Free Crackhead by Lisa Lennox Page B

a part of the storytelling for once.”
    Monique was fed up. “I don’t know ’bout y’all hoes, but she ruined the sex shit for me.”
    â€œDitto,” Shaunna agreed. “You got some food up in your kitchen, Crystal? My baby is hungry.”
    â€œBitch, your fat ass is hungry,” Crystal said jokingly. “That baby don’t know what the fuck food is.”
    â€œI ain’t pregnant, but I’m eating for two anyway,” Monique said as she stood up and stretched out. “What you got to whip up?”
    â€œI don’t know,” Crystal said, getting up from off the couch. “Come into the kitchen and see what you have a taste for.”
    All of the girls followed Crystal into the kitchen.
    â€œWhat’s up for the summer?” Monique asked no one in particular as they entered the kitchen. All the girls looked at each other but said nothing. Monique tried again. “Let’s not all answer at the same time,” she said sarcastically. “No one has any plans? Tonette, what about you?”
    â€œI ain’t really got anything planned,” Tonette said, shrugging her shoulders. “Hell, I’m living just enough. You know how I get down. I play it on a daily. I was thinking about maybe trying to take some classes for that stupid-ass GED again.”
    â€œEvidently it ain’t the GED that’s stupid,” Laci said, hoping to make a cute joke. She immediately wished she could take it back.
    Tonette stopped in her tracks. What she wanted to do was haul off and slap the shit out of Laci, hell, maybe even take one of them butcher knives from the block in Crystal’s kitchen and cut her fuckin’ throat. But something told her to let it go, and she did. She looked at Laci and forced a fake grin. “Ha, ha. That was real funny, Laci.”
    Crystal rolled her eyes at Laci, shook her head, and opened the refrigerator door.
    â€œSorry,” Laci said, putting her head down. “I was just kidding. You know I would never come at you like that.”
    â€œYeah, I know,” Tonette said insincerely. She told herself to let it go . . . for now anyway. “Crystal,” Tonette said, moving on, “what about you? What you got going on for the summer?”
    â€œYou know I just want to chill,” Crystal answered as she examinedthe contents of the refrigerator. “But I’m also thinking about summer school. Maybe there won’t be as many guys there to distract me.” Crystal closed the refrigerator door and opened the freezer.
    Monique interjected. “Well, I don’t have to worry about a GED, high school diploma, or none of that. I gots my high school certificate of completion.”
    â€œYou mean attendance, don’t you?” Shaunna said jokingly. “You got a certificate for just showing up every day.”
    â€œYou stupid,” Monique said. “I’m getting my high school diploma. I passed the son of a bitch with flying D-minuses.” The girls started laughing. “But seriously, if y’all hoes gon’ be all caught up wit gettin’ an edumacation , then maybe I should do the community college thing. Crystal, you trying to go to college someday?”
    â€œNah, I just want my diploma,” Crystal said with a shrug. “Dink said if I get it, he gon’ take me out to celebrate anywhere I want to go. You know I’m trying to go to Morton’s Steak House.”
    â€œI know you glad you got him,” Shaunna said. “He be takin’ care of you. That’s why I don’t know why you ever crying broke. You know all you got to do is ask that nigga to hold something and you straight.”
    â€œI know,” Crystal said, pulling out a block of bologna from the fridge. “But I don’t like to always have my hand out. Niggas get tired real quick of a beggin’ bitch. If he don’t give it to me on his own, I usually only ask him when I