Her Sweetest Revenge (Delphine Publications Presents) (16 page)

“
What’s up, little man?” Hood returned the pound.

“
Mya, why you didn’t say it was Hood? Shit, you straight then. Hood, man, I thought she was tryin’ to bring one of them ol’ sucka niggas up in here. But you straight, dawg! Welcome to the family,” Li’l Bo grinned looking in my direction.

“
Thanks for your permission, Li’l Bo,” I said sarcastically.

“
Oh, no doubt, big sis.” He had a smirk on his face. “I think I’ll go back to my game now. Stay up, Hood,” Li’l Bo gave Hood another pound before rushing off to his room.

We all looked at each other and started laughing. “Well, Hood, since my brother introduced you to everyone I guess I don’t have to introduce you to my momma, Marisa.”

“
Hi, Mrs.—” Hood was cut off by my momma.

“
Ugh, ugh, son, ain’t no Mrs. here. Just call me Marisa.”

“
A’ight. Marisa. I’m Hood.” Hood reached out and shook her hand.

“
And this is my sister Monica.” I pointed toward Monica who had a big grin on her face.

“
What’s up, Monica?” Hood walked over to her, and they gave each other a pound.

“
Well, this is my family,” I shrugged my shoulders.

“
Li’l Bo knows you so you must be from around here in the Brewster. You a dope boy?” Momma boldly asked him.

“
Ma!” I give her a shocked look. “You can’t ask him that.”

“
It’s cool, baby girl,” Hood looked at me calmly.

“
That’s right, this is my house,” Momma spoke up in her own defense.

“
Marisa, I am a businessman, and no, I am not from the Brewster. I grew up in the Sojourner Projects.”

“
See, Mya? Ain’t no harm done.” She gave me a quick glance before turning back to Hood. “I got me one more question.” Momma scooted to the edge of the couch. “Do you smoke weed?”

“
No doubt,” Hood gave her a huge grin.

“
Now
that’s
what I’m talkin’ about. Hood, you come on over here and sit next to Momma Marisa.” She moved over so Hood could sit down. Monica started laughing.

We all sat and talked for about an hour. Momma kept begging Hood to roll up some smoke, but he wouldn’t until I said it was OK. Finally, I told him to roll her one up and she took it and was off to her room. Monica sat with us a little while but decided to go the room. Hood sat with me until about 10:00 laughing and joking. I fixed us a couple of sandwiches while we chilled. His crew kept calling letting him know what was up. So basically, he did his business sittin’ right there in our living room but eventually he told me he had to bounce. He said he had rounds to make and to my surprise, I wanted him to stay, but I knew that the streets are thirsty. I remember when my dad would be out in them all night. So after laying a big juicy kiss on him, I released him to the streets, but what I did notice was that I was turning into a woman on the inside and I was falling in love with Hood. My womanhood didn’t tell me if this was good or bad. I guess only time would tell.

Chapter 25

Lying in bed trying to get some much-needed rest I kept hearing doors slam. I know it ain’t Li’l Bo and Monica because today was the last day of school for them. And they both woke up and celebrated first thing this morning before they went to school. I stayed in bed this morning because I had classes last night at 4EverStylz. I had been working my ass off part-time at the shop and attending those classes for the past couple of weeks. I like it and everything, but I had been feeling a little tired. Now I’m lying here trying to get some sleep in peace and quiet, but someone won’t stop opening and slamming doors. I know it ain’t nobody but my damn momma. She’s finally decided to bring her ass home. We haven’t seen her in two days, and she was not at home this morning when Li’l Bo and Monica left. Now she’s slamming doors like she done lost her mind. I decided to get out of bed since I can’t ignore her.

I walked in the living room and stuff was everywhere all over the place. It looked like a tornado or some type of storm had blown through it. Shit was literally everywhere. Papers were all over the floor, the pillows from the couch had been tossed up and thrown about the room. With my mouth wide open I looked in the kitchen and there was Momma opening and slamming the cabinets again. Next she raided the refrigerator with a dumb look on her face. Finally, she turned around and looked at me like a madwoman.

She looked at me as if she didn’t expect to see me standing there. “There you are. I want to know right now. No lies,” she pointed her finger at me. “What is going on around here? Where is all this food and shit coming from? HUH?” she yelled at me.

“
Are you serious?” I said calmly, then I got pissed. “You are running around here on a rampage because we got food in the house?” I yelled. “We live in this dump that you call an apartment, and you around here rippin’ it up because you see some food in it?”

“
Damn right. This is my house. I tear it up when I get ready. You don’t like it, GET OUT!” She turned around and slammed the refrigerator door. “I want to know where all this stuff came from.”

“
Why do you care? You ain’t buying it. Waitin’ on you to feed us we would starve. Monica and Li’l Bo need somebody they can depend on.”

“
Don’t get smart with me, Mya. You must think I’m some kind of fool. You think I don’t notice the way y’all been having on new clothes and shoes all the time? You think crack done made me stupid? Then you go put locks on doors, in
my
house, trying to lock
me
out.” She started to pace the floor.

“
This ain’t your house. If Section 8 didn’t pay for it we would be out on the streets.”

“
Well, until they throw you out in the streets, this is
my
house, and I don’t get locked out of rooms in my house.” She started stabbing herself in the chest with her finger. “You got that?”

“
Whatever. I don’t have time for this.” I turned to go back to my room.

“
Is it that boy, Hood? Is that his name? Is he giving you money?” She quickly threw questions at me.

“
No, he is not. I told you I got a part-time job, but when you high you can’t hear. I don’t need a man to give me nothin’. I am not dating Hood for his money,” I said with my back still turned to her.

“
Then why? Huh?” she paused for a minute, and her breathing was hard, like she was exhausted. “Are you sleeping with him?” she spat those words at me.

Shocked at her question I stood speechless. I just stood there not saying a thing. I was horrified yet pissed that she would ask me that question.

“
You walk around here like you Mya the perfect. Well, let me tell you something. When I look at you I see me when I was eighteen. All that long, pretty, shiny hair. Your almond-shaped eyes and butter-colored skin. Yeah, that’s right. When you look in the mirror you lookin’ at me. And even though you went and cut all your hair off you can’t erase that. I used to walk around actin’ all perfect with my head in the air and my ass stuck out because I knew all the dudes wanted me. There wasn’t a baller in my neighborhood that didn’t want me, and they knew I would eventually give it up ’cause in the end, all a girl wants is nice things. You think I don’t know Hood and what he does? You think I ain’t ever heard of Hood, the leader of the Height Squad. He’s just another Lester, and if you ain’t careful, you’ll be another me.”

I just stood there listening to her while she talked, staring off into space. With tears running down my face I turned around and faced her.

“
That dope you smoking really done fried your brain. I will
never
be you like you. You are weak. I may look like you, but that’s it. If you slept with my dad for money, then that’s yo’ problem. I will never sit back and sleep with men for money, have a bunch of kids, and then when it all falls through, turn to crack. No, that will never be me, ever. Unlike you, I have my own mind. I don’ need Hood or no other nigga to buy nothing for me. You remember that.” I turned around and headed to my room leaving her speechless.

I slammed my door so hard it vibrated through the apartment. Then, I threw myself across my bed, buried my head in my pillow, and soaked it with tears. I cried these tears for my mother who is so lost without my dad. The tears came because of the way I disrespected my momma with my mouth. I hate talking to her like that. I think about how happy we used to be when my mother used to caress my head and push me on the swing at the park. Happy times when my mother loved me, loved all of us. She used to put us first. I racked my brain trying to figure out what I must have done to deserve this life, a life without the love and comfort of a mother and father. With no solution coming to mind I just lay in bed drenched in my own snot and tears.

Chapter 26

After the argument with my mother and all the crying I must have finally dozed off for a minute, then I heard Chris Brown’s “Deuces” ring tone start singing on my phone. I wondered who the fuck was calling me. At this point it just seems useless to try to get some sleep. I reached over and grabbed the phone off the extra pillow I have laying on my bed next to me. It’s Rochelle. Normally she texts me so this must be important, so I hit
talk
on the screen.

“
Yo, what’s up?” I said in the sleepiest tone I could muster. I noticed right away that I heard a lot of commotion in the background.

“
Mya, girl, this bitch done came over here trippin’, and I done had to bust her up.”

“
Who? What bitch?” I said trying to sit up while holding my head from the headache that was coming on from the recent argument with my momma, which was only about an hour ago.

“
Li’l Lo baby momma. She tried it today. This bitch done came over here trippin’. She busted his windows out of the car that I been driving, cut all the tires, and then acted a fool. She was all outside yelling for us to come out or she gon’ burn this apartment down. Yo, Mya, the chick is crazy,” Rochelle yelled through the phone. I could hear someone in the background cosigning her every word.

“
Wow,” I said shocked.

“
So Li’l Lo go out there about to kick her ass for actin’ up. He told her he didn’t care about the car, just to get on actin’ crazy in front of my mom’s crib. This skank starts yellin’ ’bout how she don’t give a fuck. How she gon’ make sure we all burn up in here. So I went outside and told her to leave ’cause I got a baby inside. She gon’ have the nerve to say fuck me and my baby. Now you know she had pulled her card with that one. So I done went ham on her.” Rochelle continued to get krunk on her end of the phone.

“
Y’all is crazy,” I started to laugh. “Did she leave?”

“
What you think? Hell, yeah, she got up outta here. Li’l Lo picked her up and threw her back in her car. Finally she drove off crying and screaming.” Rochelle started laughing. “Girl, these bitches are crazy when they got a baby by these niggas,” Rochelle confirmed.

“
Was your mom there?” I asked.

“
Nah. She had just left. That’s when we heard the car alarm going crazy. By the time we got up she was out there yellin’ for Li’l Lo to come out and how she was gone burn us up.”

“
That’s a crazy situation right there. I guess today starting off bad for everybody.”

“
What happened to you?” Rochelle asked me.

“
Girl, Marisa done went ham on me this morning. Up in this bitch acting crazy. Talkin’ shit about me and Hood. All type of stuff. I’ma tell you about when I see ya. I think I’ma get dressed, call Hood, and get up outta the crib for a minute, ’cause I can’t get no rest here today.”

“
A’ight. Let me know what you’re up to later. Maybe you can come through so we can talk. Charlene and Pig came through after shit popped off. So we sittin’ here blazin’. I didn’t want to call you because I knew you was tryin’ to sleep, but I had to tell you what’s going on because I knew you would be mad if I didn’t.”

“
Yeah, let me know if that lunatic comes back because you know I will come over and slice her up. No doubt,” I reminded her.

“
I already know. Later.” Rochelle hung up.

I can’t believe Li’l Lo’s baby momma came through with the drama. She should know better. You never bring your drama to some chick’s house. Good thing Rochelle didn’t call me because I would’ve gone over and got in her face for real. The situation would not be right for that chick when I’m done. Rochelle and I are both known in the Brewster for kickin’ asses. Over the last couple of years my life had changed so the only thing on my mind was surviving, not checking bitches, but they don’t need to get it twisted cause I still would. Looks like today just shitting on both of us. Without giving it a second thought I reached over and grabbed my cell phone again and pressed Hood.