Chapter 5 #3
“Well, that aint what that nigga is saying. He’s talking about that y’all aint never broke up and that I better not so much as speak to you again.”
“Man, I know you aint gon let him fuck with you like this.” I tried to convince him. I waited for a response but there was none.
“Hello.” I spoke into the phone.
There was no answer.
“Hello.” I said again.
Still no answer.
Finally, I heard, “If you’d like to make a call, please hang up, if you need help dial an operator.” Another cutie bites the dust. I couldn’t win for losing.
I didn’t know how Jahrein found out about Delvin.
I was trying to be extra careful. I only hung out with him at school when there were several other people around to keep it looking platonic.
I called him and he never called me. I would only let him give me rides from the mall to my family’s house on the north side.
So, I don’t know how he figured this one out.
I knew that Jah was about to bring the drama but I couldn’t have cared less. Me and Junior went took our daily bath and then just relaxed.
About twelve a.m. Jahrein came in our bedroom, smelling like a pound of weed. I was sitting in my bed on the phone as Junior lay next to me asleep. Jah stood and glared at me, as I kept on talking to April.
“Hang up that phone. I need to talk to you.” he finally demanded.
“What?” I asked him as I removed the phone from my ear.
“Hang up the phone, I said.”
“What do you want?” I wasn’t afraid of his ass. I knew my daddy was at home so I wasn’t even tripping.
He decided to snatch the cordless phone out of my hand and hang it up. Then he moved in closer to me. “What the fuck was you doing riding with that nigga Delvin the other day?” he spoke sternly, like somebody's daddy other than Junior's.
“I needed a ride and he gave me one.” I crossed my arms across my breasts.
“What the fuck is your problem, Raven? How you just gon disrespect me like that?”
“Disrespect? Jahrein, please.” I smacked my lips. “You want to talk about disrespect? Well, why is it that every other day it’s a rumor out here about you fucking some bitch?” Even though, I hadn’t heard anything lately I decided that my best bet was to use reverse psychology.
“What?” Jahrein fumed as he pushed me back and laid his body on top of mine. He then wrapped his hands around my neck and started choking me. I couldn’t even scream to alert my daddy.
“I can’t breathe.” I finally let out as I tried to pry his hands from around my neck.
“Shut the fuck up.” he whispered. “Yeah, talk that shit now. You want me to call your daddy for you? Ray-Ray! Ray-Ray!” he yelled.
My daddy didn’t answer, but all that chaos awoke my baby. He began crying at the top of his small lungs. This did not deter Jahrein, though. He used one hand to place Junior’s pacifier back in his mouth, and still managed to hold me down.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you, Red and Ray-Ray went to a party.” he chuckled as he continued to choke me.
He was choking me so hard that I was beginning to panic. Was he really going to kill me? I started crying trying to beg him to stop. The words were not coming out. Right when I thought that my life was over, he released me.
I was coughing and holding my neck. His crazy ass just sat and watched me.
“What you got to say now?” he asked me with a menacing grin.
I didn’t have no words for him.
“It’s over? It’s over, huh? You better say something.” he ordered in a threatening tone.
“No.” I cried, realizing that I was helpless at that moment.
“No? So, who you with?” he asked, with a raised brow.
“You.” I mumbled.
He placed his hand to his ear. “I can’t hear you.”
“I’m with you.” I spoke clearer.
“That’s what the fuck I thought. Raven, I’m tired of going through the motions with you.
Your ass is hard headed. If you just do what I tell you, we wouldn’t have no problems. I keep telling you the same shit over and over.
Keep them niggas out your face. Take care of my son.
That’s all I ask for. Why can’t you do right? ”
Was this nigga serious? “Jah, you can’t do right. Don’t put the blame on me.” I sniffed.
“Fuck that!” he yelled, so loud that it made me flinch.
“When have you ever seen me with somebody else? Stop listening to what those hoes say. I aint worried about these bitches. I be out there trying to take care of you and Junior. Y’all are all I’m worried about.
People gon talk. You just have to be better than that shit.
You letting rumors and lies come between us?
” he spoke. He was so heated that he was spitting as he talked.
“Whatever!” I yelled. “Look at what time it is. You’re just bringing your ass home. Why didn’t you come home when my school let out? Did you forget that you have a baby too?”
“I had to check that nigga first. He was going around claiming my gal like everything was all good. After I left that nigga pissing on his self I still had to go get this money.” Jahrein explained as he pulled out this big bank roll.
“Am I supposed to be impressed?” I asked him dryly.
That night we sat and argued for hours. I vented and told him how I felt. He told me how he felt. He promised to do better. I didn’t really believe him, although it sounded good.
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“Walk up, girl.”
I rolled my eyes. “Shell, it's hot as hell out here. I'm finna go in the house.”
She sucked her teeth. “Man, don't do that. You said that you was gonna kick it wit me.”
I sighed as we both traveled down the street. It was a pretty hot and muggy day. Shell had practically dragged me out of the house. I was content watching TV, but she insisted that I go for a walk with her.
I'd left Junior with Red, so for the moment I was baby free, but I didn't want to kick it on the cut that day.
For whatever reason I was feeling drained, and just wanted to get some sleep.
And all the dumb dudes passing by, honking their horns was working my last nerve.
I was really regretting wearing the little hot pink shorts I was rocking, accompanied with a small halter that barely covered my breasts, and left my stomach completely exposed.
The outfit was cute, but didn't compliment the whole walking down the street thing.
Niggas was obviously getting the wrong message.
A smile eased across Shell's face as we stepped onto the block. Both Ray-Ray and Jahrein hung there, which meant that I steered clear of it most times. There were several dudes hanging around, posted up on various porches. Every illegal activity imaginable was going down right there.
The poignant odor of weed assaulted my nostrils. I had been smoking weed here and there, so I was searching around for a familiar face to smoke with. Then I spotted Jared.
“Let me hit that.” I demanded as I stepped to Jared and few other boys. Shell was now all in some guy's face, while his hand rested directly on her butt.
“What's up, girl?” Jared chuckled as he passed me the blunt.
A tall, high yellow, slender dude elbowed Jared. “Who is that, nigga?” he questioned as he stared me down.
Jared was high, and half listening. He just gave the dude a nod. I wasn't trying to hide the fact that I was smoking all his weed, and hadn't attempted to pass it.
In the distance I heard a screen-door slam, but I continued to get my smoke on. Then there were a few chuckles behind me, so I turned to see what was so funny.
I spotted Jahrein stepping off Jared's porch. The moment he laid eyes on my he frowned. I shrugged him off.
He swaggered right over to us, shirtless, wearing long basketball shorts, Jordans, and Ralph Lauren boxers that were showing due to sagging. Undoubtedly, he was probably entertaining some broad around there.
He stood right next to me. “Who's shit you're smokin'?” he snatched the blunt clean out of my hands.
I sucked my teeth. “Buzz killing ass.”
“Ay, who this shit belong to?” he asked his boys, ignoring me.
Jared tried to grab his blunt. “That's mine.”
Jahrein dropped the blunt, letting it hit the ground. He then stomped it out.
“Say, my nigga...why you do my shit like that?” Jared frowned.
“The fuck you give it to her for? You must didn't want the shit.”
Jared waved him off. “There you go wit that shit, man. I was just letting her hit it. Aint nobody trying to push up on ya gal, main. We better than that.”
Jah smirked. “Yeah, okay, my nigga.” he turned to me. “Say, you need to go home.”
I scrunchedd. “For what?”
“The fuck you need to be hanging up here for? Aint shit up here for you.”
I backed up a little. “I can do whatever the fuck I want.”
He stepped up to me, leaning his weight on me. “What the fuck did I say?”
I just took a giant step back again. “You aint my damn daddy.”
Before I knew it, he'd snatched me up, pulling me between two houses. “I don't know why you letting that hoe pump you up to come up here, but you better take ya muthafuckin' ass home.” he had me hemmed up against the house.
I dug my nails deep into his arms. “Let me go.” I gritted.
I thought that we was going to start blowing in a second, but he took me by surprise when he ruffled my hair up with both hands. I mean, he literally tossed my hair all over the place, making me look crazy as hell. “Okay, stay out here just like this, then.”
I stomped out of the alley, while all eyes were on me. “Shell, let's go.” I pouted.
Shell snickered. “The hell happened to your hair?”
I gazed at Jahrein and rolled my eyes. His boys were busy cracking up. “Jah, you's a fool for that one, nigga. Why you hating on lil' mama like that?” the tall yellow dude asked.
Jahrein frowned, as he ran his tongue across his teeth. “Not that it's any of your business, but I can't hate on what's mine, nigga.”
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