Crooked

Two

Crooked

Two

          Girls walked around in booty shorts and crop tops in hopes to seek attention from boys. It was 75 degrees outside and anybody from New York knew that was a rarity in March. Everybody was outside taking full advantage of the beautiful day since the weather was so bipolar. The basketball courts were full of young boys including Leroy and many dope dealers were out selling on their assigned corners.

"It gets hot then bitches don't know how to act." complained Shay, grilling some girls from their school that were across the street who barely had any clothes on. The girls were named Diamond and Jailee. Shay had a problem with Diamond because she was one of Crook's hoes. Epiphany had her own issues with Diamond, and they had even fought a couple of times. Aaliyah didn't fuck with the two girls based off how Shay and Epiphany felt about them even though Diamond did live in her grandma's building.

"Facts." Epiphany agreed, munching on a red bag of Doritos. The girls were hanging out on the doorsteps of Shay's building. Shay ain't lived in the projects like the rest of her friends, but she still lived on a bad block that was known for its drive by shootings.

"But... look at what you're wearing." Aaliyah voiced, not trying to be funny. She was genuinely confused. Aaliyah couldn't understand why Shay was criticizing other girls' outfits when she was outside in a black bandeau bra and white high waisted shorts that barely covered her big ass. It wasn't even spring yet and she was dressed like it was the middle of summer.

Shay was the only one out of the girls who had her weave out. Epiphany's braids were in a big bun on the top of her head and her edges were laid due to the courtesy of Shay's Edge Booster. Aaliyah's clip ins were in a high ponytail.

Shay snapped her head towards Aaliyah. Her big dark brown eyes looked into Shay's green eyes that she had inherited from her Hispanic father. "I don't know why every time I say somethin' you gotta say some smart shit back." Shay spazzed for no reason. The fact that Aaliyah looked so innocent and beautiful as the sun hit her skin, made Shay's blood boil.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean---"

"Yeah, aight." Shay interrupted, rolling her eyes. Even a stranger could tell that Shay was hating on Aaliyah, heavy.

"Shay don't be mean, stop coming at Aaliyah like that." Ever since Aaliyah met Shay, she always had slick comments and remarks to say to her. Aaliyah ignored them all and still considered Shay to be a close friend, but she couldn't lie--- that shit was starting to get to her.

"Yeah you're right," Shay ran her hands through her Brazilian weave. "Sorry Aaliyah, baby. You know I was just playin' witchu right?" Shay feigned a smile, looking at Aaliyah.

Aaliyah smiled and nodded. "It's okay. It was my fault." Shay did a little fake chuckle. Aaliyah didn't catch Shay roll her eyes.

"I'm so boreddd." Epiphany dragged her words out. It always seemed like when she decided to hang out in the hood, it was always boring, but when she was locked up in her house, that's when the most shit happened.

"I told y'all bitches let's walk down to the b-ball courts and see some niggas with they shirts off, but nooooo y'all wanna stay posted up in front of my dingy ass building."

Shay didn't make Epiphany change her outfit for no reason. She came over to Shay's house with some busted ass Adidas and a sweatsuit, although it was mad hot for that. She changed her into a mauve tube dress that complimented her dark skin tone and some sandals since they both shared the same shoe size. They were both a size 8 in men and a size 10 in women. Epiphany's shoe size fit her since she was tall, but Shay's feet was type big considering that she was only 5'4. Aaliyah had on a white maxi dress that clung to her cute small baby bump and Givenchy slides. That was one way Darren, her baby's daddy would make up for hitting her. He would buy her designer shit since she never had the money or luxury to afford it herself.

"Nobody wanna see some sweaty boys." Epiphany said even though Shay was dying too.

She liked the attention she got from both boys and grown men. "Damn, you got a fat ass," "Yo, c'mon lemme talk to you right quick," "Why you gotta be like that? I just wanna get to know you," made her feel wanted and loved since she had never received it from home.

Miss Lady, her mother, was a cool person, who liked to chill and smoke weed, but she was never the type of mom Shay wanted her to be. Miss Lady didn't care what Shay did, which was part of the reason why Shay was so fast now.

"C'mon, why you so scared? Let's just give them something to look at!"

"What about your man, huh?" Epiphany teased. Aaliyah and Epiphany knew that Shay and Crook was just fucking, but the way Shay spoke about Crook 24/7, Epiphany could've sworn that she was in love with him.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him." Shay knew better than to let anybody fuck Crook's pussy, but that didn't mean she didn't like to suck a couple of dicks from time to time.

Epiphany let out a laugh and stared at her friend. "Bitch, you crazy!"

As the three girls conversed, time went by quickly. It soon turned 6 p.m. and the sun was about to set. Shay and Aaliyah convinced Epiphany's scary ass to pick Leroy up from the courts at 8, so they could have more time to hang out. Aaliyah left when Epiphany did, and she didn't want to go home and deal with Darren.

A matte black 2021 G-Wagon pulled up in front of the house across from Shay's building. The girls' eyes almost bulged out of their sockets as they gawked at the car. They were swooning over the red interior and the 20-inch rims that it sat on. They knew it had to be a big-time hustler because boys who sold drugs on the corner had no money to buy a car like that.

A tall man got out of the beauty, and he was speaking on the phone. Shay started smiling, recognizing him. "Look y'all! That's my baby, that's Crook!" Aaliyah and Shay gawked at the attractive man in silence.

"Wow, he's so handsome." Aaliyah replied, taking in his appearance. From his clothes to his looks down to the way he walked, she could see Shay was very lucky to be fucking on him. Epiphany wasn't even paying attention to the car no more. She was too busy playing on Aaliyah's phone.

"E, look, look it's Crook." Epiphany looked up from the phone and across the street. She saw a man that was knocking on the door of a small house.

"Oh." She said blankly. When he turned around to wait for somebody to answer the door, Epiphany caught a glimpse of his face.

Her jaw nearly dropped when she noticed that "Crook" was the man asking her about pads in the supermarket. Epiphany had heard all about Crook throughout the Bronx and was surprised to be able to say that she had seen him up close and actually had a few words with him, even though it was just about pads. She hadn't seen him in nearly a month since the supermarket.

Crook felt eyes on him and he looked across the street to see three girls staring at him. He made eye contact with Epiphany. He knew he had seen her from somewhere before. He continued to stare until he remembered that she was the girl from the supermarket. He nodded his head as to say "wassup." He held his gaze a little longer, taking in the fact that she looked different. He turned away once he heard the door opened.

Aaliyah was in shock. She knew that Shay and Crook weren't boyfriend and girlfriend, but he didn't even acknowledge her presence. His eyes were fixated on Epiphany and Aaliyah thought it was kind of funny.

"How come he looked at you?" Aaliyah questioned, nudging Epiphany's shoulder. She could see that Shay's ego was damaged as she sat on the steps, huffing and puffing.

"It's not like he saw her," Shay insensitively said, under her breath--- insinuating that Epiphany blended in with the darkness of outside.

"Her skin is gorgeous!" Aaliyah stood up for Epiphany, she was starting to get mad at Shay's antics. She always had something to say.

Shay scoffed under her breath, mad that Crook didn't look at her. "It's whatever. He probably wasn't even looking at me. You were next to me; he was probably looking at you since you're his boo." Epiphany said, not wanting to start conflict within her group of friends.

She didn't care what Shay said about her skin tone, because it wouldn't be the first time, she had said something about it. "Yeah, you right." Shay smiled, trying to convince herself that he was staring at her.

"I'm going home." Aaliyah said, upset. Epiphany always had to stroke Shay's ego to make her happy and Aaliyah was annoyed by Shay's blatant shade towards Epiphany. In her opinion, Epiphany looked better than Shay and she could see why Crook was staring at her. The girl was gorgeous.

"Bye bitch." Shay rolled her eyes as Aaliyah went upstairs to Shay's apartment to get the vase that Miss Lady had made for her.

"Don't be like that." Epiphany said, getting up from the steps. She was going to walk Aaliyah home.

"What? I don't like the bitch anyway."

Shay stood up as well when she noticed Crook come out of the house with his best friend, Saint. The house was Saint's friend's house that they kept a little of their supply at just in case. Crook looked back over across the street to see that there were only two girls at the doorsteps now. Shay saw him looking, so she smiled and waved, but his attention was on Epiphany who wasn't even looking.

Crook looked for a few more seconds before getting in his car with Saint and speeding off to go make power moves. Shay's blood boiled, seeing that he was indeed looking at Epiphany. Shay knew that she was going to call him later tonight to give him a piece of her mind.

Aaliyah walked side by side next to Epiphany as they headed down the block. Epiphany had said goodbye to Shay while Aaliyah just ignored her. Epiphany and Aaliyah decided they were going to visit Epiphany's father before they went home.