Free URBAN: Chosen By A Kingpin by Shantel Johnson Page B

care of his son. They were dying to get their claws in him. I wondered if momma would want to do the same. She always said she didn’t have time for men but I would hear them come in and out the house late at night. it wasn’t often but it did happen. She was probably just as lonely as the other mothers out there. I don’t blame her because deep down I was the same way.
    I didn’t have many friends. The girls around here were rude ass little bitches who stuck with their clique and teased you about any and everything. I hated them. I hated their jelly shoes, and their nice Barbies, and their big jewelry that they got from quarter machines. They were tailing just behind their mothers, looking for their own little man to claim. I rolled my eyes and sighed just as I heard my mother scream my name.
    “Tamina!! Get in here!”
    I pulled away from the window and retreated to the kitchen where a dinner plate was already waiting for me.
    “What the hell you spending so much time looking out the window fo’? Go outside or something!”
    I sipped at my Iced tea before taking the steaming piece of fried chicken. “There’s a new boy across the street. He and his daddy movin’ in or something. All the other ladies from around the block are there already.”
    My mother looked out the window and down at the situation below. I heard her suck her teeth as she patted her rolled up curls under her hair wrap. “Bunch of hoes is what they are. Can’t wait to get the next piece of dick. Don’t go over to the boy’s house. You ain’t got no business over there.” She said as she sat down next to me.
    That was the first warning she gave me, and the first warning I soon ignored. I knew I was going to go talk to that boy it was just figuring out when.
    ***
    I got my chance when Momma sent me down to the beauty supply place. She had needed some more relaxer and sent me to go get it. It wasn’t that far from our apartment building but it felt like forever in this heat. The sun was beaming down on my head making my thick curls frizz out. If I had enough change left over I was gonna buy a big icee all for myself and eat it before I got home. When I got into the store a gust of wind from the stationary fans hit me much to my relief. I went towards the back where the weaves and wigs were and began looking for Momma’s favorite relaxer. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him, down the aisle picking up a tub of rubber-bands. I could feel my cheeks turning pink against my honey colored skin and all kinds of butterflies in my stomach. I wanted to talk to him even if Momma said I couldn’t. I pulled out my roll on fruit lipgloss and reapplied making sure my lips were shiny and plump. With a deep breath I sashayed over to him, trying to be all cute.
    “Hey,” I said, giving as much attitude an 8 year old could give.
    His deep brown eyes lit up as he saw me. It seemed like his mind was racing with everything his Daddy had taught him to do around girls. He tried to act all cool even though he was at a beauty supply place just like I was.
    “‘Sup, ma.” He said as his eyes raked over me.
    “What you doing in a beauty supply place? Yo’ momma asked you to get stuff for her too?”
    He shook his head. “Nah, i don’t live with my ma no more. I just live with my Pops. I had to come get these so I can get some braids done. Ma used to braid my hair all the time and Pops doesn’t know how to do it. He said if I don’t keep it braided he gon’ buzz it all off. I don’t want that.”
    I smiled, realizing that this was my perfect chance. “My Momma does hair all the time. If you want I can see if she’ll do it for you. Yo’ Daddy just gotta pay up.”
    “That ain’t a problem. My Pops got lots of money. Where you live?”
    “Across the street from you. I saw ya’ll movin’ in the other day. All the ladies on the block came to see you.” I replied walking towards the counter once I had gotten Momma’s relaxer.
    “Oh yeah. They all