No Matter What

by Nicole Jackson

  Although Chubby had to piss like a racehorse, even he had to stop and address them. “Aye, what the fuck was yall doing in there?”

  Nunnie absently gazed at the wall.

  “We was just talking, nigga,” Mix spoke up.

  Chubby frowned. “Just talking? Nigga, say what? That nigga Save know about this talk yall just had?”

  Mix shrugged.

  Chubby shook his head. “You lil’ niggas is a trip, main, I swear. Remind me not to leave my bitch around you. Run with that man on the daily, but keep his bitch way closer than he do. My lil’ homie asleep at the wheel for sho. Aint no way. Aint no fuckin’ way.”

  Chapter 2

  “The fuck you in here doing?”

  Nunnie nearly jumped out of her skin, as she lied across the bed, when someone abruptly stepped into the bedroom. “Huh?” she whipped her head around, before laying eyes on Save. “Boy, you liked to got cussed the hell out.”

  Lightly chuckling, he swaggered into the room. “Go ahead and get fucked up.”

  Rolling over to sit up, Nunnie studied her arrogant boyfriend. Save was a product of a black mama and her white trick. Therefore, he possessed red skin, sandy brown hair, with grey-blue eyes. He stood at an even six feet tall and had a lean, cut physique. To taper off his beautifulness, he’d littered his body in ink, and now even had a few tats in his face. On his teeth, were diamonds and baguettes, symbolizing just how ghetto fabulous he was. Not surprisingly, he was shirtless, donning True Religion jeans with a Ferragamo belt and Jordan’s on his feet. Needless to say, everything about his outer appearance was loud, just as he was.

  Nunnie sucked her teeth. “Nigga, please.”

  Save’s eyes scanned over her attire. “Where you going in them lil’ shorts?”

  She crossed her legs. “Nowhere. You got some weed?”

  Licking his pink lips, he shook his head. “That don’t make no damn sense, man.”

  “Yeah, uh huh. Pull the dope out,” she beckoned with her hand.

  Sticking his hand into his pocket, he retrieved a bag of loud.

  “There you go. Now we talking,” Nunnie smiled.

  “Yeah?” he lifted his chin. “So, answer this for me.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Tell me why niggas been telling me that you was on some clown shit at Chubby’s party?”

  Her heart skipped a beat. “What?”

  “Yeah. Niggas been shooting shots, left and right. But when I ask them to elaborate, they’re all hush-mouth. The word out is to just keep my eyes on you. The fuck is up with that?”

  Nunnie gasped. “Keep your eyes on me? Are you serious? Save, we been together for two years, now. How many hoes have you fucked during this time? I know I can count at least five. And if I can count five, then I know it’s probably ten that I don’t know about.”

  Save’s head fell back. “Aww, there you go with that bullshit.”

  “Oh, there I go with what bullshit? The truth?” Nunnie crinkled her nose. “You are a habitual cheater, Save. Just face it. So, I don’t know how you built up enough nerve to come up in here with these weird ass accusations. And I don’t give a lovely fuck about nah one of these fuck niggas around here, telling you to watch me. These are the same niggas who got babies with bitches and their teenaged daughters. So, all of their messy, lame asses can eat a dick.”

  Save shook his head. “Nunnie, man, you so fuckin’ manipulative, and think I’m crazy. You think Ion know that you fuckin’ somebody else?”

  She grimaced, as she pointed at her chest. “I’m fucking somebody else? How you figure that?”

  “Yeah.” He nodded. “You definitely fucking somebody else. You be disappearing and shit. Nobody be knowing where the fuck you at, around this bitch. Not even ya auntie. And then you damn near be hiding ya fucking phone. When I sleep over here, you be passing that bitch off to Dreka like Ion be realizing the shit. Come on now.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Boy, you’on know what the hell you talking about. I’m grown, first of all, so nobody is clocking my every little move. No. And my sister be using my phone when hers is off, no cap.”

  Save pursed his lips. “Man, you expect me to believe that thieving ass, high-capping ass Dreka can’t keep a phone on? I’m not buying it.”

  “Save, you of all people should know that this street shit aint promised. She be up one minute, and down the next. Then Dreka aint responsible. Her phone situation is more about her not staying on top of handling shit versus her being able to get to some money. Then I done watched this bitch burn out a credit card, doing fraud all week, and her phone was off the day after the card burnt out. The hoe simply forgot to pay her own shit. That’s the type of time she be on. But that’s her, and I’m doing no more explaining on the matter.”

  He stepped in her face. “What you mean, you aint doing no more explaining?”

  “Exactly what I just said. You got too many strikes on your hoe card to be in here charging me up about anything. So, kill that shit.”

  Save glowered down at her. “I should stroke my dick across your fucking lips for that shit. Put your smart-ass mouth to work.”

  She leaned back. “Nigga, you wish. It’s a reason Ion suck that corroded dick now.”

  “Corroded?” he furrowed his brows. “But you be riding this corroded dick, though.”

  “Yep, I sure do,” she freely admitted. “When you got that Magnum strapped on. Don’t forget that part. Ion trust your slutty ass for one second.”

  “Slutty? Bro, you better stop fucking playing with me,” he snarled, pressing an index finger against her temple, causing her to giggle uncontrollably.

  Save playfully pretended to strangle her. “Your ass aint gone be laughing when I bust your ass open.”

  “Nah, see that’s your problem now. Always thinking with your dick. You aint hitting this. I’m too broke to fuck.” She shoved him back.

  Save stumbled back a bit. “Broke?”

  “Yeah, nigga. You heard right. I need a lil’ change. What can you spare?”

  He patted his pockets while gazing at her. “Didn’t you just get paid?”

  “Yep,” she confessed. “I sure did. But living here aint free, Save. Me and Dreka aint my auntie’s kids, so she be on us harder about paying to be here. So, as soon as I got paid, I had to give her my lil’ two hundred for the month.”

  Save shook his head. “That’s crazy. I don’t know why you and Dreka just don’t get yall own shit.”

  Nunnie smacked her lips. “Do you think about the shit you’re saying? Like seriously. I just said that my sister can barely keep up with her damn phone bill, and here you are, suggesting that we get our own spot together. What sense does that make? That girl aint trying to pay no bills. Shit, she barely be wanting to pay my auntie, and is subject to burn off for weeks at a time to avoid doing that. You know that hoe is a hook to her heart. Anyway she can get over, she will. That means constant scheming and avoiding paying off all debts. She floats from house to house. Couch to couch. Nigga to nigga. And you think that I’m gonna put myself in some type of situation where I’d have to rely on her to keep her end of the bargain? Hell, nah! I’d be the damn fool then.”

  “Okay, so, you gon keep letting Marie bleed you dry? I mean, like you just said, she’on charge her own kids the way she charges yall. That shit aint fair. Veeta nem doing the same shit as Dreka, and Marie don’t seem to have a problem with it. She let them rock out.”

  “They’re her kids,” Nunnie bucked her eyes. “That’s different.”

  “Nah, fuck that,” Save scoffed. “Aint no difference. Family supposed to be family. If anything, she just showing you how she fucking with you. Veeta’s ass got you by at least five years. Aint no way that your 18-year-old ass should be contributing more than her ass. You can’t make me understand that. So, I’m telling you now. Move around. Cause your auntie aint got your best interest at heart. If anything, she’s a user. Dreka sees the shit for what it is, and that’s why she dips. Yall play
musical beds in this bitch, and if you come in too late, you might have to sleep on the floor. Yet, she expects your money, when nobody else bothers to pay her. I call bullshit. You should be able to at least say that you got a for sure spot to lay down at, over all the rest of them non-paying muthafuckas.”

  Nunnie slowly nodded, as she tapped her nose. “I hear you. But riddle me this, Save. Where the fuck am I gonna move to for 350 a month? Huh? Tell me that.”

  He scratched the side of his face.

  “Exactly. She might be unfair, but nigga I can’t afford to move out. Not working at Foot Locker. I’m lucky to get 30 hours a week. I make enough just to get by. It pays my phone bill, my auntie, and buys me a few pairs of shoes. You know that. That’s why I’m constantly asking you for a 50 here a 100 there.”

  “And that shit is bleeding me dry. I can’t get ahead, if you always got your hand out,” he complained. “Shit, I need to be flipping my money.”

  Nunnie scrunched up her face. “I mean, if you feel like that, then what are we doing? If you out for self, and my problems aint yours, then I don’t need to be your girl. You need to be single. It’s that simple.”

  “Single?” he squawked. “Now you talking that crazy talk.” He knelt, attempting to kiss her.

  “Move.” She shoved him back again.

  “You’on love me?” he puckered his lips. “Huh?”

  “Save, I said move!” she snapped.

  He stood upright. “Oh, you really mad, I see.”

  “You fucking right,” her nostrils flared.

  “What’s the problem, man?”

  She glared up at him. “I just told you the problem. I’m broke. I need some money. That job aint cutting it. So, help me make something shake. Let’s flip my next check.”

  Save rubbed his chin hairs, as he thought it over. “You want me to flip it for you?”

  “No, I said that we flip it together. I wanna learn how to hustle. I wanna score some weed, pills, and coke. Show me how to cook up some crack. I wanna know it all. I need to know how to get out there and make a dollar. And maybe then we can revisit this conversation about me moving out of here.”

  He studied her for a few long seconds, before nodding. “Fuck it. Alright, let’s do it. When you get your check, when gon buy us a pack.”

  ***

  “BK, what’s poppin’?” Save greeted Mix, as he moseyed up to him, while he was posted directly in front of their neighborhood corner store.

  “Aint shit, BK,” Mix responded, referring to Save by their hood’s moniker. Every nigga from Brewster Park was a BK, which stood for bitch killer.

  “Yeah? Did you fall off in Chubby’s party?”

  Mix nodded. “Hell, yeah. That bitch was lit. I can’t front.”

  Save nodded, while listening intently. “I heard. You saw Nunnie’s slick ass up there? They say that she was up to no good.”

  Mix narrowed his eyes. “Who said that?”

  “You know. Them hoes,” Save smirked.

  Mix shook his head. “Shit, probably the same hoes you hitting.”

  Save shrugged.

  Mix exhaled. “Anyway, I seen her, but I aint see her doing nothing out the ordinary. But shit, it was a packed house.”

  “Yeah, okay,” Save grumbled. “Your ass probably wasn’t gone tell a nigga, no way. You know how you is, and shit.”

  “Nah.” Mix cut his eyes at him. “I don’t know how I am. What chu saying?”

  “I’m saying, Nunnie your lil’ partner. Ya smoking buddy. You know how yall be. So, I doubt you’d snitch on her sneaky ass, if you did see her doing something out the way.”

  Mix sucked his teeth. “So, cause I smoke with her, I’ma cover for her? Nigga, that’s a reach, aint it?”

  For a few long seconds, Save and Mix locked eyes, and shared an intense stare. Then gradually a grin etched across Save’s face. “Mix, I play chest, not checkers.”

  Mix nonchalantly shrugged. “I’m king, nigga. So, what’s up?”

  Save licked his lips. “Yeah, okay. That’s what you say. But anyway, whenever I get some real details about whatever happened at Chubby’s party, I’m putting my foot off in her ass. On my mama.”

  Mix shook his head. “You tripping.”

  Save furrowed his brows. “How is that?”

  “I’m saying,” Mix stroked his waves. “You notorious for fucking around, my nigga. All these hoes be cackling about you. So, that girl is well within her rights to do whatever, don’t you think?”

  “Hell, nah. What I do out here with these hoes aint got shit to do with her. She’s the only broad that I break bread with. I stay coming through for her. Making shit happen, and that’s all that should matter.”

  Mix squinted. “Aye, if you say so, man.”

  “That’s real talk. I been doing my part for her as a man, so that’s all that should matter. Them other hoes matters none, as far as I’m concerned. So, like I said, if I find out that she been fucking around, I’ma pop her ass. Straight like that. I gotta come down hard on her ass. Let her know that I aint playing. Especially since we about to be on some Kaydoa and Black Reign shit around this bitch. I’ma need her to fall in line and respect my fucking mind.”

  Mix grimaced. “Kaydoa and Black Reign? The fuck that mean?”

  “Shit, we about to hustle together, nigga. The fuck you thought?”

  “Nigga, hell nah,” Mix snapped unintentionally. “Why the fuck would you want your so-called gal out here in these streets with you? What fucking sense do that make?”

  “My so-called gal?” Save regurgitated. “My nigga, you saying that like you know something I don’t.”

  “Shit, I know you sound stupid as fuck,” Mix spewed. “Here it is, you got one of the most decent girls around here, and this is how you talking. She’s one of the only bitches over here that don’t do fraud or steal out of the stores. That girl really goes to work everyday and clock in, like she’s supposed to. And instead of you recognizing that potential, you mistake her recent desperation as a legit plot to hustle. If anything, you should be pushing her to step her hustle up, and find a better job. Nigga, you don’t even know your bitch deep enough to know that she aint cut to be out here on the block. If she was, she would’ve been out here without your lame ass.”

  Heatedly, Save stepped out in front of Mix. “I was waiting on you to pimp your fucking hand, nigga. How the fuck are you gonna stand here and check me about my bitch, huh?”

  Mix cunningly grinned. “Cause like you said, bitch nigga. I know something you don’t know.”

  Save hooded his eyes. “If you’s a gangsta nigga like you put on, you’ll just come out with it, Mix. You fucking my bitch, nigga?”

  Mix leered. “Nah, I aint fucking ya bitch.”

  Low-key, Save sighed with relief.

  “Cause she aint ya bitch. Not with the way I made her stop fucking you raw. That’s my pussy now. I’m the only nigga busting up in that.”

  Save’s soul was on fire, as he attempted to take Mix’s head off his shoulders. He literally smacked the spit out of his mouth, but that was the last blow that connected. Unfortunately for him, Mix was a local knock-out artist, and quickly recovered from his slug, and immediately served up several of his own.

  Chubby stood back shaking his head. He’d been chilling further down the sidewalk and had witnessed everything unfold. Save and Mix had grown up together and had fallen out over pussy. Sadly, it happened rather often, although niggas swore that it didn’t. Men died over pride and pussy every day in the hood, and he could only hope that things wouldn’t escalate to that point today.

  Being that they were in the middle of the hood, no one attempted to stop Mix and Save as they went at it. In fact, several people had out their phones, filming every second, sensationalizing the moment. All eyes were on them, urging them to go harder, because they knew that this wouldn’t be a day that they’d soon forget.

  Mix had agility that was unmatched, and he showed no mercy, as he rammed his fist into Sav
e’s pretty face. Undoubtedly, Save should’ve admitted defeat, and walked away, but his pride kept him there in the fight. This man had stood in his face, telling him that he’d fucked his bitch. That couldn’t go unpunished, so it was killing him, as he felt himself losing in a situation where he was clearly wronged.

  “Alright, that’s enough!” Jay Rock shouted, as he pulled them apart. “Yall niggas gone fuck around and have the laws up here in a minute.”

  Recognizing a big homie that was well respected, stopped both Mix and Save in their tracks. They knew to respect whatever came out of Jay Rock’s mouth. So, if he said to stop fighting, then it was time to stop fighting. For now, at least.

  Confusingly, Jay Rock looked back and forth between the two. “What the fuck are yall out here fighting for, anyway? I thought yall was boys?”

  Mix stroked his waves. “Fuck that nigga.”

  Blood leaked from Save’s nose, and he wiped it with his forearm, before spitting blood onto the concrete. “Like you always said, big homie. Everybody aint really ya friends. Some shit comes out in the wash.”

  “Somebody’s bitch got fucked,” Kaydoa announced from the sidelines, causing the crowd to roar with laughter. “I just got word. Yall lil’ niggas out here wildin’. Couldn’t be me, though.” He straightened his shoulders. “I’m too pretty to fight. Nigga mama would’ve been buying that black dress. Fuck all that.”

  “Aye, you know I’m out my body and I keep that iron on me,” Mix sang, lifting his shirt, while doing a smooth Crip walk, as if he hadn’t just gotten done fighting. Smoothly, he revealed the butt of his gun, sending a threat right Save’s way, as if they hadn’t been friends once.

  Chubby smirked, while shaking his head, realizing that Mix truly didn’t give a fuck. He was holding his nuts on Save’s ass. He was definitely bold as fuck. He liked that shit.

  Save nodded, before stomping down the street. “I got you, nigga. Keep this tough shit up. We gon see what you made of, though. That’s a promise.”

  “Bet,” Mix responded. “Alright, my nigga. Tell our bitch that I’ma be there tonight, after she lie to you about being on her period. Bitch ass nigga.”