“Hey buddy! How was school?” my dad asks, sitting at the kitchen table with stacks of cash, a cigarette dangling from his lips.
Throwing my bag onto the couch, the smell of smoke and coffee filling the house, I go to the table and look the six stacks of cash over.
“Eh, I got a B on my spelling test,” I reply before looking up at him. His Coke-bottle glasses making his eyes look bigger. I keep telling him he should get contacts like my teacher Miss Tip but he says the idea of touching his eyes freaks him out.
His cell phone rings and he gives me a look, the look. When that phone rings, I’m supposed to leave the room. Rolling my eyes, I force myself to turn around and go into the living room. Plopping down on the couch, I turn on the TV, but don’t really look for anything to watch, I listen to my dad on the phone. He’s yelling, telling someone he’s taking over something. Taking my eyes off the TV, I watch him stand and pace, his hand in his wispy dark strands of hair as he curses the person out on the other line.
“Hello? Hello?” he shouts, and I snap my eyes back to the TV. “Fucking asshole!” I hear a bang and I jump up off the couch finding my dad breathing heavy, looking the money on the table over, his phone on the floor in pieces. He threw his phone and broke it. Wow!
He looks at me and does a double-take.
“Lennox, come here, son.”
Doing what I’m told, I come into the kitchen and he sits down in his chair, grabs his cigarettes and shakes one loose before plucking it out with his lips. Taking a long drag, he blows smoke above my head and looks me in the eye.
“You’re a Sharp, don’t let anyone tell you how you’re going to live your life. Understand?”
I nod, not sure what he’s talking about.
He takes another puff off his cigarette.
“I’ll always be there to make sure you get what you deserve, son.”
My phone rings, making me jump out of the last memory I have of my father, and Maybelline freezes, my eyes flick to hers then to the phone. I know who it is. Check in.
“Is Dime home?” I ask, needing to get to the club and stop them from loading up the tracks with the drugs.
“She should be, it’s Saturday.”
“Let’s head over there.” Leaving the room, I grab my keys to my bike, Maybelline right behind me.
“Do you really have to watch over me? I’m not going to tell anyone,” she sasses, walking behind me as I head to her trailer.
“Yes, I really do.” My tone flat, I’m not worried about her telling anyone. I’m worried about someone getting to her before I can get to the club and explain myself. Jogging up her steps, I open the door letting myself in. Maybelline comes in behind me and walks down the hall, I’m assuming to Dime’s room.
Crossing my arms, I stand at the start of the hallway and wait. Hushed whispers coming from their room. I know Maybelline is telling her sister everything. The door suddenly jerks open and Dime steps out in the hallway with a Rugrats shirt and white and black panties, her hair curly and sticking out everywhere.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” she sneers, anger seething from her voice.
“Good morning. Now, get dressed,” I clip.
“How dare you put us in the middle of this shit!” She’s so feisty and reminds me exactly why I don’t want to deal with women like her anymore. She’s giving me a fucking headache.
“Dime!” Maybelline rushes out, stepping in between us and starts trying to push her sister back into her room.
“He’s a rat! Why are you defending him?” Dime growls, going back into her room, and Maybelline slams the door.
Rat, I can’t believe she called me that. But that’s what I am, a snitch, and I have been for years. It never felt good to turn against people, hear their pleas and their promises of change only to throw them behind bars. But this, faking to be someone I’m not, get close but not too close only to turn my back on them and throw every single one of them behind bars and still be able to sleep at night for my lies, I can’t do it.
I’d rather the club kill me than call my boss back and tell them everything I know. It would put Maybelline in jail because of the drugs in the café, it would ruin the club and the men that are actually decent human beings.
The door opens in the hall, snapping me from my thoughts, and both Dime and Maybelline walk out dressed. Dime has her hair up, a white tank and blue jean shorts, and Maybelline is wearing khaki-colored shorts and burgundy top that hangs off her silky shoulder. My eyes zero in on the exposed skin and I remember her sitting on my lap and I kissed and nipped at that very shoulder why slowly making love to her.