You hear me?” Phil said.
“Huh, man, she ain’t even from the south whole time. Her folks from the islands,” I said.
“You blessed bruh,” Pete said.
“Man, let me get outta here ya. Love ya man,” I said.
“Love you too,” they both said.
“Aye, let’s work fellas,” I said.
“You already,” Phil said.
Phil and Pete turned and walked up the hall toward their class. I headed to my first class, dapping hands, giving hugs, and nodding my head what’s up, until I finally got to the classroom.
After my first and second class was over with, I headed downstairs toward my third-period class where I saw my right-hand man, Black, walk in from a side door.
“Tell me you ain’t do it, son,” I said as we dapped hands.
“Boy, you know I had to!” Black said.
“Better go get your shit checked. I heard she might be a situation, moe, real live,” I said.
“She good!” Black said.
“What you mean?” I said.
“Trust me. She good,” Black said.
“How you know?” I asked.
“I already know,” Black said.
“You stu—” I started to say before turning my head.
“Bye, daddy,” Cherry said as she walked past from behind us.
“Bruh, trust me. And I’m selling that wet wet,” Black said.
I watched Cherry strut down the hallway in her sundress.
“What’s up with that watch?” Black asked.
I looked down at the watch and then turned my wrist.
“A li’l something from wifey,” I said before I started grinning.
“Yea that thing official, you hear me,” said Black.
“The truth, bruh,” I said.
“True, my nigga. Come on, let’s go hit this blunt. Fuck, this class young,” Black said before we dipped out of the building.
We headed to my house to smoke in the backyard. Then we headed to my brother Cash’s house to chill out for a while. I knocked on the door.
Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!
Soon after, Crack opened the door.
“Ya two li’l niggas ain’t never in school yo?” he said, shaking his head. We showed each other love as we walked in the door.
“Where Cash at, bruh?” I asked.
“He in the back,” Crack said before closing the door behind us.
When Black and I walked inside, Manny, Fatz, and Twan were sitting on the couch with two blunts in rotation. Now Crack, Manny, and the gang are all a part of Cash’s crew—the Fam. Manny and Crack were godbrothers and the last two people you’d want to play with. Crack’s fuse was shorter than Scarface’s, and Manny’s been busting heads since elementary school. He nearly killed his father with a bat for beating on his moms when he was twelve years old. Since then, he went from Man Man to Manny.
As for Fatz, he’s been Cash’s right-hand man for as long as I can remember. He says he’s gonna be a comedian one day. He is one joke-telling nigga at times. My man a psycho though.
As for Twan, Cash met him in jail a few years back and brought him into our operation. He’s been loyal to the crew and became like family. And that’s what separated us from all these other paper chasers out here. I would die for my men. I remember hearing Cash say once, “I ain’t got no friends. I just got brothers, bitches, and beams on they head.”
So, as it is, we walked in past Crack and saw the crew on the couch smoking. Black clapped his hands, rubbing them together and sat down next to Twan.
“Wassup, li’l nigga. I seen you wit Cherry this morning,” Twan said.
I showed everybody love before walking back toward Cash’s room. When I got to his room, I opened the door right up. Cash was standing up next to his bed, counting out stacks of money. Last time I saw that much money, Cash got locked up.
“Freeze,” I said, walking in. Cash looked up quickly, almost pulling out his pistol.
“Bruh, fucking knock!” he said, wide-eyed. “Lock the door!” Cash said before taking a deep breath. I stepped inside his room and closed the door behind me. “Aye look, I was tryna keep my head down, but why you ain’t at school?” he asked.
“Man, fuck school, bruh. I don’t need them dumbass classes,” I said.
“What you mean, ‘Fuck school’ li’l nigga? You think we been putting you through all them summer camps for you to come back here and be hustling. You wanna be like Uncle Smit out here, chasing these dumbass skeezers looking broke,” Cash said.
“Man Imma get outta here, bruh,” I said.
“Take your li’l ass back to school, brother!” Cash said.
I walked to the door before Cash opened his mouth again.
“Don’t come back ’till you on Sports Center!” he said.
I walked back into the living room to grab Black and head back to school.
“You good, bruh?” Black asked me once we stepped outside.
“Yeah, I’m straight. Cash just…” I said.
“What he got in your shit,” Black said.
We then hopped in my car.
“Yeah! Well, you know it’s been hot these last few weeks,” said Black.
Black stared at me for a moment then we focused our attention straight ahead at the drunk, homeless man dancing his way up the street to no music.
“Here,” Black said, handing me a sparked-up j. “Ease your mind a li’l bit, baby.”
As we pulled up to the school, we saw everyone walking outside.
“I think they’re having a fire drill,” I said.
“Bet,” Black said, observing the hundreds of students walking outside the school. As we got nearer to the other students, I saw Duffy, who normally bought tree from me, approaching us.
“What’s up, Hype? Everything’s everything?” Duffy asked me.
“Yea, what you looking for?” I said.
“A
