Chapter 11
(See You Next Lifetime/Erykah Badu)
“What am I supposed to do when I want you in my world? And how can I want you for myself when I’m already someone’s girl?”
I thought that the Bahamas was just a front to get back in my good graces, until I saw a real change in Jahrein once we made it back home. He was actually growing up. He was becoming cooler, and he was beginning to have a little more understanding.
So, I hated how fucked up thoughts would still creep into my head. Him fucking up was always in the back of my mind, as I tried to pretend that those things didn’t matter. But deep down, it truly did.
I always tried to act unaffected, but the truth was that I didn’t want to share Jahrein with nobody. And when I’d hear anything that sounded funny, a small part of me would die inside. Thinking that my man was giving away the very parts of him that were supposed to belong solely to me.
So, even after he’d fucked me all morning long one day, I had that shit on my mind. I couldn’t get it off. So, I decided that I was gonna take a trick out of his book, and pop up on him while he was in the hood.
I’d dropped the kids off at Jahrein’s granny’s house, after greasing her palm with a few dollars. Then I gave her a short story of why I wanted to switch cars with her, and she just laughed, while handing over her keys.
“Go ‘head, Raven, with ya lying ass. Jah damn sho’ won’t be expecting you to pull up in this Cadillac.”
I giggled. “Ole lady, Ion know what you talking about.” I hugged her, before running off.
An hour later, I was staked outside of Jaylen’s trap house. Just like with anybody he was close to, Jah had put his brother on. Catapulting the whole team into bosses, versus workers. So, they all had trap houses, but Jaylen’s trap was where the crew loved to hang at the most.
Jahrein’s car was parked in the driveway, so I knew that he had to be inside.
Within the time I’d been parked on the curb, I’d seen so many niggas come and go.
Since Jah nor the team no longer pushed actual crack, their customers were just other hustlers, as they were supplying most of the south side.
Checking things out, I had peeped too many weak spots that I was gonna bring to Jah’s attention.
The house had too many windows and entry points that didn’t look very secure to me.
Then the fact that I’d managed to sit outside for as long as I had without somebody noticing was a problem.
Those niggas were moving sloppily like they had a license to slang dope openly.
Black’s ghetto ass was standing on the porch, shirtless, smoking a blunt, begging the laws to give him some special attention. He was flanked by several hangers-on, who were standing around, laughing.
I shook my head, while realizing that most street niggas were nothing but big ass kids.
Most of them ran the streets from sunup to sundown, claiming that they were chasing money.
In reality, they were always with their boys, running around, socializing, gambling, fucking hoes, running their mouths, while hitting licks here and there. Just a bunch of immature shit.
Sitting back, I was asking myself how much longer I would sit there wasting my time with this mission, until I saw five bitches pull up in a Caravan, and hop out. They were all scantily clad in booty shorts with their asses hanging out.
I tilted my head, as Black greeted the women, before they all casually bypassed him, entering the house. Knowing that women could be hustlers too, I tried my best not to jump to conclusions, but as time coasted on, I felt like those bitches were there for pleasure. Not business.
After a good hour passed, I had become anxious, as I grabbed my Gucci purse, double checking to see if I had the gun that I’d taken from Jahrein’s stash.
Once I was sure that I had the heat, I hopped out of the car.
Dressed in fighting clothes, just in case, I was rocking a pair of short tights, and a sports bra, along with some Jordans.
My hair was pulled into a high ponytail at the crown of my head, which could easily be pinned into a bun.
Taking quick strides, I stepped into the yard, causing all the guys outside to look back.
“What’s up?”
“Aye.”
“Hey, Raven.”
“’Sup?”
They all spoke at once.
Black chuckled, as I approached the porch, while never bothering to speak.
“What chu doing here, girl?”
I rolled my eyes, as I shoved past him. “Did you ask them hoes the same thing?”
“Hoes?” He repeated.
I didn’t bother finishing that conversation, as I let myself into the house. As soon as I stepped in, several people looked back at me, including about three of Jah’s boys, and about three bitches, although five had walked through the door.
“What the fuck?” Jaylen grumbled, as he stood up, causing the girl who was sitting in his lap to tumble across the couch.
I shook my head. “Nigga, you aint shit. I oughtta call Chantel.” I referenced his baby’s mama, although I was doing no such thing. For whatever reason, his BM didn’t seem like she cared for me much, and I think that was because Jaylen was always trying to fuck my friends.
He was out in the open with his hoeness, and I didn’t understand how or why Chantel put up with the constant disrespect. So, it was probably a good thing that she didn’t rock with me like that, because I’d be telling her to leave, every chance I got.
“Man, chill out.” Jaylen scratched his head, while I peeped that he had a noticeable hard-on poking through his basketball shorts.
“Shit, you need to be telling yourself that,” I spat. “You supposed to be here conducting business, and got all these hoes hanging in here.”
“Hoes?” The girl who was just sitting on Jaylen’s lap spoke up.” She was a light brown, thick girl with a cute face.
“Nah, you got me fucked up,” another girl chimed in. She was a chocolate slim broad, with a pretty mug.
“Exactly,” their high yellow, medium built friend co-signed.
“Nah, nah, nah,” Jaylen interjected, shaking his head. “Y’all chill out. Don’t mind her. She’s my crazy sister-in-law. She be tripping sometimes.”
I sucked my teeth. “Fuck these hoes.”
“But you don’t even know me like that,” Jaylen’s little hype argued.
“And Ion wanna know you. Definitely aint my type of women, sitting here in a fucking trap house.”
“Mannn,” Jaylen drawled.
“But look, fuck all that. Where the fuck is Jahrein?” I questioned, while my heart pounded in my chest.
Jaylen shrugged. “Shit, hell if I know.”
I scowled. “Hell if you know? So, you telling me that he aint here?”
“Nah. He aint.”
I sucked my teeth, before stomping through the house. “Yeah, fucking right.”
Jaylen was right behind me. “Say, girl, where you going?”
“Back here to see what the fuck is going on,” I fumed.
“But I just told you that he aint here.”
I stepped up to the first bedroom door. “But his car is parked outside.”
“Shit, them niggas always park their cars outside, and hop in another car. I’m telling you, he aint here.”
My eyes lowered into slits. “So, who’s in these rooms?”
He sighed. “Nobody.”
“You a got damn lie,” I gritted. “I seen five bitches come in this house, and it’s only three in the living room.”
“I’m saying—” He got out, as I twisted the doorknob, opening the door.
Immediately, two naked bodies jumped apart, scattering across the mattress.
Disappointedly, I shook my head, as I recognized Tony and some thick brown skinned girl in the bed.
“Oh, I’m definitely telling Tameka,” I swore, as I closed the door back.
Jaylen shook his head. “You tripping. I told you that nigga aint here.”
“Yeah, let you tell it,” I scoffed, while stomping down the hallway.
I approached another closed bedroom. This time, I could hear music blasting. Once again, I tried opening the door, before realizing that it was locked. That made my heart rate speed up.
“Jahrein.” I knocked on the door. “Open this fucking door.”
“Man, come on, Raven,” Jaylen persisted. “That man is not in there.”
Him being so adamant about me walking away from that door had my antennas up. It was clearly something he didn’t want me to see in there. So, I kept knocking, but got no response.
“Who the fuck is in there?” I eventually asked Jaylen.
“Man, Ion know. Just know that nigga Jah aint in there.”
Shaking my head, I wasn’t satisfied with that answer. So, I drop-kicked the door.
“Say, girl!” He fussed, while I kept kicking the door, until I cracked the doorframe.
Once the frame was cracked, I used my shoulder to shove the door open.
“What the fuck?!” Jalero shouted, as he jumped out of the bed, stark naked.
A pretty brown skinned girl was still in bed and had yanked a blanket to shield her naked body.
Now, see this…I was mad about. “Boy, put some fucking clothes on.” I placed my hands on my hips.
“Man,” Jalero groaned, as he snatched his boxers off the floor.
Not giving a damn about his attitude, I focused on his companion. “Uh, how old are you?”
The girl smacked her lips. “Grown as fuck.”
I narrowed my gaze. “Grown, as in over twenty-one?”
She rolled her eyes. “Try twenty-five.”
“Well, I’ma tell you this…because clearly these muthafuckas ‘round here made you think that it was cool. So, maybe you don’t know, but my lil’ brother is fucking fourteen—”
“Fourteen?!” Her jaw dropped.
“Yep.”
“Oh, hell nawl.” She scooted out of bed with the cover wrapped around her.
Shaking my head, I turned to glare at Jaylen, before shoving him out of the room. “Why the fuck are you letting this shit go on?”
He opened his arms. “That nigga hollered and she went. I aint asked about her age and she didn’t, neither. Besides, that lil’ nigga be fucking. Whether you like it or not.”
“So, because he’s fucking, you gon let him lay-up with grown bitches?”
“Look, nobody is forcing him. He got a mind of his own. He’s a willing participant. Shit, in fact, he pursued her. So, who am I to hate?”
Again, I shook my head, before pushing him. “Just stupid.”