lips and watched as she moved hurriedly away. Her black sweater clung to her sensuous body, shapely legs crowned by tight, round buttocks. Damn! She’s nice for real, for real, thought Deja. He was enraptured by her graceful walk.
“Listen, I gotta go,” Deedee said, standing next to the table where Coco and some other kids were puffing on a blunt.
“Yeah I’m through my damn self,” Coco declared, getting off her chair.
“This some good weed, yo,” Lil’ Long said and offered the lit blunt to Deedee.
“No thanks, I don’t need that. They let you smoke that on this side?” Deedee asked hesitantly.
“This da VIP section, girlfriend. You do whatever, yo.” Coco walked as if a shoestring was loose. She struggled to gain her balance.
“Coco, are you ahight?” Deedee asked, giving a hand to Coco.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Just gimme a second, ahight, I’ll steady myself, thank you.”
Coco needed more than a second. Deedee allowed her the time. She felt like walking away and leaving Coco, but then turned around and put an arm across Coco’s shoulder to steady her walk. Coco offered no resistance and Deedee held her tighter, guiding her through the maze of club kids.
“Where are the other girls? Do you—”
“I heard you,” Coco snarled, she was not used to the friendly treatment. “They ahight, they hooked up with their boyfriends...”
“Oh, they’re not—”
“What are you, some kind of a counselor? They good, yo. Come on, Ms. Harriet Tubman. Lead the way. Take me home,” Coco said as Deedee ushered her toward the ladies room.
“Yeah, yeah, I gotta go. Were you gonna give me a ride back uptown?”
“Sure, if you want me to. I—”
“Yeah, cool,” Coco said as she held the door open for Deedee. She’s real cool, Coco thought as she stared at Deedee’s backside disappearing into a stall. She has a nice shape. Coco pulled down her sagging jeans, revealing colorful boxers.
Deedee waited outside the bathroom for Coco and eventually both girls made their way to the exit. Coco had both hands in her pockets, bopping, staring at the reflections of the faces in the mirrors on the wall. Deedee, meantime, fumbled for the keys to the Mercedes. What if the car isn’t there? she thought, stressing.
“Member where you stash the whip, yo?” Coco asked, catching up with Deedee.
“Somewhere close, I think...” Deedee said.
“Okay, but where, yo?” Coco asked.
“Ah, there. This way,” Deedee said, finding her bearings. She grabbed Coco’s arm and pulled her to the left of the exit door.
“Yep, there it is,” she confirmed, spotting the car, sitting on rims, radiant in the moonlight.
“It’s such a dope whip, yo,” Coco said.
Deedee did not understand, and for the moment she did-n’t see the two figures lurking in the dark.
“What’s a whip?” Deedee asked.
“Some dope shit like this. That’s a whip, yo.”
“What up? What up? Why y’all moving so fast, huh?” A man’s voice shouted.
“Who dat? Is it…”
Coco peered around and felt the blow to her face.
“It’s this, bitch!” the throaty voice came.
A fist crashed the party. Coco reeled and blanked out immediately when her head hit the pavement.
“Where you running to, bitch? Get back here and get in da fucking whip. We wanna test ride da shit,” the man chuckled loudly.
Deedee shuddered as she felt cold steel pressed against the back of her neck.
“I sez git in da car, bitch,” he growled.
Deedee had seen this at the movies, heard of it happening to others. She never imagined it happening to her. Her knees became weak as the sudden demand hit her, and her mind reeled into a world of fear.
“I said get in the muthafuckin’ car, bitch,” he repeated harshly.
He brought the weapon to her face and then pushed the nozzle against her right temple.
“Please,” she begged. “It’s not my car. It’s not mine. I...I.”
“Shut up! Shuddafuckup!”
A second man grabbed the keys to the Mercedes and headed to the driver’s side. He opened the door, got in the car and started the engine. Deedee ran, even though the guy with the gun was still close by. He caught up quickly and used his left hand to slap her face twice. Her cheeks stung. Then he brought the gun to her face. She pleaded with him. Terror engulfed her whole body, but he only seemed to enjoy her reaction.
“Please, please,” Deedee cried.
“What’re you trying to do, bitch? Just act normal and git in da fucking car and you won’t fucking get hurt, bitch.”
Deedee was scared, but she got in the car. She tried to slither to the back but the passenger pulled her onto his lap.
“I want you close. We can fuck around while my man drives,” he threatened.
Deedee did not turn around. She didn’t want to look at his face. Her heartbeat was so loud, she couldn’t think of what to say. She thought she was close enough to reach for the door handle, press on it and jump. Deedee tried.
The man anticipated the move, and as she reached over, he blocked her with a twist of his body. She stared into his smiling face. He was mocking her. The move seemed to have excited him. His face was familiar. He had been inside the club but she was too harried to really think clearly. Where?
The car shot into the middle of traffic. The driver showed his unfamiliarity with the controls.
“A yo, watch where ya going! Turn on some fucking lights!” An angry pedestrian yelled as the car hurtled by wildly.
“What’s up? I thought you say you could drive this bad boy?”
“I’m sayin’ though, I’m not too familiar wid da shit. Gimme time. Why your ass brought da bitch? Put her out,” the driver said as he searched for the headlight switch.
“I brought her to tell your dumb ass where the light switch is. Cutie, tell him how to turn on the lights.”
Deedee’s mouth remained shut. She felt too nauseated to speak.
“Tell him!” The passenger ordered. Deedee managed
