Nookie (Nookie Series)

by Anieshea Dansby

  Joy left the bathroom, walking past Dre, still sleep. She looked down at his face. He looked so peaceful, like a little boy. On the floor, on the other side of the table, Rob was stretched out, shirtless. Joy had to admit that his upper body was impressive.

  After returning to her room, Joy dug through one of the bags, grabbed some jeans, a shirt and toothbrush. She knocked before entering the bathroom, glad that Tanya wasn’t still in there. After showering and getting dressed, she returned to her room.

  “Come in,” Joy answered the knock at the door.

  “Go with me to the store?” Tanya asked.

  “Okay. Let me switch bags, then I’ll be ready.”

  Joy grabbed everything out of one bag and placed it into a smaller bag. Her mouth fell open when she saw her mother’s credit card. With all that had happened, she had completely forgotten about it. She wondered if she could still use it. It’d only been a minute; she wasn’t sure if they even knew she was dead. With a shrug, she slid it in her pocket and finished putting the rest of her stuff in the bag, then left with Tanya.

  “I know you saw what happened last night,” Tanya said as soon as they got in the car. “I know it seems kind of grimy, but it’s Shawn’s fault,” she continued, trying to justify her actions when Joy didn’t respond.

  “What if you get caught?”

  “We won’t, because Shawn sleeps like the dead. He makes me sick. I can’t get in the bed unless he’s ready. He’s so controlling. I just needed an outlet. Rob is fun. He makes me laugh. Plus he eats pussy like his life depends on it.”

  “That’s still fucked up. You live in his apartment, drive his car, he gives you everything, but you fuck his friend, with him in the next room.” Joy knew right then that she had to find a way to get out of there, because she didn’t want to be there when it blew up in Tanya’s face.

  Tanya didn’t reply. She just drove the rest of the way to the store in silence. Joy became lost in her own thoughts. She needed to talk to Kevin. She needed to find a way out of there. Getting a job would take too long.

  They spent hours in Shoprite, Tanya complained the whole time about having to feed a whole bunch of niggas. She acted like it was her money she was spending. Joy was tired of her. Tanya got one of the cart boys to load everything in the car by promising to give him her number.

  Next, they hit Franklin Mills Mall. Tanya already had her nails done and bags from H&M, Rue 21, and Old Navy. Having no money Joy looked on as Tanya spent hundreds of dollars in under an hour.

  Joy was heated that Tanya, didn’t offer to buy her nothing. Joy would have turned her down anyway. She stuck her hands in the pockets of her jeans and relaxed against the door of the dressing room Tanya was in. They were in a store called Against All Odds. Something across the room caught her eye and she made her way across the store. She took her hands out her pockets and her hand brushed up against her mother’s credit card. She pulled it out her pocket and looked at it. She contemplated using it.

  “What’s the worst that could happen,” She said out loud to herself. She reached out and picked up the Apple bottom jeans that caught her eye. They were black with white stitching. The pockets had Apple in black stitch and Bottom in rhinestones with sliver stitch outlining both words. Joy was feeling them and she had to have them.

  The shirt they had to go with it was a plain white fitted long sleeve shirt with Apple Bottom in sliver across the front. It matched so Joy scooped it up all well. She looked in direction of the fitting room. Tanya was still inside. Joy brushed through the clothes and found her size. She even grabbed two more pairs in different styles and colors. She turned and saw a cute blue and white Rocawear sweat suit she grabbed after finding her size. She went to the display table where they had some fitted Baby Phat T-shirts. She grabbed one of each in her size. She turned back to the fitting room door, glad Tanya was still in there.

  She made her way to the counter. Her heart throbbed so hard in her chest, she could feel beat in her ears. She continued to the counter to pay for her outfit not wanting Tanya to see her with the credit card. She knew that Tanya would be all loud asking questions and maybe draw unwanted attention to Joy.

  When Tanya came out of the fitting room, Joy was standing there bags in hand waiting for her to come out. Tanya looked down at Joy’s bag, frowned and said, “I didn’t know you had money.”

  Tanya enjoyed rubbing her money in Joy’s face. Joy smiled at her and said, “I had a little something,” happy to wipe the smirk off Tanya’s face.

  After Tanya paid for her stuff, she wanted to go home. Joy walked to the car swinging the bags all the way to the car; like a happy kid who just left the toy store.

  When they returned, Tanya went in the apartment to get help carrying the stuff in, while Joy leaned against the car. Joy went to help the guys as they started grabbing the bags, but Shawn told her she didn’t have to, so she went inside.

  Joy closed the door to her room and laid down on the bed. She picked up her cell phone and dialed Kevin’s number. It rang four times before the voicemail came on. She didn’t want to leave a message, so she closed the phone. Getting off the bed was hard; she had little reason or will to get up. She went into the living room, where Shawn and Dre were playing Madden. Joy sat down and watched them play for a while. Dre noticed her steal glances at Shawn. He smiled at her and shook his head.

  “Is Tanya here?” she asked.

  “No, her and Rob went on a weed run,” Shawn answered.

  “Oh,” was all she said. Dre looked at her again.

  After the game, Dre said he would be back later and left. Shawn handed her the remote and looked at his watch.

  “Have you known Dre and Rob long?” she asked, wanting to talk to him.

  “Yeah, since we were little. Rob is actually my sister’s baby father.”

  “Oh. I wanted to tell you thank you for letting me stay here.”

  “No problem.”

  The conversation died off after that and they watched TV in silence. Two hours passed and Tanya still wasn’t back. Shawn must have called her ten times in the last 20 minutes. Each time he didn’t get an answer, he clenched his jaw tighter and tighter.

  “I’m not playing with this girl. I’ll fuck her up.”

  After another hour had passed, Tanya walked through the door without Rob. Shawn jumped off the couch and grabbed her arm, pulling her into the bedroom and closing the door.

  “Where the fuck was you?”

  “I was at my mother’s house; she just moved on Locust Ave.”

  “I was calling you since you left. Why you ain’t answer?”

  “I left my phone in the car. Baby, I’m sorry, I just got caught up with helping my mom and stuff.”

  Joy couldn’t hear anything for a while. Her heart rate slowed down and she was just about to take the mute off when she heard a slurping sound.

  “Ahh, baby, do that shit, girl.”

  “Shawn, stop pushing my head.”

  Seconds later she heard Shawn yell out, “Ahhhhh.”

  Joy covered her mouth and laughed. She turned the TV back up and pretended to be interested in the show that was on when they both came out of the bedroom. Shawn smiled and Tanya rolled her eyes. They both sat on the couch. The buzzer rung and nobody moved.

  “Push the thing,” Shawn told Tanya.

  “All right, damn.”

  Rob came in and sat down. He pulled out a huge bag of weed and like ten dutches. He spread them on the table and began to roll. Joy went to her room.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  A week later, Joy was going crazy. She stayed in her room. The smoking and drinking all day, every day irritated her. None of them worked but they always had money, so Joy knew that they had to be hustling or something. She had to find a way out. She thought about Kevin but refused to call him. Looking for a job was even worse. She filled out one hundred applications in one week. Dropping out of school was dumb on her part, because every job asked about a diploma or GED. Lying on t
he application didn’t bother her; she just hoped they didn’t ask for proof. Tanya had given her the information about going to get her GED, but she had yet to go to the place.

  Joy laid her head back on the pillow. Used to the loud music every night, she was starting to doze off, when Tanya opened the door. “You want something to eat?”

  “Yeah.” Joy got up, smoothed down her hair and followed her into the living room. About 25 people were standing around, mostly girls. One nasty-ass girl was dancing on the coffee table wearing only a bra and a thong, spilling the contents of the cup in her hand as she popped her butt. She slowed down as Rob, who was standing in front of her, slid his finger in her, moving her thong to the side and exposing her to the rest of the room. A few people stood around and watched. Tanya stopped in her tracks, and Joy almost ran into her. She watched as Rob removed his finger and licked it clean.

  “That fucking bastard,” Joy heard Tanya shout over the music.

  Tanya stormed off to her bedroom. Joy stood there for a minute, not knowing what to do. Finally, she went after Tanya, who was sitting on the edge of her bed, wiping her face. Joy sat next to her.

  “Why are you even worried ’bout that?”

  “I know I have Shawn and all, but I’m really feeling Rob and he knows that. He stuck his finger in that bitch and put it in his mouth. He don’t know what she got.”

  “You should leave him alone, anyway. Look how he got you. Where is Shawn? What if he seen you act like that? He would have known something right away.”

  “Shawn had to take care of some business. Well, that’s what he told me. I know he hustles. I heard him and Rob talking. He tried to use code words. He told Rob that he found a new ‘author’, so that he can get some ‘marathons’. The doctor they had before got busted for writing illegal prescriptions. Shawn was saying that he knew someone he was working on They were happy, and Shawn kept saying, ‘We gonna be caked up’. Later that day I asked Rob what they were talking about. He said that he found a doctor to write him prescriptions for amphetamines. He told me that they sell oxycontins and Xanax, too.”

  “Are you going to stay in here all night?” Joy asked, changing the subject.

  “I want to lie down but I need to get back out there to watch and make sure these niggas don’t tear up our stuff.”

  Back in the living room, Rob and the girl were nowhere to be found. Tanya noticed, and looked around the room for him. She went to the bar, grabbed a bottle of vodka and took it back, straight from the bottle.

  Rob came out of Joy’s room fixing his pants, no shirt on. The girl came out behind him, wearing his shirt. Tanya walked over to him and smacked him in the face. He grabbed her arm and pushed her. A few people looked their way. The girl walked away and sat down on some guy’s lap. Joy walked over and pulled Tanya back into the bedroom and closed the door.

  “Tanya, now what if someone at this party tells Shawn?”

  “Why you so worried ’bout Shawn? Fuck him!” Tanya yelled.

  Rob opened the door and came into the room, dutch in hand, his eyes already low. He passed it to Joy. She took it and put it to her lips. The weed was so strong that her lip was numb after her first puff. Unlike with her first attempt, she felt an almost instant relaxed feeling. She moved over so Rob could sit next to Tanya.

  “Why you putting your hands on me? You think cuz you my man’s bitch I won’t fuck you up? I’m telling you now, if you ever put your hands on me I’ll end you right there. I ain’t even fucking wit’ you like that no more, anyway.” He spoke in a calm voice, like they were having a regular conversation.

  “What you mean, you ain’t fucking wit’ me like that? Who you think you fucking wit’? I’ll tell Shawn everything. Now what, nigga?”

  Joy couldn’t believe how reckless Tanya was talking.

  Rob grabbed her face. “You a stupid bitch. Don’t you know that he would fuck you up? Money before bitches, always,” he said, laughing, his face so close to her face. He then let go of her, pushing her head back.

  “Rob … ” Tanya began, then started to cry. He walked to the door. “Rob … I’m pregnant,” she blurted, before he could open the door.

  Rob and Joy both looked at her. Joy passed him the dutch when he walked back over to the bed, figuring he needed it more.

  “So? It ain’t mine,” he said, blowing out smoke while standing in front of Tanya.

  “It’s yours. Shawn always uses a condom.”

  “You expect me to believe that from a lying ho? You probably ain’t even pregnant.”

  “I went to the doctor’s yesterday.” She took another swig from the vodka bottle.

  “You better make that nigga believe it’s his and stop tryna trap me. You see a nigga getting money? Shit, I got enough kids.” He left the room, leaving the door open.

  Shawn entered the apartment just as Rob was leaving. They started talking, but were too far away for Joy and Tanya to hear. Joy watched them, her heart beat fast in her chest. She didn’t want this to end up like it did with her parents. Shawn looked back at Tanya. Rob smiled at Tanya when Shawn was turned away. Tanya passed Joy the bottle and tried to wipe her face, hoping to get rid of the evidence of her crying. Luckily for her it was kind of dark in the apartment. Joy drained the rest of the bottle. When they were finished talking, Rob walked out the door. Shawn came into the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

  “Hey, baby,” Tanya said, trying to sound happy but coming across as more nervous than anything else.

  “Wassup, Tanya? What’s good, Joy?”

  “Nothing. We just chilling in here for a little bit,” Tanya said.

  “Rob said you wasn’t feeling well. Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, just too much to drink.”

  “Aight, I’ll be right back.” He kissed her cheek.

  “I’m going to my room,” Joy said. She was already dizzy just sitting there, so she was careful getting up. Joy passed the couch; people were still sitting around, drinking and smoking. When she got to her room, she sat on the bed and started taking her clothes off. Her throat was so dry that it hurt to swallow. She put on a wife beater and some pajama pants and headed to the kitchen. The living room was still filled with people.

  As she was filling her glass, she heard banging and muffled crying from Shawn and Tanya’s room. She left the kitchen, taking her water with her. She was halfway through the living room when the bell rang. She went to the intercom. It was Dre. She buzzed him in and opened the door for him. The look on his face worried Joy for some reason. Usually he was laid back, now he seemed on edge. He had a deep frown on his face and he balled his fist.

  “What’s going on?” Joy asked him.

  “I came here as soon as Rob told me what he did.”

  “What did he do?”

  Just as Dre opened his mouth to tell her, Shawn opened the door to his room, dragging Tanya out by both her legs. She cried and begged, “Noooooo, Shawn, please!” As he pulled her, she reached out and tried to grip the carpet. “It’s yours. You can’t believe nothing that Rob says. Listen to me, please.”

  “Everybody get the fuck out,” Shawn yelled to those still remaining from the party. He then dropped Tanya’s legs and she curled up into a ball at the door. People stepped over her as they hurried out the door. Joy leaned down to help her up. Her entire face was wet with snot and tears, her hair all over her head. Joy checked her for bruises, glad to find none.

  Shawn went into his room then came out with a shoebox in his hand. “You stupid, lying bitch.”

  “Shawn, what are you talking about? The baby is yours. You can’t believe nothing Rob told you.”

  “I didn’t say Rob told me anything, did I?”

  “I … I thought … ”

  “Yeah, I know, that’s why you nothing more than trash, a ho bitch.”

  He opened the box and dumped the contents on the floor. A few dozen pictures of Tanya naked, playing with herself, fell out. Rob was even naked in a few of them. Some were face down. Ta
nya reached down and started picking them up. Joy helped her. She looked down at one in her hand. Tanya was sucking Rob’s dick. Dre stood back, looking down at the remaining pictures, shaking his head.

  “Yeah, take that shit with you when you leave. By the way, I had a vasectomy two years ago.”

  Tanya looked at Shawn in complete shock. “Shawn, please, I’m sorry. I’ll get rid of it.” She grabbed his arm.

  “You sorry, aight. You’ll be sorrier if you don’t get the fuck out of my house. And leave all the shit you brought with my money.”

  “Can I at least get my stuff?” Joy asked, feeling her eyes fill with tears.

  Shawn looked at her as if he had forgotten she was there. “You know what, Joy? You can stay. I know you down now and I wouldn’t throw you out on the street when you weren’t the one who betrayed me.”

  “Fuck you, nigga. If I leave, Joy’s coming too. Come on, Joy,” Tanya said as she opened the door to leave. Joy didn’t move from her spot. “Joy!” Tanya yelled.

  “I’m staying here.”

  “Bitch.”

  “You mad!” Shawn closed the door in her face as he and Dre laughed.

  Joy felt bad, but not for long, because it was Tanya’s fault. Joy had tried to tell her, and besides, she didn’t have anywhere else to go.

  Shawn went to the bar and poured them all a drink. Joy had had enough for one night but accepted anyway.

  “You all right, man?” Dre asked.

  “I don’t know, man. I was really feeling that bitch. That’s the only reason why I didn’t fucking kill her.”

  Joy almost choked, wondering whether he was serious.

  “Man, that’s why I don’t fuck with these bitches like that,” Dre said.

  Suddenly Joy felt sick; she ran to the bathroom to throw up. Every time she thought she was done, more came out. When she was finally done, she rinsed her mouth out and brushed her teeth.

  Dre and Shawn weren’t in the living room when she came out of the bathroom. She was glad and hurried to her room, just wanting to lie down. Though she never slept naked, she removed all her clothes and then got into bed. As soon as she closed her eyes, she was asleep.