was doing?”
“That damn girl,” I said, shaking my head.
“Oh, Camille, you ain’t got to tell us nothing. We goin’ find out all about it tomorrow,” Rob said, laughing. “KiKi better
hope he ain’t in there videotaping her ho ass.”
I shook my head, disgusted at her. Obviously, I ain’t know Ms. KiKi like I thought I did.
Chu laughed and lit up a Black & Mild as we pulled onto Route 223.
7
NOVEMBER 2004
I was so over school, and not because it was my first year of high school at McKinley Tech. Since I had stopped hanging out
with Ms. Thang, I was pretty much staying to myself. Ebony Fire was starting to get on my nerves cuz they wanted to have double
practices on Saturdays. Shakira and me ain’t speak since Smurf’s party, and I still had my issues with Lauren and Nissa. Nissa
wanted me to quit cuz I was only showing up at practice whenever I wanted to. But what can I say? Chu needed me.
I even stayed the night by his crib for a whole entire weekend once. The Brinkleys thought Ebony Fire was having an overnight
retreat for all the dancers out in Front Royal, Virginia. They believed my little lie, too. They ain’t even ask me for a permission
slip or nothing. I had a fake one made up, just in case they did, though. I was surprised when Mr. Big gave me four hundred
dollars for the trip. I ain’t even have to do nothing extra for it, either.
When I found out one of Nut’s girlfriends, Peaches, was a senior at Tech, we both started leaving school together at lunchtime
and going back to the apartment. She wasn’t as skanky as the other girls he brought by the crib, but she still had that look
about her. The look that said she’d been through a lot of shit and dared a bitch to try to take her man. I knew after the
first time I met her that the other girls was gonna disappear. Peaches was marking her spot, cooking big dinners like steak
and mash potatoes one day and smoked turkey wings and candied yams the next. I was watching her. Chu even had the nerve to
ask me why I never cooked. He must be crazy—that mess ain’t for me.
I walked in the kitchen one day just when Nut was killing a mouse with his bare hands. I couldn’t believe it. Blood was running
down his arms and everything. I gasped and ran back out. Peaches was in the living room squirming around, but I had no idea
it was because her man was acting like Zeus on the dipper.
H oward University’s homecoming was the very next week, and me and Peaches had talked about sneaking into some parties with
my brother Jayson. She got me a fake ID from her aunt who worked at the DMV, so I was straight. At least, I could get in some
of the “eighteen and up” parties.
The night we was getting ready to go out, Nut kirked the hell out and told Peaches she wasn’t “going no goddamn where.” Peaches
kept right on getting dressed. She looked cute in her short chocolate brown Anna Sui dress and her leopard peek-toe pumps.
Chu walked up behind me and kissed me on my neck while I finished putting on my makeup.
“You sure you don’t wanna go?” I asked.
“Nah, I got some shit I gotta do. Me and Rob probably ride through and do a little parking lot pimping later,” he said, laughing.
I sucked my teeth. “Whatever, boy. You better not be trying to holla at nobody,” I said playfully.
“You know I don’t want nobody but you,” he said and kissed my cheek. “Look at how gorgeous my baby is.”
I smiled. I felt so lucky to be with him. He always said the right things whenever I needed to hear it. Every time my foster
parents got on my nerves, and I wanted to vent, he’d just say, “Tell Daddy all about it,” and wrap his arms around me. He
made me never want to leave when I came over. Since he wasn’t smoking weed anymore, I smoked with Peaches whenever Chu and
Nut was out on the block. Sometimes I bought my own bag and smoked it by myself or I smoked with Jayson in our favorite park.
The phone
“That damn girl,” I said, shaking my head.
“Oh, Camille, you ain’t got to tell us nothing. We goin’ find out all about it tomorrow,” Rob said, laughing. “KiKi better
hope he ain’t in there videotaping her ho ass.”
I shook my head, disgusted at her. Obviously, I ain’t know Ms. KiKi like I thought I did.
Chu laughed and lit up a Black & Mild as we pulled onto Route 223.
7
NOVEMBER 2004
I was so over school, and not because it was my first year of high school at McKinley Tech. Since I had stopped hanging out
with Ms. Thang, I was pretty much staying to myself. Ebony Fire was starting to get on my nerves cuz they wanted to have double
practices on Saturdays. Shakira and me ain’t speak since Smurf’s party, and I still had my issues with Lauren and Nissa. Nissa
wanted me to quit cuz I was only showing up at practice whenever I wanted to. But what can I say? Chu needed me.
I even stayed the night by his crib for a whole entire weekend once. The Brinkleys thought Ebony Fire was having an overnight
retreat for all the dancers out in Front Royal, Virginia. They believed my little lie, too. They ain’t even ask me for a permission
slip or nothing. I had a fake one made up, just in case they did, though. I was surprised when Mr. Big gave me four hundred
dollars for the trip. I ain’t even have to do nothing extra for it, either.
When I found out one of Nut’s girlfriends, Peaches, was a senior at Tech, we both started leaving school together at lunchtime
and going back to the apartment. She wasn’t as skanky as the other girls he brought by the crib, but she still had that look
about her. The look that said she’d been through a lot of shit and dared a bitch to try to take her man. I knew after the
first time I met her that the other girls was gonna disappear. Peaches was marking her spot, cooking big dinners like steak
and mash potatoes one day and smoked turkey wings and candied yams the next. I was watching her. Chu even had the nerve to
ask me why I never cooked. He must be crazy—that mess ain’t for me.
I walked in the kitchen one day just when Nut was killing a mouse with his bare hands. I couldn’t believe it. Blood was running
down his arms and everything. I gasped and ran back out. Peaches was in the living room squirming around, but I had no idea
it was because her man was acting like Zeus on the dipper.
H oward University’s homecoming was the very next week, and me and Peaches had talked about sneaking into some parties with
my brother Jayson. She got me a fake ID from her aunt who worked at the DMV, so I was straight. At least, I could get in some
of the “eighteen and up” parties.
The night we was getting ready to go out, Nut kirked the hell out and told Peaches she wasn’t “going no goddamn where.” Peaches
kept right on getting dressed. She looked cute in her short chocolate brown Anna Sui dress and her leopard peek-toe pumps.
Chu walked up behind me and kissed me on my neck while I finished putting on my makeup.
“You sure you don’t wanna go?” I asked.
“Nah, I got some shit I gotta do. Me and Rob probably ride through and do a little parking lot pimping later,” he said, laughing.
I sucked my teeth. “Whatever, boy. You better not be trying to holla at nobody,” I said playfully.
“You know I don’t want nobody but you,” he said and kissed my cheek. “Look at how gorgeous my baby is.”
I smiled. I felt so lucky to be with him. He always said the right things whenever I needed to hear it. Every time my foster
parents got on my nerves, and I wanted to vent, he’d just say, “Tell Daddy all about it,” and wrap his arms around me. He
made me never want to leave when I came over. Since he wasn’t smoking weed anymore, I smoked with Peaches whenever Chu and
Nut was out on the block. Sometimes I bought my own bag and smoked it by myself or I smoked with Jayson in our favorite park.
The phone
Similar Books
