Читать книгу Volition - Coby Stewart - Страница 8

Just Another Day Around the Way

“Wake up, boy. You don’t hear that alarm clock? Get up before you be late for school,” Mom said.

“Aight,” I said, reaching up to hit the snooze button.

Mom left my room to finish getting ready for work. I waited for her to close the door behind her before I pulled the covers back over my head. Soon after that, I heard my phone ringing.

“Who the fuck calling me this early?” I said to myself.

“Hello… Boy…”

“Huh…”

“Are you up?”

“I’m ’bout to. Give me a minute…”

“Oh my god, Hype. You’re supposed to be picking me up this morning, remember?

“Give me like ten minutes. Aight?”

“Aight.”

I hung up the phone and sat up in my bed. My girl Camille was my ride or die, and right now she needed a ride. We grew up together, and we were always close, but I never thought of me and her being more than friends. That was until early last at the park. I mean, the way she looked in them boy shorts and that look in her eyes was like seeing a shooting star for the first time. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. My honey sexier than all mother nature boy! I don’t know what my homeboys got into that day? But ever since then, she’s been my heart. But there is one slight, slight problem…

It’s been six months that we’ve been together, and she still ain’t let me hit yet. But it’s got to be real love, right?

So anyway, I got up, brushed my teeth, counted my blessings, and got dressed. Thanks to my brother, Cash, I’ve been Polo’d up and Bossed down with endless money to run through. I’m talking about leaving the house every day with at least a few stacks. I put on my black Hugo Boss fleece zip up and my black 993s. I grabbed my peacoat and stepped out.

“Aight. Love you, Mom,” I said as I kissed her forehead.

“Aight baby boy. Love you too. Be safe,” Mom said.

“I will,” I said.

When I stepped outside, I saw my man Black up the street, talking to this freaked out chick from around the way named Cherry.

“Yo Black!” I yelled out with my hands up.

He put his hands up and pointed down at Cherry. I started laughing and walked around the front of my whip.

“Strap up, nigga!” I yelled out as I went to get in my car.

I drove off and saw Black walking off with his arm around Cherry. I couldn’t help but laugh on the inside after watching them dip off. See, me and Black, we’ve been brothers since the sandbox!

On my way to pick my girl up for school, I stopped by at the 7-Eleven to get some Gatorades for my game tonight and some Skittles and headed straight for Camille.

Beep! Beep! Beep! I waited for a little while. Beep! Beep! Beep! I sent her a text, and about ten minutes later, she finally came outside.

She sat in the car with a pout on her face.

“Wassup with you? What took you so long?” I said.

“My dad! He wants to be a drill sergeant this morning, talking ’bout how my jeans are too tight. I had to change my clothes three times just so he could get out of my face,” Camille said.

“Damn, babe. I wouldn’t want to let you out the house either looking like this,” I said.

She then smiled. “I got something for you,” she said before she pulled a small black box out of her coat pocket.

“For me,” I said.

“Yes. Here, open it up,” she said.

I opened it up to see a gold and black Invictus watch with my name engraved on it.

“Babe! This joint cold!” I said smiling. I heard Camille laugh. “Ey young, hold up. You got my name,” I said before biting my lip. “Why you do all this?” I asked.

“That’s nothing, baby,” Camille said.

“This is a lot more than something,” I said.

I watched her face as her pretty skin turned into the color of a rose. I leaned over, and we locked lips for a moment in history.

The watch matched my chain and my whole outfit, too, so just know your boy was straight. As we pulled up to the school and walked in, everyone showed me love. I was already the man around the way because of how I ball on the court, and thanks to my brother, I’m paid now too. So everybody started calling me Hype. I guess it’s because my name was always in somebody’s mouth.

Me and Camille had to split for our first class. I gave her one more hug and kiss in front of her home economics class. Then I stepped up the hallway and posted in my normal spot next to the vending machines with my teammates, Phil, Tonio, and Pete.

“Where Black at?” Pete tapped me and asked.

“That nigga with Cherry burning her up,” I said.

Pete took a deep breath. “Might be the other way around,” he said.

“Welp, that’s the last time I’ll be smoking with him,” said Phil. Tonio and Pete all laughed.

“I don’t know why you laughing,” Phil said, pointing at Tonio.

“Aight fellas,” Tonio said before stepping off toward his class. We all busted out laughing.

“Naw nigga,” said Phil. “I saw you with her last week catching the sloppy thirty seconds,” Phil said, laughing as we continued laughing too.

Tonio chunked the deuces as he walked up the hallway.

“You better burn your sheets. That nigga would split,” said Phil.

“He called me the other day to pick him up from the clinic, talking ’bout he went to get some free condoms,” said Pete.

“Ain’t no way in hell he hiked all the way up there for some condoms moe. I would’ve gave him some condoms if he needed to,” Phil said.

“Like shit,” said Pete.

“Yeah,” I said.

“Dog, I’m telling you. Cherry ain’t stopping ’till she fuck all athletics. I’m talking ’bout the swimming team, the hockey team, the soccer goalie,” Phil said.

“Man, do we even got a hockey team?” Pete said.

“This bitch need some goals,” I said.

“Yeah, that joint cold bruh!” Phil said, noticing my watch.

“Yea my shorty got this for me,” I said.

“Shitting on these bitches,” Phil said.

I started smiling before I laughed about something Camille said to me.

“And Diamond wouldn’t never buy me no shit like that. Bruh, I’m ’bout to move to the south or something. I need some real hospitality. 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 cutie,” said Duffy.

“Not on me,” I said.

“I got that, bruh,” said Black.

Black and Duffy dapped and rapped for a hot second, and then they stepped back to Black’s whip and pulled off before I even realized it. I stood, still watching Black’s taillights before I heard my name being called.

“Hype, come here,” I heard from the crowd.

I looked over to see her standing under a shaded tree with her hands on her hips. I walked over to her and pushed her navel, making her laugh.

“You hot,” she said after I kissed her forehead.

“What you talking ’bout?” I said.

“You know what I’m talking about,” she said.

“You know me babe. I gotta get high,” I said.

“Uh-huh, I see you still got that watch on,” she said.

“Of course I still got it on,” I said.

The fire drill eventually ended, and everyone started walking back inside. I began to feel slightly uneasy about Black and Duffy stepping off so soon, so I sent Black a text.

…YOU GUCCI MY NIGGA…

Black texted me right back.

…YEA WE’LL BE RIGHT BACK…

…ARRD BE SAFE BRO…

…ARRD…

I continued about my day until that final bell rung. We were playing my cousin at Forestville who were ranked number 6 in the state, right behind us.