45th Street

Eshals POV - First Time

   Bishop dropped me off, he's so sweet. I really like him now, I hope he's down to hang out Saturday. I already can't wait to see him again. He made me forget all about my problems and Talik. He waited for me to get in the house before he walked back to his car.
   "Eshal!" Mama comes barging through the door, her eyes get narrow when she sees me fully dressed.
   "Oh, hey Ma." I say smiling. She points to the front door, still looking at me pissed off.
   "Why the hell is Bishop Blake in front of my house and where did y'all go?" She asks in a stern tone.
   "He just took me to a restaurant Ma. It was a date." I say being completely honest, I don't lie to her when she's mad, maybe about little stuff but not about something like this.
   "You could've told me Shal, I got scared for my life when I saw that car parked out front." Mama says pointing to herself. She's overreacting to be honest. Bishop isn't even a bad person.
   "Sorry Ma I'll let you know next time." I say, beginning to walk upstairs. Mama says nothing. When I close my room door I can't help but to smile. Tonight was a success, after my shower I wanted to call Femi and tell her everything that happened but I remember about her and Quan. She's really done with him. My phone buzzes and it's a message from the group chat.

   Lennox : You want me to beat that nigga ass Fem? Say the word and I got you.
   Talik : He still the homie bruh
   Lennox : So what? nigga still can get his ass beat, we knew Fem before we knew Quan. She brought that nigga to the group.
   Me : Talik is right, but you're right too Lennox :/
   Talik : Look who arrived
   Lennox : I'll beat this nigga ass too for you Shal.
   Talik : Fuck you
   Femi <3 : I never want to see Quan again, and I won't so don't bring him around.
   Lennox : You got it princess, you ok?
   Talik : Hey Fem :/
   Femi <3 : Fuck off Talik, Shal I'll beat his ass like I did that girl lmao.
   Lennox : Awww damn LMAO
   Talik : Why y'all want to beat my ass the fuck
   Femi <3 : How was your date with Bino Shal?

   I laugh at my phone because Femi is trying to be funny, trying to piss Talik off. I'm glad she's texting us back.

   Talik : Bino?! Yo say sike right the fuck now
   Femi <3 : Why do you care ?
   Lennox : Bino? Shal don't even fuck with niggas like him
   Lennox : Shal don't even give niggas a chance Lmao
   Talik : I'm out.
   Lennox : Don't leave now nigga lmao where you goin
   Me : It was a simple date, he's nice.
   Lennox : Group facetime.

   Next thing you know we are all in a group facetime call together. Femi has on a bonnet sitting in her bed while Lennox is rolling a blunt and Talik is throwing a basketball in the air.
   "So what did you wear?" Femi asks after I explain the date to them, mainly her.
   "I'll send a picture in the groupchat." I say putting them on hold, I send them a couple of pictures I took before leaving in my big mirror showing my whole outfit from my head to my toes.
   "That shit is so cute! I need that bag!" Femi says, I can hear her long nails tapping on the pictures.
   "Alright alright I see you." Lennox says, at this point they all have me on hold to look at the picture.
   "You looked real nice Sunshine, just don't settle for less you deserve that luxury shit." Talik says, they all take me off pause. His comment made me feel somewhat better about our situation, I'm glad he isn't jealous or mad.
   "Nah for real, and don't give it up easy make that nigga wait and if he can't, fuck em'!" Lennox says licking his blunt.
   "Fuck em!" Femi hypes Lennox up. Lennox laughs and so does Talik.
   "Thanks y'all, goodnight." I say with my finger waiting to press that red button.
   "Night." Talik and Lennox says, Lennox is already lighting his blunt.
   "Night love you." Femi says blowing me a kiss, I smile and hang up.
                                        ____
   This morning I didn't receive a text from anyone, not even Bino but he's probably not up. I forgot he doesn't have school. I can't wait until this school shit is over, waking up early as hell and shit. I saw Zaric going into my fifth period and he waved at me. I hope his crazy ass doesn't think we are friends.
   I'm sitting in my final seventh period, the most boring class. Femi didn't go to school today, she faked being sick so now she's waiting for me outside where I met Zaric the other day to give him his shoes in her Jeep. That girl can't be away from that car for two seconds, if she's up there's a guarantee she's about to go drive somewhere.
   The teacher isn't teaching and we have a free day, so everyone is on their phones talking at this point. I'm scrolling through my Instagram feed waiting for the bell to ring.
   I'm hoping to see Bino after school, I had such a good time with him last night.
   "Psst."
   "Psst." Someone says by the classroom door, I look and it's Lennox. I look around to make sure the teacher isn't looking before I head out with my backpack, the bell is about to ring anyways. When I'm outside of the classroom I lean against the lockers and look at him.
   "What's up ugl-" I say but he cuts me off by putting a shoe box to my chest.
   "I want these kicks customized, I want different shades of brown on each side with a matte finish." Lennox says, I open the Jordan box and it's an all white new pair of Jordan One's. The bell rings and when I look at Lennox he is handing me a hundred dollar bill.
   "Lennox don't be giving me that kind of money, you're charged eighty dollars like everybody else I gave you a free pair already." I say pushing the money back to him. The drug money, yes, Lennox is a dope boy. Do I support it? No, but at the end of the day I cannot control him and he knows what he's doing. Lennox opens the shoe box in my hands and sticks the money inside. He turns me around and pushes me away from my back.
   "Go Shal and I want my shoes back by this week or I'm kickin' your ass." He jokes. I laugh, Lennox has to be the craziest out of the four of us. Quan is excluded from the group, and just speaking of Quan he passes us up. His arm is around Keisha's friends shoulder as they walk. It's the same girl Femi caught him with. Lennox walks behind them and yanks Quan by his bookbag.
   "No Lennox!" I yell trying to grab him away, Lennox grabs Quan by his shirt and slams him against the lockers.
   "Lennox stop!" I say grabbing him.
   "Nigga you really did Femi like that son?! You a set up nigga! Fuckin with the opps, do sum now nigga.
   Our bond is all we got and unloyal motherfucka's like Quan is what we don't need.
   "Nigga get the fuck off of me!" Quan jerks away from Lennox, "Fuck you and fuck Femi you can suck my di-" Quan gets slapped down by Lennox.
   "Stop Lennox, he's not worth it!" I yell grabbing Lennox's arm, he stands over Quan, "Nigga fuck you, you was supposed to be my brother yet you fucking with a Disciple bitch and turned your back on Femi!" Lennox says his last words and walks away from Quan after kicking him.
   Keisha's friend drops down and helps Quan up. People are looking and recording, I follow Lennox and he's heated.
   "Lennox did Femi give you the word?" I ask, giving him the word means giving him permission to kick Quan's ass.
   "Yeah, sum like that." He says walking ahead of me. We walk out of the doors and I spot Femi's Jeep right behind Bino's car.
   "See you Shal." Lennox says walking off, he stops by Femi's car and tells her hey before walking away to a group of guys. Zaric and Bino stand on the outside of a car, not the same car from last night though. This car is a jet black Audi. Bino is looking right at me, Zaric is macking some girl per usual.
   "Never fail to impress baby." Bino says moving from around his car coming up to me. I start smiling, I'm glad to see him.
   "Hello to you too Bino." I say giving him a hug.
   "You look good, as usual." He says looking at me up and down licking his lips. I blush, I feel like a total dumbass right now, "Come chill with me today." He says grabbing my hand. I look over to Femi's car.
   "Sorry B, I'm spending today with Femi." I say looking over to her. Bino says nothing and walks over to Femi's car and taps on the glass two times, she looks up from her phone before rolling the window down. They exchange words and next thing you know Bino is walking over to me.
   "What are you doing?" I ask confused.
   "She said it was cool." Bino says opening the passenger door. I look at him and eyeball him before going to Femi's car. Femi looks at me and smiles hard as hell giving me a thumbs up. I laugh.
   "I love you." I mouth. Femi starts her car up and rolls the window down, "I love you more! And I'm gonna cover for you." She says sticking her head out. I smile before going to Bino's car, He smiles holding the door open for me. I get in and Bino closes the door.
   I plop Lennox's sneakers in the back along with my backpack. Zaric and the girl gets in the backseat and Bino gets in the driver's seat.
   "Drop me off at the crib." Zaric says in the backseat, the girl that's next to him looks like she doesn't want to be here right now.
   "Hey girl I never saw you around, what's your name?" She asks surprisingly, she isn't eyeballing me and instead she's smiling. Zaric kisses her on the cheek.
   "Shal." I say looking at the road as Bino pulls off, he glances at me.
   "That's pretty, I'm Chantelle." she says sticking her hand out for me to shake, I look at her, smile, and shake it.
   "Your friendly ass." Zaric says to her, laughing. She eyeballs him. Bino smiles at me while he drives and plants his hand on my thigh.
   When we get to Zaric's spot, Zaric gets out of the car with Chantelle. Bino daps him up, "Stay dangerous Z." stay dangerous? Isn't it stay safe or strapped?
   "Come in to get your drop off B we got to split." Zaric says, Bino looks at me, then at Zaric. Zaric bends down a little to look at me through the window, "If that's alright with you." he says sarcastically, I look at Bino.
   "I don't want you sitting in the car, come in for a second it'll be quick." He says opening the door. I unbuckle my seatbelt and step out of the car. Back in the house where Fem caught Quan cheating, this should be awkward. When we walk in Bino daps everybody up and so does Zaric. The big man from last time looks at me and smiles, "You again." he laughs, I don't laugh.
   Quan is sitting on the couch with an ice pack on his nose, even more fucking awkward. Bino looks at Quan then at Zaric, then me.
   "Nigga why you here?" Zaric asks him, he's had enough. Quan says nothing, neither do I, "You fucking and bringing Disciple bitches in my crib nigga, I'll really have you packed out."  Zaric says getting in his face.
   "Chill Zaric." I say, once again I'm taking up for Quan. He was once like my brother, even though he fucked up bad.
   "Nah, get yo ass up nigga." Zaric says denying me.
   "Show that nigga his way out Juice." Bino says to the big man. The big man follows his order and goes up to Quan. Quan gets up and throws the ice pack on the ground before heading out of the door. He just followed Bino's order like he was a king or something. A king. He has that much respect, he says move, they move. Zaric then heads to the back room with Bino. I look around at everyone in the living room full of smoke.
   Chantelle pats the empty spot next to her on the couch, I walk over to her and sit there.
   "So you're Bino's girl or what?" She asks, sipping from a plastic cup.
   "Nah, we just talk." I say avoiding eye contact, what the hell does this girl want. She's nice, too nice.
   "Look I've known Bino and Zaric for a long time, Zaric was my man until he got out of hand with the hoes. Anyways I've been around bishop long enough to know he's feeling you girl." She says smiling, she sips again.
   "Why are you telling me this?" I ask confused.
   "Because, if you do happen to be Bino's girl you gotta roll with him, ride for him, and hold shit down in case shit goes left, I'm telling you this because I wished for someone to tell me before I got into the game with Zaric." She says putting her cup down, shes preaching to me like one of those dope dealer wives on the shows and movies.
   "I can handle myself, thank you." Is all I say, she seems real as fuck. I can sense her loyalty.
   "No problem beautiful, welcome to the game." She says getting up, I look up at her.
   "The game?" I ask, she ignores me and walks up to Zaric, he grabs her hand and takes her to the back of the room. Bino has a black duffle bag on his side and he motions me over. Bino daps the big guy "Juice" up. I walk out of the house with Bino and he looks at me.
   "What's in the bag?" I ask him.
   "Business Ma." He says unlocking the car, He opens the passenger door for me.
   "What's in the bag Bishop?" I ask him again, impatiently. I walk up to Bishop and I slam the car door with my hand.
   "Chill B, it's just some business shit." He repeats, I eyeball him and clench my jaw.
   "If you want to be with me but you can't answer this simple question, maybe we shouldn't go any further." I say. Bishop scoffs and looks away.
   "Money, money is in the bag Eshal." he says moving past me, he opens the backseat door and throws the bag down before closing it again.
   "A new car? Really Bishop? Come on I thought your mind was somewhere else." I say, I didn't think Bishop was blowing his money on new cars and shit. I thought the Mercedes was it, the Mercedes should've been enough.
   He's putting a target on his back. That's when Chantelle's words come to my head "You gotta roll with him, ride for him, and hold shit down in case shit goes left". Bishop says nothing, I get in the car and cross my arms. Bishop then gets in the driver's seat and starts the car up.
   The ride is silent, I look at everything we pass up, that's when I notice the trashy streets go to clean streets and big houses. We're on the Northside. Bino glances at me and grabs my hand. He then pulls up to some nice ass condos. Nice as hell.
   "Aye Shal, look at me." he says, I look at him, "This," he points at the condos, "this," he points at the roof of the car, "that," he points at the money bag, "I earned that shit, Yeah I got my mind on good things but I want the finer things just like everybody else want the finer things." he speaks real, and he's right.
   "You don't have to hide nothing from me after everything we told each other the other night." I explain to him, he looks away.
   "Come on Queen." he says getting out of the car, I follow him, he grabs my hand and leads me all the way into the building. He passes up the receptionist and greets her, she calls him Boss. When we get on the elevator he clicks the star, the numbers go all the way to seventeen, then there's a star.
   "You own this building?" I ask, amazed. Bishop smiles holding my hand, "Of course." I can't even be mad at him anymore.
   We go to his condo and he throws his keys down. He fixes me a glass of champagne and one for himself. God this man is everything I need. We sit and talk and laugh while the movie Shottas gets no attention playing from the TV.
   "So when was your last girlfriend?" I ask him laying the wine glass on the glass coffee table.
   "Sophomore year of highschool." He says laughing, he's so serious. I busted out laughing like he was a joke or something he has nothing to do but laugh with me.
   "You're joking right? Unbelievable, you still got game I see." I say tucking my bare feet under my butt.
   "When was your last boyfriend smart ass?" He laughs at me, I purse my lips and look down, "Aww come on shorty quiet now?" He says looking down at my face laughing.
   "I've never had one." I admit, I feel like I can tell him anything without being judged.
   "Yo, you joking right?" He asks with a serious face, I laugh a little.
   "Yeah, guys are interested in me yeah, I usually don't even give them a chance." I say. Bino leans in closer to me.
   "I wouldn't stop trying with a girl like you, I mean look at you, I'd wait forever." Bino says caressing my face. Butterflies appear in my stomach giving me this weird feeling I've never felt before, I don't want it to go away, I don't want it to end.
   "I want you Shal." he says, we are close, he's still carresig m face.
   "Prove it." I say, Bino then plants his lips on mine, he kisses me.
   "You want this?" He asks, I nod my head. I just gave him my first kiss too. He leans me on my back to where he's on top of me. We kiss and the groans and moans get heavier. His hands went from the sides of my head and down to my neck, to my shoulders and down to my hands. He grabbed my hands gently yet firm, put above my head and paused. I felt safe, he spoke no words. My heart is about to beat out of my chest and I close my eyes and take a deep breath out.