Still Hood (18 page)
Authors: K'wan
“Nah, we just enjoying a night off. Running a production company takes up quite a bit of our time,” Chris said.
“Oh, y'all in the business?” Sugar asked, seeing dollar signs.
“Yeah, I'm the CEO of Starving Entertainment, and my nigga Chris is the VP,” Hollywood said, giving both the girls business cards that he had made using Print Shop.
Roxy leaned in to whisper to Sugar, “Looks like the night might not be a bust after all.”
“Heeeyyy!” Sugar sang, lifting her glass.
IT WAS JUST AFTER TWO IN THE MORNING, BUT
you could still hear the loud thud of reggae music vibrating up and down Jefferson Avenue. Spooky had left Jah to handle his business and took up a perch on the rail steps of building 437. Also with him were Shannon and Yvette, who were passing a bottle of Hennessy back and forth.
you could still hear the loud thud of reggae music vibrating up and down Jefferson Avenue. Spooky had left Jah to handle his business and took up a perch on the rail steps of building 437. Also with him were Shannon and Yvette, who were passing a bottle of Hennessy back and forth.
“Shorty, you really trying to put the gangsta lean on that bottle,” Spooky said, watching Yvette take a long drink.
“My motto is: Go hard or go home, Harlem,” she told him.
“Vette, why you always calling me âHarlem'?”
“Cause it sounds a hell of a lot better than âSpooky.' I don't see why they call you that anyway, you ain't that scary.”
“That's cause you ain't never been on my bad side.” He winked at her. Spooky's attention was drawn by a white Escalade creeping down Jefferson. It looked familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen it. Shannon must've felt in a way too, because he retrieved his gun from the garbage can. When the car pulled to a stop directly in front of them Spooky stepped off the stoop so he wouldn't be trapped if trouble popped off.
“You know this nigga?” he asked Shannon. The windows
were tinted to the point where you couldn't see inside, but you could tell there were multiple occupants.
were tinted to the point where you couldn't see inside, but you could tell there were multiple occupants.
“Nah, but if they coming round here on some bullshit, they gonna know my four-four.” He stood up with the cannon in plain sight. As the passenger door opened, both men stood at the ready to fight or flee, but it was only Dena returning from wherever she had just come from. Dena was visibly tipsy as she stepped from the back of the truck, but she managed to reach the curb without busting her ass.
It had been an eventful night for the high school senior and her clique. Black Ice had made sure that the champagne and weed flowed all night long. Normally, Dena didn't drink and smoke in excess, but this night was the exception to the rule. Regardless of what people hinted about him, Black Ice had proved to be a perfect gentlemen and fun as hell to hang out with. He kept Dena laughing with his quick wit all night long, and even coaxed her into getting a lap dance. Dena felt funny as hell about it, but the big-butt Puerto Rican girl handled her with great care.
When Cinnamon and Lisa rejoined their group they were heavy with cake. The men in the club had been pressing and throwing money at them up until the time they all rolled out of Shooter's. Dena was thoroughly impressed by the amount of money they made in such little time. The most surprising part was when they turned in their earnings to Ice. Dena wasn't so naïve as to not have figured out that Ice was some type of mack, but she was more focused on how she could use it to her advantage. She didn't think she had the nerve to shake her ass in front of a room full of people, but there were definitely advantages to hanging around Black Ice.
“Bitch, let me find out you twisted?” Mo said, getting out on the other side.
“Ain't nobody drunk. Quit hating,” Dena said.
“You walking just like that lil hot-in-the-ass Sharon was when we dropped her off,” Mo laughed. Before heading back to Brooklyn, they had dropped Sharon at 112th between Lenox and Fifth, near the Foster projects. Seeing that she was tipsy, Dena and Mo tried to convince her to get dropped off at home, but she wasn't trying to hear it. She
supposedly had a jump-off in the block, and she assured them that he would get her home. She had been cock-blocking Dena the whole night with Ice, so she wasn't really sorry to see her go.
supposedly had a jump-off in the block, and she assured them that he would get her home. She had been cock-blocking Dena the whole night with Ice, so she wasn't really sorry to see her go.
“Shit, what time is it?” Dena stretched.
“Time for little girls to be indoors,” Ice said from the passenger side of the truck.
“First of all, I ain't no little girl. Second of all, if you wanna say something to me, you get out of the car and say it.”
Black Ice laughed, and to the surprise of everyone in the car he stepped out. Cinnamon mumbled something under hear breath, but Wendy placed a firm hand on hers. Though Black Ice treated all of his ladies well, Cinnamon was new to the stable and didn't understand that there were two sides to every coin.
“You know, you don't give much for all that you ask of a nigga,” Black Ice said smoothly.
“I don't give anything unless I deem the other party worthy,” she said, moving to stand directly in front of him. They were nose to nose and the alcohol told Dena to take the initiative. Just as she leaned in to kiss him, Shannon's voice boomed out.
“Dena, what the fuck is you doing?” Shannon called from the stoop. He was shooting daggers at Black Ice. Shorty made to get out of the truck, but Ice waved him back.
“Is that yo nigga or something?” Black Ice asked, stealthily positioning his hand to draw the berretta tucked in the small of his back.
“Nah,” Dena looked over her shoulder, then back to Black Ice. “Nah, that's just my brother tripping.”
“Dena, I know you hear me talking to your lil ass?” Shannon took a step off the stoop. “If I gotta come over there you and ya lil boyfriend gonna be mad.”
Black Ice gave Shannon a cold stare, but his eyes softened when Dena touched his chest. “Baby, I'm gonna let you go. But you got the number, so make ya next move ya best move.” Black Ice gave her a pound and got back into the Escalade. As the truck pulled away, Shannon and Shorty locked eyes, both their glares silently threatening violence.
“Better get the fuck outta here!” Shannon called after the truck, which was halfway to Marcus Garvey Boulevard by then.
“What's up, Shannon?” Monique asked, trying to draw some of the tension away from Dena.
“Wondering where the fuck y'all coming from at his hour of the morning? Don't y'all got school or some shit?”
“Boy, you know we was shaking our asses up at the video shoot,” Mo told him.
“Funny, I didn't see y'all up there,” Shannon said.
“Cause we was VIP status, nucca,” Dena said, doing a tipsy dance.
“I know y'all lil hot asses weren't fucking none of them country niggaz?” Shannon accused.
“Hardly,” Mo said. “Dena was in the video. Shannon, you should've seen ya little sister doing it up for the camera.”
“I don't give a fuck who you were doing it up for, y'all need to stay outta high-risk areas. Somebody got killed up that muthafucka.”
“Word, I heard they was shooting, but I ain't know nobody got killed,” Mo said surprised.
“Niggaz came through trying to get at True and ended up getting one of their own laid out,” Spooky said, as if he'd heard it secondhand. Shannon was there, so he knew what role Jah played in the shooting, but it was none of anyone else's business.
“See, Dena, that's why I be telling you to slow ya fucking roll. You keep running round looking and you might not like what the fuck you find.” He pointed his index finger in her face.
“Shannon, why you gotta act like an ass?” Dena slapped his hand away.
“Cause my lil sister is hopping outta some nigga's car at two in the morning. Who the fuck was that nigga, cause he sure don't look like Lazy?”
“A friend,” Dena said.
“And what the fuck is that supposed to mean? Since when does a high school girl have friends who drive a sixty-thousand-dollar truck?”
“Shannon, he was just giving me a ride,” Dena insisted.
“Shannon, cut her some slack,” Yvette spoke up.
“Yvette, don't tell me how to check my sister!” Shannon yelled. “I refuse to have her wasting her life on the fucking stoop like the rest of these bitches.” He hadn't directed the comment at Yvette, but it stung just the same.
“I'm going around the corner to the store,” Yvette said, stepping off the stoop.
“Hold up, I'll walk with you.” Spooky followed.
“Dena, Ima leave y'all to it. Call me in the morning for school.” Mo waved good-bye and left the siblings to work out their differences.
“Dena, you need to check ya self. All this running around wild wit y'all girls shit ain't what's up.” Shannon paced in front of the tiny stoop. “Yo, I know you be thinking ya ass is cute cause you got a little body and these niggaz be chasing you, but you have no idea what's waiting for you on these streets.”
“Shannon, I can take care of myself,” Dena said, as if she didn't really want to hear what Shannon was kicking.
“I'll bet that innocent girl that got shot felt the same way, but look at her now. D, your ass is so smart that you can be fucking stupid. You've got a golden opportunity and yet you're trying your best to fuck it up, to fit in with these low-life bitches. How many girls do you know on this block that's going off to college? Better question, how many of these broads have even graduated high school?”
“I'm good, I can hold mine out here.” Dena sucked her teeth.
“You see, that's ya fucking problem. You think you know what life is about, but you really don't know shit outside of Jefferson Avenue. The world is a very big and a very cold place, little sister. You see me out here on these streets risking my life every fucking day just to get a dollar, to make sure we got the shit we need when Mommy can't come through. Shit, if it wasn't for me and Mommy, ain't no telling what the fuck would become of this family. Nadine sure as hell ain't got a clue, and I don't wanna see you walking a mile in that chick's shoes.”
“I'm tired, I ain't got time for this shit.” Dena tried to storm past him, but Shannon grabbed her arm.
“You got time for whatever the fuck I say you got time for. You ain't gotta listen, but you're sure as hell gonna respect me,” Shannon
snarled in her face. “Dena, before I let you throw ya life away on a slick-talking nigga, I'll put a hole in him. You better listen to what I'm telling you and stop trying to be so damn smart all the time. Do you understand?” The look in Shannon's eyes had her so terrified that all she could do was nod her head. “Good, now take ya ass upstairs so you can be on time for school.”
snarled in her face. “Dena, before I let you throw ya life away on a slick-talking nigga, I'll put a hole in him. You better listen to what I'm telling you and stop trying to be so damn smart all the time. Do you understand?” The look in Shannon's eyes had her so terrified that all she could do was nod her head. “Good, now take ya ass upstairs so you can be on time for school.”
Shannon stood on the stoop and watched his sister disappear into the building. Dena was just as hardheaded as Nadine, and that had gotten her nowhere. All he wanted Dena to do was recognize her potential and break the cycle that their family had been subject to. Thoughts of his sister's future distracted him from his immediate surroundings, which was a no-no for a man living life behind a gun. Shannon looked up just in time to see a green jeep barreling in his direction.
“BLOOD FIRE!” ROOTS SCREAMED, HANGING
out the window with a beat-up Tech 9. With a sweep of his arm he sprayed the front of the building with bullets.
out the window with a beat-up Tech 9. With a sweep of his arm he sprayed the front of the building with bullets.
Shannon tossed himself over the railing and landed into a pile of overflowing trash just as the bullets ripped up the lobby door and first-floor window. Had the shooter not been so anxious, he could've cut Shannon down before he had a chance to react. It was a mistake that Shannon would make him pay for.
“Pussy boi, kill da man for Babylon come pon scene!” the driver barked at Roots.
“Don't tell me my business,” Roots shot back. He turned to resume his assault and found himself looking down the barrel of Shannon's 44. Luckily for him, the driver peeped it, too, because he threw the car in reverse just before Shannon started popping. Windows were shot out and the front of the car started smoking, but no one got hit.
The jeep's tires squealed as it lurched backwards towards Throop. An oncoming car swerved and crashed into the gate of Ralphy's store to avoid hitting the jeep. Freedom seemed to be within their grasp, when the back window exploded. The driver turned around to see
where the shot came from and took one in his mouth, leaving his brains on the window and steering wheel. With no driver the jeep swerved out of control and hit the light pole. Roots howled, feeling the bone in his arm snap on impact. Through his daze, Roots could see Spooky and Shannon closing in on the car from different directions.
where the shot came from and took one in his mouth, leaving his brains on the window and steering wheel. With no driver the jeep swerved out of control and hit the light pole. Roots howled, feeling the bone in his arm snap on impact. Through his daze, Roots could see Spooky and Shannon closing in on the car from different directions.
“Shit,” Roots said, trying to pull himself from the wrecked car. Before he could get out, Shannon kicked the door onto Root's wounded arm. The pain was so intense that all Roots could do was fall.
“You dirty little muthafucka.” Shannon kicked him. “You roll through my block and try to wet me?” He gave him another kick. “In front of my building, where my family stay?” Shannon kept kicking Roots until the man stopped moving. He was about to put the four to him when Spooky stopped him.
“Not here,” Spooky looked around to see who was watching. The entire block scattered when the shooting had started, but you could never be too careful. “Where'd you park the van?” Spooky asked, kicking the Tech away from Roots.
“Across the street, why?” Shannon asked, still wanting to shoot Roots.
Spooky smiled. “Cause we gonna take this bitch-ass nigga somewhere and make him suffer before he dies.”
THE SOUND OF SHOTS COMING
from in front of the building immediately sobered Dena up. She dropped to the floor and crawled to the room where the kids were sleeping. Thankfully they slept right through it. Normally, Dena would've just stayed until the danger passed, but her brother was still outside. Keeping as close to the ground as she could, she crawled over to the window and peeked out.
from in front of the building immediately sobered Dena up. She dropped to the floor and crawled to the room where the kids were sleeping. Thankfully they slept right through it. Normally, Dena would've just stayed until the danger passed, but her brother was still outside. Keeping as close to the ground as she could, she crawled over to the window and peeked out.
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