“Nigga ain’t my daddy. You tellin’ me to get a job when you need to be on his ass ’bout gettin’ one.”
Hope slapped the shit out of Wink. “You don’t tell me what I should be doing. This is my house, and my man!” yelled Hope.
Wink staggered back, holding the side of his face. He pulled back a smile and stared at his mom. “And y’all two deserve each other,” he said, then turned and headed down the stairs.
“Let him go,” Wink heard Gary say, as he crossed the street.
Hope cried her eyes out into Gary’s shoulder. She didn’t really want to let Wink go because he was all she had.
Wink grimed Gary hard as he shifted the stick into first. The Escort jerked violently, then skirted away from the curb. Wink was furious that his mom would side with Gary. She always did, and Wink hated it because he felt like Gary was coming between them. Wink’s hate for Gary only fueled his thirst to become the man in the game.
“Fuck that nigga. If she wants to be with him, then fuck it. I’ma do me,” Wink said, trying to shake the thought of what just took place.
EPMD rattled loudly from the cheap factory speakers in the Escort. Wink crossed Outer Drive onto Gallagher Street. He could see Trey and Willie leaning against Trey’s momma’s Honda, talking to some hood rats. Wink parked across the street. He thought to himself that the first thing he’d buy would be a car. That was the second time he had pulled up and no one noticed him.
“What up, doe,” Wink said, jumping out of the Escort. He crossed the street and gave Willie and Trey some dap.
“Ain’t shit. Where that fool Krazy, and when can we get down?” asked Willie.
“Soon, my nigga. And Krazy’s still at the spot,” said Wink.
“I don’t know why y’all keep talkin’ this we shit. What we need to do is get our own shit,” said Trey.
“Fuck what he talkin’ ’bout. Put me in the game,” said Willie.
“I got you.”
“Hey, Wink,” Cynthia and Martina said in unison.
“That’s your car?” asked Martina.
“Nah, a rental.”
“You gon’ take me for a ride later?”
“We can do that,” said Wink. He put his arm around Trey and pulled him away from the bunch. “Let me holla at you.”
“Damn, you musty,” said Trey, pulling Wink’s arm from around his shoulder.
“That’s what I need to holla at you about,” Wink said, walking up Trey’s sidewalk to the side door.
“What’s up?” Trey asked, opening the door. He led the way down into the basement.
“My mom done found out I’m fuckin’ with J-Bo.”
“So, what she say?”
“She put me out.”
“Word?”
“Yeah, she ’round there with that bitch-made nigga Gary. He all in my business,” Wink said, pacing the floor.
“What you need me to do?”
“I need some clothes. I left all my shit over there. I don’t want her to think I need shit.”
“Why don’t you just try to talk to yo’ mom. You know she ain’t gon’ kick you to the curb for real.”
“I don’t know, my nigga. I ain’t never seen my mom cry before. I think she’s dead-ass serious.”
“I got you, my nigga. You know where everything’s at.” Trey nodded to his dresser and closet.
“I don’t need but two outfits. I’ma hit the mall up tomorrow when J-Bo pays us.”
“Y’all making money like that over there?”
Wink stopped digging through the drawers and dug in both his pockets. He tossed Trey two bricks of money that had rubber bands wrapped around them. Trey caught one of the stacks. The other one hit the floor like a brick. Wink pretended to be focusing strictly on the clothes, but he couldn’t help but see the amazement on Trey’s face as he looked the stacks over. Trey fanned through the bills, seeing mostly twenties and some tens.
“You ready now?” asked Wink.
Trey tossed the stacks back to Wink and tried to play it off. He wanted to know how much it was. “I told you, Wink. I’m with it, but I’m not with workin’ for no nigga. We can do our own thing.”
“I feel you. But we need money to buy the coke. That shit ain’t free. And we gotta have some-for-where to sell it. All I’m doin’ right now is learning and stackin’. I’m not ’bout to be workin’ for J-Bo for no long time, but I need you on my side. We can get this money together,” Wink said, raising the two bricks of money.
“When?” asked Trey.
Wink pulled back a wide smile. He was happy that his best friend would be joining him.
“I’ma holla at J-Bo and see what’s up.”
“Just until we can get our own shit.”
“We gon’ be on top in no time,” Wink said, extending his hand for Trey’s. He pulled him in for an embrace.
“A’ight, now go wash yo’ ass. You smell like hot baby shit,” Trey snapped, ending their half-hug embrace.
“You got jokes, huh?” laughed Wink. He grabbed up the clean clothes and headed for the bathroom. He purposely left the stacks of money on Trey’s dresser for him to finger-fuck and drool over. All Wink wanted for his crew was to be in the game and getting money. Now that Trey was down, it was officially on. They were about to come up!
Chapter Four
Wink finished showering and changed into some fresh clothes. He found Willie and Trey outside, still entertaining Cynthia and Martina.
“I’ma get up with y’all tomorrow,” Wink said, giving Willie and Trey a pound.
“Don’t forget to holla at ole boy for us. I’m try’na get down as soon as shit’s ready,” said Willie.
“I’ma say something to him. Tomorrow,” said Trey.
“You still gon’ take me for that ride?” asked Martina’s hood-rat ass.
“Maybe later. I gotta handle something,” said Wink as he crossed the street and jumped behind the wheel of the Escort.
He pumped up the sounds, then peeled away from the curb. Things were looking good in Wink’s eyes. Tomorrow, he and Krazy would split a thousand dollars
