4. Sovereign aka Queen #2
“In two weeks, I will be appointing one of you as my lieutenant. I’ll be out of town on business.
So, the way you move and the things you all do will be taken into consideration.
Pick ups and drop offs will remain the same.
” My eyes landed on Teddy; he was seventeen with no family.
Hungry little nigga, he provided for himself and his two younger siblings since his mom was too strung out.
We made eye contact, and he shifted his gaze.
I could tell something was bothering him.
I hurried up and closed out this meeting so I could pull him to the side and talk to him.
“I leave in two days, tomorrow we celebrate Clapback’s birthday so dress to impress.” I paused and took in everyone’s excitement. That announcement made Empress smile, she probably thought that I had forgotten her special day.
“When I get back in town, be ready to put in that fuckin work. Less sleeping more grinding, I guarantee it’s gone pay off majorly. I’m making moves to better the squad. Trust when I say soon as my feet touch back down on Cali soil, each and every one of y’all pockets will be healthy.”
I stood to my feet after we talked more business.
“Fuck yo feelings!” I stuck the middle finger up and everyone followed.
“Fuck yo feelings!” They roared as I took a seat.
“Teddy, go into my operating room and get on the examining table.” I winked at him. Teddy had bad acne pimples all across his chubby cheeks and nose. I figured I’d get to the bottom of what was going on with him by easing my own anxiety and working on his face a little today after hours.
“Murk’um and Clapback, I need to have a conversation with you two.
The rest of you are dismissed.” I watched all the men file out of the room.
Bundy walked right up to me smiling. Bundy was a big, tall, buff nigga, always making sure I was straight.
We all had hard lives and our parents were no longer in the picture.
Bundy always made sure I had everything I needed, like now, I needed a blunt and Bundy sat an already rolled blunt right in front of me.
“See you later Queen.” I watched his broad shoulders walk out of the room. Once everyone was out. No one else remained but Empress, myself, and Murk’um.
“You two stop whatever it is that you have going on. I don’t want to hear excuses and whatever else might come out of your mouths.
You either stop fucking or walk away from F.Y.F.
this is my final warning. Dismissed.” Murk’um nodded in agreement, but Empress just had to be the brat of a little sister.
“That’s bullshit, Queen!” I stood up and marched her way.
I didn’t have to say shit because she knew what was about to happen.
I halted my hand back and slapped the fuck out of her twice.
Grabbing her up by the neck, I aligned my mouth close to her ear so she could hear me clearly.
Her outburst confirmed my suspicions. It pissed me off more at the fact of her blatantly going against what I stated from the very beginning.
No business mixed with pleasure. Clearly her and Murk’um had been fucking.
I looked over at Murk’um with disappointment. I expected more from him.
“Little sis… it seems like you’re forgetting who you fucking with.
You out of all people know what the fuck I had to go through to get to where I am now.
I will end you before I risk losing what the fuck I have built.
I love you Empress, but you are no weak spot for me.
Understand that the next time you speak out of term and test my authority, I’ll put you down like the mutt bitch you are.
” I stepped back watching her eyes mist over.
I didn’t give a damn about hurting her feelings right now.
Empress knew what I went through. Instead of her disobeying me, she should have learned from me and the lessons I had to learn when it came to mixing business with pleasure and feelings when it came to Melvin.
I could have got down with Bundy after Melvin, but I chose not too.
Bundy was sweet and would go to war for me.
I knew he would lay his life down on the line without a question as well.
I just wasn’t willing to risk that and besides his good looks, I felt nothing deep for Bundy.
I walked out of the room because I hated having to go so hard on Empress.
I spoiled her and made sure she never went without.
Just like a parent having to constantly teach their child a lesson.
I constantly had to do that with Empress even though she was grown.
She was my baby sister and I cared deeply about her but lately, she had been testing dangerous waters with me.
If being apart of F.Y.F was becoming too much to handle for her then she had better let me know.
I never wanted her apart of my shit to begin with.
I started this shit to make sure we survived.
I made it to the room where Teddy was at.
Standing at the room door, pride swelled in me.
My clinic was really nice, I had state-of-the-art equipment and really enjoyed working on people’s skin care.
Most people got disgusted when it came time to pop pimples but since I was young, I enjoyed doing just that.
For some odd reason, it relaxed me and relieved my anxiety.
When I found myself not being able to sleep at night, I’d pull up a YouTube video and watch a pimple-popping tutorial until my eyes got too heavy and I’d give in to my sleep.
I looked at Teddy and he somehow reminded me of myself when I was younger.
He was really a genuine person and had the ambition to get far in life.
I wanted that for him as well. I sometimes wish I had that extra push when I was his age.
Teddy was seventeen but looked like he was twenty-five.
You could look deep in his eyes and tell that he had been through more than what a boy his age should have gone through.
As weird as it might’ve sounded, I loved Teddy like he was a son of mine.
I just couldn’t take on full responsibility because I had too many other things on my plate.
What I liked most about Teddy is that he had a lot of pride despite his situation. He didn’t brag and tell people what all was done for him in order to look cool. He was very humble and respectful, and no matter what he went through he kept his head held high.
I started the steamer to put on his face and started pulling utensils out.
“Talk to me, Teddy.” He sighed as I put on my black latex gloves. I cleansed his face and started prepping to pop some of the blackheads that decorated his pecan-colored cheeks.
“I been having to use the money that I’ve been saving to put with re-up money. I never want to come up short, but moms been stealing again from my stash.” I willed myself to remain calm.
“Have you been eating?” I looked down at his dirty Air Force Ones and knew the answer to that. Teddy didn’t like too many handouts. He was very stubborn when it came to me trying to help him more when it came to him and his siblings.
“I’m good Queen, you already doing enough paying for my tuition at the private school.
I just feel bad as fuck for having the product in the house.
My momma comes in and acts like she wants to be a mom for a couple of days.
She always wants to act like she getting clean then turn around and steal and remain gone for weeks at a time.
Shit doesn’t bother me much, but my sisters…
that shit crushes them. Their behavior starts getting worse at daycare and school.
I know they just acting the fuck out. It’s just added stress but I’m good.
” He winced a little when I applied pressure to the big black head that was right underneath his eye.
White puss popped out and I pressed harder to get to the actual black head.
That was Teddy’s favorite word, I’m good though.
He would tell you his problems but try his hardest to reassure you that he was just fine.
“You gotta put the work somewhere else Teddy. You can keep it at my house, you just gone have to travel to pick the shit up. How’s football going.” I tried to brighten up the conversation.
“I dropped that shit for now, daycare fees kicking my ass.” My stomach tightened.
I knew just how much he loved football. If he wasn’t running down on the young niggas, he had in place to move the work that I supplied him with, he was with his siblings or football practice.
Things had to be spiraling for him to drop out and I didn’t like that.
“You know if all of this is becoming too much Teddy, I can hire you here. It might not be the same amount of what you make in the streets, but it will be something. You still got to follow your dreams.”
I was in his position before and didn’t have that much of a choice just like him.
I also didn’t have someone like me in my life at his age offering something more than just having sex with stranger men to save up to purchase my first brick of cocaine.
I wanted to give Teddy options and was hoping that he could make smart choices with what I presented to him.
He only told me what he wanted me to know, and I couldn’t do anything but respect that shit.
It was his life and his decisions and although he was young as hell, I still respected him like a grown man because he was mature and moved like one.