Free Candy Licker by Noire

she made the drop? Did Nicky come by the house? What about that niggah Greasy she be with? Do you know if he heard from her yet?”
    Caramel sucked her teeth into the phone. “Candy, you don't even know. You think Mama been on the real with you, but she hasn't. You know how she usually calls both of us every day as soon as she gets to work?”
    “Yeah?” Mama had a ritual. As soon as she made it to work each day she called her house and let Caramel know first, andthen she called me. I think she was happy to have an actual job and thrilled to be able to call her kids and say she was there.
    Caramel went on. “Well, lately Mama been calling you from right here in this house. She's not working anymore, Candy. Her and Greasy been staying out all night and they don't even go out looking for jobs during the day.”
    The only thing that saved me from falling was the fact that I was already sitting down. Mama must didn't understand who she was fuckin’ with. Those Gabrianos wouldn't hesitate to deal with me and her both. All I could think about was Mama and the money. The money and my mama. Either she'd gotten knocked or she'd fucked it up. Either way, we were both in trouble.
    “Hurry up, I gotta piss!” some drunk heffah banged on the bathroom door.
    I took a deep breath and tried to think. “Okay, Caramel,” I said, trying to stay calm, “you gotta listen to me and do exactly what I say. Cool?”
    She sniffed through her tears and it killed me that me and Mama had made her jump into this dangerous trick bag with us. “Okay.”
    “Keep the door locked and stay by the phone. Don't let nobody in the house, not even Greasy. The minute Mama calls, I want you to call me. If anybody else calls, just act like they dialed the wrong number and hang up, okay? I don't wanna scare you, Mellie, but if for some reason shit gets hot, then you gotta call the cops, okay? You gotta dial 911.”
    Caramel started crying harder and that bitch on the other side of the bathroom door started banging harder.
    “What the fuck is your problem!” I screamed, kicking at the door. And then to my baby sister, “No, Caramel, not you. Just some crackhead trying to get in this bathroom. Please, I'm not trying to scare you. Don't be scared. I just want you to know how to handle shit if something comes up. Just remember what I said and everything'll be straight. Mama's on her way, okay? I love you, Caramel. Call me every thirty minutes until she gets there.”
    I dashed out the bathroom and went looking for Dom. She was on the dance floor shaking her ass. I searched for Vonnie too, but she was nowhere to be found. All of a sudden the music was too loud for me and my heart was beating too fast. I walked back to our booth and made myself sit down and take a bunch of deep breaths. The party was still live and the mood was high, but I was so nervous and stressed out all I could do was sit there shaking and praying that Mama would call and say the drop had been a success.
    “Whattup, wifey?” Hurricane joked all sexy-like the next time he rolled past our table surrounded by his crew. I was sitting there biting my fake nails and gripping my cell phone in my hand. Hurricane looked so good standing there, so big and strong and powerful that I wanted to jump back into his arms and hide from the storm I felt coming.
    Instead, I gave him a cute look and made myself smile. “I'm cool, baby. I'm just watching the drinks until my girls get back. The music is live, though.”
    He nodded, searching my eyes, then turned away as a rapper named Thug-a-licious, who was also a recent number one NBA draft pick, interrupted us and pulled him away to introduce him to a wannabe rapper trying to get signed.
    I was glad when they walked away. I was so worried about Mama till I didn't know what to do. I had no way to get in touch with her and I cursed myself out for not getting her that cell phone she wanted. If I didn't think she was ready for something small like a cell