Chapter 28 – War
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
WAR
Gutta Barbie’s been sick every day since finding out that Hood Brat had gotten killed, and I was starting to worry about her more and more.
I wasn’t experienced when it came to pregnancies, but I knew that the amount of stress she was under couldn’t be good for the baby.
Today I was taking her out to be pampered; I wanted to try to get her mind off of everything, but at the same time, I didn’t want her out of my sight.
After her suicide attempt, I definitely didn’t trust leaving her alone, especially at a time like this.
Losing Hood Brat had changed her; she was colder and less approachable.
I had overheard her crying throughout the night.
I hated that I didn’t know how to be here for her, but I was doing my best. I knew that finding Lil Rude wouldn’t make things right, but it would make it better.
“What are we doing here?” She asked when we pulled up to the nail salon.
“I’m taking you to get your nails and shit done.”
“Damn, it’s that obvious?” She asked, looking at her fingernails that were grown out and long overdue for a refill.
I couldn’t help but laugh, and for the first time in weeks she smiled. It felt good seeing her smile again; I had missed that side of her. I walked over and helped her out of the car. As soon as we got inside, I stood to the side while Gutta Barbie checked in with her nail technician.
“Funny how bitches rolling around the hood with another nigga but couldn’t even come to my brother's or cousin's funeral.” I heard some bitch popping it and looked in her direction to see who the fuck she was talking about.
When I caught her rolling her eyes at Gutta Barbie, I took that shit personally.
“All due respect to your homies, but you better watch your fucking mouth when you’re talking to mine.” I addressed her.
“And who the fuck are you!” She snarled.
“Girl, that’s War!” Her homegirl next to her butted in.
“I wouldn’t give a fuck; none of these niggas move me, especially when it’s behind me and mine!” She popped off at the mouth.
“Keep talking, and I’ll make one phone call that’ll kill all that cute shit you're talking about,” I warned her.
“Nigga, please.” She brushed me off.
“Lala, chill please. This is my shop at the end of the day, and I don’t need all of that shit.” Her nail technician interrupted.
“I wasn’t even talking to that nigga to begin with, so he ain’t got no business even addressing me.” She continued popping it.
I was tired of her talking. Where I was from, we didn’t do too much talking. She was popping it to my woman who was pregnant, and I wasn’t going for any of that. I didn’t give a fuck who she was or what her reasoning was. I pulled out my phone and made one phone call.
“Hello.” She answers on the first ring. “You good, my love?”
“Yo, cousin, pull up on me,” I said into the phone.
“Say less; I’m on my way,” Magic said, ending the call.
“Oh shit! That’s Magic, crazy ass!” The homegirl said.
“I wouldn’t give a fuck!” Her tough-ass friend said, still popping off at the mouth. I let her talk; there was nothing else that needed to be said. My cousin was already on her way.
“Do your friend a favor and get her the fuck out of here, and fast too.” The nail technician told the friend.
There was no need to give Magic the address; she already had my location.
Her homegirl convinced her to leave. I wasn’t sure what she had said to her, but they both stood to their feet and began to collect their shit.
I gave her a knowing look before making sure that Gutta Barbie was good.
They went to walk towards the exit, but as soon as they went to open the salon's doors, my cousin Magic was already pulling up to the front of the shop.
She jumped out of her car, rocking a red Alo matching top and bottoms with a pair of all-white Air Maxes.
“These the bitches right here?” She pointed from outside at the girls who were leaving.
“War, I didn’t want this shit at my shop!” The nail technician pleaded.
“I told the bitch to stop popping it; now it’s up!” I shrugged my shoulders.
“Gutta Barbie can fight her own battles. She didn’t have a problem treating my brother and cousin like shit, so what’s the problem now!” She said,
Before anybody had the chance to say anything, my cousin hit her with a two-piece. As I said, we weren’t the type that did too much talking; we kept that shit to a bare minimum.
The girl they called Lala tried to fight back, but that bitch was no match for my favorite cousin.
Magic swept the streets with her. By the time I decided to break them apart, my cousin was stomping the shit out of that bitch.
Gutta Barbie sat in the salon chair getting her nails done without a care in the world; she didn’t even look back to watch the drama unfold.
Whoever the Lala bitch was should be thanking me for calling my cousin and not allowing that shit to escalate between her and Gutta Barbie, because my girl would’ve gutted her ass open like a fish.
I was going to let my cousin beat that bitch to death, but on the strength of the owner being my girl's nail technician, I let her live.
“It's all good bitch, I'll be back!” Lala said, still popping it. My cousin Magic and I laughed in that bitch face.
The funniest shit to me was a bitch that couldn't fight to save her ass, but was always popping it. She didn't even pinch my cousin, but was talking about spinning the block.
“I can't make this shit up!” I laughed as Lala got her ass on with her homegirl.
I reached into my pocket, handing my cousin a wad of cash.
I knew she didn't need it and vice versa, but on the strength I always looked out for her; she was family.
I had mad love for my cousin for the way that she always looked out for me.
One phone call, and she was pulling up, no hesitation.
She was loyal and a rider. She had the same heart as her father, my uncle Wreck, which is how I ended up getting my nickname.
He raised me like a real father, and I respected him as such.
“Babe, I'm ready to go!” Gutta Barbie walked out of the salon with her nails done.
“You weren't going to get your toes done or any of that?” I wondered why she wanted to go so soon. I had a feeling it had something to do with the chick Lala.
“That's Wizzle's cousin, and I already know she's ready to come back with her old ass uncle and them niggas, and me and my baby don't have time for all that bullshit,” she said, brushing her hands through the air.
“The last thing I need right now is a run-in with Wrizzle's dad or Uncle Dark; I'm tired of explaining myself.”
I understood where she was coming from. I knew that the situation that went down with her ex was still sensitive to her, especially since she was still carrying his child.
“I respect that. But you know if them old ass niggas try pressing you I'll smoke one of them niggas!” I warned her.
“I know. But they are still my unborn child's family, and I can do without the constant drama. I just buried my best friend, and my mind can't take any more right now. I need time to process all this shit,” she expressed.
“At least let me take you out to get some dinner; you haven't really eaten shit since the funeral.”
“Deal, we can do that.” She smiled.
We pulled up in my hood to a Mexican food truck called Burrito Feliz in Philly.
They were most known for their birria tacos, which happened to be Gutta Barbie’s favorite.
I knew she wasn’t really feeling being out and about, so I grabbed us something that we could take back to the house to eat together.
As I walked back to the car with our food in hand, my cellphone rang.
I looked at the screen and saw that it was my homie Dumpa calling.
I answered before I got in the car, not wanting Gutta Barbie to hear my conversation.
She said she was tired of all the drama, and I respected her feelings because they were valid.
“What’s popping, my guy?” I spoke into the phone.
“I caught your boy lacking.” He said, causing me to smile wide as fuck. I knew exactly which boy he was talking about. That was like music to my ears.
“Word? Send me the drop.” I told him.
“Say less.” He finished before ending the call.
I got back in the car, still grinning from ear to ear.
“What are you so happy about?” She asked, looking at me with a raised eyebrow. I knew she probably thought that was some bitch hitting my line, but I wasn’t studying any of these bitches.
“You’ll see,” I told her, pulling off into traffic.