Free You're the One I Want by Shane Allison Page A

the screen door, smiling.
    â€œTangela, hey, baby. Kashawn and Bree aren’t here.”
    â€œOh, I know. I’m actually here to talk to Deanthony about something.”
    â€œDeanthony!” Mama Liz hollered.
    â€œHuh?”
    â€œGet up, boy, you have a visitor.”
    â€œWho is it?”
    â€œWhy don’t you get your butt out of the bed and find out.”
    Mama Liz cut me a smile like she was some sweet old woman, but everyone in the neighborhood knew she could get real ghetto if she wanted to be.
    â€œHow’s your mama doing, baby?”
    Was she serious? We both knew that she didn’t give two shits about my mama.
    â€œShe’s doing all right. She’s coming home from the hospital on Thursday actually.”
    â€œI’ve been intending to go see her, but I got sidetracked with Kashawn and Deanthony’s party.”
    Intending to isn’t doing, I thought.
    â€œYes ma’am, I understand.”
    â€œLord, what’s taking that boy so long? Deanthony!”
    He slowly crept around the corner, scratching his head like he had gone through hell and back. His low-budget ass was dressed to the nines in a white tank top, black, baggy basketball shorts, white socks, and black slippers, looking ghetto but far the fuck from looking fabulous. He squinted his eyes from the bursts of bright light of the afternoon.
    â€œIs breakfast ready?” he asked, looking slightly disoriented.
    â€œBoy, it’s one o’clock in the day. I called you half a dozen times to come down for breakfast, but you didn’t come, so me and your uncle went on and ate. I have some cornflakes in there you can eat.”
    I grinned when Mama Liz said that.
    â€œI’m not your housekeeper and this ain’t no bed and breakfast.”
    â€œOkay, Ma, dang,” Deanthony said, acting like Mama Liz was like a gnat buzzing around his ear. He deserved the scolding he got after that shit he’d pulled with Bree.
    â€œDon’t okay me. I better not go back there and find that room in a mess, either.”
    Deanthony rubbed sleep out of his eyes as he stepped out onto the porch. “What up, shorty?”
    â€œLet’s go out here to my car and talk.” When we got out to my ride, I lit into Deanthony’s black ass. “D, what the fuck was that shit you pulled on Saturday?”
    â€œFuck are you talking about?”
    â€œDon’t play dumb. Calling Bree, telling her that the reason you came back was for her.”
    â€œI had to make it look good. I am an actor after all.”
    â€œShould I be concerned?”
    â€œAbout what?”
    â€œI don’t want you fucking this up. You need to stick with the plan. I didn’t work this hard so you could throw a monkey wrench into this shit.”
    â€œThat you worked for? You need me more than I need you right now. I was making big things happen in L.A.”
    â€œYou mean selling your dick in West Hollywood for money? Those kind of big things?”
    â€œBitch, keep your voice down, damn.”
    â€œâ€Šâ€™Cause of that dumb-ass stunt you pulled on Saturday, Bree might tell Kashawn about your little crank phone call. Even worse, she might come clean about everything.”
    â€œShe’s not going to say shit.”
    â€œOh, so just because you fucked her, you know what she will and won’t do?”
    â€œYou know what? You need to watch your tone with me, Tangela.”
    â€œOh, really? Well, why you don’t tell it to somebody who gives a fuck. Deanthony, I’m telling you, if you mess this up, I will make sure Mama Liz, Kashawn, and Bree see the big things you’ve really been doing.”
    Before I could utter another syllable, Deanthony grabbed me by the throat.
    â€œIf I what, huh? If I what? I don’t know who you think you fucking with, girl, but I’m not the nigga to cross. Who the fuck are you, anyway, just some crazy psycho bitch pining after my brother