Hood Life and Love: It Is What It Is (Sample)

Chapter 18 (E and P)

Two years later.

Today was my birthday, and all I wanted was some space. So I didn't have a party, and I wasn't going to the one the guys went to. I needed space from them, cause they had been smothering me lately. A lot of weird shit had been happening. A lot of things that could have caused me to be gone. I had narrowly missed being hit by a car a week ago. The day before that, someone had pushed me onto the train tracks at the Hanley Station and Last night I had seen someone scoping out the house from a few doors down. I mean yeah it freaked me out, but they were just overreacting.

I refused to believe that someone was trying to hurt me. I didn't have any enemies. So I figured it was just bad luck or death herself was after me. I told them I would be staying in tonight and getting some sleep. Christian was helping his mom move. While I would have liked to have his company, I was happy to be on my own. Little did they know, I would not be in the house. You don't turn eighteen every day. I was going to kick it. I would be home by the time the boys and Christian got in.

The home girl, Stacy, across the street, had been planning a blowout party for a few months now. She was my birthday twin and the only person who knew I was going to crash her party. Mom was at work like always, and I had dropped my baby brother off to a sitter down the block. I did not know where Charlie was. He was fifteen now, and he had bitches galore. With him, there was no telling.

Stacy's party was being held in her basement, and it started at nine o'clock. We were both eighteen today, and it was Friday. I gave a silent thanks to God that my plan was actually working. There shouldn't be any fights tonight, which always started with either Christian, Dale, or Joey. I wanted to have fun and let loose. I was dressed in a grey and black sweater dress with black tights. I paired the dress with thigh-high black boots. My braids were fresh, and I had hoops in my ear that could double as bracelets. I felt good and I looked damned good.

After a short walk, I stood outside Stacey's house amazed by the number of people that had shown up. People were on the porch, sitting in cars, and just hanging out in the street. I looked through the basement window, seeing arms moving in between the steady thump of the strobe lights. Colors flashed in succession, while bodies moved to the beat that I could hear from my house across the street. I was late, the party was already jumping.

I walked in unnoticed. Back that azz up by Juvenile was playing and people were getting their freak on. Girls were twerking while guys stood behind them with their shirts over their heads. Some guys had friends holding them up while the girls pushed back with their asses. It was dark, and I was only catching glimpses of everyone. Everyone was enjoying themselves, though. There were couches lining one side of the basement and a long table with snacks and a few chairs here and there. The DJ was all set up on the washer and dryer and he was jamming. I spotted Stacey in the back of the basement, sitting on a couch she had on a tiara, and looking like a princess. The dress she had on was sparkly. I could see it from where I stood. She looked beautiful.

I walked up to her, and we said happy birthday to each other. She signaled the DJ and right on cue he yelled through the mic, "Happy Birthday to Stacey and Anna." Everyone yelled happy birthday and I got a thrill of excitement. I didn't know anybody here, not really. They didn't know me. They didn't know I had a crazy boyfriend and a herd of brothers. I was just the birthday girl, and I was eighteen.

I let all of my worries go as some guy pulled me towards the dance floor. Stacey waved at me as I went with him. We danced to four songs straight. I pulled away when he got too touchy freely for me. I told him I had a boyfriend and I couldn't offer anything but a few dances and a conversation. He looked disappointed and stopped his touchy-feely behavior. He didn't walk away, though.

He smiled, and it was then that I realized he was really cute in a pretty boy type of way. His hair was long. Longer than Christians and wavy with a naturally curly shine to it. He probably just had to use water to get it like that. He had it pulled back into a ponytail. His eyes were deep and curious framed by eyelashes that were long and thick. Not a hair out of place and no sweat to be seen. He was fine on a superhuman level. He took out his phone and turned on the flashlight. I guess he wanted to look at me too.

He stuck out his hand after looking at me carefully. "I'm Terrance. You want to get some air?" He asked, still smiling.

I thought for a moment, about all the near-death experiences I had been having. He looked harmless, but so did Todo. After careful consideration, I nodded and followed him to the porch. Once outside, I told him my name.

"So you like to dance and you are apparently loyal as hell. Both of which, are very hot by the way. Yet, you come to a party, dressed like that. Alone and talking to strangers." Terrance said.

He talked like a poet, saying each word deliberately and perfectly. No long r in sight and he said the whole word. He had an accent, Cali maybe, but it definitely wasn't the Midwest, so I asked, "Where you from?"

He looked at me again, his eyes burning through me as he smirked. "How did you know I'm not from here?"

"I'm from St. Louis," I said, pointing to myself, "I know how people that live here talk."

"I'm from New York." He said, lighting up a cigarette.

From the big apple to the midwest. I lifted an eyebrow and looked at him from a different angle.  "Then why the hell are you here? I would love to go to New York." I said, imagining being anywhere else but the Lou.

"It's not all that it's cracked up to be. I hate it there." He was serious, sounded like he was running from something.

"Well, I hope you find what you are looking for here. It's not much, but I love my city, "I said.

"I would say I did, but she's taken. The good ones always are," he said, flicking his cigarette. "The real question is what type of man would let his woman go to a party like this without him?"

"One that knows he got a good one," I said, standing up straight. "You bout done with your cancer stick. I'm going back in."

He threw the cigarette into the grass and held his arm before me like he was being a gentleman. It was lame but cute and I found myself laughing at his jokes as we made our way back to the party. Back in the basement, somebody was arguing. Things were getting heated as onlookers instigated and a crowd surrounded them. Maybe I had been wrong about the no fighting, but as long as it wasn't my people I was staying out of it.

I stood on my tiptoes, trying to see over the rolls of shoulders that blocked my way. I couldn't see shit, but Terrance surprised me by picking me up and sitting me down on an unoccupied shelf before sitting next to me. We vibe to the music as the fight thinned out. Every once in a while, he whispered something in my ear. Mostly cracking jokes about some people here and there. He was funny. 

"I need something to drink," I said, trying to jump down. Terrance stopped me and hopped down first to help me down. Once on the ground, the leg of one of my boots was falling down, so I bent down to fix it. Terrance, determined to prove he had manners, shined his flashlight down so I could see. I fixed my boot and was about to stand up when something caught my eye and my heart dropped. C and A were etched into a yellow shoestring with a permanent marker. I remember buying that pair of shoes and the shoelaces for him, and I remember him putting those letters there. Funny how history always repeats itself. That bastard.

I was vaguely aware of Terrance asking me if I was ok. I reached up and grabbed his phone and shined it on the face I knew would be sitting there. Christian sat on a couch. He squinted as the light hit his eyes. Then they widened as he looked into my face. He started to get up, apparently forgetting the hoe on his lap. I pushed him back and looked at her. Yep, DaVita. It would seem that he really did like the girl, or maybe she was putting out and I wasn't. I smiled at her.

"You win," I told her. Christian tried to stand, and I turned the light back to him. "Don't bother. Whatever game you're playing, I won't be a part of it."

I gave Terrance back his phone and went to get that drink. Hopefully, the punch was spiked.