Chapter 18
CHAPTER
EIGHTEEN
TAURUS
It was ingrained in us to always have a meal in the morning before getting down to business or just to do it once a week and talk everything with life over.
As of lately, it wasn’t doing what it was supposed to do when it came to the taste.
“My nigga, ever since my sister made me that knock-off IHOP omelet, this shit ain’t giving what it’s supposed to give no more.
Now I have expectations on how my food should look and taste. ” I picked through my food.
Savior laughed. “I said the same damn thing. Now that I get a home-cooked meal every night, shit like this isn’t even fucking enticing.”
“Then why the fuck are we here? Why didn’t you ask my sister to make us breakfast? Share the wealth, nigga. You know my baby mama can’t cook, and the chef don’t get to my crib until two.” I shook my head at this nigga’s selfishness.
“You think I didn’t try that shit? We’re only eating this shit is because Re had a meeting at Kale’s school this morning.”
“What did lil’ mama do?” I asked. We sounded like some spoiled bitches at this point.
“They said she hit some lil’ boy in his shit for pulling her hair.”
“Okay, and why the fuck is there a conference?” I had my face screwed up.
“That’s what the fuck I said, and that’s why Re wouldn’t let me go as well.” He laughed. “But it’s’ cool. Baby K knows to call me if shit goes a different way.”
I chuckled. “Y’all gonna leave my…” My sentence trailed off at the sight of one of the zombies from one of those life after death movies.
For a minute, I just had to look at Agent Camen.
I mean, this nigga looked like shit and smelled worse.
I had to put my nose under my shirt because it should’ve been illegal to walk around smelling like death and be alive.
“Yo, can you step yo’ funky ass back? You fucking up my appetite. ”
“You’re a dead man, Jones.” He pointed at Savior.
“I don’t feel too dead. Do I look dead, Taurus?” Savior looked across at me.
“Nah, but he does. Damn, man. Is you getting high on your own supply?” I questioned.
“Where is Duce?” he questioned.
“Who? And can you say that shit with yo’ mouth closed because your breath smells worse than you?” I dropped my fork and looked up at him.
Savior laughed. “How the fuck you gonna tell the man that he smells worse than himself?”
“Shit, I don’t know. It’s all funky.”
“Do you hear me talking to you?” Camen asked. He was getting tired of me poking fun at him.
“Nah, motherfucker. He smells you talking to him.” I got pissed off. I was already having a problem eating this shit because it wasn’t what I wanted. Now I couldn’t finish it because this motherfucker.
“Where is he?” he asked through gritted teeth. Thank God he turned his mouth in Savior’s direction this time.
“It seems like you lost your bitch. You might fuck around lose yourself if you don’t be careful out here in these streets.” I responded.
“Are you threatening me?” He turned his shitty ass breath back in my direction.
I chuckled. “Nah. I’m threatening you.”
“I’ll haul your ass downtown right now!”
Again, I was laughing at his ass. “You’re playing a game you know nothing about, bro.”
“You don’t think I’ll haul your ass downtown?” he asked.
“That ain’t necessary, but we’ll definitely see you soon, Camen. The streets are a cold place with no protection. Make sure you lock your door at night.”
I guess he got tired of us because he stood up straight and stormed away. He didn’t even know his time was coming sooner than he realized.
I didn’t even have the appetite to resume eating, because I didn’t want this shit in the first place. Before I could suggest we switch up the breakfast joint to Savior, his phone started ringing. When I glanced down, it read Kale’s name.
He pressed the green icon to answer and the put it on speaker.
“What are you doing out of school, lil’ mama?” he asked.
“I got suspended for three days, and Mommy told Dr. Stokes that she was gonna beat her A-word.”
I cracked the fuck up when she said that while Savior shook his head.
“Where is your mother now?” he asked.
“In the kitchen making breakfast. She said I could have pancakes.”
I rubbed my hands together. “Aye, niecy-poo, go tell yo’ mama that I said make enough for me too. We’re on our way.” That was all she needed to say because now were both on our feet walking. Even though the food wasn’t worth it, I threw a few bills on the table, and we left out of the restaurant.
As if he were in a hurry, Savior drove to his crib like a bat out of hell.
This nigga must’ve forgotten that we weren’t in the Bat Mobile, and if we hit something, both of our asses would’ve flown out of this motherfucker.
Now I saw why this nigga didn’t drive—because he couldn’t.
He messed around and turned a twenty-to-thirty-minute ride to a ten-minute one.
“Remind me not to get my ass back in the car with you. I’ll take my chances with Beck.”
He laughed. “Nigga, you’ve taken countless drives with me, and now you’re on that complaining shit. Yeah, alright. You’re alive, aren’t you?” We stepped off the elevator and walked toward the door.
I shook my head. “That ain’t even the point, ole reckless driving ass nigga.”
He used his key to open the door, and immediately, the aroma of fresh buttery pancakes hit my nose. When we reached the kitchen, Savior went around and greeted Regancy while I took a seat at the counter.
This nigga was straight to the business. “What happened at the school, Re?”
She cut her eyes in his direction. “Everything was great until that counselor that I told you would be a problem tried to make it seem like my child is a problem. The bitch even went as far as to imply that Kale’s father ain’t in her life.” Regancy all but glared at Savior.
“Who?” I was confused and all in the business.
Savior shook his head. “Remember shorty I messed with a while back. She was in school and tried to—”
“Old girl with that big ass nose?” I touched my nose just thinking about her shit.
He nodded.
“So I informed her nosy ass that I was gonna beat her ass if she didn’t mind her business.” Regancy shrugged her shoulders like that shit was normal. She didn’t even sound right cursing.
“I see what you did there.” I laughed at the pun about old girl’s nose. “Remember, Sav, I told you shorty had a fucking toucan beak on her face. Looked like she could smell anything from miles away.”
He shook his head. “What ended up happening?”
“She straightened the fuck up and found her place. Kale only got suspended because she blacked the boy’s eyes and hit him in the nose. Both kids got suspended though. School rule is no throwing hits. She’s good though. I told her she wasn’t in any trouble with us, because she defended herself.”
Savior nodded.
“Where is lil’ Layla, right now?” I questioned out of the blue.
“Nigga, what?”
“Lil’ Layla Ali. Next time, she ain’t even gotta hit a lil’ nigga back. Just tell her to put me on speed dial. I’ll come up there and pick one of those lil’ niggas up by their forehead.”
After eating and talking shit with Taurus and Regancy for a while, I decided to go pop up on Lane.
She didn’t tell me she had court today, so that meant she was at her office.
The drive was about five minutes since she was located in a space right before downtown.
I pulled up and parked right in front of her building before hopping out of the car.
Her office was one floor and a basement, so I was able to go right in.
I walked past her receptionist because shorty remembered me from the last few times I brought Lane lunch and went to her office.
I only had to tell shorty off one time, but other than that, she was cool as far as I knew.
When I turned the corner into Lane’s office, she had her thick ass reading glasses on, and she was staring at the computer in front of her.
My baby couldn’t see for shit but refused to wear glasses or contacts most of the time.
She said they made her eyes look big, so she would hand me shit if the wording was too small and squinted like a little ass kid most of the time.
“Damn. Even when you look like you tell people to ‘shush’ for a living, you still look good as fuck to me.” I bit my bottom lip, checking her librarian-looking ass out.
She looked up from the computer at me and smiled. “Baby, you didn’t tell me you were coming up here.” She took her glasses off and stood to her feet. Seconds later, she was in my arms. “You missed me?”
“Nah. I got bored as fuck, and I have some shit to handle tonight with Savior, so I might be a little late coming home.” I took a seat on the cream sofa and pulled her down on my lap.
She sucked her teeth. “Good thing I’m having dinner with Regancy tonight, so I may not be there when you get in,” she said in a matter-of-factly tone.
I chucked. “Fine. I did miss yo’ mean ass.”
She gave me a small smile. “If I give you a baby, will you stay in sometimes?”
“I do stay in sometimes. Lately, I’ve just had a lot going on besides getting shot and all.”
“You know what I mean, Taurus.”
I studied her expression before nodding. “You can get that but not because you’re giving me a baby, but because I love you.” She leaned in and pecked my lips. “Don’t think you just negotiated a baby either. I’m getting my junior regardless.”
She giggled. “Must you always be such an asshole?”
“And there I thought my personality was bubbly.” I winked at her, using her word against her.
“Nope, you’re an ass.”
REGANCY