Free Still Hood by K'wan

ear-hustling, he called Dena. He knew she had her heart set on seeing Dreamgirls, but he had been so caught up with Michelle that he’d lost track of time. The phone rang three of four times before going to voice mail. The next two calls didn’t even ring, just straight to the service. Yeah, she’s pissed.
    Of all the chicks Lazy dealt with, not one of them had his heart the way Dena did. She was smart, sexy, and about her business. Dena, too, encouraged Lazy to do something with his talent, but she also knew how to play her position and leave something alone if he wasn’t receptive to it. She reasoned that Lazy would see the wisdom in her words or he wouldn’t.
    â€œFuck it,” Lazy said, placing his phone on top of the toilet seat and stripping for his shower. Dena would get over it, she always did.

Chapter 8
    â€œCOME ON, GET BACK ON D!” BILLY SHOUTED from the sidelines. “Y’all moving like molasses out there, lets pick up the pace.”
    â€œCoach, we’ve been running the same play for almost a half hour. Can we get a rest?” a young man with tiny boxed braids in his head asked.
    â€œIf y’all would get it right then you wouldn’t have to run it so many times. Keep running.” She popped him playfully in the head. Dressed in a tank top and sweat pants, some of the young men found themselves slightly distracted by their new coach. Billy looked like an Eye Candy model, but carried herself like the Gooch from Diff’rent Strokes . Some of the new players looked at the pretty young lady quizzically, as if they didn’t know whether to take her seriously or not, but the ones that knew her reputation did as they were told.
    Coaching the thirteen-and-under team was something that she had recently taken on. Between coaching, attending BMCC, working, and balancing her personal life she hardly had time for sleep, but it didn’t bother her too much. Billy had seen firsthand what could happen to kids who didn’t have positive outlets, and it wasn’t pretty.
    The summer before, she had endured the murder of one
of her closest friends, the rape of another, and the suicide of a cat she had known for ages. All this while trying to make sense of her fucked-up life. After the brutal murder of her boyfriend, Sol, she thought she’d never find love in the arms of a man again, but was shown the light by the most unlikely person.
    â€œStop talking to them kids like that,” Marcus said as he strolled into the gym like he owned it. He wore a tight-fitting red-and-black motorcycle jacket and carried the matching helmet in his hand. A thin film of sweat coated his face, giving him a slight glow, and increasing his already intoxicating sex appeal.
    â€œIf they’d run the plays like I drew them up I wouldn’t have to scream at them,” Billy said before kissing him passionately. A couple of the boys snickered, but a quick look from their coach sent them back to running the play.
    â€œSweet as candy,” Marcus said, licking the leftover moisture from his upper lip. Marcus was a former knucklehead who turned himself into a legitimate businessman. He owned a strip club and a Laundromat, and he had money invested into several other ventures. Though he had long ago squared up, he still had that thug swagger about him, which turned Billy on to no end. That’s why he was the first cat to get the pussy in the last couple of years.
    â€œYou keep talking like that and I might give you some head tonight,” she whispered, brushing herself against him. “What’re you doing here?”
    â€œI came to see if my lady wanted to ride on my chariot,” he grinned.
    Billy glanced at his helmet. “Not if you’re on that death-mobile.”
    â€œQuit being a punk.”
    â€œCall me what you want, but that still ain’t gonna get me on that thing.”
    â€œWell, maybe I can get you to ride on this thing.” He grabbed