Trickin', page 3
Ra’Keeyah sighed heavily, looked at the clock, and walked out of the kitchen.
“I’ll tell you what,” her mother yelled at her back. “I was gon’ wait until the summer to make you get a job, but you got three weeks to come in here with somethin’ or I’m turnin’ your cell phone off. That’ll save me some money.”
Ra’Keeyah never thought in a million years she’d have to find a job. She’d always had this crazy idea of finding a good man to take care of her every need. But if she didn’t find a good one in the next three weeks, she knew she had no other choice but to go out and find a job. Her mother was serious about cutting her phone off, and her cell was like air to her; it was something she couldn’t live without.
“Mommy said you gotta babysit me tonight,” Jaylen ran into his sister’s room and said.
Ra’Keeyah stopped rambling through her closet and turned to face her brother. “I bet you I don’t. I’m goin’ to the game tonight!” Ra’Keeyah snapped. “Yo’ li’l nappy-headed ass will be right here by yourself.” Ra’Keeyah’s heart beat fast as she hurried out of her room in search of her mother. “Mom,” she called out as she hurried down the stairs.
“Yea,” her mother answered from the kitchen.
Ra’Keeyah walked in the kitchen where her mother stood washing the dishes. “Mom, did you say I had to watch Jaylen tonight?” she asked and waited impatiently for her mother to answer.
Her mother gave her a look of confusion. “What are you talkin’ about?”
Jaylen ran into the kitchen and pushed his sister from behind. “Siiiiiike,” he giggled and ran back out of the kitchen and upstairs to his room.
“I can’t stand him,” Ra’Keeyah laughed, feeling relieved, because there was no way in the world she was going to miss this game.
Her mother laughed and shook her head. “Y’all two are somethin’ else,” she said and continued washing the dishes.
Ra’Keeyah ran up the stairs and back into her room. She had less than two hours to get dressed for the game, and she had no idea what she was going to wear. She still had a couple of new outfits that she was saving for a time like tonight. After about twenty minutes of debating on what to wear, she finally made up her mind. Ra’Keeyah knew she’d have to wait on her mother to leave for work before she got dressed, because she didn’t feel like answering the hundred-and-one questions her mother was going to ask about where and how she got her clothes.
Ra’Keeyah plugged in her blow dryer and CHI flatirons that she’d stolen from JC Penney’s before jumping in the shower. The hot water abused her body for a few seconds before she adjusted the temperature. She grabbed the Motions shampoo out of the shower caddy and lathered her growing hair. She then quickly rinsed it and added some conditioner. Ra’Keeyah began humming and dancing in the shower until her mother stuck her head into the bathroom door.
“I’m gone,” her mother yelled, nearly scaring her half to death.
“Okay, Momma,” Ra’Keeyah responded and began rinsing the conditioner out of her hair.
“Now, I want you home by eleven, and I don’t want nobody in my house while I’m at work!” her mother said.
“All right, Momma,” Ra’Keeyah said nonchalantly.
“And you know I’ma call the house phone to make sure you’re here,” her mother stated, clearly.
“I know, Momma,” Ra’Keeyah sighed. She knew that her mother would call the house phone at 11:01 P.M., and she would be there to answer it like always. But if they had anything planned as soon as she hung up with her mother, back out the door Ra’Keeyah would go until her mother’s next break at 4:30 A.M.
Ra’Keeyah thought her mother had left the bathroom, but she knew it was too good to be true. Her mother wouldn’t dare leave without giving her famous speech. “Now don’t get into no trouble tonight, because I’m not gettin’ off work early to come get you outta jail,” she said, while Ra’Keeyah mimicked her.
“I won’t, Momma,” Ra’Keeyah replied, while rolling her eyes.
“Come on, Momma,” Jaylen yelled from downstairs. “Darius waitin’ on me so we can play the Xbox.”
“I’m comin’, boy, don’t rush me,” their mother said, closing the bathroom door and heading down the stairs.
Ra’Keeyah turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. “Good, they gone,” she said, when she heard the front door slam. She grabbed her towel off the hook on the back of the bathroom door, wrapped it around her, and rushed out of the bathroom. She went into her room and hooked her iPod up to her boom box and turned it up as loud as it would go. Waka Flocka Flame bumped out of the speakers as she pulled her outfit from out of the back of her closet. She looked at it like she’d never seen it before. She laid it across her bed, walked over to her drawer, and pulled out a matching panty and bra set and put it on.
She grabbed the Johnson’s baby lotion off her dresser and rubbed it all over her body. She then walked over to her bed and picked up her black House of Dereon jeans with the pink designs on the back pockets and slipped into them. She then put on her pink House of Dereon shirt before walking back over to the closet, pulling her black and pink Nike Air Max out. Shayna had gotten these for her with a married man’s credit card. Shayna had taken Ra’Keeyah and Quiana on a shopping spree with the credit card. The three girls had put on wigs and went in and out of stores and shopped till they nearly dropped. They’d spent nearly five thousand dollars in one day. They each had about seven outfits a piece, numerous pairs of shoes and boots, perfumes, panties and bra sets, jewelry, makeup, and anything else they could think of buying.
“I go hard in the mutha’fuckin’ paint, nigga,” Ra’Keeyah rapped as she walked out of her bedroom and into the bathroom. She picked up her blow dryer and began drying her hair. Once she finished, she laid the blow dryer down and began looking in the mirror. She opened up her brown eyes as wide as she could while running her hand across her high cheekbones, the ones she’d inherited from her grandmother. Her smooth caramel complexion was flawless, except for the mole on her bottom lip. She turned her head from left to right, inspecting her entire face as her bone-straight hair that hung a little past her shoulders swung freely.
“Damn, I look good,” she said, and continued doing her hair. Half an hour later, Ra’Keeyah had straightened out all of her hair. She had it looking like she’d just left the salon. It was long and silky looking, which, according to Shayna, really had her resembling LisaRaye. Ra’Keeyah put on some pink eye shadow to accentuate her outfit and Lip Smacker lip gloss before walking back into her bedroom. She shut her door and gave herself a complete once-over in the mirror that hung on the back of the door. She checked to make sure her backside looked good in her jeans. Pleased with what she saw, she walked over to her dresser and sprayed on a few squirts of Baby Phat Luv Me. She then grabbed her pink Coach bag off the bed and headed downstairs.
Ra’Keeyah turned the television in the living room to the Weather Channel to make sure she didn’t need a jacket before calling Shayna.
“What’s up, chick?” Shayna answered with her lungs full of smoke from the blunt she was enjoying.
“Bitch, I know you ain’t over there gettin’ ya’ wig blew back without me?” Ra’Keeyah snapped.
Shayna blew the smoke out before speaking. “Don’t worry, chick. There’s plenty weed to go around. I just needed somethin’ to calm my nerves real quick. My moms over here trippin’, talkin’ ’bout I’m still on punishment and can’t go to the game.” Shayna took another pull from the blunt and held it in until she started to snicker.
“Imagine that,” Ra’Keeyah replied. “Anyway, how we gettin’ to the game?”
“My mom’s boyfriend is gon’ drop us off, and you know we’ll find a way home.” Shayna took one last pull from her blunt and put it out. She blew the smoke out before continuing on with her conversation. “You ready?”
“Bitch, I was born ready,” Ra’Keeyah laughed before sitting down on the sofa.
“Okay, well, we bouta’ go pick up Quiana, and then we gon’ swing by and get you.”
“Okay, cool. I’ll be waitin’.” Ra’Keeyah hung up the phone and turned the television to the throwback Jamz station and listened as Bell Biv De Voe sang “Poison.” She stood up and paced the floor, then looked in the mirror that hung on the living-room wall over and over, making sure that her hair and makeup were still intact. Twenty minutes later her ride came and Ra’Keeyah turned off the television, all the lights, and headed out the door, hoping for a fun-filled night with no problems. Ra’Keeyah knew better though, because any night out with Shayna, there was sure to be some type of drama.
Chapter Four
Shayna’s mom’s boyfriend, Joe, dropped them off on the side of the school; they wouldn’t dare be seen getting out of an old, beat-up minivan. Joe had money and plenty of it. He supplied the hood, along with some big-time businessmen with the best grown weed straight out of Cuba, but he still lived and dressed as if he was broke. Joe didn’t want to bring no heat to himself or anyone he hung around, so he kept the beat-up van and had been rocking the same pair of Chuck Taylors for the past two years. At first, Shayna had to get used to her mother dating a white man, but Joe talked and acted blacker than anybody else in their hood.
“See y’all later,” Joe said, stopping to let the girls out. “What time you want me to pick y’all up?” he asked Shayna.
“We cool. We’ll get a ride from somebody,” she replied, while opening up the door.
“All right then, but if you can’t find nobody to take y’all to the crib, call me,” he said with a crooked smile.
Ra’Keeyah thought Joe was kind of creepy. He reminded her of an old pedophile. She frowned and slid the back door open, got out, and Quiana got out behind her.
“Let me hold twenty, Joe, till later on,” Shayna said, leaning into the passenger-side window.
“Damn, girl, you sho’ know how to milk a brotha,” he said, digging into his pocket, pulling out a wad of money. “I just gave you two twenty sacks of my best.” Joe handed the money to her.
“Appreciate it,” Shayna said, taking the money and walking away from the van.
“Hey,” Joe called out, “call me later.”
Shayna nodded and continued walking with Ra’Keeyah and Quiana following behind her.
“He creeps me out,” Ra’Keeyah said as they walked toward the entrance of the school. “Why your mom datin’ that pilgrim?”
“Who, Joe?” Shayna asked, knowing who she was talking about. “He cool, and plus, he treats her better than any black man she ever had.”
Ra’Keeyah rolled her eyes while pulling her ticket out of her pocket. “To each his own.” She gave the man standing at the door her ticket and brushed past him.
The three girls were standing in the middle of what looked like thousands of people trying to get into the gymnasium. They were being pushed and shoved in every direction.
“Dang, it’s packed in here,” Ra’Keeyah said, leaning up against the wall, trying to avoid getting run over by the die-hard fans trying to find themselves a good seat. “I’m goin’ to the bathroom. I gotta pee.”
“Me too,” Shayna said. “You comin’ to the bathroom with us, or do you wanna go find us some seats?” she asked Quiana.
“I’ma go find somewhere to sit.”
“All right,” Shayna said as she and Ra’Keeyah turned to walk away.
“These people is rude as hell,” Shayna snapped as some lady bumped into her and didn’t say excuse me. “Now, they gon’ think I’m dead wrong if I start goin’ ham on ’em,” she said, as her cell phone started to ring.
Ra’Keeyah smiled and continued maneuvering through the crowd. As they walked down the busy hallway, she looked over and saw Brick leaned up against the wall laughing and talking to a few dudes. She quickly turned her head and followed Shayna into the bathroom.
Once inside the bathroom, the lines were long. Shayna hung up her cell phone as they waited on a stall. Two stalls became available at once, and Ra’Keeyah went into one and Shayna the other.
Ra’Keeyah could hear some girls walking into the bathroom giggling and talking about how fine Brick was and how bad they wanted to get with him. As she wiped herself, she heard the toilet flush next to hers and the stall door open.
“Sorry, boo-boo, but he’s already taken,” Ra’Keeyah heard someone say. “But it’s cute that you little girls got a crush on my man.” Ra’Keeyah flushed the toilet, buttoned her jeans, and walked out of the stall the same time as Shayna. Ra’Keeyah recognized the girl as the one getting off the back of Brick’s bike at Mr. Wilson’s store.
Ra’Keeyah and Shayna walked over to the sink to wash their hands. The entire time they listened as Brick’s chick checked the two young girls about her man. The crazy thing was, they stood there and took it.
“Ummmp, couldn’t be me,” Shayna said loudly, while grabbing a paper towel out of the dispenser and drying her hands.
Ra’Keeyah looked over at Shayna with her mouth open. She should have known her best friend couldn’t keep her mouth shut just until they got out of the bathroom. “Excuse me?” Brick’s girl stopped talking to the first two girls and asked Shayna.
Shayna threw the balled up paper towel in the trash and stood her ground. “You heard me, I said it couldn’t be me. You wouldn’t be talkin’ to me all crazy and shit over no nigga!” Shayna snapped.
Brick’s chick sized Shayna up. “I wasn’t even talkin’ to you, so mind yo’ mutha’fuckin’ business!” she snapped. The other two girls were relieved the heat was off of them and aimed at Shayna; they broke camp as fast as they could.
“Come on, Shayna, let’s go,” Ra’Keeyah said, lightly grabbing her shoulder. “This shit crazy.”
“Yeah, you need to listen to yo’ girl, before things get real ugly up in this bathroom.”
Shayna had a sinister grin on her face as she spoke. “You right, I’ma leave, ’cuz this shit don’t have nothin’ to do with me, but just remember what I said. You could never talk to me like you just talked to them two dumb hoes.” With that being said, Shayna and Ra’Keeyah walked out of the bathroom.
“Bitch, it never fails. Every time we go somewhere you get into it with somebody!” Ra’Keeyah huffed. “Dang, that shit didn’t even have nothin’ to do with you.”
“I don’t give a flyin’ fuck! She was in there repriman-din’ them two scary bitches like they were her kids or somethin’!” Shayna grimaced. “Who the fuck she think she is? Okay, them girls think Brick is fine. Big fuckin’ deal! What she gon’ do, go around checkin’ every bitch that think Brick is cute?”
“Ugggh, you just don’t get it do you?” Ra’Keeyah asked before Shayna’s cell phone started ringing.
“Hang on.” Shayna answered her phone and talked as they walked back toward the gymnasium. Ra’Keeyah looked over at Brick and his friends who were still in the same spot.
“Psssst,” Ra’Keeyah heard someone say as she tried to keep up with Shayna, but it was useless. She ignored the catcall and kept it moving. “Hey, shorty,” the voice called out again.
Ra’Keeyah turned around with a mug on her face. “What?” she snapped, but eased up just a little once she realized Brick was the one trying to get her attention.
“Damn, baby, calm down,” Brick smiled. “I just wanted to let you know that you got toilet paper stuck on the bottom of your shoe.” Brick and his friends started laughing.
“Oh, thank you,” Ra’Keeyah stammered. She was so embarrassed; she wanted to die right then and there. She knew her face had to be as red as a fire engine. She looked down at her shoe and lifted it up. Quickly, she pulled the piece of toilet paper off and threw it on the floor. Ra’Keeyah could still hear them laughing as she walked away.
“What happened to you? I turned around and yo’ ass was gone,” Shayna asked, once Ra’Keeyah made it over to their seats.
“I don’t even wanna talk about it,” Ra’Keeyah said, still embarrassed.
“Why is your face so flushed? What happened?”
Ra’Keeyah broke down and told her about what had just happened. Shayna didn’t want to laugh, but it was way too funny not to. Quiana didn’t care; she busted out laughing.
“That shit ain’t funny,” Ra’Keeyah pouted. “How would y’all like it if a fine-ass nigga told y’all that y’all had toilet paper stuck on the bottom of your shoe?”
Shayna wiped the tears away that were forming in her eyelids. “At least he told you. I’m quite sure he wasn’t the first person to spot the toilet paper at the bottom of yo’ shoe.” Shayna couldn’t help herself; she started laughing again, which started Quiana back up.
“Fuck y’all, hoes!” Ra’Keeyah thought about how silly she must have looked dragging the piece of toilet paper and to make it so bad, turning around with an attitude when he tried to tell her about it. Finally, she busted out laughing herself.
After the third quarter, the three girls walked up to McDonald’s where everybody gathered after all of the games. They left early not wanting anyone to see them walking, but to their surprise the parking lot was jam-packed. Music was blaring from different cars; people were standing around laughing, talking; some were even dancing, while others were trying to get boo’d up for the night.
Shayna, Ra’Keeyah, and Quiana quickly mixed in with the crowd, hoping no one had spotted them walking into the parking lot.
“I’ma hafta’ get me a car,” Shayna said, shaking her head.
“Now how do you plan on doin’ that with no job?” Ra’Keeyah inquired.
“I don’t know just yet, but I bet you, I’ll have me a load by the summertime.”
“All them old-ass men you be fuckin’, you shoulda’ been had a car,” Quiana stated.
Quiana must have struck a nerve because Shayna went ham on her cousin. “Mind your fuckin’ business, hater, and worry about all them niggas you fuckin’ for free,” she snapped.
“You don’t know what I’m gettin’,” Quiana argued.
“A wet ass,” Shayna retorted. “Truth be told, I coulda’ been had a car!”
