Authors: Rae
Damn, I like the bitch but she ain't worth all that,
Jana thought.
And she ain't give me no ass. If she shows up, she's shit out of luck.
Kenneth crushed his Styrofoam cup in his hand. “This shit is really starting to piss me off. I'm ready to kill the next person that walks past this bitch.”
Jamal looked at Kenneth and shook his head.
Kenneth turned up his nose as he looked over at Jamal. “What the fuck's wrong with you?”
Here we go
, Jamal thought. “Shit!”
“Something's up with yo' bitch ass, shaking yo' head at me like you think I'm some mutherfuckin' punk,” Kenneth said, spit flying
from his mouth. “Keep doing that shit and I won't have to wait for the next person that walks by; I'll smoke yo' ass.”
Jamal turned toward Kenneth. “Yeah, and after you finish smoking it, you can suck out it for me.”
Kenneth grabbed for his gun.
“Hey!” Jana shouted. “Stop that. We came here to get even. How we gonna do that if we kill each other?”
Jamal turned around and looked at Jana. “Who the fuck asked you?
“I'm just saying... Look, forget it. This shit's stupid. I don't even think anyone lives here.”
“You're the same bitch that thought a chick was in the bathroom taking a shit when her ass was long gone, so don't tell me what the fuck you think,” Kenneth said, swinging his arms wildly as if he was fighting the air. “Just keep yo' fucking mouth shut.”
“I say we go in the house and look around,” Jamal said. “I mean, if they live there, there's got to be something like pictures; mail; some shit to let us know we're on the right track.”
“Oh, that's a good idea,” Jana said.
“It's a dumb-ass idea; especially since I told y'all shitheads that this is where the fuck they live,” Kenneth said.
“I'm just saying, it won't hurt to go in and look around,” Jamal said.
“You know what I'm going to say?” Kenneth asked.
Jana shrugged and Jamal took a deep breath and looked out of the window.
“The next one of y'all that's got an idea about how I should do shit is getting their brains spilled,” Kenneth said, gritting his teeth. “That should put an end to that shit.”
The car became silent. Kenneth sat there, trembling with rage like a teakettle about to boil over.
Jamal sat there thinking about how to cut ties with Kenneth. Dealing with him was getting to be too much. He didn't know what to expect from him. One minute they were friends and Kenneth would do anything for him and the next minute he was threatening his life. Kenneth wouldn't let him walk away that easily. If he tried to keep his distance, Kenneth would stalk him, pop up wherever he was, and try to buy him back into his circle. When that didn't work, the threats would come next, and then he would follow through with them. Kenneth was like an abusive parent. When you were around, they talked about how they wanted to get rid of you, but when you ran away, they would hunt you down to get their punching bag back. Maybe one day soon someone would put Kenneth out of his misery. If not, he would have to make a move. He couldn't spend the rest of his life enslaved by a psycho.
Jana was relieved that she'd managed to put an end to Kenneth and Jamal's spat, even though they'd both dumped on her. If Kenneth shot Jamal, he would have to shoot her. She didn't know where Jamal stood on the matter but she couldn't sit there while Kenneth killed him. If Jamal was gone, she'd be left to deal with Kenneth by herself, and he'd eventually kill her, too. She couldn't let shit go down like that. Why should she and Jamal be slain when ridding the world of Kenneth would make it a better place; especially considering it would bring the murder rate in the USA down by at least ten percent?
After thirty minutes of silence, Kenneth decided to do what Jamal had suggested. They got out of the car, shadows in the darkness as they made their way to the house. They checked the side windows but were unable to force them open.
“Why can't we break a window to get in?” Jamal asked.
Kenneth slapped Jamal on the back of his head. “Why the fuck would I do that? You think I want someone to hear us?”
Jamal took a deep breath.
Ain't no helping this nigga.
They made one last attempt to get into the house, checking the windows on the front porch to see if one had been left open. Jana walked over to the front door, turned the knob, and it flew open. Jana gave Kenneth and Jamal a smug look and then smiled.
Kenneth grinned. “Girl, you must be my good luck charm.”
They walked into the house. It was a clean and cozy-looking place. Nothing like the places they resided in, where you had to be careful not to slip on whatever clothes were left on the floor, and there were no dishes sitting around waiting to be placed into the sink. It didn't look like a place inhabited by two restless young adults like Stefan and Simone.
Jamal looked around the living room and shook his head. “I swear, this don't seem like the place.”
“Did I ask yo' dumb ass what it seems like?” Kenneth asked. “You should know by now, things are hardly ever what they seem.”
Jana went into the kitchen and walked back out with a dingy white shoestring and a used syringe. “Look what I found.”
“Oh naw,” Jamal said in disbelief. “I know they don't get down like that.”
Kenneth sneered at Jamal and then made his way upstairs.
Jamal and Jana followed Kenneth upstairs. They went into Stefan's room and searched for any indication that Stefan and Simone resided there, to no avail. Next, they searched Simone's room and found nothing. As Kenneth was about to make his way to the grandmother's room, Jamal pulled the headdress Jana bought for Simone out of the closet.
Jamal held up the headdress. “Look at this.”
“So what?” Kenneth said. “Don't waste my time.”
“Naw, this is the headdress Jana bought for Simone during Southern Decadence,” Jamal said. “Isn't it, Jana?”
Jana shrugged.
Kenneth took the headdress from Jamal and looked it over. “It damn sure is. It even smells like her.” Kenneth handed the headdress to Jana. “Doesn't it, Jana?” Kenneth asked with a grimacing smile on his face.
Jana ran her fingers over the headdress.
Fuck, there ain't shit I can do if she shows up. She's just late.
“Is something wrong, Jana?” Kenneth asked.
Jana shook her head.
Jamal grinned. “Why would it be? She ain't even give you no play.”
The front door opened and the three looked at each other. Kenneth motioned for Jana and Jamal to get into the closet while he hid behind the bedroom door.
Tony shut the front door and then pulled the pack of chicken breasts he had stolen from the supermarket from under his shirt. He slapped Tessa on her ass. “Now get in there and cook this shit,” he said, pointing to the kitchen.
Tessa grinned as she took the pack of chicken out of his hand and made her way to the kitchen. “We got food and smack. We gonna have us some fun tonight.”
Tessa noticed her syringe and shoestring missing from the table and slammed the pack of chicken down. “Tony, where the fuck is my shit?”
“What?”
“You heard me, muthafucka,” Tessa spat. “Where the fuck is my syringe and my shoestring?”
“How the fuck am I supposed to know?” Tony asked.
“Ain't nobody been here but me and you.”
“How you know that?” Tony asked. “You left the fucking door unlocked all day.”
“You better not have had some bitch up in here, using my shit.”
“Why the fuck you always jumping to conclusions?” Tony asked. “I don't like it when you do that shit.”
“Who gives a fuck what you like?”
“You better watch how you talk to me, you ugly bitch.”
“Oh, I'm an ugly bitch? Is that why you was fucking some tramp and letting her use my shit up in my own damn mama's house?”
“Man, shut the fuck up.”
“And I'm an ugly bitch. Well, this ugly bitch gonna cut yo' ass if I don't find my shit.”
“I swear, you've got to fuck up everything,” Tony said.
“I should've left your trifling ass alone when I found out you was fucking my nephew.” Tessa made her way upstairs. “Maybe you had some bitch upstairs fucking her in her ass, playing make-believe like she was Stefan. Let me check his old room. Maybe you were in there reminiscing.”
“You can check wherever you want,” Tony snapped. “If it's up there, it ain't 'cause I put it up there.”
Tessa looked around Stefan's room and became frustrated when she didn't find her drug paraphernalia. She became sweaty and her eyes watered. Tony placed his hand on Tessa's shoulder, about to tell her that it was okay, that he could go out and find them a needle before they killed each other, but before he could, Tessa jerked away.
“Get the fuck off me!” Tessa yelled. She stomped into Simone's room. “I'm gonna find my shit. You better hope it's still in this house and you ain't give it to one of your bitches.”
Tony followed Tessa into Simone's room and they stood in the middle of the floor, arguing.
Tony got in Tessa's face. “And if I did?”
Tessa drilled her finger into Tony's forehead. “Muthafucka, don't playâ”
Kenneth slammed the bedroom door shut. “Is this what you're looking for?” Kenneth held up the needle and the dingy shoestring.
Tessa turned up her nose at Kenneth and then looked at Tony. “Who the fuck is that?”
Tony shrugged. “I thought you brought him up in here.”
Tessa pointed to the door. “Nigga, you better get the fuck outta here.”
“Tell me where Stefan and Simone are and I'll leave.”
Tessa placed her hands on her hips. “Nigga, who the fuck are you?”
“Just answer the question,” Kenneth said.
“Tony, get this nigga out my damn house,” Tessa demanded.
Tony motioned forward, ready to tie up with Kenneth. He figured if it came down to it, Tessa would help him out by hitting the nigga over the head with something.
Kenneth grabbed his gun off of his side and cocked it. Upon hearing the gun cock, Jana and Jamal came out of the closet.
Tony froze. He didn't want to do or say anything to put his life any further in jeopardy. On the other hand, Tessa sucked her teeth and continued to mouth off. Tony didn't know whether she was feigning so hard that she didn't realize her life was in danger, or whether she simply didn't give a fuck.
“Oh, you had to bring your posse, that toy-ass nigga and a boy-girl,” Tessa spat.
Kenneth fixated his gaze on Tessa. “Whoo, Jana, give me a cigarette; I need something to keep me from killing this bitch before I find out what I want to know.”
Tessa placed her hands on her hips. “You ain't gonna do shit.”
Kenneth bashed Tessa on her forehead with his gun. “You one of them bitches that don't know when to shut the fuck up.”
Tessa fell to her knees and grabbed her forehead while blood poured down her face. “Muthafucka,” she uttered.
Jana handed Kenneth the cigarette she had gotten out of her pocket and lit it for him. Kenneth held it between his lips and took a few pulls.
Kenneth pointed his gun at Tony. “Where in the fuck are Stefan and Simone?”
“Stefan and Simone?” Tessa screeched. “You done gashed me in my head over a fucking punk and a hoe?”
Kenneth looked over at Jamal. “Handle that for me.”
Jamal slapped Tessa and she fell down on her side.
Tony tried to make a move for Kenneth's gun while his eyes were on Jamal and Tessa. Kenneth saw Tony out the corner of his eye and backhanded him. Tony grabbed his cheek and Kenneth kicked him in his groin. Tony quickly removed his hand from his cheek and grabbed his groin as he fell to his knees and joined Tessa on the floor.
Kenneth pointed his gun at Tony's head.
Tony quivered. “Please don't kill me.”
“If you want your life, you better talk fast,” Kenneth said.
Tony began to stutter. “Stefan's dead; somebody killed him a couple of weeks ago and Simone, she down in the city jail.”
“For what?” Jana asked.
Kenneth gave Jana a nasty look.
Who the fuck do she think she is?
he thought.
“She's being held on murder charges,” Tony answered.
Kenneth shook his head while he looked down at Tony.
After seeing the disapproval in Kenneth's eyes, Tony began to offer up additional information. “That's her mother right there,” Tony said, looking over at Tessa.
“You sonofabitch!” Tessa yelled.
“I ain't no kin to none of them,” Tony said. “I'm just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Please don't kill me.”
Kenneth directed his attention back to Tessa, who was lying on
the floor with her face covered with blood. “So that would make you Stefan's aunt.”
“Fuck you!” Tessa snapped. “I ain't kin to that faggot.”
Kenneth drew his leg back like he was about to kick a field goal and kicked Tessa in her back. Tessa screamed.
“Yeah, she's Stefan's aunt,” Tony announced.
Kenneth looked at Jamal and Jana. “Well, somebody has to pay for what they did. Jana, shoot her.”
Jana hesitated to pull out her gun and shoot Tessa.
“Did you hear what the fuck I told you to do?” Kenneth asked.
Jana nervously reached for her gun. Disgusted by Jana's reaction, Kenneth pointed his gun down at Tessa and shot her in the head. Kenneth then drew back his hand to slap Jana and Jana drew up.
Kenneth laughed at Jana. “I'll deal with you later.”
Kenneth directed his attention back to Tony, who was on his knees with his hands in a praying position.
“So you aren't going to kill me?” Tony asked.
“Oh yeah, you a dead man,” Kenneth said. “I don't like the way you gave her up.”