It is What it is: A Hood Love Story

by B. , Ivory

  Lucky was both speechless and hurt “Ty you kept this away from me for this long?” “I knew you would be upset. I wanted to tell you. I was scared you wouldn’t want to fuck with me no more; like you would think I would try something with Los since I messed behind Nona. I don’t know.” Ty shrugged her shoulders with tears welling up in her eyes. “I just didn’t want to lose you as my best friend.” Lucky gave Ty a look that said come on now. “Please. I know damn well you wouldn’t do anything like that to me. We could never stop being close. You’re my big sister, my best friend, you should’ve told me. You should have told me too,” Lucky said looking towards Keema “I don’t even have to ask I know your ass knew.” A smile crept on Keema’s face. “But Luck it wasn’t my secret to tell,” Keema whined rubbing her very pregnant belly. Lucky just chuckled, “Well honestly I think you two make a cute couple, you complement each other,” Lucky admitted. “And from what I know he never was in a relationship with Nona. That’s our cousin and all but you know how she gets down. I’m not saying that’s an excuse for you to do what you doing. I’m just saying that I don’t see her acting as if he were something special or off limits when she messed around with a few of his boys as well. Ty you grown, so do you. I got you no matter what. I just can’t believe that bastard put his fucking hands on you,” Lucky hissed brushing the side of Ty’s bruised eye gently. “Girl you should've seen it two days ago. Nice had put ice and steak on it to keep the swelling down.” “Well I’m glad to see my boy taking care of you,” Keema said. “This shit ain’t over. The shit I got on this nigga he goin to wish he never laid hands on me.” Ty hissed with evil intent in her voice.

  Ty had taken additional time off of work; she didn’t want to be bothered with the questions and stares a bruised eye would bring. She took that week to get her thoughts and plan together for payback. Her thoughts were interrupted by her ringing phone when she saw it was Nice’s number she rushed to pick it up. She hadn’t seen him as much as she wanted since those two days at his house. And she couldn’t help but to feel a little rejected. “What up baby girl?” “Nothing much you’ve been on my mind heavy though.” “Oh yeah,” Nice said in a nonchalant tone. “Yeah. Am I going to see you tonight?” Ty asked feeling a little ashamed at how desperate she probably sounded. “Nah not tonight I got something I’m gettin into tonight. Yeah and which whore might that be. Nice took her sudden silence on the phone as her being either hurt or jealous. He had expected that though and truth be told he had been pushing Ty away. He just felt that being she just got out of a relationship she needed time to really figure out what she really wanted. He didn’t want to be her rebound dude, only to get his feelings into it then Ty turn around and say he’s not what she wanted after all, and do what she do best, disappear. He figured she could wait on him like he waited on her. “Ty c’mon don’t take this no type of way I just called to ask you something. The building you work in how many security guards they have on duty in the parking garage?” Ty wrinkled her forehead what type of question is that? “Um it’s just one, it’s a young college student most of the time he’s in there studying or working on papers while he’s in the security booth. Why?” Then it hit her. “Kamar! Don’t go and do anything stupid. I have Douglas taken care of trust me when I tell you that.” “I know you do ma. Ain’t nothing worse than a woman scorned,” Nice said with a chuckle. “Kamar please, I’m serious.” Before Ty could even finish her plea Nice cut her off. “Ma I’ma hit you back in a little bit.” “Okay, yeah whateva,” Ty said trying to sound just as uninterested as he sounded in continuing their conversation, but inside her heart was hurting.

  Andrew sat inside the security booth at work involved in a deep chat with a girl he just met on Facebook. He lifted his head when he heard the boom from a car stereo with a custom sound system. Andrew caught a glimpse of a black Aston Martin with red interior. He figured it was one of the CEO’s or bigwigs in the company who came back to the office because they forgot something, even though he had never noticed the vehicle in the parking garage before. It wasn’t unusual for Andrew to see expensive top of the line luxury cars being that he lived in Philadelphia which housed pro sports teams like the Eagles, 76ers and the Phillies. He would have to give it to whoever drove the car though it was sick. His hopes were that maybe it was a ball player and he would be lucky enough to get an autograph.

  Nice stepped out of his car walked up to the security booth and knocked on the door. Andrew didn’t open it right away he hesitated. Nice gave him a look that said he didn’t take his time being wasted lightly so Andrew opened the door slowly. “Yo lil homie I need you to do me a solid. Go to chow like ten minutes ago,” Nice said while handing him a wad of cash. Andrew looked down at the stack of cash this man was handing him and the Presidential Rolex on his wrist. He pondered in his head for a minute. He hoped this man wasn’t trying to get him out of the security booth on some grand theft auto shit and have a car stolen on his shift. Andrew knew he would be automatically let go if that happened. And where else would he find a job that would afford him to be able to chat on Facebook through his entire shift and keep up with his assignments for college. “Uhh I don’t know boss. I mean your not going to take a car out of the lot or anything are you?” Nice scoffed at the accusation. “Nigga you see what the fuck I’m driving? What type of stupid ass question is that?” The young man thought about his comment and chuckled at his own question. He honestly didn’t want to know what was going on. He watched too many conspiracy theory type movies to know the less he knew the better. “A’ight that’s fine,” he said reaching to accept his big payday. “This is the lever right here to let the garage handle up and down.” “A’ight good lookin youngin.” “Uhh so how long is this going to take? How long do I need to be gone?” Andrew asked hesitantly he didn’t want to come off pushy or rude and have his money taken away. “Like a little over an hour, hour and a half at best.” “Ok I can definitely handle that.” Andrew responded while hopping out of the booth to make a quick exit. “Ayo let me hold that too,” Nice said referring to Andrew’s black hat with the word security written across it in bright yellow letters. Andrew complied pulling his hat off and handing it over then disappearing within minutes.

  Nice sat in the booth for all of about ten minutes before he heard a horn beep when he looked up he saw it was Los with Jah sitting shot gun. He let the lever up to let Los in. “Ayo when you called and said you was gonna catch this pussy nigga you know I would not have missed this shit for the world,” Los hollered through his window with a huge smile on his face. “I got popcorn and front row seats. You know I’m here just in case you need my assistance if Eirkle start whoopin on ya ass son, I got you,” Jah said. Nice stuck his middle finger up at Jah. The mental image of Douglas whooping on Nice’s ass was pure comedy. And they all started laughing. Los stepped on the gas and bent a sharp left parking his Maserati alongside Nice’s car next to the security booth. Nice approached Los’s car with a huge smile on his face and began to run down his plan.

  Payback is a Mutha

  Later on that evening Douglas emerged from his building with a smile on his face. He had just ripped off a few companies while putting in some late night work and would be waiting for the funds to hit his offsure account within the next 48 hours, life was good. He whistled while he walked to his car. Yes he finally had his own car on the road. Rebecca had done just like he said she would and registered and insured his car. She was compliant without a whole lot of back talk. Their arrangement was simple, they sexed, hit a few lines together, and she helped him move some of the embezzled money which was now sitting in offshore accounts. He would write out personal checks from his account funded by embezzled money made directly to her. She would cash them on her account and since the checks were always good because the money was definitely there in his account there was no fuss at the banks. Rebecca got a percentage to coat her nose with candy and shop, which wasn’t an issue for Douglas since she gave the best blow jobs he ever had in his life o
nce she was high off coke and horny. In his mind dumping Tyeena for Rebecca wasn’t a lateral movement rather an upgrade. Rebecca had already proven her loyalty to him. She had his boat and car in her name with no questions asked. The more he thought about it the more he realized that fucking with black women was such a waste of time. White women was where it was at.

  Douglas hopped in his CLS 550 Mercedes. He remembered the first time he saw this car and fell in love with it. Tyeena’s drug pushing cousin’s boyfriend was driving it. “Huh I wish he could see me now. He’s not the only one who can afford luxuries,” Douglas thought aloud. He pulled out of his parking spot smoothly letting the cruise control of the car guide him to the entrance of the garage. When Douglas pulled up and swiped his badge along the electronic scan, he waited for the light to turn green and the garage lever to rise but it never did, it remained red. He did it again thinking the machine didn’t catch his badge fully but the same thing happened. “Uhh,” Douglas groaned in aggravation. He was annoyed that he would now have to get out of his car to seek assistance. He could see the security guard as he walked over to the booth sitting with his head down looking at his laptop. This freaking imbecile! Watch and see the first thing tomorrow I’m going to have his ass back in North Philly working at the car wash or wherever his ghetto little ass comes from. This is beyond ridiculous. Here I am trying to get out of the parking garage and he’s lolly gagging on the internet.

  “Hey!” Douglas yelled banging on the security booth’s door. The security guard never turned around to face him or offer assistance; instead he stuck his middle finger up over his shoulder. Douglas was past pissed off he was angry. “Listen here you fucking prick! I’m trying to get home.” Bang, bang, bang Douglas pounded on the door but the guard never turned around or even acknowledged him. Douglas grabbed the door handle and swung it open. He was in mid step to step inside the booth when Nice got up out the chair and turned around. Douglas heart almost leapt out of his chest. He knew from the look on Nice’s face that he wasn’t coming to have a friendly talk with him. Nice saw the look on Douglas face and he knew Douglas nearly shitted himself when he saw who it was. Nice took off the security hat and stepped to Douglas. Douglas wasn’t thinking straight his first reaction was fight or flight and he damn sure wasn’t going to fight. Douglas started to move backwards nearly falling down the step that connected to the booth. When he caught his balance he took off running full speed.

  He was only feet away from his car and thought he was home free, and going to be in the safety of his car when he was slammed into from the side with such force he thought his ribs were broken. “Where the fuck you think you going pussy ass nigga?” He heard someone growl at him as if he had done something to them. He looked up to see Los glaring at him. Douglas knew his situation was grim when he noticed Los, Jah and Nice looking like a hungry pack of wolves ready to feast. For a second Douglas reverted back to his school days and the three of them looked like the bullies that would chase and beat him up after school.

  “Oh you gonna make me run muthafucka?” Nice asked with anger. “Wha...wha, what’s going on? What did I do?” Douglas stammered while climbing to his feet looking shook. “You know what you did pussy. You touched something that didn’t belong to you,” Nice growled. As Nice approached him he put his arm up in defense and jumped back. “What is this about? Tyeena? You can have her. We are no longer together,” Nice scoffed, “I can have her?” Nice laughed and so did Los and Jah. “C’mon now nigga use that IV league education, I think you smart enough to know that I done already had Ty, before you, during you, and I’ll have her after you if I chose to. See I’ve been hearing some things. I heard that you like to put ya hands on women is that true?” Douglas heart started to race so fast he could barely breathe, at this time he knew his goose was officially cooked. “Now wait a second this is all a big misunderstanding. Tyeena and I had a disagreement, that’s it. I don’t know what she told you but it’s all one big misunderstanding,” Douglas stammered. “Ayo miss me with that misunderstanding bullshit. A misunderstanding that left Shorty wit a fuckin black eye?! Why don’t you come try that shit on me? Show me how you make a bitch understand a misunderstanding.” “I…I don’t want any trouble,” Douglas said. Nice got tired of playing with him he was getting angrier by the second. “See nigga you’s a bitch so I’ma treat you as such. I’m not even gonna use my fist on you. I’ma show you how I treat a bitch when she get outta line.” Nice grabbed at Douglas’s collar with one hand in a swift movement then slapped the shit outta him with the other hand. He brought his hand back and back slapped him sending blood flying from his lip. Douglas shrieked and tried to duck his head down behind his hands. That didn’t matter because Nice continued to slap him in the side of the face, upside his head anywhere his hand landed. The slaps echoed through the empty parking garage. “Dayum! That nigga laying his pimp hand down,” Jah said through laughter. Douglas was on the ground now with his hands covering his face. “Move your fuckin hands nigga before I break em,” Nice gritted. Douglas moved his hands whimpering and shaking, SMACCKK! Douglas was more than afraid. He didn’t know what they were going to do to him and there was no one in sight to come to his aid. “Whoop that trick, whoop that trick, whoop that trick,”Jah chanted. Los started laughing at Jah’s antics but quickly stopped. “Get the fuck outta here!” Los barked looking down at Douglas in disgust as he watched a small wet spot in the front of Douglas’s pants begin to get larger and form a small puddle underneath him. Nice was relentless as he brought his hand back continuing to slap Douglas as if he were his pimp. It didn’t take long for the stench of urine to begin to take over the small area of the garage they were in. “Ayo get the fuck up! Stand up like a man,” Nice barked infuriated by the fact Douglas wasn’t even trying to fight back. Douglas scrambled to his feet trying to cover the crotch of his pants and maintain any part of his manhood he could. Nice reached for his waist and pulled his burner out. The sight of that glock 40 had Douglas about to shit himself; he threw his hands up in protest as tears streamed down his face. “Please no, please, please.” Douglas begged. Nice snatched him up by his collar and put the gun to his dome. “Let me tell you somethin, stay the fuck away from Ty. You hear me?” Douglas shook his head in agreement. “I mean it, nigga if you see her walking down the street you better cross that muthafucka and run the other way. If I hear that you contacted her or you anywhere near her muthafucka you won’t live long enough to apologize, we good on that shit nigga?” Douglas shook his head eagerly. “A’ight bitch scram!” Nice ordered. Douglas started to hurry away quickly. All in all Douglas had to say that wasn’t all that bad. Aside from his ego being bruised and the embarrassment he endured by a man causing him to urinate himself and scare him nearly to death without even balling up his fist, he thought it could have been much worst. “Ayo Douglas!” Nice called out while placing the gun back at his waist. “I know you ain’t think you was gonna get off that easily right?” Douglas turned around and all he saw was Nice’s fist coming then he heard a loud crack. “Dayum!” he heard someone scream before everything went black.

  Douglas woke up disoriented. He was having a hard time breathing and everything was black. He started to panic as he realized he was in a small confined place. He bumped his head when he tried to sit up, it didn’t take long for him to realize he was in the back of a trunk. His first thoughts were he was going to be buried somewhere never to be found again. He began to kick and scream at the top of his lungs. “Help! Help! Get me out of here!”

  Andrew had just come back to the garage and noticed Nice was gone, along with the security tape for that night. He went to sit down when he noticed a Mercedes parked at the exit and heard a muffled voice coming from its trunk along with banging. He ran over to the car and luckily for the person inside, the door was unlocked so he was able to pop the trunk from the inside of the car. When Andrew ran around the back of the car and lifted the trunk his nostrils were assaulted by the smell of urine. He was surprised to see
the arrogant bigwig from the financial department in the trunk. He had to crack an inner laugh he finally got his. “What happened?” Andrew asked as if he cared. “And where the hell were you when I was being attacked?” Douglas fussed. Andrew reached in and helped Douglas climb out of the trunk. “Do you need me to call an ambulance or the cops?” “No, no!” Douglas said as he limped to get inside his car. He couldn’t run the risk of calling the cops and have those animals come to his home. Andrew watched as Douglas hopped in the car and sped off swerving.

  It had been a week before Ty returned to work now fully recovered. She walked into her office building like a woman with an agenda. Dressed in Prada pumps and black skirt suit that hugged her but still looked professional, she marched right into her supervisor’s office. “Uh excuse me Mrs. Bernstein is in a meeting with the VP. You can’t go in there!” Diane’s secretary screamed. Ty kept it moving and gave the secretary a look that said if you get in my way I will go through you.

  When Ty opened the door she was surprised to see not only was the VP of the company in there but also the head Sr. Chief financial officer which was all the better for Ty. Diane looked up with immediate attitude. “Excuse me; Mrs. Williams is there anything I can help you with? I’m in a very important meeting.” Ty had Diane’s attention along with the other two men in the room who were focused more on her in her skirt. “No it’s not what you can help me with; it’s what I can help you with.” “Excuse me?” Diane said visibly confused. “About two weeks ago you asked me to run some numbers on an upcoming audit. Well let’s just say the results weren’t good.” Diane’s face turned beet red. “Close the door please,” she ordered her secretary who was standing in the doorway. Ty didn’t even ask she walked right over to the projector screen threw her briefcase on the conference table and began burying Douglas’ ass. For nearly two hours she demanded everyone in that room attention as she broke down his scheme piece by piece. By the time Ty was done everyone in that room was scrambling to phones trying to figure out a way to resolve this issue without it getting out to the public. Being that the economy was facing hard times and the market was so volatile after the market crash years ago the last thing people needed to hear is that the company that was responsible for holding their nest egg was involved in an embezzlement scandal, and a employee was stealing. Everyone left the room in a hurry leaving Ty there to pack up her things in her briefcase. “Ty one more thing,” Diane said as she walked back in the conference room. “Great job on that audit project. You really impressed the VP, be looking forward to a promotion and a midyear bonus, we’ll say for your work on this project,” Ty smiled. “I’ll be looking forward to that Diane.”