Page 21 of Chrome

Melanie stomped away without giving Onyx any back talk. She listened to anybody that wasn’t me. She hated me and for the life of me, I didn’t understand why. I looked at my friend and she threw her hand up. She handed over a shot and I gladly threw that bitch back. I needed it and she knew it.

Melanie returned with her Smith’s Bank card and laptop in tow. She tossed them on the counter and went to walk away. However, I wasn’t done talking. “Sit your ass down!”

“And you better give it to her raw friend, or I know something,” Onyx chimed.

“Whether you like it or not, I’m all the fuck you have for a mother. I love you but I refuse to keep being disrespected. Other than school, you won’t see shit else in Eastlake for a while.”

“Why you even in Chrome and them face? My daddy leaving you must’ve hurt yo’ lil’ feelings. Who goes out and mess with somebody that could date yo’ daughter?” Melanie voiced with nothing but anger lacing her words.

Ohhh, I get it. You want my nigga. Wait, what? Get it together, Kosha.

I chuckled and closed the gap between us. I see me talking to her as a mother wasn’t gon’ do the trick. Maybe if I broke it down to her like I would a bitch on the street, she’d realize I meant business. Questioning me about dick she would never touch was crazy to me. However, sometimes you needed to break a bitch down like a fraction for them to get the picture.

“I can be in any muthafuckas face I damn well please ‘cause who the fuck gon’ stop me little girl. Damn sure not you. I got my own money, house, car, and business. If I want to fuck from her to Timbuc-fuckin’-too, I can and will. Me and you will never be on the same level simply because a boss ass bitch like me ain’t driven by no nigga. Yo’ bitch ass daddyleaving megot you out here moving like child with daddy issues as if I’m not busting my ass to raise you. You want to act like I owe you something, get it out the mud cause I’ve done my part. From this day forward, anything you want from me is earned. Do a chore around this bitch and earn a few dollars for yo’ school lunch ‘cause that’s all you getting out of me.”

“You can’t do that? How am I supposed to pay for anything else?”

“Eastlake High is the only place you spending money at. I’m confused on what you need money for other than that. Grown muthafuckas got they own shit, boo. I suggest you fill out a few applications and get a job if you ain’t satisfied. Now get the fuck out my face.” I felt no remorse after having it out with her.

Mel kissed her teeth and knocked over the stool as she stood. “Pick my shit up!” I yelled.

She did so and I was so thankful that she didn’t challenge me on this. I was already regretful for not coming home but now the feeling of becoming my mother was beginning to wash over me. Talking to her like that hurt me more than it hurt her. I wanted to go upstairs and cry behind all this shit. She was the only family I had outside of Onyx so fighting with her was tearing me up inside.

Onyx waited until she heard Mel’s door slam before she walked over and threw her arms around me. I broke down in her embrace. I was trying my best with Melanie but damn she was making it hard. All I wanted was the best for her and she was out doing dumb shit like she didn’t come from a woman who put everything on the line for her.

“It’s okay bestie. You got to give her tough love ‘cause now she at that age where she gon’ start trying you. We know what the streets got to offer, and I applaud you for trying to protect her. Raising a child ain’t easy, bitch, but you got this.”

My best friend was speaking nothing but the truth. I loved my daughter and would go toe-to-toe with anybody that tried to taint that love, but damn she was the only one tainting it. Me and her father not being together was to maintain my self dignity and respect. Letting people walk over me was never ever going to be the case. I left to show her a woman could make it without aman. I didn’t know what the hell she was taking from this, but it wasn’t to hurt her.

“She is so hateful! Like, what the hell have I done for her to act like that, friend?”

“Oh, hell no. You not ‘bout to question yo’ parenting in front of me. You are one hell of a mother and she gon’ fall in line again. Please don’t beat yourself up.”

“Thank you, bestie. And thank you for coming through last night. My head was all over the place.”

“Bitch please. I knew once you left with Chrome, I wasn’t gon’ see you again until this morning. Speaking of, how the hell did you get home? I know you ain’t let that nigga know where you sleep,” she said, removing the bacon from the oven.

I walked over and grabbed a glass from the cabinet to fix some juice. The pitcher of orange juice was pulled from the fridge and turned up while flashes of Chrome fuckin’ the dog shit out of me hit me back to back. God that nigga knew exactly what my body needed. From the way he held on to me to the way he ate my pussy like it was a special edition, I couldn’t deny how bad my body submitted to him.

Houston’s sex was what you called… mediocre compared to Chrasmere’s.Fuck it.Every nigga I ever gave this pussy to was mediocre compared to him. Never in my life have I had a nigga work my body so good to where my entire canvas was aching from feeling so fuckin’ good. Everything that young ass nigga bestowed upon me was one of fuckin’ one. Nobody had it like him and at my big grown Elizabeth age, I’d had my share of men.

“I took the keys to his Charger. It’s in the driveway,” I said, sipping on my drink.

“Bitch, no you didn’t. Why you lying?” I gave her that look, and she ran to the front door. She snatched it open and screamed. “Ahhhhh!That’s my best friend, she a real bad bitch!” she sang while twerking in the doorframe.

I giggled at her ratchet ways. She knew how to bring a smile out of me. I swear my life would be miserable if she wasn’t in it. She was my… vitamin D so to say. All the energy boosts came from her. She ran back in with a smile that stretched from ear to ear.

“I stole it.”

She stopped dancing and looked at me with a gaped open mouth and hiked brows. I was quite shocked myself, but I needed to get home to my child.

“He wouldn’t bring you home or something? Why you take that man car, friend?”

“I woke up aghast and thought what the fuck. It took me maybe thirty seconds to get dressed then I was out the door with his keys in tow. I wasn’t even thinking for real. I just knew I had to get the hell out that hotel.”

“So, is Melanie right? Did you fuck him?” she inquired ready to hear some tea. I dropped my head out of shame and gave a small nod. “Biiiiiitch! I knew it. Hand me my phone behind you right quick.” I did so and she made a phone call. Her smile stretched and for the first time in a long time, I witnessed my best friend blushing. “Good morning, love. I was calling to let you know I’ll take that in all twenties. Thank you. I’ll hit you back in a minute. Let me finish talking to KoKo. I will. Bye.”

“Who the fuck was that Onyx and did y’all bet on me?”

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