It is What it is: A Hood Love Story

by B. , Ivory

  “Anyways, I got something to tell y’all,” Lucky said apprehensively, knowing they would be alarmed when she told them. Everyone gave their undivided attention waiting for her to drop a bomb. “What? Don’t tell us Los got ya ass knocked up,” Ty said with slight anger. “Ha? Nah, I got high for the first time last week with Los.” “Oh hell nah! I know that nigga ain’t turning you out on drugs. I’ma cuss his ass out!” Ty screamed as she hopped up making her way over to her cordless. “Ty! Chill don’t do that. Ty I’m not a little ass girl no more! And I wanted to smoke he didn’t want me to,” Lucky pleaded, knowing if Ty called Los on some bullshit things could possibly get out of hand. “Just calm down and listen,” Lucky pleaded. “Ty stop being such a hypocrite, you know both of us get lifted,” Keema said. “Me too!” Mika chimed in raising her hand as if she were in class. “Yeah but she wasn’t smoking before she started messing with him, so she shouldn’t start smoking for no man.” “She wasn’t smokin for no nigga Ty. She just said she wanted to smoke. Shut up and let her talk.” Ty glared at Keema and crossed her arms over her chest returning back to the couch to hear Lucky out. “Okay Luck what happened?” Ty asked in a calmer tone.

  “Last week we were at the house in Scottsdale and I woke to Los screaming at the TV. He was watching the Knicks vs. The Heat game. I got up and walked over to him and when he looked up at me his eyes were chinky as hell and he looked so sexy. So I went sat on his lap and snuggled up against him. He tensed up because he knows usually I won’t get too close to him when he smoke. Usually I complain about the foul smell. But anyways, I was curious about how it was to be high cause every time Los get lifted he’s real relaxed. He gets so quiet, you would think he wasn’t even there. I asked him if I could try and he said Hell no! My feelings got a little hurt from the way he barked on me, so I went to get up and he pulled me back down on his lap. I smirked knowing I had gotten my way and he caved in. I went to grab the Dutch from him and he snatched his hand back giving me a mean look. He was like, you not gon put ya lips on this blunt and get your lips all black from smoking.” Lucky fell out laughing and so did everyone else in the room. “Exactly, he acting like my lips were gonna get black from smoking one time. But anyways, he told me he was gonna give me a shot gun and explained how to do it. The first time he did it the fool blew a huge cloud of smoke in my mouth that I couldn’t handle, I started choking hard. He was so scared, he kept asking me if I was okay before he told me that was enough. I wanted to try again so he did it again, not before coaching me on how to pull in slow and hold it. Listen, by the third successful shotgun I was giggling nonstop. Los whole facial expression changed, he went from looking relaxed to annoyed. He said Luck I should’ve known you was the type to get high and start geeking. I promised to stop all awhile I’m still laughing. The next time he did it though I was twisted and while he was shot gunning me somehow it turned into a kiss and the weed had me open, I mean horny as fuck. I basically attacked the man. We went at it for hours and my inhibitions were non-existent, so much so I let him get some back door action.” “What?!” Keema and Ty shrieked simultaneously. “Ladies yeah, I know, I know, I was gone to do some shit like that. But this is the kicker, I was so faded I fell right off to sleep after we had sex. When I woke up the next morning in bed on my stomach, my ass felt like it was on fire! No on some real shit, I felt like I was split from my ass crack to my pussy. I jumped up and barley made it to the bathroom. Girrllll I had the runs like a muthafucka and that shit was running out. When I looked in the toilet I was bleeding and I could barely wipe myself. I’m neva ever fucking around like that no more!”

  By this time everyone was dying with laughter except for Lucky, she was dead serious. “That’s what yo ass get fuckin wit a big boy baby, tryna do big things, and shit happens, like literally,” Mika said through laughter. The laughter got even louder with the joke. “What happened after that Luck?” Ty asked all awhile trying to stop laughing. “Nothing happened. Los was all concerned cause I was cussing his ass out, screaming I needed to go to the hospital and get stitches.” Keema’s drink came flying across the room from out of her mouth. “Eww Keem you gon clean that shit up!” Ty complained through laughter, not being able to stop laughing at Lucky herself. “Shut the hell up Keem, just cause that shit comes natural to you, don’t mean everybody else is the same,” Lucky screamed getting her feathers a little ruffled from Keema laughing at her so hard. “Whateva hoe don’t get mad at me cause that nigga turning you out!” “No he ain’t turning me out!” Lucky screamed getting defensive, but everyone knew better. Lucky was doing things with Los she had never done before and everyone knew that. “Oh please bitch, he even got you sucking him off crazy. Ain’t you the one that used to say sucking dick was so nasty. Yeah, yo ass is turned out! Don’t get mad at me.” “What?! Lucky you given head now? Say it ain’t so,” Mika asked “Yeah it’s so,” Lucky said looking Mika dead in the eyes. For a second Mika was taken aback by Lucky’s sudden found boldness. “Well alright now! You throwing lips to the dick and taking it up the butt like what, well ain’t this some shit! No pun intended,” Mika said through laughter. The room erupted in laughter. “Fuck all y’all bitches,” Lucky fussed. She glared over at Keema who was getting under her skin for laughing so hard. “Keema shut up whore! Ain’t nobody talking about how fucked up in the game Jah got you, so be quiet.” Keema laughed even harder at Lucky’s little tantrum. “I’m gone girl, I been gone on that dick a long time ago. Ain’t no hope, or coming back for me baby. I’m a lost cost, straight up and down. But you see I’ve come to terms with that, I ain’t tryna front neither.” “Yeah you gone alright, whateva,” Lucky hissed. “Leave my Lady Luck alone,” Ty cooed walking over to Lucky placing her arm around her shoulder as a gesture of support. The girls were going in on Lucky knowing how sensitive she was. “So you ever gonna give that nigga some back door action again?” Ty asked trying not to laugh. “I don’t know, I mean…to be honest I’m the one that initiated it. I was curious to know how it felt. It hurt like all hell at first but then it started feeling really good. Just not the next morning.” Everyone burst out laughing on that note even Lucky had to give up the hard act and laugh.

  Ty’s doorbell went off interrupting the girl’s hearty laugh. Everyone looked at Ty as if she knew who was intruding on their long overdue girls’ night. Ty hopped up to answer the door trailed by all three women. When she opened the door there were two white men standing there dressed in suits and in back of them three black teenage girls. Confusion was written all over Ty’s face as she searched the strangers faces for an explanation. One of the men was holding a large bouquet of roses and 3 large butterfly shaped helium balloons. The man holding nothing spoke up. “Tyeena Williams” he stated more like a question than statement. Ty shook her head apprehensively. The man holding the bouquet of colorful roses in the pretty crystal vase and balloons handed them over to her. While the man who appeared to have nothing at first, presented two jewelry boxes.

  “I’m going to need you to sign a receipt for proof of delivery ma’am.” Ty handed over the roses and balloons to Lucky as she anxiously signed the receipt and grabbed her jewelry boxes. Ty was still very much confused but hell these men said this jewelry belonged to her so she wasn’t trying to let it go. “Good day ma’am,” is all the man said before both of them began to leave. On that note the three girls standing off to the side stepped forward and started singing Alicia Keys Like you’ll never see me again. So every time you hold me, hold me like this is the last time, every time you kiss me, kiss me like you’ll never see me again. Every time you touch me, touch me like this is the last time. Promise that you’ll love me, love me like you’ll never see me again” “Damn! Blow it down, these chicks can sing. I’ma have to use them for my wedding. Hold up, y’all got a card or something?” Keema asked. Lucky was ecstatic for Ty. “Oh my god that is so fairytale!” Mika screamed. Everyone was overjoyed except for Ty. She felt herself getting emotional and knew tears would soon follow. Ty tried des
perately to keep her tears at bay. “Lucky looked over at her cousin and could tell she was really emotional at the moment and was on the brink of shedding tears. “Awe Ty let it go and cry. This is about one of the sweetest things I’ve ever seen.” Lucky said while wrapping her arms around Ty’s shoulders and hugging her. Ty leaned into Lucky and let it go. She cried but not because she was moved by the romantic gesture and the sweet moment, but because the one person who she really longed to be with she could never be with. Lucky held onto Ty kind of stunned at Ty’s emotional outburst. It was a known fact that due to failed relationships and drama Ty had been through with men in the past she had a hard time showing emotion in relationships. Lucky would always tease her and tell her she acted like a dude in terms of not showing emotion, today was a different story.

  “Well Mr. El Cheapo shocked the hell out of me. He’s really not all that bad. He can’t be as cheap as you say he is, if he did all this. Ty you need to call him right now and thank him for what he did. Then thank him later on in a special way,” Lucky said with a wink while handing the cordless phone over to Ty. Lucky could’ve sworn she caught a look of trepidation flash on Ty’s face. Ty was freaking the hell out, she knew damn well the gifts weren’t from Douglas cheap ass, they were from Nice. “No wait Ty open the boxes. I wanna see what’s in them. How you gonna call and say thank you before you even open the boxes?” Keema said. Whew! Ty thought as she side stepped the cordless phone and walked over to the couch to open the boxes.

  One of the boxes read Happy birthday and the other read Merry Xmas. There was also a card sticking out of the bouquet of roses. Keema went to grab it and Ty nearly broke her hand. “No! I’ll read it, it may be private!” Ty yelled with a hint of panic in her voice. Everyone looked at Ty as if she had lost her damn mind. Since when was anything considered private between any of them? “Private my ass! We didn’t sit up here and tell you all our business for you to try and be secretive,” Keema shot back. Keema snatched the card out of Ty’s fingers. Ty tried to grab the card back but it was of no use Keema was already on the move opening up the card as she ran around the living room with Ty on her tail. “Read it! Read it! Read it! Lucky and Mika chanted while laughing. Ty’s breathing picked up and she thought she would faint as she realized the situation was out of her control and Keema reading the card was inevitable. “I didn’t want you to feel cheated this Christmas baby girl, Happy B-Day and Merry Xmas. Love…Love,” Keema repeated with her face screwed up. “That’s it? This nigga done forgot to sign his name on the card. I guess that IV league education don’t mean anything after all if he don’t know how to sign his name on a card.” Ty’s heart finally started to slow down a bit from beating so damn hard. She was having chest pains for a few seconds. For a minute she thought she had been aired out and would have lots of explaining to do. “Please why the hell he got to put his name down. Ty know who lovin her, and he know too. There’s really no need to sign his name,” Mika said in what she thought was Douglas’s defense.

  Ty flopped down on the sofa feeling as if she needed to get off of her feet and quick before she passed out. She wiped her palms on the leg of her pants to wipe away some of the nervous perspiration. Opening up the happy birthday box to a thick diamond tennis bracelet, Ty gasped. The bracelet was beautiful. “Oohh awww!” The girls said in unison then started laughing. “Ty these diamonds are clear as water,” Lucky said as she clasped the bracelet shut around Ty’s wrist. Ty didn’t say anything she just gazed at her bracelet for a long minute before opening up the box that read Merry Xmas. Ty was caught off guard by the diamond necklace with the iced out butterfly pendant. The necklace was very feminine, elegant and looked as if it cost some gwap. “Damn that’s hot!” Lucky yelled. Looking at the necklace Ty had a sudden flash back to that night her and Nice shared. Nice seemed to be so captivated by the three small colorful butterflies that were tatted on her back. The butterflies trailed down the middle of her back and while he was deep stroking her from behind he placed sensual kisses on them over and over again. Ty shook as if a cold chill ran up her spine at just the thought of his soft lips. “Girl what is wrong with you?” Lucky asked giving her the side eye. Ty looked down at the bracelet that adorned her wrist and thought about the words to the song. Every time you touch me, touch me like this is the last time, like you’ll never see me again. She hadn’t laid eyes on Nice since that morning they shared together and she planned on keeping it that way. She avoided him at all cost. Ty had truly caught feelings for Nice. Nothing good could come of them acting out on those feelings and she wasn’t trying to be a real life Jerry Springer case. She thought about Nice often even though, she was with Douglas now. She’d been in a relationship with Douglas for the last couple of months. No he wasn’t what Ty was used to in physical terms and personality too. Douglas was highly educated and came from a family of money, education and status. His father was a prominent Judge and his mother was a retired dean of a prestigious prep school. Yes he had some faults, like all men do. However, Ty felt that this was the best move for her right now in her life.

  Ty had met Douglas at work, she was working as an assistant investment specialist while finishing her last year for her MBA. The position enabled her to rub elbows with many of the big wigs in the finance world, and she was hella good at what she did. The money was good as well. Being there was only about two handfuls of blacks in their company they knew of each other. She was never interested in Douglas in a romantic way and had turned down his initial attempts at getting to know her. Douglas was persistant though, she had to give it to him. Eventually his persistence wore her down and she went on a few dates with him. He was the perfect gentlemen towards her and despite her initial disinterest, it wasn’t long before she actually started having feelings for him.

  Now that they were a couple and had been dating for a while Ty was starting to see another side of him emerge, a side she didn’t like. He could be rude sometimes, condescending was the best way to describe him at times. It was as if he went out of his way to point out the differences in their upbringing. His family’s wealth compared to her family’s wealth. The fact that he was cultured and went to prestigious schools in addition to his family moving in societies’ esteemed inner circles. Compared to Ty’s humble upbringing and her public school education. Ty overlooked it because other than that he was sweet when he wanted to be.

  Ty had been through all the excitement of being a hustlas girl, she was so over it. There was no future in that title, was the way she pegged it. Definitely no happy endings. There were two for sure endings in love affairs with thugs. Either that nigga was going to end up in jail or dead. There was only one man apart of that life that she would be with, since she couldn’t be with him, she chose to do away with his kind all together.

  The Game

  Months later it was April and the sun was shining brightly into the bedroom from the skylight right above Los’s bed. Lucky was lying on her stomach in deep concentration with her statistics book in front of her finishing some homework. There was one month before graduation and finals were fast approaching. Since Los and Lucky had returned from Christmas vacation she had come back and put her two week notice in at her job. So far that Spring semester, Lucky had pulled all her grades up in every class to A’s. This wasn’t hard especially with Los holding initiatives over her head.

  “Ma I don’t pay for C’s, as a matter of fact I don’t even know what a C is. And B’s they’re average, and I don’t know shit about being average, cause ain’t shit average about me, so there can’t be anything average about my girl, not even your grades.” Carlos told her at the beginning of the semester. It was simple, she had to get all A’s to get what she wanted from him and that’s what she did. Truth be told Lucky knew she could get anything she wanted from Los regardless of her grades. However, it felt good to know that he cared enough about her education to hold incentives over her head. In the months they’d been together he had basically iced her out. He took her on trips to places she had
only dreamed of traveling. And copped her so many clothes she wasn’t sure she would get a chance to wear them all.

  Los had just entered the bedroom to see Lucky lying on her stomach with nothing on but a pair of boy shorts that had her plump ass hanging out the bottom of them. The shirt that matched her panties was a three quarter length night shirt that stopped at her belly button. He felt as if all the blood in his body ran to his manhood. She was looking too cute and innocent even though, he knew she wasn’t innocent. No not anymore, Los had been the first one to make Lucky bust one, now she was a mess; and jumping on his dick every time she had a chance to.