Stripping Asjiah I (17 page)

My old track days kicked in as I tucked the bag underneath my arm and took off. I could see Angel running stride for stride next to me as we turned the corner. As soon as we hit Judson I could see one of the boy’s reach out for my jacket. I ran up the hill and turned around to see Angel squaring up with them. He knocked one of the boy’s to the ground and was stomping him out until his friend pulled out a gun. I looked back at Angel and our eyes met.

“Run Asjiah!”
*****
I hurdled the bushes and ran a few more houses down on 150th before stopping.
DING DONG! DING DONG!

In between ringing the doorbell I pounded on the door. Finally the light came on and a man answered. Before he could say anything I ran in the house crying.

“They got my brother! They’re going to kill my brother! You can’t let them kill my brother! Call the fucking police!” Out of breath I yelled for the older man to call for help.

“Calm down young lady. Now who has your brother?”
“I don’t fucking know! Just call the police!”
“Alright. Alright.” The older man picked up the telephone and dialed 911. POP! POP! POP!

“AGH!!!!!” I screamed as the gunshots rang out into the night. All I could think about was Angel. Why did I leave him? Why didn’t I stay and fight? They shot him? How could they shoot him? Why is this happening to me? How could God allow all of this shit to happen to me? First my mom and now my brother.

I didn’t hear the sirens when they pulled into the driveway. I don’t remember getting into the squad car. All I remember was the warmth of my tears as they continuously poured down my cheeks.

*****
“What happened?” Sam shook me as she waited for me to answer her. “They shot Angel! They shot my brother!” Incoherent I could barely breathe. “They shot my brother!”

Caleb and Gabriel appeared out of nowhere and as soon as I seen them I started crying again. I could hear Sam and my grandmother on the phone saying that I had come home in a police car hysterical saying Angel had been shot.

“Who did this A’, Where is Angel?” Gabriel was pacing the living room clenching his jaw.

“I…I…don’t know. We were walking back from Lee Road and these two boys were crossing the street and Angel told me to run and…and…they shot him! Gabe they killed my brother!” Unable to hold back my tears I started crying again.

*****

“Who sent you?” Angel ferociously kicked one of the boys in the ribs as he held a gun to his friend’s head. “If you don’t tell me who the fuck sent you I’m a blow ya’ man’s brains out!” Cocking the gun that he had taken from his attacker Angel waited for him to respond.

“Fuck you!” Juan coughed up blood as Angel continued kicking him. “Fuck me? No fuck you!” Angel kicked him in the head causing him to flip over.
“L…L…LT.” Staring down the barrel of the gun Vale confessed. His life was worth more than the couple of rocks that LT had promised him. Angel threw Vale on the ground next to Juan.
“What? My own fucking cousin sent you?”
*****
Back at the house Caleb was still trying to get me to calm down when Gabriel’s phone rang

“Speak.”
“Is my sister there?”
“Angel?” Gabriel breathed a sigh of relief as he listened to his friend.

“Tell my sister I’m okay and I need you and Caleb to come around Judson up on 153rd.”
Hanging up the phone he did as Angel instructed. Within seconds Gabriel and Caleb disappeared as fast as they had come.
*****

Gabe hopped out the Lexus and assessed the scene. Angel had a tiny cut above his eyebrow but he seemed unharmed. Too bad he couldn’t say the same thing for the other two kids.

“Isn’t this that lil’ nigga Vale from down the way?” Caleb walked up to Gabriel and Angel and stared at the boy on the ground.
Still mad Angel ran up and kicked Vale in the face. “Yeah that’s his lil’ pussy ass. This fucking hype put a gun to my head!”
Angel turned his anger towards Juan. “I don’t know who the fuck this bitch is but he gone die right along with his friend.”
“Do you know who put these niggas up to it?” Gabriel looked down the street watching out for the jakes.
“Nigga LT. My own fucking cousin tried to have me killed. Ain’t that some bullshit?”
“Word?”
“Word my nigga. I can’t even go get food with my sister without some bullshit going down.”

“Caleb, put these niggas in the car. Call CJ and tell him to go pick Asjiah up, and call that lil nigga Money; he been asking to put in work so we bout to put that nigga to use.”

Shoving the boys into the car Gabriel waited for his friend. “What about that hoe ass nigga LT?”
“Oh don’t worry. We’ll catch up with him later.”
*****

“Shit!” Banging the steering wheel LT cursed himself as he watched as Caleb and Gabriel forced Juan and Vale into the car. “You want shit done right; you have to do it yourself.” The engine on the Maxima purred softly as LT circled around the block and headed towards Stacey’s house.

13

ChApTER TWENTy-FOuR

“I know you had something to do with ya’ll almost getting robbed.” My grandmother stood in the doorway staring at me as if I had set the whole thing up.

“They could’ve caught me! I could’ve been beaten, kidnapped, raped, and you’re accusing me of this shit?” I wiped my face and tried to calm down, my chest hurt and my heart was racing.

“Watch your mouth.” Sam chimed in.
“No fuck you! No one asked how I was, if I was okay, instead as usual you’re pointing your fingers at me!”
“It’s just mighty funny that they let you go and kept Angel.” “No one let me go, I ran. Angel told me to run and that’s what I did. Angel didn’t get shot. Why do you think Gabe and Caleb left? Angel called them.” Rolling her eyes Marie walked back into the kitchen. “But they could’ve shot him then what would you be saying?”

“I would still tell you that I had nothing to do with it! “Do you really think I would put my life, my brother’s life, in jeopardy? I’m the one who called the police. As usual you didn’t even know where we were so what would you have done?”

“Maybe one of those little boys you mess with did it.”

I got up from where I was sitting and stormed into the kitchen to face her. “Do you hear yourself? What boys are you talking about? Where do you get this shit from?”

Before Sam could reply we heard screeching tires in the driveway followed by someone running and the front door slamming open.

“ASJIAH!”
“CJ!” Running into his arms I became hysterical all over again.

“A’, what happened? Are you okay?” CJ stepped back and looked at me making sure I was alright.

“I’m okay…but…but…”
“Ssh, it’s okay ma, I got you. I’m here.”
Breaking her silence Sam spoke up. “Where are you coming from?” “What?” CJ’s jaw clenched as he turned his attention on Sam. “How do we know you didn’t have something to do with this?”

“Man, pump yo’ brakes with that one. I’m not going to say what I really want to out of respect for my girl but don’t come at me like that.” CJ turned his back on Sam silencing her comments. “A’, let’s go. Angel told me to pick you up and take you back to my spot until things die down.”

“She’s not going anywhere.” Marie got out of her chair challenging CJ.

“Wait a minute; I don’t see anybody round here making sure she’s straight or going out of their way to protect her. So like I said, she’s coming with me.” CJ grabbed my hand and walked towards the door.

“A-Ja you leaving?”
I turned around to see Hope standing in the doorway rubbing her eyes. All the yelling must’ve woke her up.
“Yes baby doll. I gotta go okay?” Picking her up, I hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek.
“You cry A-ja?” Her big brown eyes were filled with concern as she wiped my face.

“No baby doll. I’m okay. I promise I’ll be back. Go back to bed okay?” I put Hope back down and walked towards the door rushing so she wouldn’t see the tears falling from my eyes.

“You leave here and I’m calling the police.” Sam was behind my grandmother holding the phone.
“Go right ahead.” Opening the car door CJ turned and faced Sam. “Make sure you tell em’ that her uncle raped her while you’re at it.”
*****

LT grabbed the 9mm from under the seat before exiting the car. Angel’s explorer wasn’t parked in the driveway so he was sure Stacey was home by herself. Asjiah was probably being guarded by that bitch ass nigga CJ so he decided to go for the next closest thing to Angel; his girl.

“Who the fuck is banging on my door?”
LT could hear the sound of Stacey’s footsteps as he waited patiently at the side door.

“What’s up LT?” A white cotton tee shirt clung to Stacey’s body outlining her curves. The wind blew softly against her skin causing her nipples to harden along with LT’s dick.

“Angel here?” LT tried to take his eyes off her breast and focus on his plan.

“Nah, he ain’t been home since earlier.”
“Well um, can I come in and wait for him?”

“Why don’t you just call him?” Noticing LT staring at her thighs, Stacey pulled her shirt down and began to shut the door.

“Hold up a minute.” LT put his foot in the door preventing her from closing it. “Are you really going to shut the door in my face Stacey? Just let me use the bathroom and then I promise I will leave.”

ChApTER TWENTy-FIvE

Money sat on 108th and rapped along with the melodic lyrics of Biggie’s Notorious Thugs. From the sound of things shit had gotten hot around the way and Angel and Asjiah were almost robbed.

“Asjiah.” Her name rolled off his tongue as he thought out loud.

She was banging. She had the same complexion as that one singer Mya, but Asjiah had her beat, hands down. She had thick, jet black curly hair that came to the center of her back, deep dimples and a petite, sexy coke bottle figure. You ever play marbles when you were a kid? Remember the real pretty bluish-gray ones? Those were the kind of eyes Asjiah had; the kind of eyes that could hypnotize you.

He remembered back when the #13 Jordan’s had just come out and she showed up to class twenty minutes late rocking the blue ones with a white tee and some gray Nautica sweatpants that hugged her ass just right. She was the prettiest girl that Money had ever seen; wifey material fo’sho. There was just one problem: CJ.

He still didn’t know what had happened between them that day he saw her at the bus stop. If anything he should thank CJ for fucking up because it seemed to have brought him and Asjiah closer. She wasn’t like the rest of these chicks out here. She was gutter but beautiful at the same time.

The bright lights from the car behind him brought Money back to reality. He squinted trying to make out the plates. Reaching for his gun he exhaled slowly as the door to the car on the black Lexus opened.

*****
“A’, are you hungry? Do you want to stop and get something? A’? Asjiah?”
“Huh? What? No I’m fine. I just want to go to sleep.” South High passed as we got closer to CJ’s house.
Brushing my hair out of my face he caressed my cheek. “I got you mami. You’re safe now.”

“Stop doing that! Stop treating me like I’m fucking glass or something. You don’t have me. You’re never around when shit actually goes down so stop saying that! I’m so tired of everybody trying to hold my hand. I’m not a helpless five year-old who just got lost in the mall. Just leave me alone! I’m okay. I don’t need you running behind me making sure I don’t fall or scrape my knees. I can take care of myself!” I didn’t mean to blow up on him like that, everything was just moving so fast. My brother could’ve lost his life tonight and here he was trying to reassure my safety.

“I’m sorry. I’m just a little shaken up.”

“It’s cool, I understand.” Ignoring my outburst he continued driving. “I can’t believe yo’ peoples came at me like that like I had something to do with this shit. I was at the crib when that nigga Gabe called. All he said was to come get you and that’s all I needed to hear.”

“Thank you.” Shuttering from the cool summer air I rolled up the window.
CJ pulled in the driveway and turned the car off.
“C’mere.” CJ tilted my chin and kissed me slowly. I think we should get away from here for a couple days.”
“Isn’t that why you brought me over here?”
“Yeah but I’m talking about out of Cleveland. Away from all this shit, let’s take a trip. Just me and you.”
“CJ I can’t…I need to start packing for school and…”
“And what A’? You don’t leave until August. We got a little over a month left. There ain’t shit going on here but drama.”

He was right. The year was halfway over and too much had already happened. First I get raped, then I get into it with Corey, I killed my Uncle, I almost got robbed, my brother almost got shot, what’s next? I didn’t have to think about it too hard. Seeing the intensity behind CJ’s eyes I knew he wanted to get away. We both could use a vacation.

*****

Money sat in silence as the hooded figure approached the car. He figured if he was sent to kill him he would be dead by now so he waited. As he got closer he recognized Gabriel and got out of the car.