Page 5 of Chrome

“Auntie Onyx! I didn’t know you were here.” Mel came back down and ran straight to my girl. She loved her godmother and gave her more respect than me sometimes.

“Hey boo. I heard you were in here giving your mama hell already. What’s the problem?” Onyx was never going to be the one to beat around a bush or play dumb. She loved confrontation and didn’t mind checking a soul.

“Mmcht! She brought us up here where we don’t know anybody, and she expects me to be okay with it. All my friends are in Atlanta. My man is in Atlanta. It’s my senior year and she moves me across the country not caring. She could’ve waited, Auntie, or talked to me first.”

I rolled my eyes and took a seat on the bar stool. One thing I learned about my child was how quick she victimized herself. She wanted everybody on her side and against me. I didn’t understand her dislike for me at all. I provided that girl with everything she asked for. She had the latest everything from clothes to shoes to electronics. She had no reason to give me as much attitude as she did.

“She didn’t so now what? You gon’ keep disrespecting my friend like that? I mean, tell me what’s up so I can treat you accordingly,” Onyx voiced setting her glass down and crossing her arms across her chest.

“I don’t disrespect her, Auntie. I just want her to get that she’s messing with my life. I’m a grown woman now and she’strying to control me all because Dad won’t let her control him,” Mel whined.

Nodding, Onyx chuckled before saying, “If you so grown, take care of yourself. Give my friend that phone back and go buy your own. When you go upstairs, pack up everything me, her, and your father bought. There’re plenty jobs in Eastlake so go out and get one. Use your lil’ allowance she’s given you and get a bus pass ‘cause you’ll need it. After that, figure out how you ‘bout to eat ‘cause I’ll beat her ass every day she cooks for you. Grown muthafuckas make shit happen for themselves.”

Onyx was giving it to her straight, and Mel proceeded to pout with tears in her eyes like my friend was the one in the wrong. Melanie didn’t listen to shit I said so I let Onyx handle her. It was like everybody received grace except me. I was the devil in that little girl’s eyes. If it was up to her, she’d degrade me to anybody that would listen. Whatever hatred she had in her heart for me was strong.

“Why you getting mad at me for? I graduate in two months, andsheis ruining my life.”

“Sheis also the only parent that gives a damn about you.” Onyx stopped ranting for a second and looked my way. I knew what she was silently asking, and I nodded in approval. In order for Mel to grasp the reason for our move, she needed to know the truth. “What you think is the reason behind their divorce?”

“I don’t know. Mama nags him so much I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t want to hear it anymore. I know I don’t.”

“Oh okay. Not that you should give a fuck but take notes. Your mama didn’t let Houston play in her face. He has another family and when she found out, she walked. That’s what real boss ass bitches do. Instead of sticking around and playing dumb, she divorced his ass, which he didn’t fight by the way, and got y’all the hell away from that toxicity. It was her money that kept you fly and draped in labels. Don’t get it twisted, babygirl. Houston is not your savior and never have been. When I say respect my friend, I mean respect my damn friend!”

I felt proud but I also felt like she gave it to my baby too raw. She was still a child… my child. I never wanted her to think I was out to get her. I was also very aware that she was at that age of wanting independence. However, respect and trust went a long way and that was something I didn’t have for her.

Melanie finally turned to acknowledge me with tears in her eyes. I hated seeing her hurt but what Onyx revealed needed to be said. Her father wasn’t who she thought he was. If I was being truthful, he stayed as long as he did because of what my lifestyle provided. Money wasn’t questionable in our home. Nevertheless, money didn’t keep a man though and that was clearly the case.

“Is it true? Did you divorce Dad all from a simple mistake?”

“Mistake? Bi…” I had to stop speaking before I called her out her name. Biting my inner jaw, I calmed myself. This little girl had some nerve. “Yeah, ‘cause I don’t give grown muthafuckas a chance to fuck me over more than once and they damn sure don’t live in my house talking to me crazy. So, since you so grown, let me know the type of timing we on.”

Insanity was allowing the same person to slide with disrespect thinking they’ll eventually reciprocate the respect given. I refused to build a new life with a child that didn’t give a fuck. I did all this for her. I made sure she was in a place that didn’t come with bullshit. The thanks I got in return was her in basic terms telling me to kiss her ass. I was standing with Onyx on this even though it was breaking my heart to treat my baby like this.

“Fine. You win,” she said before giving me her back. The way her feet damn near put a hole in my floor with each stomp… She was going to drive me ragged.

“Oh okay. I thought a muthafucka that needed my friend to survive said something!” Onyx yelled after her.

“Let her go. She’ll get it together soon,” I said unsure if she would. I knew I wasn’t in the mood to go back and forth with a child I birthed. This was going to run my blood pressure sky the fuck high.

“Will she, KoKo? I mean, the girl don’t even think Houston’s in the wrong. What the hell happened for her to think you’re the bad guy?”

“If I had to pinpoint something, I’d say it was moving from that little ass boy. I have no doubt in my mind they were fuckin’. I’m telling you friend, if she come back in here pregnant, I’m gon’ kill her.”

“And I’ll help you bury her disrespectful ass. Look let’s get this house together while I’m in the mood to help. Find a speaker or something I can connect to.”

“I got you.”

I hopped down off the stool and went rummaging through the boxes. I knew if didn’t nobody else have my back, Onyx was going to step up to the plate each and every time. Blood didn’t make us family; it was her loyalty.

Chapter Three

CHROME

Iwasn’t a morning person at all, but Copper was fixing breakfast for the crew. We had a hell of a weekend and now it was time to get down to business. As head of BMG, it was on me to make sure shit ran smoothly. Most of the time Zinc had shit under control until I was up since he was next in command. However, the team wanted a breakfast meeting and I never missed one of those.

It was ‘bout that time for the kids to get out of school for the summer and we hadn’t planned any activities for them yet. We were running a lil’ behind but the community was a priority we didn’t let up on. We took this shit serious. The White man didn’t give a fuck about us the way we did, and we had the means to make it happen.

“I spoke with the mayor. She’s ready for whatever we cook up. The graduation block party is first up on the list. I know Uncle Merc wants to highlight them for sure.” Copper was more corporate than any of us in the crew. She was also the oldest. I definitely looked at her like the big sister she was.

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