Chapter 17
“Igot a hundred, lemme touch the dice,” a nigga walked up with his money in his hand.
“Thousand-dollar pots over here, take that shit out south somewhere,” Chello said, down on one knee with the dice in his hand while everyone laughed, but he was dead serious.
Summer nights felt alive after dark in the hood, not the downtown version, the hood version. Kids running freely, old heads drinking, music blasting from somebody’s car or porch, the smell of weed and shit talking mixing in the air.
Nyla and Jada leaned on Chello’s car, sipping Don Julio from red solo cups, they laughed and talked without a care in the world. Protection was all around them, but heads were still on a swivel.
“My big back ass is hungry,” Nyla said out the blue, causing Jada to laugh loudly.
“Me too, I want a beef from the Dirty Sub,” Jada shot back, referring to a Submarine restaurant on Roosevelt and Pulaski.
“Ouuuu… extra mild sauce on the fries.” Nyla licked her lips.
“We walking like the old days?” Jada joked as Nyla frowned her face.
“Hell naw, Chello would have a fit.” She pushed off the car.
Her and Jada walked toward the dice game. She knew better than to interrupt him if his hands were on the dice. She waited until someone else had the dice before she said anything.
“Brother, we about to go to the Dirty Sub, you want something?”
As soon as those words left her mouth his guys swarmed her with orders, Chello frowned, “Y’all niggas better go get that shit y’all selves, she ain’t no muthafuckin’ door dasher. Bring me a Gyro with everything, Tyzir, you want something?”
If Chello looked out for anyone, it was his best friend. Nyla laughed, but she also caught the way Jada looked at him and made a mental note.
“I need your keys, I’m parked too far and I don’t feel like walking.”
“Spoiled ass brat, nah, I’m cool,” Tyzir said, followed by a laugh that made Nyla playfully roll her eyes.
“You on the dice, Chello,” one of the guys said as Chello handed Jada his keys and some money without any questions before returning to the game.
Jada held the keys and money toward Nyla, she quickly shook her head, “Nope. He handed them to you, so you driving.”
“Nyla, you a piece of shit.”
“Correction, I’m a passenger princess, can you get my door?”
“Bitch please,” Jada shot back, hopping into the driver’s seat.
“Damn, do this nigga drive laying down? How you let the seat up?”
Nyla laughed as Jada fucked with all the functions in the expensive machine.
It took her a good ten minutes to get everything correct and pull off.
Jada drove like her life depended on it because she didn’t want to pay for shit.
Nyla casually rode like the self-proclaimed princess she was, she had the music blasting as they caught every set of eyes they rode past. Nobody knew who was behind the limo tints on Chello’s car.
“Damn, everybody and they momma must be hungry,” Nyla said as Jada double parked and waited on the car that was coming out of a park to move. She lucked up on a spot right in front of the rundown yellow restaurant.
“I ain’t gon’ lie, it look like they got roaches in there.”
“Those the best restaurants, a beef dipped with hot peppers, hold the roaches, bitch,” Nyla shot back as Jada fell out laughing.
The duo never needed a crowd, they had a ball every single day just the two of them. They knew everything about one another, the good and the bad. Nyla pulled the mirror down while Jada scrolled in her phone with the car running.
“You wanna tell me what’s up with you and Chello now or later?”
Jada damn near choked on the sip she had just taken from her cup.
“What?”
Nyla smirked sideways and tilted her head, “Oh please, bitch. I saw y’all looking at each other all night and Chello handing you his keys was a dead giveaway.”
Jada rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically, “He kissed me.”
Nyla slammed her hand on the dash, “BITCH, WHATTTTT? When?!”
“The night he came over looking sad because you wasn’t talking to him.”
Nyla smiled but still in disbelief.
“Shut the fuck up and you didn’t tell meeeee?!”
“You had enough going on.”
“Never too much for you. I know you been waiting on that moment.”
“Girl, I stopped him.”
Nyla looked confused, “Huh? Why? I thought you liked him?”
“Baby, I’ve been past the like stage, I love me some Chello, but like I told him, I refuse to be another player on his team.”
Nyla smiled, “I know that shit right, best friend, put your foot on that nigga’s neck and apply pressure. Chello is a different breed and so are you, turn that nigga into the man you want him to be for you, and take shit different.”
Jada knew Nyla loved her before, but those words took it to another level.
“I run a strict program,” Jada giggled.
“That’s valid as fuck.”
Before Jada could say another word, someone banged on the driver’s side window like they were trying to break it. No one could see in the car but looking out was a clear view and Nyla saw Londa. She smiled to herself because Jada was sitting behind the wheel like the badd bitch she was.
“This bitch,” Jada whispered.
“Fuck her, let the window down before she break his shit and I break her ass.”
“Open this fuckin’ door, Chello! I hope the bitch can fight!” Londa yelled immediately, drawing in a crowd.
Chicago was one nosey ass city, people were standing and waiting for something to jump off with their phones in hand. Jada dropped the window and Londa quickly bent down to look inside as if Chello was on the passenger side.
“The fuck you bangin’ on my brother’s shit for?”
“Where Chello at?” Londa asked with a salty look on her face.
“He ain’t in here with us, let the window up, Jada.”
Jada didn’t hesitate to roll the window up on that bitch.
“Ughhhh, what he see in that bitch?”
“I have no idea, balloon brain, pickle head ass. Come on, let’s order our shit.”
As soon as they stepped out the car, the restaurant door flew open.
“You good?”
When Nyla’s eyes narrowed in on Ty, who looked like a deer caught in headlights. Ty recognized her instantly, too. Kyst’s warning replayed in Nyla’s head, Ty in Chicago with her cousin. She just never expected her cousin to be Londa’s trout mouth ass.
Chicago rules were very simple, on sight meant on sight. It didn’t matter where you saw your opp, church, funeral, baby shower, or wedding, the rules applied.
“What’s up, bitch? Come catch this fade,” Nyla said, handing her phone to Jada.
“Ain’t nobody on that with you, Nyla. This my cousin and you ain’t about to touch her,” Londa spat as Nyla looked at her.
“Ok cool, you get in the field for her.”
“Girl bye, fighting is a broke bitch sport, especially over a nigga,” Londa shot back.
“Oh, you think I’m about to beat her face in about a nigga? Never. This shit personal, bring yo tough ass here, Ty.”
“It’s cool, Cousin. I need my get back on this bitch anyway,” Ty finally spoke, pulling her hair into a ponytail.
Cameras were recording before Nyla took the first swing and connected to Ty’s jaw.
She dazed her, but Ty was quick on her feet; she came right back with a two piece that almost dropped Nyla, but she stayed on her feet.
She ate those punches and came back with one hundred, Nyla was beating the living shit out of Ty, literally; the girl had on white and the back was shitty brown.
“Look at you shitting on yourself, big nasty ass,” Nyla talked while holding Ty’s hair with one hand and beating her with the other.
Londa coached from the sideline, “Swing, Ty!”
“Bitch,” Ty yelled, swinging wildly; she was tired and Nyla used it to her advantage.
Nyla talked between every hit, “Delusional ass bitch…wanna play on my phone, hoe? Let’s play!”
Police sirens could be heard nearing. Londa grabbed Nyla and Ty got a lick in; two seconds later, Jada was dragging Londa by her hair, beating her in the face while she yelled.
“Fuck that bitch, let’s go, Jada!” Nyla yelled out. Jada kicked Londa one last time before hurrying to the car, hopping in, and pulling off.
And that right there was how you clear a punk bitch…on sight…