Free Black & Ugly as Ever by T. Styles Page A

was, Ace.
“Speak on it.”
“What’s up with the girl?” the caller asked with a heavy Dominican accent.
“Everything’s going as planned.”
“Everything’s going like whose plans? Yours or mine?”
“Ours.”
“Listen you black, nigger,” Ace said disrespecting his heritage. “I want you to do whatever you have to quickly! You fucked up the last time and we won’t have that problem again. That ‘lil bitch will make me a lot of money and I want her as planned. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yeah.”
“And she better look like you says she does.”
“She does.”
“Good. Now get her here!”
The caller hung up. Smokes felt punked and if Silver would’ve heard the call he would’ve called it poetic justice. Smokes was furious.
He was so angry that the moment he opened the door to allow the Mexican driver to take his truck to be cleaned, he stole him in the face. The small man dropped to the ground gripping his mouth while people looked on in disgust. He needed to take his anger out on someone and didn’t stop to think about who would take the brunt of his hate.
Now realizing his error, he helped the man off the ground and shoved three hundred dollars in his hand for the trouble. The man wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked at him in horror.
Handing him the keys he said, “Don’t forget the tires.”

Miss Wayne
    “Excuse me have you seen her?” I asked a few people around East Capitol street in D.C. I heard that Miss Daffany stayed in a dope house somewhere in this area and was determined to find her tonight. As I showed the picture of her before she got on heroin, I hoped someone would recognize her even though she didn’t look the same.
    “Why don’t you get in the car, baby?” Dayshawn asked. He was a gay friend of mine that I’d been hanging with recently. I’ve known him for a long time but wasn’t as close with him as I was with Miss Parade and Miss Daffany. He was what I considered a quiet Gay. His style was preppy like Kanye West and he wore a lot of pastel colors. He was certainly fly. Like right now he had on a dark pink polo vest a white button down shirt and light blue jeans. Ever since Parade didn’t want to hear anything about Daffany, he was the only one I talked to. “It’s getting dark out here and we been outside all day.” He continued, following me slowly in the car as I walked up the street.
    “I can’t leave until I find her. You know that!” I screamed. I was wearing sneakers, sweat pants and a baggy sweat shirt. Outside of my hair in a ponytail, it was the closest I came to looking like a boy in years. “I have to bring her home tonight!” Tears ran down my face. “If you can’t understand that you can just leave!”
“You know I’m not gonna do that, baby. Just do what you must.” He said, as he continued to follow me.
    When my phone rang I anxiously answered it without looking at the number. I got a new cell phone and put the number on my voicemail at home for Miss Daffany to reach me in case she called.
    “Hello. Miss Daffany, is this you?”
“No, Miss Wayne it’s Parade. Where are you?” “I’m out.” I sighed.
“Out where?” she persisted. “I’ve been trying to reach
you for weeks.”
    I had been deliberately ignoring her because lately all I could think about was Miss Daffany and that unborn baby she was carrying. And since Miss Parade didn’t want to talk about her, I left her alone. It had been a few months since we saw Miss Daffany at the police station and I was worried sick.
    “I’ve been looking for Miss Daffany.”
She sighed.
“What’s wrong with you?” she screamed into the phone.
“The girl doesn’t want to be found can’t you understand that?! Why are you doing this to yourself? It’s ridiculous!”
    “I know, Miss Parade but I can’t help it. I have to try! She ain’t got nobody out here but me since you turned your back on her too.”
“Miss Wayne, that girl is gone! Nobody can help her