. “It’s really no joke when it happens. You just start wishing it’s a bad dream and it will all be over real soon.”

  Danielle passed the joint to Deedee. The smell stung her nostrils, but she took a drag on the rolled cigarette with the brown tar on the tip. She passed it to Coco, who took it with a smile. Josephine and Danielle continued yakking.

  “I’m telling ya,” Josephine said “I be beating up my cousins like they owe me sump’n, and they’re all guys. Puh-lease. Some guy try that shit on me...”

  “You be so scared, your ass probably faint right there,” Danielle said.

  “Well, your ass probably would start loving da shit,” Josephine said.

  “Listen up, Sista Josephine. I’d probably bite Mr. Johnson’s head off, so there wouldn’t be too much to enjoy,” Danielle said. “They know who to pick on.”

  “We be rolling. I would scratch them niggas’ eyes out,” Josephine said fingernails at the ready, scratching the air.

  “This some good weed, yo,” Coco said. She pulled on the joint so hard, the tip glowed. “Where he got this shit?” Coco managed to ask between tokes.

  “Probably uptown. That’s where they got good shit. Cory said they call it cookies ‘n’ cream,” Danielle said. She grabbed the center of attention once occupied by the burning weed.

  “Yeah, this shit does smell like cookies ‘n’ cream, yo.”

  “I’m serious,” Josephine said. “Not even Baskin Robbins has this special flava.”

  “You need to take your serious ass to rehearsal,” Danielle said
. She toked on the last bit of the joint and flicked the tiny roach away.

  “Yeah, yeah, it’s that time again, yo,” Coco said heading for the small auditorium. Deedee and the girls followed. The auditorium was like a boxing ring before a fight. It had been the main hall of the old school, and was nearly abandoned after the new building went up. Now it was about to be transformed by the winds of human energy.

  Deedee watched Da Crew calmly shift to their ready position. The whole place became energized with their emotions. She saw the raw expressions on the girls’ faces as they moved—sharpening each turn, weaving, pivoting and stepping on cue.

  They’re good, thought Deedee. They are incredible. She felt the excitement as the girls’ liveliness burst through, causing momentary delirium. Above the noise of rehearsal she heard the blast of a car horn. She went to the window and peered out. It was her Uncle E. She went out and invited him inside. They sat and watched Da Crew fine-tune their act. At the break, Eric Ascot applauded and approached the stage.

  “Hey, what y’all have is really good,” he called up to them. “Y’all looking sharp and ready.”

  “Thanks,” the reply came immediately.

  This, they knew, was a compliment from a producer, and not just any producer. It came from Eric Ascot. It surprised them. And the compliments got better.

  “You are Jo, with some smooth flow, Danielle and Coco,” Eric said pointing as he named each girl.

  “Oh, oh, you got us down to the point,” Josephine said.

  “Yeah, yeah. We feel big time already,” Danielle said.

  They all laughed. Coco drank bottled water and watched. Then she saw Deedee’s smile and she smiled back.

  It was time to go. Deedee waited as her uncle offered compliments and promises, then they said good-bye. Deedee reviewed the day as the car moved into traffic.

  “I had a very good day,” she announced, without any prompting. They both smiled, relieved.

  “Think we should sign Da Crew? Get them into the studio?” Eric asked.

  “Oh, yeah. That’ll be really good,” Deedee said. She looked directly at him.

  “Yeah, I think so, too. We better make a move before someone else signs ‘em up.”

  “Huh uh, cause you know they’re gonna win that talent show. They’re so good, I mean onstage and off. They’re really not the same.” Deedee elaborated on the girls’ versatility.

  Eric drove on with a smile. Deedee sounded excited, and it felt like old times. He listened to her opinion on the girls’ strengths and weaknesses. He thought about signing the girls after the talent show, win or lose. Da Crew might be the antidote Deedee needed for a full recovery.

  FOURTEEN

  “I’m telling ya, that shit’s foul.”

  Coco continued walking up the block toward the apartment building that was now home to another Wake. She heard the hushed tone of the street’s voices. Another one bite the dust. Then rumble, rumble and Coco was staring at Deja’s son along with his mother and her friends. Tears were in Kimberly’s eyes.

  “Don’t be cryin’ Kim, beat that bitch’s ass,” Tina said.

  “Coco, you knew? Cuz if you did, then that’s real foul, girl.”

  Coco reacted quickly. “Knew what, yo?”

  “Knew that your girl wuz sleeping wid Kimberly’s child’s father.”

  The words came from behind her. She realized there were two girls back there who weren’t just mourning. Oh shit, she thought, her eyes were on the angry Kimberly and the fatherless boy at her side, eating candy.

  “Yo, you think I knew about any of this shit? That’s why you brought these bitches to jump my ass, yo?” Coco lashed out. She was angry, but she tried to control her temper. She felt a hefty shove from behind. She fell against the wall.

  “Ain’t no bitches here but your silly ass, bitch. You best chill, fore you get your video-mug ripped wid fucking tribal markings, bitch,” someone said from behind her.

  “Leave her alone. Leave that girl alone, you big cowards,” Miss Katie hollered from her window.

  She threw pots and utensils at the girls who threatened Coco. Coco jumped away from the wall, ready to fight. She hugged the little boy when her attackers ran away, shouting insults at Miss Katie.

  “Fuck that ol’ ass witch!”

  “Let go of my child,” Kimberly yelled.

  “Come on, take him. I had no beef with you or his father. And I didn’t know what the fuck was up wid him and Bebop.” Coco turned her voice down for the seemingly scared little boy. “Go to your mother, sweetheart. She needs you.”

  For a while, the little boy held Coco’s hand tight.

  “Let’s go Roshawn. Come to mommy,” Kimberly shouted and he let go of Coco and ran into Kimberly’s outstretched arms.

  “Coco, are you alright?” Miss Katie asked from her third-floor vantage point.

  “Yeah, I’m alright. I’m fine. Thanks Miss Katie, for looking out. I certainly don’t need no ass-whipping.”

  Coco dropped her voice on the last phrase, walking into the building. Miss Katie met her at the top of the stairs.

  “You better get right inside and see about your mother,” she said. “She slipped out earlier today.” Miss Katie didn’t need to finish. Coco darted into her apartment. She was still trying to unlock the door when Miss Katie called out, “She’s in there with someone.”

  Coco caught the horrible stench of burnt plastic when she opened the door. She headed straight for her mother, who stood in the hallway.

  “Why couldn’t you wait?” Coco shouted. She wasn’t fully conscious of the presence of the stranger.

  Mrs. Harvey was disheveled. Her hair looked as if it had not been combed for days. She stared at Coco with eyes that seemed red and fiery. Through parched, gray lips, she croaked something unintelligible. Coco looked where her mother’s shaky finger pointed. A man came out of the bathroom, zipping up his pants.

  “Hi. I’m—”

  “Can you excuse us, please?” Coco asked. He walked into the kitchen and pulled out a chair.

  “Excuse me means go. Your time’s up, yo,” Coco pointed to the door.

  “Listen, you lil’ bitch, me an’ your mom got some unsettled shit to deal wid,” Mrs. Harvey’s crack-smoking partner said, his voice urgent with anger.

  Coco turned and stared at him. Nice homecoming, she thought. She gritted her teeth, ready to lash out.

  “Now, you better listen da fuck up—” Coco’s retort was cut off by her mother, who emerged suddenly from her crack-blurred mindset.

  “We have nothing to settle,” she said. “Just do like my daughter says an’ git da fuck outta here.” Mrs. Harvey threw the round glass vial, with the crack still cooking, to the floor at the man’s feet. He dropped to the floor and scavenged through the residue, burning his fingers. He shouted as he shuffled out the door and his voice carried from the stairwell to the apartment.

  “Bitches! They fucked up my shit. Must be fucking each other up in there. Bi-yotches!”

  Miss Katie shut her door and walked into her apartment, shaking her head. Coco did the same and turned around to confront her mother. Why, why? She wondered. Her mother was half-lying on the sofa. She seemed to be asleep.

  Coco shook her head at the thought. The incident brought back memories of Bebop’s death. Coco headed for the bathroom. Was her mother, cracking with Rightchus too? Coco wondered as she turned on the shower. I’ll recommend a cold shower to my mother. After showering, she walked past Mrs. Harvey, who remained motionless.

  “That shit must’ve been sump’n else, or you’re outta practice, Ma. Ma, get up and take a shower. Ma, c’mon now. Stop laying around, mother.” There was no response. A look of disgust spread across Coco’s face. “I can’t believe you went out an’ did this shit to yourself. I don’t believe it. Now get up.” Coco shook her mother’s unresponsive body. The woman fell to the floor, with the thud of a tree hitting the ground. Coco gasped in fear.

  “Mom! Ma!” Coco screamed and bolted.
She pounded her fist on Miss Katie’s door.

  “Miss Katie, please open up. It’s my mother. It’s my mother, Miss Katie.” Coco, in a T-shirt and boxers, clutched at her throat in panic.

  “Coming, child. What is it?” Miss Katie opened her door.

  “It’s my mother,” Coco yelled. “I don’t know. She’s not moving.”

  Miss Katie grabbed two jars from a black bag as she told Coco to phone for an ambulance. She went across the hallway into the stench of burnt plastic. Miss Katie quietly said a prayer.

  “Thy soul unto God you must give and you’ll feel peace within yourself.”

  She soaked a towel with two solutions and wiped Mrs. Harvey’s face.

  FIFTEEN

  “Yeah, yeah. I was shocked that she could take all that inside of her. I felt for her.” Danielle said. Then Josephine joined her in her current chant:

  “They were running such a trizain on da bitch.” Both the girls said.

  “Ahight, Jo so you know the scoop, you know the scoop, you heard it all before, right?”

  “At least six…seven times now. How they fucked the shit out of the bitch early in the morning in the park and how you felt like a peeping Tom when the nigga busted you and Cory. And oh, how you two went back to his dorm and fucked non-stop like rabbits. I heard that many times now.”

  “Uh-huh, yes, that was cool. Everything was love-lay today, though. We played hooky all day. You know tight-assed Deedee could be fun.”

  “Why she gotta be a tight-ass?” Josephine asked.

  “Hold up a sec, I got another call. Hold on, hold on. Yo, it’s Cory.”

  “Ms. Busybody herself! Wish Coco had a phone. Need to talk, you know? Party line, us girls,” Josephine suggested.

  “My girl’s mom be sniffing, drinking and smoking the line up. She got a problem.”

  “You need to check yourself before…”

  “Save it. I got to go. My man’s on my line. See ya.”

  “Bitch!”

  “Just don’t be late for the train, Jo. Call your man, girlfriend,” Danielle said. She clicked over to Cory’s call. “Hi, baby, I’m sorry I kept you waiting. Running my mouth with girl talk. What’re ya doing?”