thesocialfables

[thesocialfables]

The sun hadn’t even reached its peak yet, and Alonzo was already robbing Peter to pay Paul, or better yet, robbing himself to pay Fargo. Sitting behind the wheel of his used 2000 Chevrolet Tahoe, Alonzo watched his phone closely. He knew it was a risk placing the bet, to begin with. Still, it was a risk he had to take. Chewing into his bottom lip anxiously, he anticipated the outcome of the virtual horserace. Betting wasn’t even his thing, but he had run out of options. He needed 10 grand by the end of the night, or his Hideaway would be gone.

“Fuck!” He called out pounding his phone into the steering wheel. He lost. A piece of him knew he would lose either way. As it seemed lately that was the only thing he was good at. Freaking out for the properly allotted time of a man in his position, Alonzo regained his composure before looking up at his strip club from the parking lot.

Alonzo wasn’t like most of the niggas he grew up with. He didn’t try to play hard, running around with guns and multiple women or acted as if selling drugs was the only way for him and his mother to get out of the projects. All his life Alonzo worked hard and followed his dreams. And for the past ten years, he had been living that dream as the owner of Heaven’s Hideaway.

“Okay.” He spoke before checking his bank account to consider placing another bet. Right now, he was 3 grand away from paying Fargo back. And while it seemed like acquiring that amount of money in less than 12 hours was a longshot, as long as nothing went wrong tonight at Heaven’s – he could possibly pull it off.

Glancing between his phone, his glove compartment, the phone, and the glove compartment, Alonzo decided the only gamble he could afford to take now was on the very same club he was drowning in debt to keep. Putting his phone away, Alonzo looked around the sparsely filled parking lot. He had started a morning shift at the club, hoping to pull in the city’s drunks and bored dope boys, but so far it was costing him more money than he was making. He glanced down at his glove compartment one more time before he caught his star dancer’s face on the club’s marquee. Seeing her face made him think of everyone he’d be letting down if he gave up now, but that just made him want to open the compartment more and numb his pains for the day. “Just gotta get through the night, and then all this shit will be over.” He reminded himself, before exiting the car and heading towards the club.

“What you was praying or something, nigga?” He heard Buddy the doorman’s voice calling across the parking lot. “Lord, please don’t let these crazy bitches stress me out today, especially Tanginika. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.” Alonzo just shook his head at Buddy’s jokes. It was too early in the day, and he had far too much going on to joke with the man.

“Don’t call them bitches.” He said closing the space between them, so he wasn’t screaming loudly for the handful of people loitering in front of the club to hear. Buddy and Alonzo had been friends since long before he purchased Heaven’s. “Why you got so much security? Ain’t nobody even here?” He questioned in a low tone while heading inside the club.

“You know how the cops be after a little shooting,” Buddy said following closely behind Alonzo. He had been calling the man since they closed the club just six hours ago. He wanted to talk to him about somethings he had heard. “And calling them, them, sounds worse than calling them bitches. I’m just saying.” He was so close behind Alonzo that when he remembered he left something in his car, they collided into each other as Alonzo stopped and turned around.

“Buddy,” Alonzo started as Buddy moved out the way to follow Alonzo back to the car. “I’ll deal with the cops, send some of these niggas home. We supposed to be making money. How we gone do that if we paying niggas to just stand around creeping everybody the fuck out?” As they walked, Alonzo’s eyes shifted between the people crowding up his lobby. He was the only one creeped out, afraid the men he was hiding from had already come to collect their payments.

“Even the Mexicans?” Buddy asked and Alonzo stopped walking. Somedays Buddy’s sense of humor was a relief, others it was annoying as well. “Well, you said niggas.”

“Yes, even the Mexicans.” Alonzo said heading back towards his car.

“Ok, cool. But I wanted to holla at you about something for a second.” As Buddy talked, Alonzo opened his car door and reached down to the floor of the backseat to pull up an MCM duffle bag. “I was at Remy’s last night – well, this morning.”

“With Dominque? Her Mom just died Buddy, maybe try to get out the friend zone another time.” Alonzo shot unzipping the bag a little to peek inside as if someone had stolen the bag of money just that fast.

“Wow, okay,” Buddy spoke, as Alonzo chuckled a bit while securing the bag close to him and doubling his stride to head back inside the club. “I don’t know what side of the bed you woke up on, but it damn sure wasn’t the nice side. Will you slow down for a minute, I’m tryna tell you something.” Alonzo exhaled for a minute before stopping to talk, for as long as it took for somebody working the front of the club to buzz him in through the lobby. “I heard some guys talking about a special promo here at the club.”

“What promo?” Alonzo asked ignoring all the calls to his name. He knew the dancers wanted nothing more but to discuss who had “stolen” what object of theirs and who would be going on the main stage tonight. But before he could answer any questions, he had to make sure there was a stage for anybody to even go on.

“See that’s the thing.” Buddy had started talking, but he didn’t finish. And as Alonzo turned to wonder why he had grown silent with a crazed look in his eye, Buddy quickly spoke back up. “Maybe we should talk in your office.”

“We can talk later, Buddy. Ain’t no promotions running. That's just niggas talking. Now, go send some of them niggas, out there, home.” As Alonzo continued walking, Buddy continued to follow him and talk.

“I know it ain’t no promotion. That’s what I’m tryna tell you. And I asked for some extra guys because Dante was still out in the parking lot after we closed.”

“He was probably waiting for his girl, Buddy. Or Tangie.”

“Well, he found Tangie. And almost got his head blow the fuck off too.” Ever since he hired her, Alonzo had grown used to Rhapsody and Dante’s bullshit. Their Ike and Tina relationship was almost the reason why he didn’t go through with hiring September. But she had a certain look he didn’t have at the club this far down the pier.

“What was she doing?” He asked because knowing Rhapsody, it could’ve been anything if there was a price tag with it.

“It looked like she was talking to Kendrix,” Buddy informed Alonzo as they reached his office. He also figured they were close enough to be alone to let Alonzo know what he was talking about. In a hushed tone, he whispered, “Probably about that special promo she offering.”

“What promo?” Alonzo responded quickly, just as his fogged brain caught up with the conversation and put it all together. “You heard this from some niggas that was at the club?” He asked and Buddy nodded his head. “Okay, tell Tangie to bring he big ass here as soon as she gets here. And in the meantime-”

“Yeah, yeah. Send the migos home, I know.” Buddy said walking away. Alonzo just shook his head before calling behind the man to tell him to find out who all was in on Rhapsody’s special.

Inside his office, Alonzo opened the safe and put the money inside. He would’ve felt relief adding it towards the money he owed Fargo if he hadn’t owed it to himself already. Alone with his desperate thoughts, Alonzo actually hoped Rhapsody was back to soliciting sex at the club. Because maybe she could cut him in for a while and they all could get out this mess together. But that was the easy way out. Alonzo hadn’t come this far to fuck up his business now. Even if he couldn’t do it for himself, he was keeping his nose clean for his business.

“You got a minute?” He heard a voice call from the doorway of his office. Caught by surprise, thinking he had closed the door behind him, he motioned September to come in. As she closed the door behind her, Alonzo already knew what the topic of the conversation would be. It was the same he had with all the girls in September’s position. As a businessman, he respected the ambition, but just because one of his dancers believed they deserved more time on the main stage – didn’t always mean they did.

“I’ve been here for almost a year now, and I think we both can agree I pull in a lot of clientele.” Alonzo just nodded his head along, fully aware of where this conversation was going. Even if September didn’t. “I would like to have my private dances in The Upper Room from now on.” Well, this was a new one.

“The Upper Room isn’t for private dances. That’s what the back is for.”

“Rhapsody has private dances up there all the time.” September dry snitched.

“Tangie,” Alonzo tired not to call the dancers by their stage name. Especially dancers he considered almost like family rather than employees. No matter how fucked up they were. “Has private clients that pays to see her in The Upper Room. If you get a request, Riva will let you know.”

“Who?” September asked and Alonzo involuntarily chuckled a little. She was asking for access to The Upper Room but didn’t know Venus’ real name. Clearing up as to who he meant, September nodded her head. “Oh. Well, I feel like I will be getting more requests. Because, I also think I should get more time on the main stage, being that I’ve been covering almost half of Echo’s dances this month.” Knowing Echo’s situation outside of the club, and that she and September didn’t necessarily get along, Alonzo ignored September once again. Before explaining to her that Echo had seniority at the club and was a featured dancer.

“If you want more stage time, you have to bring in more clientele. It’s a catch 20/20, I know, but – that’s how it is. You don’t have to cover for her though if you don’t want to.”

September and Alonzo were locked in a staring contest for a brief moment. Before September spoke first and turned to leave the office, “Okay. Maybe Fargo will understand. I heard he doesn’t play favorites. Or about his money.”

Just as September opened the door and Alonzo went to lose his cool, he noticed Venus standing by to speak to him as well, and he instantly calmed down. “You introducing yourself to the girls as Venus?” He asked as Riva stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

“If they only here for a few months,” She said sitting down in front of the desk. “She was supposed to go to college.”

“Don’t they all,” Alonzo said leaning back in his chair to stare up at the ceiling. “Can you grab the cash from the front, please? Also, in like an hour. And then every hour after that?”

“I can do that. Won’t make it $4,000, but I can do that.” Venus started working at Heaven’s seven years ago. When she first came in she was a dancer, and one of the best that Alonzo had at the time. Even giving Echo a run for her money. But one bad night at the club left Venus with fears that still haunted her in the dark of the night. When she came to Alonzo explaining that she needed to quit, he offered her the position of den mother instead. Helping the dancers out and supporting them with whatever they needed to get through the night. But Riva’s favorite part of the job was being able to tell Alonzo what to do.

“3,000. I only owe 3,000.” Alonzo responded flatly. She had been snooping around him these last few weeks trying her hardest to figure out what was going on. And with the way this day was looking, she would be getting her questions answered sooner than later anyway.

“Oh, you put it all back! I was sure a little something wasn’t going to make it back.” Alonzo just remained silent. If there was anyone he wanted to tell about the mess he had gotten himself into, it was Riva. But at the same time, he didn’t want her to worry. Because if there was anything worth saving this place for – again, it was Riva. As she began running down the list of problems she had already from the girls, Alonzo just listened to the lull of her voice and began to drift away to another place where he didn’t have any of these problems. “Also, Bianca, Tangie, or Dominique won’t be at work today.”

Hearing those words Alonzo's head sprung forward and he locked eyes with Riva. “That’s not gonna work.”

“It’s Ava’s birthday.” Riva reminded Alonzo, she had been telling the dancers he wouldn’t even be here this morning.

“I know I sent her my gift. But I still have a job, just like they do. And Bianca? How the fuck does she get a day off and she just fucking started?”

“Dominique said they all are going-”

“I KNOW WHERE THEY GOING, VENUS!” Riva remained quiet as Alonzo slammed his fist into his desk. The force from his punch was so powerful it caused the top drawer of the old desk to pop open. Slowly Alonzo’s eyes looked down into the empty drawer. “Where’s my shit?” His words were calm, yet his voice was irate. Yesterday, the messy drawer was filled with random receipts, handwritten notes, and confiscated items from the dancers. But none of that was what Alonzo expected to see. Bringing his eyes back up to look at Riva, she sat as undisturbed, challenging Alonzo’s stare with a small telling smirk.

“I cleaned your desk out this morning. I also returned several of Fargo’s calls, letting him know that neither Echo nor Lola would be working tonight.”

“Lola not here either?” Alonzo once again spoke before his brain could understand what was being said to him. The chances of Fargo actually showing up tonight for his money were now 50/50. Since neither one of the women who brought him into the club, to begin with, was not working. And that small bit of breathing room was all thanks to Riva. “Sorry,” He responded, standing from his desk and moving around the front of it to wrap his arms around her. “I really don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Although Alonzo was embracing her, Venus continued to sit still. Before turning to look him in the eyes and say, “Kill yourself.”

Releasing her, Alonzo moved back to his side of his desk and sat back down. Since the desk was completely empty, he tried to find something to do while he and Riva sat in awkward silence. “You know,” He stared and Venus rolled her eyes, before standing up herself. “I could make all the money I need if you would get back on stage. You definitely know how to put on a show. It didn’t matter what I was doing. I knew when you was up there.”

Although she had anticipated Alonzo’s stroll down memory lane. Venus’ tough exterior cracked a little, remembering the times she caught him staring herself. And ever since she became den mother, she never caught him lurking in the shadows to watch anyone else as he did with her. “I’ll do it,” He was joking when he said it, but with the way things were looking – he wasn’t going to try and talk her out of it. “If you tell me what’s really going on with you.”

Alonzo smiled a little, relieved. He didn’t want Riva on stage again no more than she wanted to be. “I was joking, Riva. Everything’s fine. Whatever you found in that drawer probably didn’t even belong to me.”

“And how do you know what I found?” The silence between them grew in size, but this time it wasn’t awkward. It was clear that she was waiting for an answer from him – a truthful answer.

“I don’t.” He said flatly, hoping that was enough for Venus to go back to work. “Can you tell the Siamese twins – well, I guess they The Three Stooges now – that they can come to work after the party. Tangie’s mom can take her to King’s Point. Or better yet, her fucking dad can, instead of moping around my club.”

“Whatever you say, Alonzo.” As the door slammed behind Venus, it was clear she did not believe anything he was saying. But that was a conversation the two of them could have at another time. Right now, he needed to make sure he got the three grand he needed to make ends meet. Or else he’d definitely need what was at the bottom of his drawer, hidden underneath a bunch of trash, so he could sell half of it and save his club.

“Fuck!” Alonzo groaned. Heaven’s had been open for five hours already and he hadn’t even put a dent into what he owed Fargo. Getting up from his desk, he headed to the front to make sure he had collected all the money. On his way, he considered giving September what she wanted and asking Venus to dance. He had seven hours left and was looking for nothing short of a miracle at this point.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, he heard Rhapsody’s distinguished laugh coming from the locker rooms. Thanking God, he rushed towards her voice to try and convince the woman to get on stage and bring some money in for his saving.

“Uh-uh, Lonzo. Buddy already told me you looking for my fat ass. But like I told him, I am not here. I just came to get these children some lunch money and then we off to King’s Point, baby!” She lifted her hand for the man to give her a high-five, but Alonzo just stated at her. “Well, fuck you too nigga.” She said, before telling the girl who thought she was gonna send her kid’s to the theme park without their own money, goodbye and going to leave the club. “Whatever you want to yell at me about, that shit can wait until I’m back tomorrow. But thank you for actually picking a present out for Ava. You know how many broke motherfuckers just showed up with slime?”

“Tangie, if you and Dominique not back here tonight, y’all getting fired.” His voice was stern as if he meant every word. As other dancers passed by them in the hall, lingering around to see what Rhapsody would say next, she remained silent as she headed towards his office. So she could call his bluff in private.

“Now,” She said stopping her stride when they were around the corner and secluded from everyone else. “You know damn well you can’t afford to lose us right now.” As Alonzo went to give Rhapsody a spiel about how he was the boss and what he said goes, Rhapsody just continued talking, “How much do you need this time?” Alonzo kissed his teeth before Rhapsody over talked his response once more. “I know I talk a lot of shit, but you know you can ask me for whatever. Don’t be fucking threatening my job. Especially in front of these bitches, that just make us both look bad.”

The amount he needed was on the tip of his tongue, but Alonzo couldn’t bring himself to say it. Too many times now did Rhapsody pull money out of her tities to bail him out. Other than being down for him since the day he opened this place, it was partially the reason why Rhapsody acted like it was her name on the deed. “I said what I said. Be back here tonight, or I’mma let y’all go.”

Rhapsody stared at Alonzo blankly, hoping that he would just put his pride to the side and tell her what he needed. “Well…we had a good run. Good luck, Lonzo.” Instead of pulling money out of her bra, she gave him the key to Echo’s dressing room, which she had got from Kendrix last night. Knowing that Dominique would’ve come in herself to access the room rather than giving Tangie her key – and Buddy never let his out of his sight – it was clear where she had gotten it from. As Alonzo watched her saunter away, he felt the weight on his chest double over as his fist broke through the wall he was standing next to.

Alone in his office, Alonzo continued to express himself by destroying his office in a blind rage. He was six hours away from losing everything he had worked for and he was starting to just admit the defeat. Once there wasn’t anything left in his path to destroy, he slid down the wall behind the door and stared blankly ahead of him.

“Alonzo,” He heard a voice call from on the other side of the cracked door. He knew he closed it this time, however, he had slammed it so hard, it bounced back open. Although he didn’t ask her to, Lola carefully stepped inside. “Is this a bad time?”

Alonzo chuckled to himself at the stupid question. He knew she could care less if this was a bad time or not. She wanted more time on stage and her picture in the club’s slideshow just as much as Echo’s. Just like the rest of these bitches did. “What do you want?” He mustered up. Of course, she offered to come back, but Alonzo just stood to his feet and picked up a chair for her to sit in. Before sliding his body back down to the floor where he belonged.

As he predicted, Lola began to ask for extra stage time. Until she paused for a moment, before saying, “You know what…don't even worry about it.” As she spoke, she sat down on the floor next to Alonzo. “You just got some bad news or something?” She asked in a sweet, calming voice.

“I’ve been getting bad news every day, for so long, I don’t even know what good news is anymore.” Alonzo laughed defeated for a moment, leaning his head against the wall to stare up at the ceiling, hoping an answer would fall from the cracks.

“What’s wrong? Is it something I could do to help?” Alonzo could feel Lola’s hand move across his groin and sat up to lock eyes with her. But he had no strength left to fight the woman off. As the stare between them grew one-sided in its intensity, Alonzo had given up. In the silence of his office, Lola unzipped Alonzo’s jeans and carefully slipped her hands into his boxers. As she did it, the only thought on Alonzo’s mind was, he was better than this. He had been able to run Heaven’s, for ten years, without making one mistake. Believing it was because he couldn’t be played as easily as his customers could. But as her grip softly tightened around his dick, and she began to move her hand up and down at the perfect rhythm, he understood that too was a dream he had been selling himself.

Never breaking his eye contact with the woman, Alonzo remained silent. Soon his breathing began to match hers and all his problems left his mind. His eyes continued to follow Lola’s as she moved to lay face down in his lap. Alonzo wanted to stop her, but he had finally found a way to be numb to everything – but her touch. Thankfully, before the warmth of her mouth engulfed his dick, he caught Echo’s face through the crack of his office door and quickly jumped up from his place at the bottom. “DOMINIQUE!” He called behind her as she briskly walked down the hall. “Come on, give me a second to explain.”

“Oh, I’m not the one you need to explain yourself too. Riva called me. At seven o’clock this morning.” If his day wasn’t already bad, it had just gotten worse. “You know, she tried to convince me I had this big party wanting to book me for The Upper Room tonight. But I could hear it in her voice, she was saving you once again. And that’s what you do.”

“Dom, that was nothing.”

“I don’t even know what you’re so worked up about. You got all that you need, right in there.”

“Hold on, are you seriously making this about you right now?” Alonzo shouted. He waited for a second to see if his lethargic brain needed to play catch up, but Echo’s statement was very clear. “After the shit, you pulled last night? I lost money. I’m tryna make that shit up. You should be fucking thanking me, you and Tangie. All the shit y’all pulled all these years. I should’ve been fired y’all. You make don’t make no fucking rules, Dom.”

While Alonzo deflected, Echo stood still. She very much was making this about her. That’s why she was a stripper and not a nurse. She came before everything and everybody. And while Alonzo may have been so down on his luck he had forgotten that for a moment – Lola didn’t. “Bianca’s ready to go on stage, and I think her picture should go on the marquee too. You can take one of hers down.” As quickly as he had bossed up, Alonzo broke down as he fell to Echo’s feet in tears, thanking her over and over. He didn’t want to miss Ava’s birthday either, but he had fucked up so bad. “Get up!” She called through clenched teeth. She hadn’t seen Lola leave his office yet, and she didn’t want her to see Alonzo like this. “Next time you need something, just say it. I don’t ever want to see someone taking advantage of you like that again.” Passing him a napkin to wipe his face Echo continued with her demands for saving his ass. “Tangie said she’ll be back midnight, and Remy’s is on you tonight.”

Even though he could barely afford even that, he just nodded his head, agreeing to everything.

Once word had gotten out that Echo was in the club earlier than the sun went down, business was starting to pick up just as Alonzo hoped it would. Traveling from the lobby with another cache of money, he was beginning to think he could pull this off. He had saved himself once again – well, Heaven’s did.

That feeling lasted all of five minutes, as he rounded the corner towards his office. Spotting two of Fargo’s henchmen, waiting for him. Clearing the lump in his throat, Alonzo approached them. “Wassup fellas? I thought I had until closing before I’d see y’all faces again.” He joked, trying to seem unruffled.

“We just wanted to stop by and make sure everything was cool until then.” Kendrix spoke, as Alonzo led the way into his office for him and Peace to follow. Inside, Alonzo took his seat behind the desk. While Peace stood in front of the door, and Kendrix sat down to meet Alonzo’s gaze.

“Yeah,” He spoke a little nervous. “You can tell Fargo, I’mma have everything I owe him tonight.” Kendrix nodded his head while adjusting himself to sit back in the old chair.

“You see, I could do that...but, how I know that’s the truth? You not tryna make me a liar again, are you Lonzo? I thought we was cool.” As intimidated as the slow pacing in his voice wanted him to be, Alonzo began to fumble over his words as he once again explained, he’d have all the money he owed at closing time. “I heard you the first time. But, what I didn’t hear…was my name.” Alonzo paused for a moment, shifting his eyes between Peace and Kendrix. “Refresh my memory. How did you end up owing Fargo 10Gs?”

“Ummm,” Alonzo started. Under his desk, he checked to make sure his gun was still there after Riva’s clean up. For his sake – it was. As he continued talking and slowly placing the gun in his lap, finger on the trigger. “I started borrowing against myself. A lot of the time I wanted…to cop, you know. And I didn’t always have the all money. Fargo would let me slide. Say I could pay him back next time.”

“Fargo did?” Kendrix asked, his eyes never moving from Alonzo. Watching the man menacingly as he slowly nodded his head, watching both him and Peace at the same time. “See, that’s I’m talking about,” Kendrix said turning back to look at Peace, before facing Alonzo once more. “Cause…I could’ve sworn, you was buying from me. Fargo didn’t even know where this place was. Until we got up to 10Gs. Then it became a matter of interest to him.” As Kendrix spoke, he’d occasionally look over his shoulder at Peace. As if three men were having a casual conversation, rather than discussing Alonzo’s life – or Alonzo’s death. “But you see…you still owe me. And seeing how I was here first. I should get paid first, don’t you think?” At that point, Kendrix’s stare grew in intensity. While Peace revealed his own gun, he too had his finger on the trigger, just in case Alonzo didn’t understand what was going on. “I know I do. And I don’t have no interest in a whack ass strip club. I prefer cash. 10Gs.”

“So I’m supposed to pay you and Fargo, 10Gs, by the end of the night, really? Come on, Kendrix. You killing me here.” As he spoke, Alonzo put his gun back in the holster. He knew in a quick draw, Peace would win.

“Yeah, I know,” Kendrix said laughing while standing from his seat. Alonzo chuckled along skeptically, watching as Peace put his gun away as well. “I’ll just take five now. You get me rest when you can. I know you good for it. It’s Fargo that’s tripping, right?” Alonzo paused for a moment. Surveying the two men’s faces as they eerily laughed amongst themselves, Alonzo hoped they were just fucking with him. And they were here to really make sure Alonzo had all of Fargo’s money. “Is it in the safe? Or do I gotta get from Riva?”

“It’s in the safe.” Alonzo quickly spoke up, not wanting to get Riva any more involved in his mess than she already was. As he turned to pull the money out, he looked at his gun. Maybe now he could catch Peace off guard and end this nightmare, once and for all. Give Fargo his money, and tell him that Kendrix was making moves behind his back. That was until Kendrix poured his bullets out on the top of the desk.

“I was gone let you keep these motherfuckas, these old ass bullets. They probably say bang…like in the cartoons and shit,” To add insult to injury, Kendrix acted out the cartoon scene. Forming a gun with his hands, aimed at Alonzo, and shouting bang. Actually causing him to jump a little when he did it. “Oh shit chill, Lonzo. Can’t have nothing happen to you until the boss man sees you. Matter fact,” Kendrix dug in his pockets and dropped a small baggie with four pills of Pure onto the desk. “Here, my treat. I swear.” As Alonzo passed the money over to Kendrix, he eyed the designer drug. He wanted to take it so bad, but that’s how he ended up stuck in this cycle in the first place.

After the two men left, Alonzo wasted no time flipping out again and tossing his heavy oak desk over. He was so close to finally paying Fargo off. And now was back right where he had started this morning, with only six more hours to go. Cursing himself, and nobody else, Alonzo was ready to give up.

“Alonzo, stop!” Echo’s voice filled the room.

“I can’t do this shit no more, Dom.” Alonzo continued destroying the office Riva had cleaned up once today already. “I’m done. Fuck everything. Fuck Fargo, Kendrix, and this fucking club! Fuck it all. He can have this shit! I’m better off without it.” Echo watched Alonzo drown in his pity, and she wanted to leave him there so badly. Everything in Alonzo’s life was going right until he started taking Pure. He would’ve been better off just snorting coke with the girls in the locker room, than fucking with the addictive drug. However, over the last ten years, as cliché as it was, they had grown into a family at Heaven’s. And even as he threw a tantrum like a four year, Echo was proud of Alonzo. He built a respectable business from the ground up and had helped so many people out while doing so. It was easy for people on the outside to assume things about Alonzo or the dancers, but the truth was, they all were just using what they had – to get what they wanted.

“This is the last time, I tell you to get up today.” Alonzo sniffled a little, before wiping away his tears and standing to his feet. “How much do you need?”

“5Gs. I had it too, Dom-”

“You still got it. It’ll be here at midnight. Until then, wipe your face, clean up your mess, and I wanna show you something.” Alonzo shook his head. He was sad he had to take money from Dominique, or Tangie, once again, but he was also relieved. So relieved, his thoughts were clear enough to question how he was supposed to come to see something and clean up his mess at the same time. “Don’t get cute,” She responded before kneeling down to pick up the bag of drugs and exit the office. As she continued talking, she and Alonzo walked side-by-side from the back halls of the club to the floor, where they could clearly see the main stage. “You need to stop this shit. And that’s not a suggestion. I’ll handle Fargo, this time. But if you just go out and get you another dealer, I’m done. We’re all done.”

Alonzo was listening to everything Dominique was saying. Thankfully, she wasn’t looking for a response because he damn sure didn’t have one, not while his eyes were fixated on Cameo’s dance. It wasn’t the packed crowd they were used to after the sun went down, but Echo had proved she could draw a crowd at any time of the day. And it seemed Cameo could too.

Money was flying from every direction as she danced on the stage, working the pole, the floor, and her body in perfect harmony. From across the room, Alonzo could feel her eyes peering deep into his soul, begging him to come close and touch her – and he almost did. Until Echo reminded him that he was her boss, just as he felt his dick harden from her glare.

[thesocialfables]

“So you met his imaginary ass brother today, huh?” Syn questioned Amina as she wrapped thick glossy lips around the White Owl the group had stuffed with Gelato Cookies.

“Oh, he definitely wasn’t imaginary.” Amina responded, smiling brightly and working to pair the White Owl with a Backwood of Hindu Kush.

“I told you, you was gone like him.” Legacy bragged, working to stuff his ripped Dutch with OG Kush. “He corny as hell, just like yo ass.” He said before ignoring yet another phone call to his phone.

“Why don’t you just turn it off?” Syn asked before showing off her perfectly pearled blunt. “Pay up motherfuckers!”

“Whatever, you get the ripped shit next time.” Legacy said tossing the tragic blunt aside and picking up his phone. “And I can’t. Fuck around my Momma be on the beach screaming my name.”

“So what was his weird-ass name?” Syn asked lighting the blunt. “You still gotta roll that by the way, honey. Otherwise, you ain’t hitting this.”

“Hitting what?” Legacy flirted as Syn rolled her eyes at his charm.

“This,” She said passing the blunt to Amina, before lifting her leg open to tap on her pussy. “Or this.”

Legacy kissed his teeth as Amina answered her question. “Reynard. He almost shit himself talking to me, though.”

The group all laughed as Syn lounged back in the bean bag chair, and lit the second blunt for their rotation. “Reynard? That’s weirder than weird.”

“I like it, it’s distinguished. Better than Rain.” Legacy and Syn both agreed that Rain was better than Reynard and the two of them would be perfectly corny together. “Whatever. He’s super cute too, Syn. Like- I can’t wait to be on some Ghost shit with him at the bookstore.”

“Y’all gone be killing, motherfuckers?” Syn joked as she choked on the smoke from the blunt. While Amina explained she meant the movie, Legacy just shook his head.

Legacy was the baby nobody saw coming. Before he was born, his parents had officially called it quits and had separated. Before a small backslide led to six more years of them trying to make their relationship work. All of his life, his father had lived elsewhere. Whenever the man did spend some time with his boys, it was usually over at their grandmother’s house, since at any given moment Desmond could be involved in some shit that they didn’t need to see. So he grew up on all of the things kids his age considered old.

“How you be knowing all of this shit?” Syn said attempting to pass the blunt. However, Legacy was still trying to work with the ripped cigar. “Just give it here.”

“Naw, I got it.” As Legacy’s lips wrapped around the blunt, Syn watched closely growing wet watching his lips and tongue work the cigar.

“Do Reynard got them lips though?” Syn joked and Amina agreed.

“Oh yes. His might even be a little bigger, though. And sexier, definitely sexier.” Legacy stuck his middle finger up at the girl before sitting back on the couch inside Amina’s pool house. “So, I’m I getting a neighbor or what?”

“I don’t know. He gotta talk to Moms first. She might let him if Heir says so.” Legacy ignored the two girls’ predictable comments about his older brother, and silenced his phone once more, while he continued talking, “She been babying Rain ever since she had post-partum.”

“How do you know all of this? Ain’t you the baby, Little Man.” Syn teased as Legacy swap blunts with the girl.

“Man, when you got that many kids, adults don’t give a fuck what they say in front of you.” He said, and Amina agreed. Coming for a big family herself she could relate to learning the secrets behind the family secrets before she even knew who they were talking about.

“Why you two just don’t hook up, y’all got so much in common?” Syn questioned and both of her friends looked at her. “Oh, because of me.”

Amina rolled her eyes, while Legacy gave Syn the reassurance she needed to know she was the only girl he was fucking – on this side of the city. “He got a girlfriend though. I ain’t tryna get involved in no drama this summer. I wanna go off to college, guilt-free. Make all my mistakes there, and then bring my ass home.”

While Legacy was of course going to Smithdale University Uptown, Amina was going to Dépänd School of Art in Mamey Grove and Syn would be going all the way to Harmon College in Mason. He didn’t know he had a choice between the two girls when they first invited him over, Amina being more reserved about her intentions with the boy compared to Syn. However, when Legacy heard she was going miles away for school – he chose to spend his time down at the beach in Syn before going off to college.

“Oh, you finally texting her back?” Syn asked as the group swap blunts and she noticed Legacy texting. “Or is that your Mommy.” She teased.

“Naw, this Karin.” Legacy said with a smile. “She on her lunch break.”

“That’s yo favorite, ain’t it?” Amina asked, noticing the genuine smile on Legacy's face with every push to his screen.

Legacy responded by nodding his head with the same goofy smile Amina now couldn’t get out her head, “I been fucking with Karin since I knew what to do with it.”

“What?” Syn asked sitting up to look Legacy in his eyes. Amina looked over to the girl to see if she detected jealously in her tone, while Legacy didn’t look up until he was done texting Karin back. “What the fuck you doing, sending that bitch a novel?”

“Woah!” Both Legacy and Amina called out with laughter, as Syn tried to walk back her slip up.

“You not, catching feelings are you? This not that. We talked about this.” Amina checked her own phone to avoid being caught between the temporary lover’s quarrel. Especially after Legacy finished up his statement by saying, “And don’t ever call her out her name again.”

“Relax, I’m sorry for offending you and little Miss Karin. I was just caught off guard. I thought all your bitches were new bitches.”

“Syn, he just said.” Amina sweetly injected, as Syn went to explain she didn’t call Karin a bitch specifically. Legacy just shook his head. He really liked fucking Syn, she treated sex like a bucket list of things she wanted to do before going off to college. It would be a shame to have to cut her off so early in the summer because she couldn’t keep her emotions in check.

“It’s cool. I probably should’ve been more open.” Legacy teased, recanting the ‘rules’ Syn had for him before they began sleeping together. “Only new bitch is you. I’ve been fucking both of them for damn near forever.”

“See, I didn’t know that. That changes things.”

“How?”

“You don’t think they got feelings for you? One more missed phone call and Ta-ta-da-licious gone come find yo ass. And I don’t want that type of drama. Right, Amina.”

“Leave me out of this.” She said before sitting back on the mismatched wicker love seat and focusing on her cell phone and her own entanglements.

“Me too.” Legacy said attempting to pass the blunt to Syn, who just stared at him. He wanted to just call it a night and go back to his father’s house and talk to Karin for the remainder of her break, but Syn’s chinky doe-eyes caught him in a trance. “Karin got a real boyfriend, so you ain’t gotta worry about her.”

“And the other one.”

“She ain’t even got a car.”

“Neither did you a few weeks ago.” Amina added. As Syn tried to use her comment to justify her jealous, Legacy stared at Amina.

“See, you was supposed to be on my side. Now, I’m not giving you Reynard number.”

“You weren’t giving it to me anyway!” Amina shouted sitting up, as Legacy leaned in to switch blunts with her instead of Syn, he showed her a text from Rain saying it was okay if he gave the girl his number. “Oh my god! Syn, be nice.”

“Damn, bitch, you that thirsty for some dick?” She shot before standing. “Gimme my blunt, I’m going home before Little Man gets the spot blown up.” Amina rolled her eyes before passing the girl her White Owl back. “If y’all can just pick names now, why the fuck would you keep Little Man, little man.”

“Man shut the fuck up and take yo hurt ass home. Don’t nobody smoke no fucking White Owl anyway.” Amina tried not to laugh as she sat back and worked on her message to Rain.

“I bet you would like it if I went home. Test the product before you send it off to your brother. That’s what you do, right?”

“It was hard not to tell him I already met Heaven’s fine ass.”

“And don’t tell him how old you is either.”

“Why not?”

“Reynard do not break no rules.”

“Well, shit how old is he?”

“It don’t even matter. You say 17, he gone say too old for you.”

“Really?” Syn spoke up, breaking Amina and Legacy’s laughter.

“I’m not finna chase you, Syn. My dick good, it’s okay. Now stop trippin’ and sit down.” Amina rolled her eyes before heading into her bedroom inside the pool house, while Legacy motioned for Syn to sit next to him on the couch. “Or you can go home, flick your bean, and just wish you was still here with me.”

“You stink.” Juliette’s voice called, causing Legacy’s eyes to open. Taking in the view of his new-old bedroom, he dodged the sun from his splitting headache. He had no idea how he ended up back at his mother’s house. “Why you in my house, anyway?”

“Dang, Momma.” He said sitting up slowly and quickly checking to make sure there wasn’t a girl somewhere inside the room with him. “I was only supposed to be gone for a few weeks. You and your little boyfriend kicking me out now?”

“Don’t worry about me and mines. What you looking for? A girl. I already put her out.” Legacy just stared at his mother. He may have been fucked up, but he was 100% sure his mother was not this clam after finding another girl in his room this month.

“No Momma, I’m not. I actually kinda missed you.” Legacy spoke, it was the truth. He wanted to come and see the woman yesterday when he asked about coming to get some more of his clothes. But she claimed she wouldn’t be home and sent Rain instead.

“Boy, save that shit for your little girlfriend. You ain’t missed shit but a bath. Get up and get that fucking car out of my driveway. And now, not later. Matter fact, get yo ass back in it and go back to your Daddy’s house.” Legacy chuckled to himself as he listened to his mother continue to talk about him as she headed up the stairs of his house.

Grabbing his keys, he followed his mother’s orders and headed outside to move his car. Stepping out into the sun, Legacy felt like a vampire as he shielded his eyes and rubbed his head to soothe his splitting headache. That was until he heard,

“Oh shit! The champ is here!” from the porch of his brothers’ house next door. Legacy had no idea what Dasun was screaming about. Looking back at his mother’s house, he figured she’d be okay for a few minutes as he walked over to the porch.

“What you talking about?” Legacy questioned, cuing Shadow and Dasun’s laughter.

“Yo ass really was fucked up last night, huh?” Heaven questioned, as Legacy looked at three of his older brothers – utterly confused.

“Okay, what happened for real? Cause he shouldn’t know shit.”

“Oh is that’s a house arrest joke?” Heaven defended himself, before continuing, “So why the fuck you call me first?”

“Call you for what?” Legacy questioned over Shadow and Dasun’s laughter.

“You gotta come get me, Heaven. I don’t wanna die.” Shadow teased, recanting Legacy’s after-hours distress call he put out to all his brothers.

“Just don’t tell Heir. He ain’t gone let Reynard come live with me.” Dasun finished up before laughing uncontrollably.

“And when the fuck did you start calling him Reynard?” Heaven asked in-between his own laughs.

“When he fucked up apparently.” Shadow answered before he and Dasun went back to laughing over each other.

“Man,” Legacy said checking for his mother while his brothers teased him. Before stepping closer to Heaven, who had found the perfect spot on the porch to stay out of their mother’s view.

“Naw, move Big Man! This spot only works for one nigga.” Heaven said pushing him away.

“Would you fucking clowns just tell me what happened?” Legacy asked stepping back to look at his brothers all laughing at him, with tears forming in their eyes.

“Oh shit, you alive?” Rain asked stepping outside. Even his girlfriend, Kendie, seemed to know how Legacy had gone from fucking Syn on Amina’s couch to waking up in his old bedroom smelling like 1942 and sourdough bread.

“Will you tell me what happened?” He asked, but Rain’s eyes diverted to Kendie, trailing behind him.

“I just know how much you love me, bro.” Legacy accepted Rain’s joke, simply because it obviously had something to do with girls and he couldn’t explain it all in front of Kendie.

“Whatever, nobody told Heir, though right?”

“How you think you got here? I couldn’t come to get you.” Heaven said and Legacy began to throw a fit while his brothers all laughed at him. Pulling his phone out of pocket to see if there was something in it that could point him in the direction he needed to piece together his missing hours.

“Stop teasing him.” Karin’s voice filled the porch as she whispered through the house’s screen door to avoid being detected by Juliette.

“Hold on, I know you didn’t sleep in there.”

“Relax slugger. She slept in my room.” Heaven said igniting the porch’s laughter as Legacy slipped inside to talk to Karin since his brothers were going to be no help in helping him understand what happened last night.

“I did not. Well, I did sleep here. But not in Heaven’s room. Kendie and Rain – Reynard – slept on the couch.”

“That’s what he said his name was.” Legacy said, knowing he could trust Karin with anything.

“So you did introduce him to that girl. I thought you fucked her, already?” Karin inquired. She had been trying to figure out what Legacy had been up to down at his father’s since a Facetime call was interrupted by his late-night smoke buddies.

“She’s not my type.”

“Oh, so she single.”

“What happened!” He called for Karin to tell him, as he sat down on the couch to figure it all out himself, texting Amina first and then looking over his messages to Karin.

“Okay, easy killer. Tanika threw TaKisha a party last night. I guess she ended up getting into Smithdale after all.”

“What?” Legacy said. Now, much more concerned with that news than whatever happened.

“Yeah, guess y’all gone be seeing each other more than you thought.” Legacy shook his head while keeping his eyes on Karin’s petite frame as she disappeared into the kitchen for a moment. “Anyway. You must’ve shown up to her party around one or two. You called me after I got off at 4:30 and said your brothers wouldn’t come to get you and you were too fucked up to drive. I had my sister drive me over there, picked you up, got in your car and I brought you back here. I was gonna gone home myself, but that bitch took my car out west.”

“How the fuck you getting your car back?”

“Well,” She started and Legacy shook his head. “Don’t. I literally picked you up from another bitch’s house.”

“Fair enough.” Legacy said still going through his phone to figure out what else he had done.

“Apparently you and him fought, like y’all always do.”

“Well, you need to keep your boyfriend on a leash.” Karin just stared at Legacy. He was the one who started the fight.

“You just need to leave big boy drugs to the big boys.” She said before heading back into the kitchen.

“Why y’all keep talking in riddles?” He called to the girl, looking at all the Snaps he had taken from the party. Thankfully, not one had Karin, TaKisha, or Syn in them. Even fucked up, he was still player of the year.

“You took some Pure last night. And nobody called Heir.” Legacy relaxed a little, as Karin passed him a cup of coffee, an aspirin, and a quickly made breakfast sandwich of scrambled eggs, cheese, and a sausage patty. Legacy took the aspirin and coffee but refused the sandwich, “You gone want something on your stomach when you start going through withdrawals.”

“Withdrawals?”

“What you think Prue is? It’s Molly and Coke, you gone have withdrawals. Unless your little thotiana hooked you up with another pill.”

“At least, Heir don’t know.” Legacy said sipping his coffee

“Well, he was there.” In a dramatic response, Legacy spit the coffee out and Karin screamed. From the porch, he could hear his brothers laughing – assuming Karin had got to the part when Heir locked the boy in a room by himself to wait for Karin to come to get him.

“Why was he there?” Legacy asked as Karin closed the door to drown out his brothers’ laughter.

“It was a party, and he sells drugs. Look, Deangelo on his way to get me from my Aunts.”

“I can take you home.”

“Can you take me to get my car?” Legacy paused for a moment. He had nothing to do and wouldn’t mind driving the girl to West Catlin to get her car from her trifling sister, but that felt like a boyfriend’s job. “Exactly.”

“I’ll do it.” He said, mostly because he didn’t want Karin to leave just this second and wanted to spend time with her since he was sober.

“Thanks, Little Man, but- Deangelo already don’t believe that I’m not with you. And after y’all childish ass fight, he could use the win.” Legacy rolled his eyes thinking about Karin’s boyfriend. What he said last night to Syn was true. He had lost his virginity to Karin, but he had also been beefing with her boyfriend Deangelo since then. “When did you and TaKisha start fucking around again anyway? Cause I still ain’t even seen a carpet fiber from your momma house.”

“You always at work.” Legacy mumbled and Karin smiled, before leaning in to kiss his cheek.

“I don’t have to work tonight or tomorrow. Soon as I come back, and ditch Deangelo. I’ll take you to my nephew's garage.”

“He got some fucking heat in there yet?”

“Beggars can’t be choosers.” She said grabbing her purse and heading towards the back of the house to escape without Juliette spotting her. “Also,” She said doubling back to whisper in Legacy’s ear. “TaKisha has been fucking with Quentin, lately. But then again you probably knew that. That’s why you fucking her, witcho side piece ass. Bye!”

“Bye.” Legacy flatly said watching Karin leave the house. “Wait, what?” He called back to her. However, Karin was long gone. Looking over his shoulder to make sure the door was close and Heaven couldn’t overhear him, Legacy called TaKisha to speak directly to the source.

“What?” TaKisha answered the phone after two rings, however, her tone made it clear she was not happy to hear from the boy.

“What you mad at me or something?” He said playing it cool and moving back towards the kitchen.

“You ruined my party by fighting your ex-bitches boyfriend. Then your brother had to lock you up like a fucking animal because you wouldn’t clam down. On top of that, you called me Karin, Syn, and Amina. Whoever the fuck they are. Then you told me it didn’t matter what my name was anyway. Because you were just gone forget us all when you go off to college. The same college I’m going to by the way.”

“Congratulations?”

“What do you want, Legacy?”

“I wanna make it up to you.” He said leaning on the kitchen’s island, and looking towards the front door to make sure it was still closed.

“Oh really? How the fuck you gone do that Legacy? I don’t want your little dick after you done showed it to everybody.”

“I really hope you mean figuratively.”

“No, literally nigga. I told you not to take that shit. But you were too focused on Deangelo to even hear me.”

“I’m sorry, Kisha. Please let me make it up to you.”

“How, nigga? You fucking embarrassed me. You lucky my boyfriend wasn’t there. I didn’t even ask you to come.”

“You called me like 100 times.”

“For Heir’s number, motherfucka. If you weren’t so busy ignoring me, you would’ve known that.” Legacy just shook his head, thinking to himself So why would I just show up to your party? Especially, after I had just got me some ass. “I told you to stay your high ass down at the beach. You were already done when you finally called me back. But nope. Nobody can ever tell Little Man, shit.”

“That fucking moonshine.” Legacy mumbled to himself, reminded that after he and Syn finished fucking, Amina came out of her bedroom with a bottle of the strong liquor for them to drink. “So, how you get Heir number?”

“Legacy, I’mma talk to you later.” Before she could hang up, Legacy begged her to stay on the phone. Admitting that he was just trying to understand what happened last night. “We both know how I got Heir number. You know I’m dating Quentin now, that’s the only reason why you so interested me. That, and the fact, Karin dumbass stuck here working at that warehouse and ain’t got no time for your bullshit no more. Go fuck your brother and leave me alone.”

“Aye!” Legacy called out. She was right. The only reason why he started having sex with TaKisha, to begin with, was that her older sister was Tanika, Heaven’s girlfriend. And as quiet as it was kept, Heaven had tried to talk to TaKisha first, but she was too young for him. So he settled with Tanika. And now with TaKisha dating one of his oldest friends, it was like Legacy was doubling down on pissing Heaven off. “I told you I wanna make it up to you. But if you just gone be mean, I guess I’ll just talk to you later.”

“You still ain’t told me how you gone make it up to me, nigga.”

“Wanna go to the beach?”

Even Legacy believed staying with Desmond would be a cakewalk, but he was still trying to prove himself to Juliette with rules almost as ridiculous as hers. So Legacy didn’t even bother with trying to sneak TaKisha into his father’s house with all the alarms he had set up to alert him of Legacy’s comings and goings.

“Can we not go in the house?” TaKisha asked as they sat in the driveway. “You could’ve took me back home if that was the case.”

Legacy just sighed heavily, as he wanted for Amina to text him back. Although she and Syn had been friends longer than him and her, she was cool as hell, offering her pool house up to Legacy to use whenever he wanted. Since he couldn’t have girls over past a certain hour at Desmond’s. He was just waiting for her to give him the go-ahead. Afraid that Syn would forget what they discussed and show up to ruin everything.

On the other hand, with all the complaining TaKisha had done all day long, he was wondering was all of this really worth getting under Heaven’s skin. Legacy respected all of his older brothers, even Shadow. Heir took to the streets to provide for them after Desmond was locked up, while Dasun was the family’s protector ready to beat whoever he had to up for the boys, and Shadow as like Mr. Mom – since he was cooking and cleaning up behind his babies anyway. While living with Heaven, was hell. Stuck in the middle flying under Juliette’s radar, Heaven got away with murder. Starting little fires to distract their mother from the bullshit he was up to behind her back. While Rain had grown up to just accept this was the way things were, Legacy never forgave Heaven for the beating he got after Juliette rushed home early one day to find Legacy and Karin alone in their apartment. Meanwhile, Heaven was stealing her house key to make his own copy, so he could come and go in the dead of the night while she was sleeping.

“Come on,” Legacy spoke to TaKisha after Amina finally texted him back. She assured him that Syn wouldn’t be a problem as the two were going Uptown to a nightclub and the pool house was all his. “And don’t ask me a bunch of questions. Last time I kicked it with you, we was stuck in a living room with your dying uncle.”

“He is not dying. It’s just an oxygen tank.” To get through the rest of the night, Legacy just envisioned the look on Heaven’s face when he found out that he was fucking his best friend’s girl. “Damn, your Daddy rich as hell. We going in here?” TaKisha commented along their walk through the backyard and down to the beach.

“Didn’t I say don’t ask questions?” Legacy said, peeking through the window of their pool house to see if it was still unlocked. At this point, he’d fuck her right on the sand just to shut her up.

“I ain’t know you were serious.” were TaKisha’s final words as she quietly followed Legacy down the beach towards Amina’s pool house. “Can I talk at least?” She questioned once they were inside. However, Legacy was done with hearing her voice as he grabbed her waist tightly and pushed his lips against hers. Parting her lips with his tongue, Legacy multitasked kissing her with lifting the girl’s body to sit her on the counter of the kitchenette and reaching up her skirt to pull down her panties. “Fuck,” TaKisha moaned out as Legacy’s kisses moved down below. “Legacy,” She moaned out. At first, he thought it was from the work his tongue was putting in. That was until she called it three more times in a row before pulling his head from between her legs.

As Legacy went to question what she could possibly want now, He noticed Amina and Syn standing in the doorway of her bedroom. As Syn began laughing loudly, Amina spoke up. “I thought you meant, in like an hour or something. We haven’t left yet.”

“You said go head.” Legacy spoke getting off his knees, as TaKisha slid off the counter to stand behind him.

“Yeah, ‘go head’, in like an hour or something. You didn’t even say you were back, already.” While Syn just continued to laugh, Amina figured she’d be the adult in the situation and introduce them. “I’m Amina, and this my girlfriend-”

“Symera.” Syn spoke, stepping closer to shake TaKisha’s hand, but Amina pulled her back.

“Don’t mind us, we were just getting ready to leave. Just lock the door behind you.”

“Oh, but baby,” Syn said playing along with Amina’s lie. “Wouldn’t you rather stay here and finally get to know, TaKisha right? Little Man talks about you practically all the time. We can stay for just a little while right babe?”

“Naw, y’all should get going. Maybe another time.” Legacy spoke up eyeing Syn.

“Legacy cut it out. You said you were trying to make up ruining my party. So far all we did was eat salty ass pretzel and stare at the ocean. We could’ve done that on the boardwalk.” TaKisha spoke up, excited to get to know anybody close to the boy that was not one of his lying ass brothers.

“We have a reservation though, honey. Maybe next time you’re here.” Amina said pulling Syn towards the door.

“We can cancel them, babe. Please, just for a little while.” Syn asked pulling out a blunt and sitting down on the couch she and Legacy had just fucked on less than 24 hours ago. “You smoke?” She said as she patted the seat next to her for TaKisha to take. “You could just go home, Little Man. I’m sure she’d have more fun with us anyway.”

“Get your girl, Amina.” Legacy said as Amina just shook her head. She was officially out, as she just went into her bedroom. She attempted to save Legacy once more, by slamming the door behind her. Hoping that would convince TaKisha that they should go.

“Don’t worry about her. She’s all bark and no bite. We wanna meet our puppies?” Syn said with a conniving smile.

“I love puppies!”

“How you explain this, crazy?” Legacy asked cornering Syn in the kitchen after TaKisha went outside to talk to Quentin. One blunt had turned into two. And those two blunts turned into shots and a conversation Legacy thought would never end.

“How come, you never went down on me?”

“I don’t just put my mouth on everybody.”

“Good thing I do then, huh?” Syn asked leaning into Legacy’s face and blowing him a kiss. “Relax it's not like its Karin. You shouldn’t care anyway, right?”

“You know fucking you wasn’t as crazy as you are, I’d stop fucking with you.”

“Please, you not gone stop fucking with me because you don’t even know what you want.”

“I know I what I want.” Legacy said. His voice was firm as an indication that he was not impressed by Syn’s actions, yet his eyes raked over the girl’s body quickly sucking the air out of the room as Syn reluctantly smirked at Legacy’s intense gaze.

“Oh really?” She purred adjusting her body to face Legacy inside the kitchen. “So how come Ta-ta-da-licious has now seen your new house, spent the day with you at the pier, and met your bestie back there. Meanwhile, your favorite is where exactly? Do you even know?”

“Shit, did I say something to you when I was drunk?” Legacy asked, peeking out the window to see TaKisha on the phone. He couldn’t hear the girl, but from her body movements, he believed she was arguing with her boyfriend.

“You mostly talked about Reynard. You’re pretty lonely in that house, huh?” Legacy looked at her. And Syn grew silent for a moment. She was used to drinking moonshine with Amina, but it was clear now that Legacy was not. “I’m sorry, you really don’t remember, huh? I promise I didn’t do this not because I’m jealous. We told you not to go to that party. You don’t want that girl, Little Man. You just mad at Heaven because he spending all his time with Rain now.”

“What the fuck? That’s even true.” Legacy said walking away from Syn and heading towards the door to go outside with TaKisha.

“I’m sorry, you said it not me.” Legacy quickly turned around to tell Syn she was wrong, but he didn’t need to say the words. Obviously, his drunken heart had spoken words his sober mind wasn’t ready to hear aloud. “Okay. Look, me and Amina about to leave. Don’t be mad at me. I thought I was kinda helping by cockblocking. But if we all,” She spoke with emphasis, hoping Amina would come back her up so she didn’t seem like she was just making this all up to be a hater. “Just gone act like you didn’t just pour your heart out about your brothers, then fine, keep doing you. Long as it includes doing me. Until you and your boo thang go off to Smithdale.”

As Legacy went to still tell Syn how wrong she was, Amina finally came out of her bedroom to add to the conversation. “She’s right, Little Man. You got pretty emotional about Reynard, and being alone. Then you said were going to her party to fuck her and her sister since Heaven couldn’t leave the porch to stop you.”

“Finally, thank you, babe. Your dick is good and everything, but I would much rather be your friend. You love Karin and your brother, I get that. That’s why I know you do not wanna do this.”

Legacy paused for a moment, looking at both Syn and Amina. He absolutely was lonely down here on the beach without his brothers, and that time he spent with them today was probably the most fun he had all summer. “What the fuck I’mma do when I go to Smithdale?”

“It’s not that long of a drive.” Amina answered rationally, while Syn spat out,

“Ta-ta-da-licious will be there to keep you safe.”

As Syn laughed and apologized once again, Legacy rolled his eyes before opening the door and stepping outside to check on TaKisha. Just in time to hear her telling Quentin everything from where she was to who she was with. With tears forming in her eyes, and Quentin’s voice booming through the receiver, Legacy smirked a little. His dirty work was over, all he had to do now was return to sender.

That was until his phone began buzzing with texts from Heaven;

Q don’t fight Big Man, hope Desmond down there teaching how to shoot

This gotta be the dumbest shit you’ve ever done. All because of a whopping you got at 14?

You better call Heir, cause they only Heaven that can help you now is God’s

[thesocialfables]

Reynard “Rain” Bannister, II was never wanted to live in the house next door to his mother. However, it wasn’t because of his mother’s endless prying, but rather he was tired of being stuck with his infamous brothers.

“RAIN!” His mother’s voice rung from outside of his bedroom window, acting as an alarm clock to pull him out of his sleep. As if the indistinct noises coming from downstairs hadn’t done enough damage to his slumber.

“I swear she picked your room.” Kendie groaned as her eyes peeled open as well. As she climbed out the bed and started to dress, she was sure to keep her body low from the window and Juliette’s trained eyes.

“REYNARD!” She called again, as the young man she was calling laid still watching Kendie move carefully around the room. “Well shit, KENDIE! One of y’all better answer me!”

Rain let out a soft laugh before climbing out of his bed and approaching the window to answer his mother, “Ma, you cannot be screaming like that in this neighborhood.”

“Fuck this neighborhood! Your brother called, he needs some more clothes. I don’t know why he just ain’t take all his shit with him. Either you can take ‘em or Kendie can. Y’all need to be up anyway.”

Rain smiled a little, before looking over to Kendie, who was using hand gestures to deny the responsibility. “I’ll take them, Momma.”

“I got some biscuits and gravy if you’re hungry. Lord knows, I ain’t seen not one bag of groceries go in that house yet.”

“I cooked him breakfast already, Miss Juliette.” Kendie quickly called down the woman. Nearly tripping over Rain’s drafting table to make it to the window. She was definitely lying, but Rain just softly pecked his girlfriend’s forehead to try and solidify her win. Even though he knew that his mother would see straight through their façade.

“Mmmhmm. Well, then y’all should be ready to go.” She said before turning around going back into her own home. “And tell Shadow he can stop sending them fucking kids over here to ask me for shit!”

Closing his window and pulling down the blinds, Rain turned to Kendie. “So is you really gone cook or…”

“I’ll pour you some cereal, Momma’s Boy,” Kendie answered before kissing Rain passionately. Just as he began to take the top she had just put on, back off, Kendie pulled away. “And you better tell her it was delicious.” As Kendie exited the bedroom, Rain shook his head. If she really did make him a bowl of cereal, he was definitely having breakfast at his Mother’s.

After getting dressed, Rain headed downstairs. He knew that Heaven would be sitting in the living room complaining about there being nothing left to watch on Netflix, but the rest of what he was walking into was a gamble. Rain and his siblings may have grown up together, but he was nothing like them. By the time Rain was born, his father was a made man in the streets, running his outfit with the 218 drug syndicate. Desmond would try and be a present father, but with all the bullshit he was involved with, it was better that he was away more than he was home. Rain was nine years old when his father was sentenced to twelve years in the penitentiary. While his older brothers quickly stepped up to fill the void Desmond had left behind monetarily, Rain remained close to his mother.

“What’s that smell?” He questioned as he passed by Heaven in the living room. It was obvious the smell was breakfast being cooked, but just like his mother had mentioned – they didn’t have any groceries.

“Kia making breakfast.” Rain stopped long enough to pass Heaven a look that questioned, who the hell was Kia. Heaven’s response was a light chuckle and a Bannister smirk as Rain quickly understood to pretend he had heard all about her from Heaven – and her only.

Inside the kitchen, Rain took in the scene – speechless. This is why he didn’t want to live with his brothers. They were animals. Sitting at the island, was Shadow and three of his four children. As one of the Princesses moved around the kitchen preparing the group something to eat. However, Princess wasn’t alone as she worked around Tempest, Kendie, and who Rain assumed was Kia. While Princess and Kendie were dressed appropriately, Tempest and Kia were still in their undergarments.

“Okay then,” Rain said sitting down next to his niece. “Well, what’s for breakfast?”

“Cereal.” Kendie answer before sitting a bowl of Lucky Charms in front of Rain, while Princess served Shadow a plate full of grits, eggs, bacon, sausage, and French toast topped with powder sugar.

“Thank you.” Rain said before pecking Kendie’s lips – those biscuits and gravy were calling his name now. But before he could put the spoon in to eat, the kitchen erupted in laughter as Kendie slid the bowl down to one of the children.

“Your Momma not gone be talking bout me.” She said before maneuvering around the women to make it back to the stove. “Cause I know you still gone eat some of them biscuits.”

“My Momma made biscuits?” Dasun asked coming from the bathroom, dressed only in the towel wrapped around his waist.

“And I made waffles. Fuck you gone do with a biscuit? Go put some clothes on!” Tempest ordered as Dasun stole one of Shadow’s sausages and headed up the stairs to his room.

“I don’t know my momma biscuits pretty good.” Shadow added to the conversation, while his twin spoke up from the living room.

“Guess that’s what I’mma be eating. Since everybody else seems to be getting their food before me.”

As this Kia person and Heaven began going back and forth, Rain tried to make sense of what he was seeing. Rather than just making one large meal for everyone, each woman was in the kitchen making a separate meal for the Bannister Boy of their choice. While he knew it would be something for his brothers to talk shit about and compare later, all Rain could think about was the food that they were wasting.

“I’m fine with just cereal.” He spoke up, as Kendie looked back at him from the stove.

“It’s fine, Reynard.” Whenever she used his government name it was a subtle suggestion that he was overreacting. Unlike his brothers, who kept a revolving door of women, Rain had only been with Kendie since they were 17. He had even properly introduced the girl to his mother – unlike his brothers.

“I just think-”

“You always thinking.” Shadow shot as he sat back from his half-eaten plate and began texting.

“Its fine,” Kendie said presenting Rain with a plate of scrambled eggs, hash browns, and biscuits. “I don’t know how to make gravy.” She admitted as Rain just smiled happily.

“That’s fine. I don’t even like gravy.”

“Why you lying? That’s the only reason Momma makes that shit.” As Rain tried to explain his lie, Kendie just shook her head and exited the kitchen – leaving one of the other girls to clean up, just like Rain anticipated they all would.

“What you gotta do today? Don’t you wanna take Little Man his clothes?” He asked Shadow while digging into his plate.

“I got my kids today.” He responded flatly.

“What about you, Dasun?” He asked as his brother entered the kitchen to get his food.

“I ain’t got time today.” He spoke before pecking Tempest’s lips, raising a whole new set of questions for Rain. “I gotta go to the store and get some food for these plates. Plus, I gotta go to work later.”

“Wouldn’t the kids like the beach?” Rain attempted to bargain with Shadow.

“Now, why would you say that word?” He quickly shot before standing and turning down the cries from his children to go to the beach.

“I’ll do it.” Heaven joked. Or course no one paid him any attention because he was house arrest and couldn’t go any further than the stop sign. “Why you don’t wanna go? You ain’t even been down there. Its cause of Letitia, ain’t it?”

“Just tell Little Man to come outside and get his shit. You ain’t gotta go in there.” Dasun informed him about avoiding their father’s new wife at the request of their mother.

“You been in the house?” He asked and Dasun nodded his head.

“I’m not scared of Mom.”

“I’m not scared of her.” Rain defended himself, only for his brothers to tell him that he was wrong.

“Just tell her you gotta go to work and Legacy gotta come get his own shit.” Kendie spoke up as she came back into the kitchen, she had put on her jacket and was carrying her phone and keys in her hand, as she leaned in to kiss Rain goodbye.

“You not eating anything?” He asked.

“I had a bowl of cereal, I’m good.” As Rain went to explain how that too made no sense, Kendie gave him a look to let him know there was no reason to interject. “I’ll see you when you get off?”

“Aye, if you really gotta go to work, that’s not lying. It’s like an hour drive just to get down there.” Heaven said, as Rain just sighed softly. He really didn’t want to stay here with his brothers. They all acted as if their mother was the nosey one, but it was really them.

“It’s not that bad.” Rain responded in a low tone. He didn’t mind taking the drive, but since he didn’t have to be to work until later this afternoon he was hoping to spend some more alone time with Kendie. “You didn’t want to ride with me?” He questioned his girlfriend. “We can drop Legacy stuff of and check out the beach down there.”

“I was going too. But my Mom just called me, and you know how she gets. Almost make me wish I was Juliette’s daughter.”

“Tsk, I don’t.” He said with a smile before kissing the girl. While Rain was hoping it would be a modest kiss in front of his niece and nephews, Kendie slipped her tongue inside his mouth and pulled his hands up to grab ahold of her butt. At that point, simply for the sake of their audience, Rain pulled back.

“I’ll call you later.” Kendie said flatly as she headed towards the front of the house.

“Why she with your square ass?” Shadow shot, opening up the floor for his brothers’ childish laughter and crude jokes. Rain, however, was not laughing as he followed behind Kendie to walk her to her car. As he went to call the car back to him for a proper goodbye in the semi-privacy of the enclosed porch, he heard Kia’s voice call from behind him.

“Hey! Can I just ride with you? You going to Oz’s, right?” As Rain turned to look at the girl, who was standing on the porch, still dressed in her boy shorts and cropped baby doll shirt. He cleared his throat and instead, motioned over to his mother staring out of her kitchen window at the porch.

Meanwhile, Kendie looked over Kia with a cross look. She knew Kia in the same way everybody did, she was neighborhood dope boy’s Emil’s real girlfriend. And with whatever she was up to with Heaven, it didn’t give her a reason to speak to her so candidly in front of Rain. “I was going past that way, yeah. My Momma wants some oysters from Nanny's.”

“At 9 in the morning?” Rain questioned, keeping his eyes on his mother – who was obviously ranting at Kia’s presence from behind the window and sending Rain signals to get rid of the girl.

“I don’t know what she be thinking. I just do what I’m told, love you.” Kendie responded before quickly walking towards her car parked on the street – since no one was allowed to park in the driveway.

“Can I get that ride?” Kia called out to her, way louder than she needed to be. Just as Juliette was pulling open her window to do her dirty work for herself, Rain motioned for Kia to step back inside the house. “What? I’m not scared of y’all Momma, y’all grown ain’t y’all?”

“Some of us are.” Rain mumbled under his breath, before closing the door behind her and going to answer his mother’s questions.

“Who the hell was that, and where the hell her clothes?”

“I think those are her clothes, Momma.” Rain attempted to joke from outside her window.

“She must be there with Heaven, his nasty ass. And boy,” Rain just sighed. Just because he had done the right thing and introduced Kendie to his mother, didn’t mean she liked her any more than the rest of the girls her sons kept around them. “Kendie lying to you. Don’t nobody need no damn oysters this early. Nanny’s ain’t even open yet.”

“They’ll be open by the time she gets there.”

“Maybe when she had that little hooptie. But thanks to you, I’m sure she’ll get to where she going pretty quickly.” Rain took a moment to look over to Kendie inside her Audi coupe. Obviously, his mother believed he had purchased the car for Kendie, but he hadn’t. However, the circumstances revolving around how she did get it were still unclear. So instead of trying to explain something he didn’t even know, Rain just looked back up to his mother in the window.

For a second he wanted to tell her he had to work and couldn’t do what she asked. But with Kendie off running errands for her own mother, he’d still be in house and Juliette would know he was lying. “She even know that girl?” Rain turned back to see what his mother was watching as Kia climbed into the front seat and the two girls drove away.

“I guess. I’mma come grab Little Man clothes.” He said walking around towards the front door.

“It’s all in that bag right there by the door.” She informed him, as Rain looked on at Kendie’s car driving away.

The controversy around Desmond’s new wife didn’t come with how quickly the two married after his release from Fox Island, but instead, the fuss was that she was one of the numerous women Desmond had slept with while he was still dating Juliette. While his siblings ignored their mother’s request to steer clear of Letitia, Rain did whatever it was his mother said.

“Thanks, man. I was bouta turn some drawls inside out.” Legacy joked as he opened the backseat of Rain’s Pontiac Grand Prix.

“Why not just wash them?” Rain asked from behind the wheel.

“I don’t know how to do that. A garbage bag, really, Ma?” Legacy spoke to himself, as Rain stayed seated. “You not gone come in and speak to Dad?” Growing up, Rain and Legacy were almost like twins themselves. He was Rain’s best friend, up until high school, and then Legacy began acting just like the rest of the Bannister boys.

“Naw, I gotta go to work.”

“The Comic Store don’t open for another two hours, you can come say hey.” Legacy paused for a moment. While he didn’t make fun of Rain for following all of Juliette’s rules as everyone else did, he still didn’t understand why he did it. “Look, go through the back. That way you ain’t gotta tell Ma you were in the house.”

Turning off the engine, Rain disagreed with him and climbed out of the car. “It’s not Letitia. It’s him.” He admitted, only to grow silent when he noticed a car in the driveway. It was a 2020 Dodge Challenger SRT, a Hellcat, the official car of the Bannister Boys. “He got a new car?”

“Oh, that’s mine.” Legacy admitted. “Before you start, I told Ma I would come to get my clothes myself. She said you was gone bring them, and I knew not to argue with her.”

“True,” Rain said. “Heir bought it?”

“Naw, Pops did. Said he wasn’t finna drive me around all summer.” As Rain looked over the car, Legacy headed towards the front of the house. “I can’t take it to school. You can have it once I leave if you want.”

“Naw, I’m fine.”

“Go ahead and go in the back. We’ll meet you back there.”

Before Rain could explain he didn’t want to see Desmond, Legacy walked into the large house. Alone in the driveway, Rain took a moment to look around the neighborhood his father had settled into. And he thought about how come it didn’t bother his brothers more. For the twelve years Desmond was away, their family continued to struggle in the Samuel-Young projects in Little Rico. All the while, Shadow was spreading both his seeds and weed, Heaven had turned his apartment into The Carter and Dasun acted like his hands were lethal weapons. Then of course there was the Godfather himself, Heir. When Desmond was released, he figured his work with raising the boys was done. Since they were graduating high school or in the twenties, and he somehow managed to ‘retire’ down by the beach in Key Beach Park. In a lovely five-bedroom beachside cottage, with a private pool, game room, and his mistress who was now the boys’ step-mother.

“Rey J!” His father called from behind the three-story home. Rain just exhaled slightly as he began to travel towards the back. That was until something much more interesting caught his eye.

He tried not to stare, but amongst the picturesque scene of mansions, rolling hills, and ocean air, the young woman walking her two French Bulldogs was a sight he had to stop and take in. Rain could hear his mother’s voice in the back of his head, cursing him for gawking. But as he took in the girl’s exposed peanut colored skin that was covered in various tattoos, he figured it wouldn’t hurt to disobey his mother for one moment longer.

“Hey Amina,” Legacy called as the girl passed by Desmond’s house. Of course, Legacy knew who she was. She was far too beautiful to stay off of a Bannister’s radar. “This my brother I was telling you about.” Rain turned to quickly look at his brother and was not shocked to see Desmond too was staring at the girl.

“The one who’s name you don’t know.” She responded, stopping at the edge of the driveway for Rain to take in the full view of her slim body and long natural locs.

“I told you I knew his name. I just don’t know what he’d want you to call him.” Legacy spoke, as Rain smiled a little. Only Legacy understood how much he hated both Rain and Rey J.

“Reynard,” Rain introduced himself.

“Nice to meet you, Reynard,” Amina answered, lifting her hand for Rain to shake. She said her name herself before questioning. “Little Man, said you draw? Is that true or more bullshit.” Rain tried not to smile like a schoolgirl, but he couldn’t help it.

“Yeah,” He spoke up, ignoring Desmond and Legacy’s snickers. “Why’d that come up? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“I paint. It came up when I met…Ummm, he had another weird-ass name. Shadow?”

“Oh shit, sorry, about that.” He joked and Amina laughed.

“Told you he was corny. Bring yo ass to the back when you done talking.” Legacy said.

“Yeah, I got something I wanna show you, Rey J.” Desmond added before the two walked away, just as fast as they appeared.

“You live here too?” Amina questioned. Rain shook his head no, before wondering what lies Shadow had told the girl. Unaware of how far the two of them had gotten.

“Did Shadow tell you he lived here?”

“No. Your brothers lie often though, huh? I swear mines would probably drop dead if they ever had to tell the truth.”

“You have brothers?”

“Four. Don’t worry though, they all bark and no bite.” Rain continued to smile as his mind drew blank, he had no idea of what to say next. He didn’t want to stop talking to Amina but felt the urge to bring up his relationship with Kendie, which was the last thing he wanted to say. “Well, I guess I’ll see you around then, Rey J.”

“I would definitely rather you call me Rain then that.” He said before laughing awkwardly. Rain was the name his mother began calling him, to offset the fact he was named after Desmond’s father. Amina chuckled along with him, smiling brightly before agreeing to stick to Reynard.

“You better be careful, Rey J. Your Momma can sense when one of us smiling.” Desmond teased as Rain found his way into the back of the house. Even though the beach was a short walk away, Desmond had a large pool in his backyard where Letitia was lounging in the sun in her swimsuit and a thick pair of shades, completely carefree. “Come here, I want you to see something before you leave.”

Rain softly spoke to Letitia, as Juliette would be twice as pissed if he didn’t show his manners before following behind his brother and father. “Now,” Desmond started as they head down a small path, towards the sand of the beach. “Don’t be getting all sensitive with me, but you 20 or 21?”

“20, his birthday in two months. And don’t call him sensitive, that’s worse than forgetting how old he is.” Legacy coached his father.

“You go back in the house. I know you dying to figure out this code.”

“Ain’t nobody worried about that little lock. The whole window open in the back.” Desmond stopped to reprimand Legacy, and Rain was slightly impressed. He figured Legacy was down on the beach running a mile on Desmond, but apparently, he still had chores and other responsibilities to take care of. “Let me know when you getting ready to leave. I wanna show you the pier.” Rain agreed as Legacy headed back up the walkway.

“He just as pesky as Son-Sun was, always speaking up for you.” Rain reminisced with his father, thinking about the time when the boys were children and all got along. “So the twins are 21 now?” He questioned, keeping up the small talk as they traveled down the walkway. He was still wrong, but Rain just reminded quiet to see where this was going. “When I bought this place, I didn’t know this little shack back here was included. Then the HOA started fucking with me about some overgrown bushes and I was like where! Shit, I pay my gardener – well not really – he a crackhead I used to serve from back in the day, but he does good work. So I’m like, show me some overgrown bushes. And then that’s when they showed me.”

At the end of Desmond’s story, the two had come to a small structure right on the beach. Obviously, Desmond’s gardener was now keeping up with the HOA’s rules, as the small bushes in front of the place were perfectly trimmed to lineup with the walkway, creating a serene entrance to the small bungalow. As Desmond approached the door to put the code in the smart padlock, he continued talking for some reason, “The code your Momma birthday. I think.”

Opening the door, both men stepped inside and Rain quickly understood what Desmond wanted to show him. “I was gone offer it to Shadow, trick his ass into fixing it up since he still works with Big Rey. But, he got all them fucking kids and I know one of them Princess still be sneaking in y’all momma house.”

“Legacy told you that?” Rain said admiring the small area. It wasn’t much now, but an open space and a small kitchenette. But Rain saw the perfect place for him to work alone, without any distractions from his brothers.

“Ever since your Momma got sick when she was pregnant with you, she’s coddled you.” Desmond paused for a moment, he never knew how to talk to Rain. “Look, I admit I ain’t much. But I don’t need nobody to tell me anything about my sons.”

“Besides our birthday.”

“Well, shit, we was popping y’all out back to back, I’m bound to forget one of y’all every now and then.” As much as he didn’t want to, Rain couldn’t help but laugh. Juliette often mixed him Rain and the twins' birthday herself because they were so close. “I figured Big Rey could give us some materials, and we turn this into a loft. You can put your drawing table somewhere over here, so you can still work on your comic. Make it a little sitting area or something, because we gotta fix this small ass kitchen up. You know your Momma ain’t gone let you miss a meal. And that’ll be the first thing she finds to complain about. Fix the plumbing in the bathroom, it’s a tub right now. Don’t no man take no bath. You’ll be 21 soon, so a little bar or maybe a bookshelf over here.”

“Bookshelf,” Rain muttered imagining the space with his father. “You already talk to Ma about it?”

“I wanted to talk to you first. Otherwise, I’d be fighting with that woman for nothing if you don’t want it.”

“She’ll probably be here a lot.” Rain admitted.

“That’s your business. Them HOA motherfuckers, say it’s supposed to be a private entryway, but other than walking through the back like that, I don’t see shit. Maybe that’ll keep her nosey ass on the boardwalk. We’ll figure out how to work Juliette in though if you want it.”

“What if I don’t?”

“I’m still gone fix it up. Find that private entrance, rent it out. That’s what most of the neighbors do.”

“What if I wanted to help?” Since Heir had taken on the providing role with Desmond’s absence, the boys’ Uncle Reynard, Jr – the real Rey J if you asked Rain – would bring the boys’ with him to work with the family’s construction and landscaping business. Surprisingly, Shadow kept working with Uncle Rey into his adulthood, but Rain actually missed spending the summers working on houses.

“Oh, I’m definitely gone need that. Little Man scared of sweat. How y’all all grew up together, I don’t know.”

“I wonder the same thing.” Rain answered, laughing with his father and admiring the space.

“So what you think?” Legacy asked as he and Rain walked the beach’s pier.

“Is that the boardwalk?” Rain asked, peering out into the ocean. Although they lived in Andreas all their lives, they only saw a half of the city from Little Rico.

Legacy laughed a little before answering his brother, he asked the same question when his father brought him down here. “Kinda, that’s Mason. You can’t see Little Rico from here. It’s like a whole new world, in the exact same place.”

“I think that’s beautiful.” Rain joked as the boys continued to walk. “So, what’s it like?”

Legacy passed Rain a quick look. He knew what Desmond wanted him to say to convince Rain to stay down on the beach with them. But Rain was too much like their mother to fall for the silver linings. “Desmond can’t afford that house. He really don’t sell drugs no more. Uncle Rey won’t give him a job, because he thinks Pops gone play him like he did back in the day and Letitia’s fat ass don’t work. Only reason why he stay there is because it’s all he had left once he came home. He figured with you and me staying there, Heir’ll help him pay for it.”

“All he had left? He been had this house?” Rain spoke upset, and rightfully so. Heir may have managed to move them out of the projects, but that was eight months ago. This whole time, they could’ve been living down here away from police sirens and gunshots.

“Momma didn’t wanna live here. He brought it after you was born, trying to make up for everything. She said she ain’t nothing else from him. Only reason why the feds ain’t take it is because he had it in someone else’s name.”

“Probably Letitia’s.”

“Probably. I don’t say shit to her, and Pops don’t make me. I wake up, get dressed, and find me something to do. But you, you ain’t even gotta see her. Or Desmond.”

“Where I’m supposed to park, though? How I even get down there, and what about my job?” He questioned and Legacy just smiled before walking away. Rain sighed, before checking the time and following Legacy’s wicked smirk.

It was a short walk from where the boys were standing to a quaint little bookstore right on the busy pier. “Motherfuckers keep saying it’s a private entry, but Pops thinking about just expanding the driveway, so you can just drive right up there. Amina however,” Legacy said as he pointed to the girl through the window of the bookstore. “She park right on the beach. Her spot be lit after the beach close.” Right as Legacy went to enter the small store, Rain noticed a help wanted sign going up in the bookstore’s window. “I swear we had nothing to do with that.”

Rain just shook his head, not believing him, as he followed Legacy inside. “And what about Kendie?” He whispered as the two of them began to approach Amina inside the shop.

“Bring her with you. What she doing in Sam-Yo? Unless,” Legacy teased. “If I would’ve known you was coming down here, I would’ve just sent him with you.”

“Like you got something better to do. You ain’t never been to the pier either?” She questioned, Rain figured Legacy would answer for him, but instead he remained quiet for the first time in his life.

“No,” Rain spoke up for himself. Pausing for a second to clear his throat and speak with a little more bass in his voice. “Growing up right on the boardwalk wasn’t no need to see another beach.”

“Fair enough. So, I guess you ain’t never been to Mason either.”

“Oh, we definitely gotta go. That’s where Amina from. She know all the spots.”

“That explains it.” Rain said attempting to flirt a little with the girl. “Cause you definitely don’t look like anybody around here.” Amina blushed a little before responding.

“Too bad you’re the one with a girlfriend. So far, you’ve been cutest.”

“Don’t get too excited, you still haven’t met Heaven.” Legacy butted into the conversation, setting up Rain to brag about himself. However, Rain didn’t take the hint and instead, he inquired.

“What about Heir?”

Legacy shook his head to himself, while Amina smiled, “He aight.”

“Yeah, well, you still haven’t met Heaven.” Rain awkwardly laughed once again, as Legacy cringed and Amina giggled. “You work here?” He recovered.

“Kind of, I use the back to work on my art. One of my brothers owns the place.” Rain just looked over Legacy, once again thinking about the timing of the help wanted sign. Yet the boy just denied the timing of it all once again.

“So, y’all really hiring?” Rain asked goofily as Amina agreed and went to grab her brother, as he and Legacy took a seat at one of the tables inside the bookstore. “Ma is not gonna let me move in with Kendie.”

“Don’t tell her that part.” Legacy said as he and Rain both pulled out their phones. “Oh shit,” He said looking at Facebook. “Maybe you should.” He finished as he passed Rain his phone. As Rain waited for Kendie to pick up his call from his phone, he looked at a status she had posted to her Facebook about twenty minutes ago; All niggas do is wear white tees, text fifteen girls, fight demons, smoke, and lie “Damn, Rain. What you do?”

[thesocialfables]

“That don’t piss you off, even a little?” Ortega questioned Dasun as they restocked the shelves at the corner store they both worked at. Dasun wouldn’t consider the man a friend, rather somebody to just pass the time with. “Maybe it’s just me. Cause my older brother ain’t shit.”

Dasun was the second oldest of the six Bannister Boys. Growing up, he and Heir were thick as thieves. If you had a problem with Heir, you had a problem with Dasun. That was until their father went to jail, and Heir took on the role of providing. Since that meant hanging around dangerous places, Heir began to leave Dasun at home and their bond weakened a little. Soon Heir became less of an older brother and more of a father figure.

“Naw, not really. Our Mom calls Heir twelve thousand times a day. And he has two jobs.”

“Aw shit,” Ortega said before the two shared a quick laugh. “See my older brother just gives Mexicans a bad name, reinforcing stereotypes and shit.”

“Ortega,” Dasun spoke. He paused for a beat, before looking his coworker in the eyes to jokingly say. “You work in a bodega.”

“Yeah, but, bodegas are usually run by Puerto Ricans.” Ortega pointed out, before finishing up his comparison of his family and Dasun’s. “My brother just gotta play tough all the time.”

“That’s all brothers. I know mines do.” Dasun wasn’t sure where this conversation was going after Ortega asked ‘how was his day off’.  Dasun was extremely grateful for everything his older brother did for him and his brothers. He didn’t need a spotlight on him to feel seen.

“You think after everything he watched our Mom go through, he’d be a little nicer to women, you know. But nope, he wanna be a gangster so bad.” Done with both the conversation and restocking, Dasun moved away from Ortega as he continued to talk about his family problems. He felt bad hearing what Ortega and his family had persevered, but he couldn’t sympathize with him without feeling like a hypocrite.

Thankfully, he wouldn’t have to as the bell above the door alerted them a customer had entered the small shop. As Dasun approached the cash register to help the customer, he already knew who it was by the sound of their voice. “Let me get a fifth a Hennessey, a fifth of Patron, a fifth of Belvedere, some Dutches, Backwoods, a White Owl, and  whatever else you got back there.”

“Damn, you plan on having a party later?” Dasun asked, ignoring everything Shantell had asked for. While it was because they didn’t sell liquor at the store, he also didn’t budge because he knew she didn’t drink or smoke.

“Only if you plan on coming through after you get off.” She said picking up one of the random items next to the register.

“Sure,” Dasun said taking the light-up pen from her hands and putting it back. “My Mom got another date.”

“With your uncle?” Shantell teased. She and Dasun had been friends since 4th grade. And the answer to the question everyone always asked was no – they had never dated or slept together. Although after watching the man Dasun had grown up to be, Shantell wouldn’t mind if they took a trip out of the friend zone for a while. “How’s your back?” She questioned in a low tone, well aware of the signals Ortega was sending to Dasun from behind her, urging him to introduce them.

 “It still hurts a little. But that’s only because my doctor only gave me three fucking pills.”

“Well, I didn’t want to overprescribe you.”

“Girl, you just didn’t want to share.”

“Exactly. Take your ass to a real doctor and get your own prescription.” Dasun just shook his head. She didn’t drink or smoke, but she did pop pills. And the Percocet she had given him a few weeks ago wasn’t even her prescription to begin with. “Y’all seriously don’t sell liquor, huh?”

“Did you really want that shit?”

“Hell, naw. But I really am having a kickback tonight.”

“No thank you.”

“I didn’t even invite you yet!” She yelled as Dasun traveled over to the deli counter. Knowing what his bestie had really stopped in the store, other than just to bother him. “I want you to-”

“I got enough people trying to set me up, thank you.”

“Thank should probably tell you something.” Dasun just remained quiet. He hadn’t been single or home from the county jail longer than a week and his family and friends were already planning his life for him. “Extra onions please.”

“Onions?” Dasun paused. “You ain’t having no fucking party.”

“Yes, I am. I like onions.”

“I’m not putting extra onions. How you gone bag that doctor with onion breath?”

“He was married,” After graduating for Smithdale, Shantell was doing her residency at the university’s teaching hospital. While preparing to make his best friend the dip she wanted for her party, Dasun just shook his head. Shantell had the worst luck when it came to dating. But he had little room to judge, as he too had found himself entangled with the wrong one. “I’mma just wait for Little Man to graduate.”

“What happened to Heaven?” He asked uninterested in the rest of the conversation.

“Nothing, why, did he say something about me?” Shantell said. She wanted to sound like she was joking, but Heaven was too fine to play with.

“He did actually,” Dasun said laughing. “He asked were you still a virgin.”

“What you tell him?” It was quiet between the two friends for a moment, as Dasun tried to see if Shantell was joking or not. “I’m running out of options out here.”

“I told him the truth. Every nigga that ever fucked never called you again. Here’s your dip.”

“Yo, we sell that shit here?” Ortega asked picking up the container. “Now I won’t have to cross the boardwalk.” Both Shantell and Dasun just looked at each other. The store they worked at did not sell the mixture of cream cheese, white cheddar cheese, mayo, tomatoes, onions, spinach, bacon, and ground beef. It was a hood staple on the other side of the boardwalk, where the projects were. Known on this side as the bad part of town that Dasun and his family had escaped.

“Naw, I just know how to make it. It’s really simple, anybody can do it actually. I mean, besides ratchet nurses that can’t cook.” Shantell responded by sticking her middle finger up at Dasun’s sly joke.

“I forgot you knew how to cook, nig- I mean, Dasun.” Shantell cleared her throat before taking the container from the boy. “My bad,” Ortega went to explain his use of the word, but Dasun and Shantell just moved on in their conversation over his voice.

“You know, you really should talk to mister – whoever about selling Rico Dip here. N-word not included, of course.”

“But that’s the best part.” The two laughed for a moment before Shantell went to pay for the 3 dollar delicacy. “Don’t worry about it. Besides, if we do sell it, I’m charging a dub.”

“20 dollars? Good lord!” Shantell joked before tossing a twenty on the counter. “Now make me another, with no onions this time. You know onion breath.” Dasun teased her some more before creating another dip for her. “So,” She started, before checking to see where Ortega was in the store. “Have you talked to Tempest?”

Dasun sighed heavily in response. He really hoped they could’ve finished talking without his ex-girlfriend having to come up. “No. And don’t say that name again. You know who is like Beetlejuice.”

“In more ways than one.” Shantell agreed. “Unfortunately, you gone have to say something to her soon. Ole Beetlejuice showed up to the hospital today.”

“And then you came here?” Dasun asked on high alert. He quickly pulled his phone out to check all the blocked calls and text messages Tempest had left for him. “Why would you do that?”

“Relax, Tina Turner. This ain’t my first time dealing with your love life. I switched cars with a friend, drove through college row, and I still parked up the street.”

“You didn’t have to do all that.” As Dasun spoke, he sent Tempest a simple message letting her know he was still alive and there was no reason to call his parole officer.

“Yes I did, she still caught me.”

“She’s here!” Shantell tried hard not to laugh at her friend. She may not have mastered getting guys to call her back, but Dasun had been dealing with Tempest since their sophomore year of high school. And as much as they needed to stop calling each other, they never did.

“No, I’m joking, relax. Your trauma starting to show.”

“Just take the long way home.” He said before ignoring Tempest’s fifth call in the last minute, slipping his phone back into his pocket and passing Shantel another dip container. “And if you see her again, tell her I died.”

“That’s not gone stop her. She’ll just kill herself to beat your ass for dying.” The look on Dasun’s face let Shantell know her joke was too far, but she could care less what part offended him. It was all true.

“You know, if I was a girl-” Dasun started to defend himself since no one else was going to.

“Nope, not doing this with you today.” Shantell said preparing to leave the store. “You really should sneak over tonight. My friend told me told she has no gag reflex today.”

“Shit, she like Mexicans?” Ortega attempted to rejoin the conversation. However, the look both Dasun and Shantell passed him let him know to never speak again.

“I’ll think about it.”

“And tell Heaven, if he needs anything-”

“I’m his girlfriends are taking very good care of him.” Shantell rolled her eyes to the sound of the bell ringing, before exiting the store.

 As Shantell exited, another young girl walked in. Dasun was already looking in the direction of the door, 100% sure that Tempest had found him after all. However, it wasn’t her. Locking eyes with the customer, Dasun smiled to greet her and tried not to stare too hard when she smiled back. She was cute, with a heart-shaped face, almond nose, and natural brown curls.

“Can I get a,” She paused for a moment, looking up at the handmade sign of what the store offered. However, what she had been sent to get from the store wasn’t on the menu. “I don’t think I’m in the right place.”

“What you looking for?” Dasun asked, trying not to look around the girl to see if the back matched the front.

“A Rico Dip?” She spoke, still unsure.

“See, we missing out on money. My boy, know how to make it though. He’ll hook you up.” Ortega interjected from his side of the counter. As he spoke, the girl moved over to him to pay. “Oh, don’t worry about it. I got you. What’s your name?” Dasun just shook his head, as he prepared to whip up the dip for the girl.

“Chassidy,” She answered. Her voice was clear that she wasn’t interested, but she wasn’t trying to be rude. “Can I get it with no mayo and sour cream instead?”

“Oh, that’s the old school way.”  Ortega flirted, not catching the hint. “You grabbing this for your OG?” Meanwhile, Dasun had stopped making the dip and was staring at the girl from behind. His mother had sent her here. Ever since he came home, she had been bragging about her boyfriend’s niece, Chassidy who went to Tech U and was now a chef. The life his mother wished for Dasun. A life he once wished for as well.

“Juliette.” Dasun answered for Chassidy. The girl laughed a little, before moving back closer to Dasun.

“Busted,” She said with a memorable smile. “Hi, I’m Chassidy.” She said extending her hand for him to shake. Not wanting to rude himself, Dasun took her hand and introduced himself. “I told her I probably shouldn’t order something she usually gets, but she insisted. Just like this very awkward meeting.”

“That’s my mom. You can tell her I figured it out though. And I am not making her shit.” Chassidy laughed a little before admitting that was fair. “Well, don’t tell her I said the last part.”

“Oh, I wasn’t. She scares me. I was gonna make it myself before I went back empty-handed.”

“You’re a chef right?”                

“That’s an overstatement, but yes. I work uptown at the casino.” Dasun paused for a moment, keeping his thoughts to himself. He had to admit, this wasn’t a horrible match up. “Oh, I know the foods nasty. I’m pretty sure they do it on purpose. I just follow orders.”

“Well, since you obviously have working taste buds. I’ll save you from a hungry Juliette Baptiste this time.” Chassidy smiled while Dasun continued making another dip for his mother. “Just out of curiosity, is Percy really your uncle? Cause he damn sure wasn’t mine.”

With a soft laugh, Chassidy admitted, “You are pretty funny. And yes, he is. That’s not bad is it?” Listening to the tone of her voice, Dasun wanted to tell her that it was fine and arrange a date of their own like he was sure his meddling mother wanted after all. But Dasun knew it was only a matter of time before his fatal attraction caught up to him and he was better off not getting involved with anybody.  On the other hand, as Shantell would say, Chassidy was too fine to ignore.

“Naw. Unless lies and manipulation runs in your family.” Dasun said turning on his hereditary Bannister charm with a simple smile and intense eye contact. As always, it seemed to work as Chassidy’s yellow skin warmed and she smiled brightly.

Smiling and laughing, Chassidy proved she too had a sense of humor as she shot back, “Does it run in yours?”

“Unfortunately,” He playfully admitted as he placed the lid on the container. “Thankfully, it skipped me though.” He spoke holding the container out for Chassidy to take before pulling it back. “She gave you money for this, didn’t she?

“She did not.”

“Damn,” Dasun said passing the dip over. “Well, I guess I’ll have to take you out some time. You know to pay you back.”

“I think that’s fair enough.” She said still smiling. As Dasun pulled his phone out to get her number, he heard the bell jingle and his heart slowed down.

“This what the fuck we doing, now? You supposed to be working, not getting white bitches phone numbers.” He didn’t know how she could see what he was up too when she had barely made it in the store before filling the space with her voice. Then again, Dasun was convinced that Tempest could read his thoughts. Even from miles away. “He has a girlfriend, sweetheart. So you take your little sandwich and keep it moving.” Just as she dismissed Chassidy with her words, Tempest stepped in front of the girl and zeroed in on Dasun. “You and me need to talk, outside, right now. And I’m not playing with either, Dasun. You not outside in two minutes, I’m coming back in this bitch. And next time I ain’t gone be so friendly.” Turning back around to see that Chassidy had not budged, Tempest sized the girl up before roughly grabbing a bag of chips from the side of her and leaving the store.

“Your mom has my number,” Chassidy whispered after the bell’s jingle and for the first time in his 23 years, Dasun was actually grateful that his Mom couldn’t stay out of his business. “Give me a call whenever you can.”

“You probably shouldn’t go out there.” Dasun warned as Chassidy went to leave the store. He didn’t even want to go deal with Tempest, but he had no other choice. Because otherwise she was coming back inside the store and she wouldn’t be so calm. “I mean….No, I’m sorry. That’s exactly what I mean.”

 As he headed outside, Dasun didn’t know what part of Tempest’s presence upset him more; her clearly stalking his friend to find out where he was, her interfering with him moving on with his life, or her humiliating him in front of Ortega. “Tempest.” He attempted to gain control of their interaction and prove himself to no one else but himself.

“What you got me blocked on something? Don’t make me call your fucking parole officer, Dasun. I thought you died.”

“Why would’ve I have died? Is it because you hit me with your car!”

“Who you yelling at? Don’t let the little white girl in there get your shit split nigga. I tapped you. You the one talking about we breaking up.”

“We did break up.”

“Stop fucking yelling at me!”

 “I’m not yelling!” Before Dasun could say anything else, Tempest’s fits were colliding into his arm. “Will you stop?” He asked. But the girl continued, punching Dasun at any part of his body he used to defend himself against her. “Seriously, Tempest, clam down. I wasn’t even talking to her like that.”

“What you think I’m fucking stupid!” She screamed. She may have been done hitting him for now, but that was when the shoving started. “I saw you with your phone out motherfucker. What was you giving her directions? Little white girl couldn’t find her way to the beach?”

“I don’t even think she’s white.” Dasun slipped out in-between the girl’s shoves. However, he knew his comment meant it was time to start running before the punches started up again.

“BITCH, DOES IT LOOK LIKE I FUCKING CARE.” Tempest shouted chasing behind him. As Dasun avoided Tempest’s punches, Ortega and Chassidy stepped outside to watch the show – as did the rest of the busy intersection. “Okay, you wanna fucking play. I’mma just call Heir.” Dasun tried not to stop running, but he really didn’t want her to call his brother. Because it did piss him off. Heir was only one year older than Dasun, and somehow he managed to strike fear in all his siblings like they were all still children.

“Why would you do that?” He questioned falling for Tempest’s bluff and being caught off guard as she charged him in the middle of the street, toppling his body over. Landing on his back, which was already damaged from the last time they got into a disagreement, Dasun screamed in pain as Tempest just climbed on top of him and began hitting him. Dasun could hear the car horns blowing for them to get out of the street, and everyone on the street commentating as if the scene was funny. And just as he couldn’t take anymore and balled his fist up to strike Tempest back, he felt her weight be lifted off of him.

“Okay, that’s enough.” Chassidy’s voice spoke as she pulled Tempest off of Dasun and attempted to help him up out the street. “You okay?”

“You better get your bitch, Dasun before I scarp her ass too. I fight bitches too.” Tempest spoke as she took a moment to catch her breath and prepare to fight again. This time she wasn’t going to hold back.

“That should be all you fight.” Chassidy spoke with reason as she leaned down to check on Dasun, who just continued to cry out in pain. “He’s really hurt.” She said looking up to Tempest, who she assumed would be worried since she was supposedly his girlfriend.

“He’ll be fucking fine. You, on the other hand, need to mind your fucking business.”

“Dasun-” Chassidy called attempting to help the boy once more. That was until Tempest was ready for her second fight and charged her next. However, before she could reach Chassidy, Dasun tripped the girl and used whatever strength he had left to place his body on top of hers in the middle of the street.

“What the fuck is wrong with you? I told you I wasn’t fucking talk to her.”

“I don’t care! Get off of me!” Tempest began to wail. And just as it always was anytime Tempest couldn’t get her hands to herself, the crowd watching them began to call for Dasun to get off of her.

 “Did anybody call the police?” Shantell asked treating the bruise to Dasun’s back and ribs. Thankfully nothing was broken too bad, as he had minor bruising and some swelling.

“No. But I got fired so, no more Rico Dip on this side of the boardwalk.”

“I’m sure yo nigga will figure it out for the culture.” She teased. “Here.” She said passing him a full bottle of perception pills for his pain. “You really should go to the hospital.”

“And say what?”

“The truth.”

“That my girlfriend beat me up? I’m straight. Beside my parole office would love that. He’d lock my ass for sure this time.”

After the fiasco in front of the bodega, not only could Dasun barely move but his boss arrived just in time to fire him. Tempest tried to do the right thing and explain the situation to the shop owner in his defense. But of course, her attitude just made things worse as she ended up just threatening to beat him and his family up. After Tempest left Dasun in the street, Ortega and Chassidy helped him out of the street and to his car, but Dasun was too embarrassed to ask for any more help. Lashing out on both of them, he attempted to drive off. Only to end up crashing his car into a stop sign, blinded by the pains in his back. Thankfully the one person it seemed Tempest couldn’t run off was Shantell, as the girl showed up to nurse him back to health as she always did.

“Your girlfriend?” Shantell questioned, before helping Dasun sit back into her couch.

"You know what I mean.” He said exhausted. “What happened to your party?”

“You should’ve hit her. You should’ve just,” Shantell used her hands to describe Dasun choking the shit out of Tempest. “You said your step-cousin tried to help you?” she over spoke him, attempting to change the subject.

“You canceled your party because of me?” Dasun repeated, wanting an answer.

“It was just a little kickback. I can still call No-Gag for you, though.”

“Ortega told me to tell you don’t be a stranger, nigga.” As Dasun joked, his eyes began to close as he rested his head on the back of the couch. While he relaxed, Shantell watched him breathe. In the silence of her apartment, she took her bottom lip into her mouth and considered just taking Dasun for a slow ride right here on her couch. If there was any time to do it, it was now because he could’ve used the win. “Stop staring at me. I’ll be fine.”

“Ain’t nobody staring.” She quickly shot, before climbing off the couch and stepping into the kitchen for a moment to clear her thoughts. “You know, this girl came into the clinic for an abortion a couple days ago. She said she remembered you from when you used to work at Hoagies and you use to make all them off-menu sandwiches and shit.”

“Oh yeah? Not from when Tempest literally drove through the drive-thru?”

“Naw, she remembered that too. But it made me think of something else. Does Heaven still have his spot in Sam-Yo?”

“Yeah,” Dasun asked lifting his head a bit, for his eyes to follow Shantell’s body back to the couch. She had an athletic body type, wrapped in smooth dark chocolate and the right sized almond mounds that complimented her frame perfectly. It definitely wasn’t always easy just being the girl’s friend. But every time Dasun thought about doing something more he would remember that if he fucked up their relationship, he’d have nobody else but Tempest by his side. “Why?” He asked adjusting a bit on the couch to watch her eat the dip she brought earlier.

"Well,” She said before sticking a cracker full into her mouth.

“You gotta bake it yourself, doctor.”

“I like it cold.” She responded, which was absolutely not true. Without being hot, the odd mixture of foods was not appetizing. Shantell spit the food out in a napkin, before continuing her thought. “You should sell dinner plates out of the apartment. Your step-niece and the culture vulture could help you.”

“And when Tempest comes through and kills us all?”

“Shit,” Shantell said before inquiring how to heat the dip up. “Maybe she can take the orders or some shit. Wait, why are you including her in this?”

 “I was trying to get Chassidy number.” Dasun admitted. Before he had to return to the county jail for a few days because of his domestic case, he had broken up with Tempest. But it was obvious she didn’t accept the breakup, so Dasun had no choice but to admit he was wrong.

“So? You took your beating already, Miss Celie. Fuck her.” After all these years, Shantell couldn’t understand what was keeping Dasun and Tempest together. He may have managed to keep his composure today, but Dasun didn’t have two strikes for domestic violence for being always being so demure.

Before Dasun could respond to Shantell’s bad joke, there was a knock at her door. “Is that your married doctor friend?”

Although he couldn’t see her, Shantell stuck her middle finger up as she passed by Dasun towards the apartment door. “It’s God. He said shut the fuck up.” She shot stepping aside to let Heir into her apartment.

“You good, man?” He asked looking at Dasun’s position on the couch before he sat down himself. After he raised his hands to let his brother know he was fine, Heir continued talking. “I talked to your boss, he said you can have your job back if you want. Now before you think I tried to save the day, he called me. Said Momma’s little friend had already convinced him it wasn’t your fault. And he wants you to start selling Rico Dip at the bodega.”

“That’s amazing! See, Sun.” Shantell called from the kitchen as she sat down to properly eat her food. “And then you can still do my idea. You’ll be too busy to even see Tempest Jones, Jr.”

“Come on, Shantell.” Dasun warned. Not only because he was tired of the jokes, but mostly because it really hurt to laugh at them. She may have given him all of Miss Whoever’s pills but she didn’t open them nor give him one. “You the worse nurse ever.”

“What’s your idea?” Heir asked. After Shantell ran down the idea for him, Dasun already knew what he was going to say. Heir was always supportive of anything his brothers attempted to do. He’d probably upgrade the kitchen for Dasun to cook out of. “I don’t know about that. We left Sam-Yo for a reason. Maybe, just work at the bodega for now. See how that goes for a little while.”

As Dasun looked over to his big brother, the sharp pain in his side had nothing on the one in his heart. “What you don’t think I can do it?”

“I don’t think that’s how he meant-”

“Shut up, Shantell.” Dasun shot before he ignored all the pain in his body and stood up to challenge Heir’s authority. He was tired of being treated like the weak one of the bunch with the very little respect he got from everybody. “I ain’t scared of no fucking body. You left Sam-Yo, not us. I ain’t ask to move nowhere. And I’m a grown-ass man I don’t need your permission to do anything.”

“Son-Sun,” Heir spoke sympathetically, calling Dasun by the childhood nickname he had outgrown. Hearing himself, Heir stopped and stood to talk to his brother like a man. “That ain’t what I’m saying at, Dasun. I know you can handle yourself. And if I didn’t before, you proved that to me today. You absolutely right, you don’t need my permission. Just…watch out for Tempest and JonJon when you down there.” He went to pull his brother into a hug but figured his body didn’t need the stress. So instead Heir gave Dasun, a soft dap to his forehead before dropping the hint that moved him to speak against the idea in the first place. “They’ll probably be together.”

[thesocialfables]

As Juliette sat outside of her home, her eyes darting across every window hoping to catch a glimpse of what was going on inside, she thought to herself; “Girls,” If Juliette would’ve had at least one, she wouldn’t have to deal with so many. Instead, her good for nothing ex-husband left her with six boys. And ever since her eldest turned twelve years old, she’s been fighting off girls since then.

“You should retire Momma. Yeah, Momma. You need to relax a little. How the hell I’m supposed to relax, and every time I turn around, it’s some girl in y’all face?” Juliette spoke to herself as she focused in on the unidentified car in her driveway. “Ain’t been out the hood but three months and they already got girls in my house. Ungrateful bastards. This what they do all day. Eat, shit, fuck, and sleep.” She paused for a moment before glancing at her phone. “Medical school.” She continued to whisper to herself, trying to remain calm before confronting her youngest son. “You going to medical school, but can’t even tell time. I’mma be an OBGYN…you ain’t shit. Just like your Daddy. I know what kinda car Karin’s parents drive, and THAT AIN’T IT!” As much as she wanted to wreck shop and storm the beaches, Legacy had just graduated high school and would be off to Smithdale University in the spring. He was an adult now, and she had to give him the space to be a man before she judged what type of man he was. “Who wants to be an OBGYN? Pervert. Could be a surgeon, a pediatrician, hell, even a podiatrist. But no, this motherfucka jumps straight to pussy. Just like his Daddy.”

Checking her phone once again to give Legacy a little more time to escort his guest out of her house without them causing a scene in the predominantly white neighborhood, Juliette looked over the house next door. “I wonder did Rain wake up yet,” Was Juliette’s next thought as she noticed the boy’s classic Dodge Challenger SRT. “Couldn’t even help the boy fix up that old ass car. I’mma have to borrow this for a couple days, Ray J.” Juliette mocked her ex-husband’s laugh. “That’s why they not shit. Desmond ain’t shit. AND STOP CALLING HIM THAT! They better be feeding my baby in there.” As Juliette squinted her eyes activate her meddling mother powers and peer through the large picture window. She knew for experience that usually when girls were around her boys, they traveled in groups. “Shadow,” She growled angrily. Noticing her son trying to peek out the window of his bedroom down to watch his mother. “I knew it.” Snatching the keys out of the ignition, she pushed open the door to her Mercedes and prepared to enter her house. “Wherever there’s girls, there’s Shadow.”

“BOY!” She screamed as she took the steps to her home two at a time. “I told you, next one of you fuckers to make me a grandmother I was gone cut yo dick off! GET THIS CAR OUT MY DRIVEWAY!”

“Mom,”

“Don’t come tryna save nobody Heaven. Either come get your brother and whatever harlot he got in my house or I’mma kill them.”

“You can’t kill someone else kid, Mom.” Heaven spoke to his mother from the porch of his home next door. He was unfazed by the woman’s threats, after hearing them directed towards his siblings so many times.

“She in my house?” Juliette asked. Heaven knew better than to answer the woman. Mostly because the question was rhetorical, but also because he knew whatever he had to say, wouldn't change her mind. “Then she trespassing. And tell your better half, I saw his little nugget ass head peeking out the window. If there is a child in my house-”

“It would be your grandchild. You’re now threatening to kill your grandchild.” Heaven attempted to rationalize with his mother.

Juliette paused for a moment. Heaven was the eldest of the twins, but he was stuck in the middle and possibly the only “good” son she had. But she didn’t trust him either. “OH, SHUT THE FUCK UP HEAVEN!”

“Mom, these white people will not hesitate to call the police on us. Just-” Separated by a driveway, Heaven and Juliette stared at each other. He wanted very much to remind his mother that they were not children anymore. But they were not children anymore and it was now every man for himself. “Nevermind.”

“Dasun home?” She questioned in a calmer tone than before. She hadn’t noticed his car from the street, but from her steps, she could see that his own Hellcat, a Dodge Charger, had been pulled from the boys’ garage.

“Yeah. Just – we don’t need the police over here Mom. So, kill ‘em quietly?” Heaven offered, knowing that to tell the woman to calm down would be igniting a very short fuse. But for the sake of his older brother who was just recently released from the county jail with two strikes on his record, Heaven at least tried.

For a moment, Juliette had been disarmed. Deciding to just let Heaven deal with his brother since once again they were all grown men now. Then she remembered why Dasun was on his second strike anyway, Girls. That’s all they care about is girls. “I’M CALLING HEIR!” She yelled loud enough for Legacy to hear from inside the house, but for the whole neighborhood to hear.

As Juliette went to get back into her car quietly, all five of her son’s rushed out to plead with her not to call Heir. “You should’ve thought of that before you was fucking in my house! And y’all was just gone lie for him.” Juliette had already called the oldest of the pride once she pulled up to find the mysterious car in the driveway. While he hadn’t answered her first six calls, she knew that he was on his way. She figured he was at one of his two jobs, but as her seventh call went unanswered she was beginning to grow worried. Like so many mothers that came from the Samuel Young housing projects, she had learned to accept Heir’s hustle.

“Heir, once you get the time baby, I need you to come get Legacy. CAUSE I’MMA KILL HIM. I’MMA KILL ALL OF THEM! I don’t know why, but I am.”

“Even me, Momma?” Rain asked hoping his reputation as his mother’s favorite could disarm her from sending an SOS alert to their older brother.

“Even Rain. You ain’t five years old no more, boy. Them puppy eyes don’t work on me!”

“Yeah, none of us are Momma!” Legacy reminded his mother from the doorway of their home. And at the moment, his four siblings quickly turned around to rush back into their own home.

“You better get here quick. You should take Old Road because it was traffic on Washington. You don’t wanna take too long cause soon I’mma be planning a funeral!”

“How you know there was traffic on Washington?” Legacy questioned looking past his mother’s benign threats. He definitely didn’t want Heir to get here any quicker than he inevitably was, but since Heir had moved his family out of the projects and across the boardwalk to the nicer side of the city, hearing his mother’s traffic directions raised a red flag.

“Don’t question me boy, I’m grown.”

“So am I!”

“This may be the first time Momma actually killed one of us.” Dasun commentated from the boys’ side of the driveway as she zeroed in on Legacy.

“I thought it would be you first, but Legacy also makes sense.” Rain chuckled along as he watched Juliette chase Legacy inside the house and begin to scream loudly. “We getting put out this neighborhood.”

“She getting put out.” Heaven admitted before slipping back inside their home next door to their mother’s. He never wanted to stay this close to her either way, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

 “Just because you 18 now, that’s don’t make you grown. You still live in my house. Therefore you will still abide by my rules. And if nothing else you will fucking respect me.” As Juliette continued to berate Legacy, she mimicked the boy’s movements as they danced around the large dining room table. Legacy may have had bass in his voice when he was defending himself against his mother with the truth. But alone in the house with her, he knew better than to let the woman get to close to him.  

“I do respect you.” He attempted to reason with her.

“Then why you got a girl in my house!”

“How you know it’s a girl?” Legacy’s poor attempt to play her intelligence only gave Juliette the strength she needed to sniff the young girl out within the large house. Back when they lived in Sam-Yo, it was easier to chase girls out of their family’s four-bedroom apartment, compared to the three-story home Heir had single-handedly relocated his family to.

Legacy stayed close to his mother as she traveled down to the second level on the home, walked right up to an empty closet in the hallway, and opened it to reveal a cowering girl inside. Looking at the girl’s face, all of Juliette’s rage transferred into disappointment. Like she presumed this was not Legacy’s girlfriend, but rather some other random hood rat that had fallen for one of her son’s gentle eyes, charismatic smile, and clever tongue. “I really hoped that it was at least your girlfriend. Maybe I could get with that. But if you gone be a cheating ass, lying ass, insecure, trifling man like your father, then you get out too.” As Juliette began to walk away, Legacy dropped his head. He didn’t want to disappoint his mother and hated the thought of her thinking he didn’t respect her. But he too had grown tired of hearing how out of all his siblings, he was the most like his father, especially since he barely knew the man.

“Mom,” Legacy called to his mother’s back. Hearing his paced tone, Juliette smirked a bit, believing she had won. “Maybe I should go live with Desmond for a while, you know before I go off to college.” Hearing those words stung Juliette more than finding the girl in her closet did.

“You wanna what?” She questioned spinning around to look at Legacy. She could even hear the girl in the closet whisper out to the boy to question what he was thinking.

“All my life you’ve been telling me how much like Desmond I am, and that’s fine. But now that he’s actually around, I wanna see why Ma. I may not be grown, but I am growing up and before I go off to college, I want to get to know my Dad.”

Legacy’s speech made a lot of sense and should’ve been the end of their conversation, but Juliette didn’t raise six boys by herself because she fell for every pout of their baby faces and pink lips. “Fine. You wanna go live with Desmond, go. Hell, I’ll call him for you.” Before continuing to speak, Juliette closed the gap between her and Legacy’s body. Even though she was only a few inches shorter than the boy, she towered over him as she stared directly into his soul like only a mother could and spoke her final words. “But you don’t get to come back. You go with him, you really are his son.”

With those words, Juliette headed back up the stairs of her new home, leaving Legacy behind to clean up his mess. She was going to call Desmond – only if Legacy persisted like he always did – but first, after she was safe inside her bedroom and her tears began to roll down her cheeks, she placed one more phone call. “What you know that thing you said I was gone do…well I think I finally did it.” Juliette wanted her voicemail to seem cheerful and jokingly, however as she realized the truth herself, the cries behind her tears couldn’t be mistaken for anything else. “He can’t leave me here alone.”

 Meanwhile across the driveway, Juliette’s children stirred in suspense and curiosity. She could see them from her place in the window above their supposed enclosed porch, but Juliette didn’t raise six boys by herself without knowing how to defy physics to see what she wanted. “Should we check on them?” Shadow’s voice was the first Juliette heard, with a smile she shook her head at him trying to peak through her windows with a pair of binoculars.

“She could’ve been going to Little Market.” Rain questioned, still focused on figuring out how his mother could know whether there was traffic on a street that was now out of her usual route to work.

“Where the groceries, Rain?” Juliette heard Heaven’s voice, but she couldn’t see him on the porch. But he had always been a challenge for his mother. With Heir and Dasun paving the way, and his own twin behind him it was easy for him to slip past her. The day he turned eighteen, Heaven took Juliette to his very own Sam-Yo apartment unit. He gave her a key, but it was practically useless with all the locks he had placed on his side of the door.

“Maybe she ate them. You know she be wanting that dip sometimes.” Rain continued as he too was fearful to admit why his Mother was traveling back east towards their old neighborhood. Rain was always the black sheep, mostly because Juliette babied the boy so much, but she only did it because his brothers would forget him growing up. And now they just tried to pretend he wasn’t there.

“She could’ve gotten that nasty ass shit from right there on the corner.”

“Well, you know white people shit don’t never be as good as the original.”

“Like I really think she could’ve killed Little Man y’all.” Shadow added to his own conversation with Heaven.

“She didn’t kill anybody. Legacy got a point. He’s an adult now. That don’t mean he should’ve brought no girl over there, but…when one of us turned 18, it didn’t mean shit to her, cause there was always somebody else to focus on and threaten all day long. But now – that’s it. And that’s 100% the reason why Mr. Litfields is fucking y’all Mom.” She really wished Heir would’ve considered leaving Heaven right there in Sam-Yo where he wanted to be because his sour attitude was going to ruin everything for everybody.

 As her boys continued to argue over her whereabouts, Juliette noticed yet another Dodge slip into the driveway between her house and her sons, which she claimed as hers because it was closest to her front door. But this Charger was older, Dukes of Hazzard old.

“I know he didn’t…of course he did. Bastard,” Juliette mumbled to herself as she slipped out of her view from the window. “LEGACY BAPTISTE BANNISTER!” She called out, but she wasn’t going to waste her time searching for where he was hiding. If he was the adult he claimed to be, he’d soon come out of hiding and own up to his mistake.

For now, she had to deal with Desmond. Ever since she had fallen for the exact bullshit their sons seemed to possess, he had been a pain in her ass – just like their sons. “Oh, now you wanna come running when somebody calls yo ass, huh?” Since Juliette was barely off the steps to her home and already yelling, Desmond’s hands flew through the air.

“Damn, can I at least speak to my sons before you get started?” Desmond responded with a quick chuckle and sneaky smile. Juliette rolled her eyes at the man while approaching his car.

“You can speak to whoever you want, just get this hunk of junk out of my driveway.”

“Hunk of junk?” Desmond teased, stepping away from the car and into Juliette’s personal space. “You wasn’t saying that back when you used to be riding shotgun down Washington with me.”

“She was smiling then, huh Pops?” Heaven teased his mother with her secret.

“I swear the doctors switched y’all names up or something.” Rain mumbled to himself, as Desmond began to agree and the family shared a laugh.

“Just move it, out my driveway!”

“Now how is this your driveway?” Desmond asked, as their sons shook their heads. Their parents weren’t like most divorced couples. All it would take was one word from Juliette and everything could go back to the way things were before Desmond was incarcerated twelve years ago. Nonetheless, things were just as good the way they were now.

“Cause I said it’s mine, now what you gone do about it?” Juliette’s voice was loud as if she was being serious, but Desmond could see the hurt from behind her eyes. However, he had learned long ago not to push his luck with Juliette, she didn’t make it out the projects with all her sons still alive and well by being no pushover.

“The boy been talking about making this move for a while now, Jules. You gotta let him go. It’s just for the summer. Hell, he ain’t going to war.”

“What move? What the hell you talking about, Desmond?”

“He wanna come stay with me, so he can volunteer down at the beach this summer. It’s a good little gig before he goes off to college.”

“He can stay right here and lifeguard at the YMCA like he been doing,” Juliette argued with Desmond. From behind her, she could hear Legacy rebuff her idea, but his opinion didn’t really matter. “You come home and wanna change shit up.” She shot.

“Heir already said he could.” Desmond informed his ex-wife, instantly bring her rage to an end. “He was gone tell you at his graduation party, but uh-” Juliette rolled her eyes thinking about the tramp Desmond bought to Legacy’s party. She was fine with Desmond moving on. After all he had endured in life, he deserved happiness and they both had long accepted she wouldn’t the one to bring it to with him. But someone women found the way Desmond’s eyes lingered on Juliette’s frame a little too long offensive and they were already vocal about it.  “You kinda ended the party a little early little Mike.”

“You need to teach your hoes some manners.”

“That’s his wife Mamma.”

“Heaven, I done heard your voice enough today!” Juliette told him, just as Desmond reached out to touch Juliette’s waistline, only for his hands to be quickly smacked away.

“Okay fine.” He said stepping back. He looked over Juliette quickly, admiring the woman she had become. The day they were separated he knew he had failed her in a way she could never forgive. But he was blessed to have fallen for a woman who was strong enough to keep trying. “Give me one good reason why he can’t stay with me for the summer?”

Juliette looked over the faces staring at her, awaiting her answer. She wanted to search her mind for the perfect guilt trip to throw onto them, but there wasn’t one.  It was time for her to let Legacy go. To let all her boys go and let them be men. “Let me talk to you for a second,” Desmond started, cuing the teasing from his sons as they all stepped back to give their parents some space to talk. “You know we can actually help each other. Let Legacy stay down there for a couple days, and I’ll bring back. Give you some of your own time to sneak around with Judas- I mean, Percy.”

“And what’s in it for you?” Juliette asked. She didn’t want her son to know what she and Percy Litfields were up too, but she was glad Desmond had finally gotten it right – although she was sure Heaven had helped him figure out what man was bringing her that same happiness he had rekindled in an old fling.

“I need to speak to yo oldest. And I know having his little brother with me will get his ass to make some time.”

“Don’t take no offense to it.” Juliette started to defend Heir.

“Oh, I don’t. You been working the boy like a Hebrew slave since he was 8 years old.” Desmond joked as he pulled Juliette into a tight hug. “Two weeks max. It’s more trouble for him to get into on the boardwalk then down there on the beach.”

“It’s not the beach I’m worried about.” Juliette said pushing Desmond off of her.

From behind her, she could hear Heir’s voice fill the air, saying “I guess y'all don’t need me, huh?” as he walked up the driveway of the two homes he purchased for his family. Juliette stood in silence as she listened to all the voices clash to report to Heir what was going on. Even Desmond fell in line with filling in the man on the details. And watching him push his pride aside, Juliette understood it was time for her to do the same. She was scared as hell, but it was time.

“I actually think that’s a great idea.” Heir spoke up. “Maybe it’ll keep you off of Washington, young lady.” He spoke pulling his mother in for a hug. “But you got the same rules, Little Man. Because I don’t know what you was thinking.”

“What was she thinking? Why she home so early?” Legacy defended himself, prompting the rest of his brothers’ prying questions.

“She retired today.” Rain informed his siblings, silencing the crowd.

“Oh shit,” Desmond spoke up, admitting the group’s ignorance of how important today was in Juliette’s life. “Did you wanna celebrate or something, baby?”

Juliette smirked a little thinking about her own legacy. Even if it was for only a few weeks, the rest of the summer, or just for another moment, Juliette had an empty nest. All her boys had grown into men and she was free to do whatever she wanted. It was Juliette’s time to live her own life once again.

“Oh, I’m celebrating,” She started. Just in time for her boyfriend Percy to pull into the driveway to her actual home. “Just not with y’all.”

“You believe me now?” Heaven whispered to a still disbelieving Rain before turning to leave the scene.

“Oh, he gone have to come over here and shake my hand or something. This ain’t how I met you two years ago, Uncle Percy.” Dasun scowled.

“Fucking slimy ass nigga,” Desmond mumbled to his tiny soldiers. “Let y’all Momma be happy, but don’t trust this nigga too much. Don’t ever trust no nigga.” He continued to prophesy.

“Man, we barely trust you with our Momma.” Legacy added to the men’s laughter.

As Juliette properly introduced Percy to her family as her boyfriend, Heir slipped his arms around his mother and whispered a question into her ear.

“Who did you call first?” She turned to look into Heir’s eyes, afraid to admit that she no longer needed him as well.

“He called me.” She whispered back to him. That would be a truth for her to face at another time.

[thesocialfables]

As another night at Heaven's Hideaway came to an end, best friends Rhapsody and Echo were preparing to head to Remy's House of Shrimp and Grits as they always do in the early morning. Yet, as the clicks of their stiletto heels echoed in trio, Rhapsody grew concerned with what Echo would say about Cameo's continued tag along.

For the last ten years, the two women have been walking the seedy strip club's back halls side by side. While Echo preferred to keep anybody who wasn’t her bestie at a distance, Rhapsody was well-liked by everyone. At least until she walked away, then she became the topic of their conversation - their negative conversations. Rhapsody was used to women being two-faced with her. Much like a sassy gay man, she was a pretty girl’s favorite accessory – a funny fat black girl. The only problem was, Rhapsody was pretty as well. She wasn’t pretty for a big girl, nor was she pretty for a dark skin girl. All by herself, Tangie was a fucking knockout.

"Are you coming to Remy's?" Echo asked as she approached her private dressing room. Rhapsody was sure she was talking to Cameo, but she was surprised herself that she asked. So both women just remained silent as they split off to head down the hall towards the locker rooms. "Nevermind then, bitches."

As Echo slipped inside, Cameo and Rhapsody followed behind her laughing. "I'mma just start responding to everything then, okay.”

"You better. I told you that quiet, shy girl shit is for the floor, and serial killers." As Rhapsody went to close the door behind her, the only girl she ever honestly had a problem with slipped her foot in the door frame to keep it from closing.

"Dante said you had something to give him." September spoke as Cameo looked on confused while Echo watched September closely to make sure she stayed on her side of the doorframe. Meanwhile, Rhapsody bared a smile and moved over towards the locked cabinet inside Echo’s dressing room and pulled out a large gift bag.

“Tell him, I put my Momma’s present in there too, so if he can just leave it in the bag. And also it has her name on it.” While Rhapsody held the bag out for September to take, she thought about her own two faces regarding her relationship with Dante.

“It’s your boyfriend’s birthday?" Cameo asked sweetly. While she was curious, she was mostly just trying to cut the thick tension in the room. As Echo continued to stare at September warningly and it seemed as if Rhapsody was tempting her to try and step inside with the distance between September's reach and the colorful bag that read Happy Birthday.

“Our daughter’s,” Rhapsody gleamed as she stopped toying with September and pushed the bag into her hand. “Her birthday’s tomorrow.”

“You coming to work after, right?” September asked smugly, although she was careful to stay on her side as she took the bag.

“Actually, none of us are. We’re going to King’s Point after.” Echo interjected. “You’ll cover for us though, right?”

“Can’t we all just get along?” Even though those were the words she spoke, Rhapsody slammed the door in September's face before she could answer back to Echo's taunt.

“Your daughter’s father is September’s boyfriend?” Cameo questioned once the trio was alone again.

“We all make mistakes, girl. Even my perfect ass has fallen short once," As Rhapsody answered Cameo's question, Echo stared at her friend. "Or twice," Echo's blank stare continued. "Okay hell, I lost count. He a bum! But that's usually where the best dick be. They be fucking for survival. Niggas like Dante need you to go to sleep, so he can too. Wake you up with breakfast and head. You be all confused and shit.” As Echo began to laugh and change into a simple maxi dress, Cameo chuckled along before pushing her luck in getting to know the two girls a bit better.

“Did you…buy – his present? Nevermind. Sorry, I'll just see y'all later." As Cameo went to leave, Rhapsody and Echo laughed loudly. Echo never cared for Dante, whereas back when they were together, Rhapsody was deeply in love. But now that she saw the truth past Dante's silver tongue, she was glad those days were behind her. At the same time, she hated that since September's arrival, Dante's shortcomings were coming to light.  

“Yes I did. The nigga is a disaster.”  Rhapsody spoke, halting Cameo’s exit. After she and Echo shared a quick chuckle, she changed the subject with the question, “Anyway, you not coming with us to Remy’s?”

"Do I get to go to King's Point too?" Cameo attempted to joke, before quickly apologizing.

“Maybe you should just be quiet.” Rhapsody shot back as she began to change into her street clothes to head to the 24-hour pancake house. "I'm just kidding. You can, if you want. You gotta buy my baby a gift though. She's eight and loves ponies and princesses, but not unicorns or pink.”

"Just get her slime, that's what I did." Echo said as she stood to leave. "You should just bring your stuff in here next time because I'm not waiting for either one of y'all."

“Don’t mind her. She lost her sponsor recently, so she a little touchy." The girls shared a laugh as they headed down the hall towards the exit and locker room.

As they passed by the other women in the hallway, September took it upon herself to remind Cameo of a fact many girls before her had to learn the hard way, "There’s a reason why them two have been a duo for so long. Watch your back, new girl.”

Inside the locker room, as the girls prepared to leave in the early morning for the night, Cameo watched Rhapsody closely with September's voice in her head. While Cameo got dressed to go, Rhapsody spoke to the rest of the dancers, keeping them laughing and smiling. Jokingly teasing everyone that since her, Echo, and Cameo would not be at work tomorrow, the rest of them could finally make some money.

Although she’s been working at Heaven’s for ten years, Rhapsody never performed on the main stage. Her face was not in the lineup of girls advertised inside. She had no pictures in the hall, no locker of her own, or no mirror filled with mementos of her favorite things. She came, and she went as she pleased, navigating the club's back halls better than Alonzo himself. Rhapsody was one of the girls who convinced Cameo that she could make twice the money everyone else did on the main stage, with the right attitude. Simply by speaking to customers, giving out lap dances, serving drinks, and of course, back in the infamous private rooms.

“I kinda want to put my makeup in Echo’s room.” Cameo whispered to Rhapsody as she grabbed her stuff, and they headed out of the locker room.

“Oh, you can call her Dominique. And just put in her car for now, she got her keys, and I'm not about to hunt Buddy down for some makeup.”

“This is Fenty.” The two women locked eyes as Rhapsody paused for a moment, debating if they were going to hunt Buddy or Alonzo down to open Echo’s dressing room just to put up Cameo’s makeup case.

“BUDDY!” Rhapsody called as they headed towards Alonzo's office to find the man to secure Cameo's makeup for the night.  

However, along the way, they managed to find Kendrix, and his shadow Peace, lurking around Alonzo's office. "What you doing back here?" Cameo asked. "You not stalking me already, are you?" Her tone was a little flirty, as her relaxed stride began to saunter as they closed in on the space between them and the two men.

“Girl,” Rhapsody exclaimed loudly. “Go back to not talking!" Even though she stopped to talk to the two men, she used the difference between her full-figured frame and Cameo's petite physique to box her out from the conversation. Prompting her to step on the opposite side of Rhapsody – away from Kendrix. "Y’all seen Buddy? I need to get in E’s dressing room.”

“You don’t have a key?” Peace asked, he too stepping away from Kendrix and moving closer to Rhapsody.

“If I had a key, would I be looking for Buddy?” Rhapsody responded. With her own voice purring for attention, Cameo took the hint that this was a conversation only meant for the two of them and moved further down the hall in search of Buddy.

However, Kendrix did not, as he interjected, "Buddy got a key, and you don't?"

And just like that, Rhapsody was back to yelling. "Fargo, don’t either! Shit! Y'all seen him or not? I'm getting hungry, and my homegirl at Remy's bouta get off. Do you niggas know how to make a perfect Denver omelet?"

“I can make a Spanish omelet.” Peace offered with a hidden smile.

“Don’t nobody want that healthy ass shit. I put pork on my fork.”

“I eat bacon.”

"Egg, bacon, and potatoes?" Rhapsody’s voice returned to a lower register as she and Peace eyes locked. “Wait a minute, you might be on to something.”

“That’s a frittata. Here. Now yo loud ass got your own key." Kendrix said, slipping the key to Echo's dressing room to Rhapsody. "So you going to Remy’s?”

His question was directed towards Cameo, but before she could answer. Rhapsody's voice filled the halls once more. "I eat that shit too! Come on, girl, let's go." Although she called for Cameo to come along, Rhapsody waited until she passed back over the group to follow her to Echo's dressing room. "And I hope y'all got another copy, cause you ain’t getting this shit back.”

While Rhapsody thought this would be the end of their interaction, Cameo turned around to call back to Kendrix. "I might. Why?"

"I'm kinda hungry myself. You?" Kendrix spoke as he looked behind him at Peace. However, he remained silent, locking eyes with Kendrix in hopes to get an understanding as to what the fuck was he thinking.

Behind Cameo, Rhapsody stared down the hall at the man menacingly. Rhapsody genuinely liked Cameo. There wasn't one girl that walked into Heaven's and had a great first day – or even a great first month. It was an adjustment they all once had to make. And just when Cameo was considering giving up, Rhapsody was there to encourage her to keep going. However, her well-meaning intentions didn’t start that way.

Like everyone else, Rhapsody had secrets and wasn't working at the club because she loved the art form. She was here for the money. Cameo, or any of the other girls, weren't aware of the change that was happening at Heaven's. But Rhapsody was, and she didn't plan on missing out. Peace and Kendrix weren't roaming around the back halls because they were stalking their favorite dancers. They worked for Fargo. And unless Alonzo got his shit together, soon everybody would.

"What are y'all doing? I'm not going after 5." Echo's voice broke the silence in the hall, causing a small chuckle from Peace.

Without breaking her eye contact with Kendrix, Rhapsody slipped Echo’s key in her pocket and informed her they were looking for Buddy because Cameo needed to lock up her makeup case. "It's Fenty." she finished up her story to convince Echo that this was, in fact, a matter of importance.

"Why didn't you just text me? Come on, Cameo."

"Bianca, you can call me Bianca. And Kendrix gone come with us. Is that cool?"

"Oh, okay, Bianca." Echo joked as the three women headed back towards her dressing room. "You can go back to not talking now."

“I told her that!”

 Now that they were officially ready to go, the girls headed out to the club's parking lot and started towards Echo and Rhapsody’s cars.

“Are y’all serious?” Cameo asked in disbelief as Echo sauntered towards her sangria colored Lamborghini truck parked right next to Rhapsody’s rose gold Bentley Bentayga.

“Mines is leased." Rhapsody said before laughing loudly into the dark of the morning. "Pick your poison, queen. Or do you have a car?”

"I'mma be quiet now." Cameo plainly said as she walked towards the passenger side of Rhapsody's truck. "I thought this was Lonzo’s car.”

"That nigga drive a Tahoe." While the girls laughed loudly, it wasn't loud enough to cover up Kendrix's thirsty call to Cameo.

"Just ride with me." He spoke, from behind his own luxury whip, a blacked-out Porsche Cayenne. As Cameo prepared to hop right in the car with him, Echo watched Rhapsody’s reaction very closely. As she wasted no time drawing all the attention away from Cameo and onto her.

"Damn, Ken! What happened to the Benz? Shit, I might catch up with y'all later. Fuck that omelet! This car make me wanna do stuff." Cameo chuckled along as Rhapsody's body rolled across the car's hood towards the driver's door. Ending her performance with her breast pressed against the window, as she whispered out, "Free stuff."

Although it was a whisper to Kendrix, both Cameo and Echo heard her loud and clear. As their own responses, Echo cleared her throat before slipping into her truck and starting the engine. While Cameo remembered Echo's words from inside The Upper Room. Deciding she wasn't going to stop Rhapsody's hustle twice in one night, she closed Rhapsody's door before moving to get in the car with Echo.

Meanwhile, in a low enough tone for only them to hear, both Rhapsody and Kendrix questioned the other, “What the fuck is you doing?”

It was silent between the two for a beat, before Kendrix spoke first. “I told you I wanted her.”

“And I told you – no.” Rhapsody shot back just as short.  

"You ain't gone be able to stop me forever, Tangie. She liked it."

“I don’t give a fuck. I said, no.”

“This not even business-”

“I don’t care. N. O. Motherfucker.” As Rhapsody and Kendrix found themselves in a staring contest, Echo's horn blared out three times quickly as a warning signal to Rhapsody.

“What the fuck is you doing?" Dante's voice boomed through the dusky morning, adding more questions to the confusing scene.

“You owe me a fucking omelet," Rhapsody mumbled out to Kendrix, before turning to deal with Dante's permanently bruised ego. "Dante, please don't start with me, I'm hungry, and I'm about to miss breakfast.”

“You selling pussy right here in the parking lot now?” He loudly shot, obviously still confused as to who he was dating.

"And if she is nigga?" Kendrix asked as he began to step out of his car. However, Rhapsody knew it wasn't to defend her or even to argue with Dante for the eleventh million time. It was to get one more chance to persuade Bianca to come with him for the morning.

Therefore, Rhapsody pushed the door close on the man and moved to climb in the backseat. "Dante, just pick up your little side bit- I mean you little girlfriend and stay the fuck out of my business.”

"You are my business Tangie." Dante shot, pulling the girl away from the car, giving Kendrix the chance to step out. "I don’t want you or September fucking around with these lame-ass thirsty-ass niggas.”

“So please explain to me why the fuck was she ever with you?”

“Kendrix,” Peace’s voice rang as he made his way towards the scene. He could see that Kendrix was seconds away from pulling out his gun to handle the 'Dante situation' this morning. "Y'all chill out. Dante, you know ain't none of us fucking with Rhap ass like that. That's all you, my guy. She probably just grabbing some weed.”

Since she was cockblocking on him and Cameo, Kendrix figured he'd add some fuel to the fire, spitting out, "Exactly. What you said the other day, P? A fat bitch can't do shit for me but cook?" Only Kendrix was laughing as Rhapsody looked over to Peace for an explanation.

“That’s not what I meant. I was specifically talking about that particular fat- bigger woman.”

“Same difference.”

“No, not the same. Not even close.”

"Umm, whatever, can I get my weed nigga?" As he prepared to get back in his car and grab Rhapsody some weed for the show, Kendrix passed a look over to Peace, whose little white lie just cost him ten dollars. Because that's all that he was giving Rhapsody's hating ass. "You need to be heading home anyway while you worried about what's happening over here. Ava’s birthday party starts at ten o’clock. Not eleven, not twelve, not-”

"I get it, Tangie. I'll be there. You take yo ass home." As Dante walked away, Rhapsody rolled her eyes at his weak authority, and then once again, as Kendrix passed her the world's smallest dime sack.

“You could’ve given her more than that.” Peace spoke up.

"It's cool. A broke nigga can't do shit for me but – be broke, nigga. Fuck you!" Turning to head towards her car and still make it to Remy's, Kendrix followed behind her. Approaching Echo's car's passenger side, where Cameo sat trying to understand what the hell was going on over there with them.

"Well, since Rhap apparently got a curfew, maybe you can take her place again?" He spoke to Cameo. Since she was facing her own car, Rhapsody rolled her eyes once more at Kendrix's stubbornness. At this point, his behavior was more about him and her than him and Cameo. And that pissed Rhapsody off even more.

The day she followed behind Cameo to the locker room, she intended to introduce her to Kendrix just like he asked. But after talking, for way longer than Rhapsody expected, she saw a girl that didn't need to deal with any of their bullshit. A good girl who was dealt a shitty hand at birth, and was simply just trying to make the best of what she had. And now Rhapsody wanted to keep her far away from Kendrix. And then get her away from Heaven's Hideaway all together.

“I don’t know. Y’all seem pretty – involved.” Cameo said, bringing a smile to Rhapsody's face as she turned around wickedly gleaming behind Kendrix. 

That was until he said, "Naw, see actually...Rhap like a sister to me. We weren't ever gone do nothing. That was your offer.”

"Wow, Kendrix. You have officially become the worst person I know." Echo shot, to which Kendrix proudly raised his middle finger. All the while, Cameo and Rhapsody locked eyes.

“And you still owe me an omelet.” She defensively mumbled, not sure what Bianca was thinking as it was now clear that she had been set-up.

“Either way, it don’t feel right.” While she had many questions, Kendrix was right. Cameo acted on her own accord in The Upper Room – and in the private room they disappeared to. “You said after 5, right? I really want some waffles now.” Echo let her know they still had time to make it to Remy's, while Cameo grabbed her purse.

Hoping she said that because she wasn't upset with her, Rhapsody whispered, “I like waffles.”

Before opening the car door and stepping out, Cameo laughed a little at Rhapsody’s apology, "You can stop talking now." She teased before crossing over to get back in the car with Rhapsody. “Sorry, just kidding.”

"Oh my god, you and your fucking sorries. That was good, I knew you was a Plastic!" Rhapsody said as she got into her truck and started the engine. All the while Kendrix's arrogant ass still stood between the two trucks. "Ugh! Now you owe her waffles. If you wanna go with him, go. I’ll pick you up for my daughter’s party in the morning. Don’t forget her present.”

“You can just put your name on mine. I got slime.”

“You can definitely stop talking." Cameo shot towards the man before she gave Rhapsody a tight hug and questioned once again if it was okay. And as much as she wanted to say no, Cameo was a grown woman, and hopefully, she'd figure out Kendrix wasn't shit before it was too late.

As Cameo climbed in the car with Kendrix and Peace and pulled out of the parking lot, Rhapsody avoided eye contact with Echo as she sat in her truck, staring at her best friend, knowing there was so much more to the story. "Tanginika!” As she called out Rhapsody’s full government name, she had no choice but to look over to her bestie. She just prayed she had a few lies left in her eyes. “What have you gotten yourself into? And you can stop with the leased joke because I saw the papers from the dealership. You paid in cash, in full. Bianca cool and everything, but Dante almost died today because of your little show with Kendrix. And in front of Geoffrey?”

“I don’t give a fuuuccckkk about Peace!” Rhapsody shouted into the morning sunrise. While she was kind of telling the truth, there was a crack in a voice that let her best friend of ten years know she was hurt - and she was lying. “I’m actually not hungry, and I have so much to get ready still. I’ll see you in the morning. And you bet not come up in there with no fucking slime.”

“Rhap-”

“Ask Fargo." And with that, Rhapsody pulled out the parking lot, leaving Echo behind to catch a glimpse of the man himself. As he stepped outside of the lifeless building and into the makeshift spotlight from Echo’s headlights.

[thesocialfables]

If anything could drown out the noisy chatter from a group of frightened and frustrated strippers, it was the sounds of Summer Walker. As the new girl at Heaven's Hideaway, Cameo had yet to find her crowd, although this came as no surprise to her. Put a group of women together, give them something to compete for, and it was high school rules all over again. The prettiest and most popular girls were on the top, with their own select group of equally – but never more – pretty girls to cower around them. Everyone else in-between either kept their heads down or on a swivel.

Back in her high school days, Cameo was in the popular crowd. She was pretty enough to be a majorette for the school's band, with just the right amount of tease to land the captain of the football. She also fucked him in the parking lot outside of prom, while his new girlfriend waited for him inside. But that was mostly a Bianca thing.

As the other girls loudly recanted their own versions of tonight events – and argued over the facts. Cameo put in her wireless Air Pods, turned Summer's sounds up to max volume, and moved around the locker room to prepare to go home for the night. Coming from Armory Homes housing complex, Cameo was used to messy females being the ultimate root of unresolved gunshots. And after the summer she spent working at Neanderthal's Bar and Grill, she was used to her place at the bottom of the pretty pyramid now. One thing she’d probably never get used to, though, was answering to Cameo.

"B-IAN-CA!" Rhapsody startled Cameo as she pulled one of the young girl’s Air Pods from her ear. She had been calling Cameo's name for a moment now; selective hearing was a skill she had far beyond mastered while growing up in The Armory. Embarrassed Cameo, apologized as she continued to pack away her things for the night. "Stop apologizing!" Rhapsody jokingly screamed as she lifted her hands towards Cameo's neck. She didn't know why she said those words practically all the time, and thinking about it only made her want to repeat them again. “What you going home early or something?" Rhapsody continued. With a confused look, Cameo watched as Rhapsody moved towards her locker to pull out her next ensemble for the night.

"They was just shooting." Cameo said to Rhapsody in a hushed tone. She didn't want to hear the room full of women the first time she entered the locker room, and she definitely didn't want to listen to their opinions now. She looked over the group, as they all laughed at her anyway. Even Echo chuckled a little, as she was leaning into the frame of the locker room's door, never too far from Rhapsody's side,

"Girl," Rhapsody spoke as she pulled a pair of fishnet tights over her thick thighs. "When niggas not in here shooting? Shit, they can't help it, they dicks is drunk. They either gone bust a nut or bust a gun." As Rhapsody and the other dancers joked about the type of men that frequent the club, Cameo began to change back into her work clothes and head onto the floor. Since she was still new, she hadn't made it to the main stage yet. Instead, Cameo would walk around the club and gave customers lap dances. Occasionally she would get a private dance, but for the most part, at these hours, they knew who they wanted to see. And they didn't want to waste whatever money they had left on Cameo.

"Hey,” Echo's voice called, just as Cameo went to leave the locker room. "You with us." Cameo went to question what she was talking about, but Echo had already turned and began to walk away, just as Rhapsody squeezed between Cameo and the door to catch up with her friend.

Bringing up the end of the three women, Cameo started to grow cautious. In a place full of women fighting to make the most money in one night as possible, there wasn't much sisterhood in the club. It was every woman for herself as Cameo pretty much stayed out of the way, or at least made sure they stayed out of hers. Aside from Venus, whose job was literally to make nice with all the dancers and keep them happy, Rhapsody was one of the first people to talk to her. Then again, Rhapsody was cool with everybody. Usually, the ones who had something negative to say about her did something to her first.

Echo, on the other hand, was different, and Cameo wasn't sure what she could want. Every girl had a story about Echo fucking them over, with a smile on her face. But Cameo knew better than to let locker room gossip be the deciding factor of her relationship with someone. Be that as it may, because her face was all over the club, Cameo always felt like she was in the presence of royalty when Echo was around.

"Have you ever kissed a girl before?" Rhapsody's voice questioned. Since she didn't look back while she was talking, Cameo figured the two women were speaking amongst themselves. But when the women stopped walking to turn and face her, Cameo knew they were talking to her.

"I thought you said she wasn't deaf." Echo whispered as they awaited Cameo’s answer.

"She's not! Her daddy used to beat them and shit. She hear what she wanna hear." Cameo wanted to correct Rhapsody, but she was the one who shared her past with the woman. It was her step-father. Her biological father was on Fox Island for a triple-homicide after he found out what was going on in her mother's home.

"I have. I'm not lesbian, though." Cameo spoke up.

"You are tonight." Echo plainly stated as she and Rhapsody resumed their pace. "Lesbians are the best customers. They tip extremely well, and since we all got the same parts, they don't grab on your shit like fucking animals."

"And they handle their liquor better."

"That's her opinion."

"No, it's science. I literally just said this! When niggas get the drinking, and they little pee pee get hard. All the blood in they body, that's full of liquor, goes straight to their dick. And boom! They dick drunk." Cameo wanted to laugh, but Echo wasn't.  So instead, she just remained silent before asking,

“Where are we going?" The three women had ventured off to a side of the club Cameo had never been before. As they began to walk up a flight of stairs, Echo explained their escapade.

"The Upper Room. It's for VIP parties and guests. You do good tonight, you can come with us again. It's a separate cover charge for The Upper Room. Tonight me and Rhap with split it, next time we'll cut you in. You can keep your tips, and we'll split whatever ends up on the floor at the end of the night."

As the trio approached a door, Rhapsody turned to look Cameo directly in her eyes to sternly say, "Do not! Pick shit up off that floor."

"Events are usually only two hours long, but since it's almost closing time, we'll be here the rest of the night. Any questions?" Echo finished up, as Cameo just looked on, processing everything she had said.

Just as she went to pass Rhapsody an irritated look, Cameo spoke up, "Do we have to...you know?"

“Not if you don’t want to.” Echo answered while Rhapsody looked at Cameo, a little confused.

“Why you acting funny? You ain’t have no problems putting your mouth on Kendrix for some extra cash.” The look Cameo passed Rhapsody spoke her own frustrations with the woman. On their short walk, this was the second time Rhapsody had revealed personal conversations the two of them had.

As the words cleared Rhapsody's lips, Echo just repeated herself. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. Ever.” Before turning to open the door to The Upper Room, she passed Rhapsody an indifferent look. As Echo disappeared inside the private area, alive with conversation and laughter, Cameo pulled Rhapsody back for a second.

“Look, I appreciate everything, Tangie, but I don’t fucking know her like that. And I’d really like it if you didn’t tell any and everybody my personal business.” While Cameo’s tone was stern and steady, Rhapsody couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’m sorry,” She said in-between cackles. “No, seriously, for real.” Since she had yet to stop laughing, Cameo just went to make her money and go home, but Rhapsody stopped her this time, finally done laughing. “E asked me if you were cool, and maybe I did overshare a bit. That’s my bad. I promise I won’t say anything else. We cool? Can we get to this money now?”

Cameo had dealt with enough comedienne ass bitches to know this wouldn’t be the last time. She wanted to turn around and walk away right then, and probably should have, but she wasn’t making no money from begging for lap dances. The guy, Kendrix, was a regular at Heaven’s, and he had paid for a private dance from Cameo. It was her first private dance, and she wasn’t sure what Kendrix was expecting. She had heard the jokes and rumors about the champagne room, and even Venus said, “whatever happens in a private room is between her and God”.

As Cameo danced for him, Kendrix watched her closely. His eyes never left her body as she moved to the music, and he graciously threw money to the rhythm of her hips. She didn’t expect much conversation between the two of them, and she didn’t get it either. Halfway through the dance, he motioned for her to come closer to him. Sitting her frame in his lap, she could feel how hard he was through his jeans. And simply because she was still a woman, she felt herself grow wet as she continued to wind and grind on him, repeating what she had seen in movies. That’s when he asked, “Can I touch you?”

Cameo figured it would be simple, just some light groping on her breast, and that would be it. But Kendrix went straight for the kill, grabbing Bianca’s pussy. Naturally, she jumped up quickly and told him that was off-limits. With a guilty smile, he apologized and asked if she wanted to keep dancing. Cameo agreed – as long as the money kept coming – but she kept her distance, as Kendrix’s once attentive stare became intimidating and chilling. As they reached the end of their fifteen minutes, Kendrix spent more money for them to do it again. At first, Cameo refused, and then he doubled it. As she went to take the money from his hand, Kendrix pulled it back with a small smirk. “Unless,” he said, eyeing Cameo’s body over like it would be his last meal. She knew exactly what was implied by his tone, but in case she didn’t, Kendrix made it clear as he gripped the print of his penis through his jeans. All before pulling out another stack of cash to add to what he was offering. “You know you wanna see it.”

“Yeah, we cool,” Cameo spoke to Rhapsody. “I ain’t even really wanna do that, I just needed the money. So don’t tell anybody anything else.”

“I won’t. And like E said, you ain’t gotta do nothing you don’t want to. We wanted you because I like you, not because of that. I really just told her about you and Kendrix, right now.”

“It ain’t supposed to be nobody business, anyway.”

“It’s not, damn! I done fucked so many niggas back there, Alonzo done gave me my own room. But I get it. I ain’t saying sorry again. Got me up here sounding like you, shit.” Cameo could tell hanging with Rhapsody was going to be a challenge. From what Cameo had seen, Rhapsody never took anything seriously and swore she was funny. When in actuality, she was loud and obnoxious. Nonetheless, as Cameo followed behind her into the private room, she was grateful she wasn’t entirely alone at the club.

Inside the Upper Room, Cameo almost forgot she was there to work as she was drawn to Echo’s solo dance. That was until she caught the impatient glare on the woman’s face. Since Cameo expected they were entertaining a group of lesbians, she stepped up on the small stage in the center of the room to join Echo. Touching her body softly and staring into her eyes as she mirrored Echo’s movements. That was until she heard a very familiar voice from the crowd.

“Now, this what I wanna see.” Kendrix spoke, moving closer to the small stage to throw his money at the girls.

While Cameo didn’t expect to give Kendrix a happy ending that night, she held no hard feelings against the man. As long as he was spending money, she would always be who he wanted to see. However, before Cameo could entice Kendrix to empty his pockets, Rhapsody s body slid into view, “You can see from the couch.”

As Kendrix and Rhapsody continued talking, Cameo looked over the private party. It was hardly any women in The Upper Room, let alone lesbians. Either way, Cameo continued to dance with Echo under a shower of money, while Rhapsody controlled the intimate crowd of men. For a moment, Cameo felt the sexiest she had felt yet. All eyes were on her as the crowd took in the scene. There was no need for her to do anything extra to make the type of money she expected to be bringing home from the strip club. All she had to do was keep her body close to Echo’s and have fun.

“Nigga please,” She then heard Rhapsody’s voice over the music. “I know you begged the new girl to suck on your little ass dick. You gotta pay more me now, nigga.”

“This bitch,” Cameo mumbled before she went to go off on Rhapsody once and for all, but it was Echo’s gentle grasp of her hips that halted her for the moment.

“Do you want to be that girl? Every private dance from you comes with a happy ending?” Echo spoke slowly into Cameo’s ear. She wanted to clear things up, but Echo continued past her interjections. “That’s fine if you do –  even better if you don’t. Either way, don’t step on another girl’s hustle- .”

As Echo whispered to her, Cameo watched Kendrix and Rhapsody closely. She began to wonder, was he one of Rhapsody’s regulars? Did they ask her to come dance with them simply because they wanted her to know to stay away from him? Did she want to be that girl? Just as Rhapsody and Kendrix went to slip out a side door of The Upper Room, Cameo cut them off.

“I’ll do whatever she’s doing…for double.” The words seemed to fly right out of her mouth, but Cameo’s mind was still thinking of something to say. As Kendrix smirked a little, she looked over to Rhapsody. She was sure the girl was getting ready to cuss her out, but she had a big ole smile on her face. And over Rhapsody’s shoulder, Cameo could see Echo giving her an approving look.  “Or better yet,” She said, approaching Kendrix and slipping her hand into the top of his jeans, “You can take the both of us.”

“Just you,” He said as Rhapsody let go of his arm and turned to find another sucker for the night. As she left Kendrix and Cameo alone, he pushed her hand further down his jeans to grab ahold of his dick. The last time he had Cameo this close to him – she changed her mind, she even tried to give him his money back. He knew it was because she was still the new girl and that soon enough, she’d be offering hand jobs and rim shots in the back rooms just like all the other girls. “I knew you wanted to see it. You just like the rest of these hoes.”

Cameo suppressed her will to roll her eyes and call his bluff. She may have been a hoe, but he was the one paying $400 just to get his dick sucked.

[thesocialfables]

Outside of Heaven's Hideaway, Echo stared up at the large neon marquee from behind the wheel of her Lamborghini Urus. For a quick moment, she smiled, thinking about the owner of the club and his inconsistencies. He couldn't afford to fix the ceiling in the locker rooms, but he managed to get a big ass LCD screen to show pictures of the girls you'd find inside the janky strip club.

Before covering her puffy eyes with a pair of shades and grabbing her bags, Echo looked over her Snapchat once more. Rolling her eyes at Lola's basic floor work, she managed to catch herself on the obnoxious marquee once again. Which wasn't hard considering she was in the slideshow more than any other girl. With a quick and nasty dismissive thought towards the couple living rent-free in her head, Echo pulled out her keys and packed them away with her phone before she headed inside the club. She chose to go through the front because she wanted to avoid everybody until she made her money for the night.

After being buzzed in to travel towards the locker rooms from the club’s lobby, Echo's heart warmed up a little, hearing those waiting to get in question if that was her or not. Then she heard Venus’s voice, as they passed each other in the small hall, say, "You really think you run shit, huh?" Venus stopped walked, so she could continue to speak to Echo, but behind her oversized Chanel frames, she just kept walking. To the woman’s back, Venus continued her conversation, "Well, since September covered you, you covering her next dance. You go on in fifteen."

"I don’t cover for nobody. I go on at 2." Echo replied back as she reached down into her Dior backpack to pull out the key to her private dressing room. As she slid the key into the lock, she paused for a moment, pressing her ear against the door. On the other side, she could hear a low voice and a quiet shuffling. "Oh, hell nah, " she thought to herself, pushing the door open and yelling, "Bitch, you got a lot of fucking nerves!"

Her suspicions of someone being inside her room were confirmed. However, it was only Echo's best friend, and another stripper at the club, Rhapsody. The girl had her feet kicked up as she carried on a conversation with herself. Echo’s voice had startled her so, the popcorn she was was snacking on flew around the room before she jumped up and quickly pulled the girl inside, closing the door behind them. "Girl, Lonzo been looking for you. I came in here hoping he'd think it was you."

Echo sighed in relief. As a veteran at Heaven’s, and the club's featured dancer, she did run shit. She started dancing when she was 19 and has been going hard for Alonzo and his Hideaway for the last ten years. From the moment you walked inside the club, you saw Echo. Every newcomer would ask if the girl in the pictures really worked here, and they never left disappointed after she emptied their pockets in the private rooms.

"And why you got on them big ass shades?" The two met here at Heaven's. Echo hated when other girls would say they loved Rhap 'for her confidence', not that it wasn't true. Rhapsody was good at her job because she kept her clients smiling. Even if it was just because she said something funny instead of giving them a lap dance. Echo hated it because it was usually their light skin, skinny waist, pretty bitch bias showing. But she was the mean girl.

Checking to make sure the door was locked behind her, Echo removed her shades for her bestie to see what she was hiding. Seeing the girl’s puffy-eyes and running mascara, Rhapsody immediately pulled Echo's 5'2" frame into her chocolate bosom. "FUCK FARGO!" She yelled loudly. As Echo attempted to pull away from her best friend's twins, she sympathized with victims of drowning. From in between Rhapsody's exposed tits, Echo chuckled a little before her tears began to fall once more. Feeling her tears roll freely down her stomach, Rhapsody knew Echo would rather be alone. Freeing her from their embrace, she watched the girl move away and begin to unpack her things for what was left of the night.

"I don't even understand why I keep crying. Or I why I even started," Echo spoke open handedly.  Knowing her friend was listening to her oncoming ramble, even as she started to clean up the popcorn she wasn’t supposed to have in Echo’s dressing room. "Me and him never even fucked. I just- I thought it was going to be more.” Leaning against the marble vanity of her wall-sized mirror, Echo avoided Rhapsody’s gentle gaze as she admitted, “I didn't cry when my Momma died.” As the words cleared her lips, Echo turned back towards the girl. Fighting back her tears, she continued to speak. “But- I don't know if it’s because I'm jealous, or if I'm sad, or if I'm just angry. I just- I can't stop fucking crying." Reaching out to fall back into her friend's embrace, Rhapsody covered her boobs with a nearby t-shirt and hugged her back tightly. She knew Echo’s tears had nothing to do with Fargo, or his new private dancer - Lola.

To survive in this life for ten years was a testimony. So many girls picked up this art form for the quick cash, only to end up ruined by it. Echo knew the only thing that kept her from experiencing the casualties of stripping was her praying mother. Before she passed, her mother wanted nothing more but for her to stop dancing. Yet, in the beginning, they needed the money. They had been struggling all of Echo's young life, so she accepted her daughter’s job as they finally made it out of the projects. In her last moments, as all her friends questioned what her little Dominique was up to now, she proudly bragged about how Echo changed their lives.

Maybe that's why she was crying because she never asked for Fargo's help or sympathy.  When she naturally refused and tried to push him away, he would tell her he wasn't offering because he thought she needed him. It was because he really wanted to be there for her. Either way, that was then, and this was now. She had obviously taken his words too literal, as he had now replaced her with Lola.

"Hey," Rhapsody comforted her friend, as she rubbed her hands across Echo's back. "Fuck Fargo. Fuck that bitch,  fuck them niggas with him, fuck Alonzo punk ass. Fuck everybody. Besides me...I mean, unless, you wanna fuck me."

In a healing fit of laughter, thanks to the one person she knew she could always count on, Echo wiped away her tears and prepared to get on stage. She really didn't want to just to prove her point. But since Rhapsody had been acting like she had been inside the room all night, Alonzo would soon enough be using the only other copy to the room to come check on her.

  Dressed in Savage x Fenty lingerie, with a matching garter and over-the-knee Balenciaga boots, the two women parted the hall like Moses as they headed towards the main stage. “Oh yeah, I think blondie and her boyfriend may have broken up." Rhapsody informed Echo as an explanation to the more than the usual stares the two would get from the other dancers.

"I saw Buddy putting him out earlier. And you better give him his key back too."

"This Buddy key? I thought he took it from Alonzo. Hold up, how the fuck Buddy got a key, and I don’t?" Echo just chuckled as she approached Venus behind the main stage. She intended to apologize to the woman for her attitude earlier, that was until TK announced Lola was coming to the stage. Over the uproar of applause, whistles, and other vulgar obscenities, Venus passed Echo a defeated look that said, "Don't shoot the messenger."

Echo's response was just as expressive. Smirking a little before softly touching Venus's shoulder. Using it as leverage, to follow right behind Lola, and go out on stage. From behind the stage, Rhapsody and Venus stood still. Predictably, the crowd of horny drunks became wild, as TK attempted to narrate the scene and call for help all at the same time. Two girls had never been on the stage at the same time, let alone two girls who were both crowd favorites.

"You about to lose yo job." Rhapsody teased as Venus looked on in suspense. The money was pouring in, but who was to say who it was for as a club full of grown as men turned into starstruck teenage girls. Pushing and pulling on each other to get close enough to the stage for one of the two beauties to at least look in their direction. Soon enough, violence ensued as the men turned aggressive and territorial - but all Echo cared about was the money that was flying through the sky to land at her feet.

"She about to lose her job," Venus said, really unsure of what would happen. "I liked her too." But she knew after being so close to Alonzo, and Fargo, Echo wasn't going anywhere. She could set fire to this place, and she'd still be the only dancer to ever receive a paycheck and full benefits.

"What is Echo doing? Get her off the stage now." Alonzo ordered. After working inside the Hideaway for so long, Venus and Rhapsody no longer questioned where the hell he came from. Yet, they stood still in shock of him choosing to reprimand Echo for her behavior – for the first time in ten years. Climbing onto the stage to pull Echo off himself, TK continued to provide commentary in hopes of not starting a riot. "What the fuck, Dominique! How we suppose to control these niggas if you giving them a reason to act up?"

"Me?" Echo responded, shocked. "Venus told me it was my time on stage, not hers! Pull her off!"

"Pull her- she been here all night! Working. How about you?" Echo remained silent. Her, Alonzo, and Buddy may have felt like a family after all these years, but they weren't. This was her job, and she was probably about to lose it. "I'm sorry about your Moms, really. I told you to take the time you needed. And you still can. But if you here, you follow the rules. Show up on time and don't give these drunk ass niggas no reason to-" Start shooting was what he was going to say, but the gunshots from the front of the club finished his sentence for him.

While Rhapsody took off towards the dressing rooms, Alonzo pulled Venus close to him, getting her to safety before she began to freak out. All the while, Echo climbed back on the stage and began to sweep the money into a large pile. She watched Lola, as she crawled away from the stage full of cash, shaking her head and telling her mother's voice in her head, "Oh shut up, I earned this."

"That shit more important than your life?" She ignored the voice and continued to grab all the cash for herself. "So, you can't hear me now?" Echo knew Buddy, and the security guards had whoever fired the shots by now, or at least they were long gone. Either way, Alonzo wasn’t closing the club for nothing short of a murder investigation. With this much money left behind, the only thing she was risking was giving a broke motherfucker the chance to pick it up and throw it back at the next bitch to come to the stage.

"I know this ain't about my party?" Her head finally snapped in Fargo's direction as he sat seated right next to the main stage, as a man of the streets, gunshots only fazed him if they were flying in his direction. Echo had noticed him sitting there after she bum-rushed the stage, but she wasn’t surprised, TK had just called Lola's name.  Once Echo's mom passed, he was there for the girl – as a friend. He thought about asking Echo to come through last night, not afraid to admit he had become addicted to watching the way Echo’s body moved for him. Nonetheless, he chose to invite Lola instead. And unlike when Echo came to dance for him and his rowdy boys, his dick even thanked him for the switch up. "You so emotional."

"No, I'm not. It's called loyalty. Maybe you should try it." As she spoke, Echo never once broke eye contact with Fargo. Even as she began to drop armfuls of money into her custom gym bag Buddy had fetched from behind the stage for her. All without even checking to see if he was actually there. Once the stage was empty, Fargo stood from his seat and stretched out his hand for Echo to step off the stage and talk to him like a rational adult. However, she used Buddy's instead and stood toe-to-toe with the man. A lot of niggas feared Fargo, even Alonzo, but Echo saw right through him.

"Everyone always talmbout loyalty, and don't even understand what it means."

"I know what it means."

"No, you know the definition." Fargo could see right through her as well. It was no doubt that Echo's face pulled him inside Heaven’s Hideaway one night, but she wasn't the only reason why he kept coming back. He often threw private events of his own and in the past, he'd ask Echo to come through and dance for him. "Your loyalty is to an object. Not a person."

"So I don't deserve yours? Is that what you saying?"

"I'm saying, you emotional."

"Did you fuck her?" She asked, fighting back her tears. She could really care less about what happened between him and Lola. She just needed someone to take accountability for her sorrow, because AIDS sure the fuck wasn't going to feel sorry for her loss.

Starting into Dominique's soul, Fargo remained suave. He knew what it was between the two of them. Outside of the strip club, they had grown close. She was more than just Echo to him, and he saw no point to kick her while she was down. Her mother had only been gone from her now for two weeks now. "Is my answer gone change your loyalty?"

"No, but you better not lie to me."

Fargo smiled a little before he reached down in his pocket and pulled out a knot of fresh ones. He dropped the stack in the bag Buddy held from his position in the friend zone. With the thought couldn’t be me, Fargo whispered in Echo’s ear, "Yes,” and gave her a quick kiss to her cheek. He finished up by saying, “See you around then, I guess." Before slipping away towards the private rooms - with Lola right on his heels.

[thesocialfables]

September has been working at Heaven's Hideaway for almost a year now, and even in that short amount of time, she saw more than she ever needed. She saw more affection, more adoration, more money, more problems, and more pains. Like so many young girls before her, she was only supposed to be passing through the problematic strip club.  Only needing enough money to cover her school tuition, and then she would be done. It goes without saying that September had already met her goal. The truth was she could've walked away from Heaven’s Hideaway just three months after starting. With enough money to cover what she owed, plus the next year in full. Sure, she had pissed the other dancer’s off in the process, namely Rhapsody, but she made it up to her when she did a private party for her later that week.

September wanted her reasons to keep dancing to be brooding. But there was something about the way the lights lit her body up that kept September coming back for more. When she was on that stage, she never felt sexier. From the moment she stepped out, she was more than everything she had been before. With the spotlight on her, September commanded the attention of everyone in the room without saying a single word. From her view on the main stage, she could see just how lost and weak the men of this world could be. Even with money being thrown at her from thirsty boys ready to risk it all for just one-touch to her petite body, as long as she was up here, she could get a man to confess his darkest sins to her. And there wasn’t a thrill in the world that would replace how powerful she felt. Be that as it may, her deep-set insecurities shouldn’t have been the reason September couldn’t leave this hellhole behind. There shouldn’t be anything stopping her from quitting and going home to her loyal boyfriend.

Unlike other girls, September didn’t pick a nickname for TK to call out over the club’s speakers. When he welcomed her to the stage, he called her name. As the spotlight found her snow colored body, she looked more like cocaine as those who decided she was their new favorite expense fortified the front of the stage to get their fix. The saddest of them all would dig deep in their pockets just to have September’s sea like eyes tell them it would all be okay. Still, she had to admit it was hard to see some of the faces in the crowd, as the frailest fella in here tonight – was Dante.

Her boyfriend had shown up to the club about an hour ago, drunk. He wanted September to leave work early so they could ‘talk’. As September wondered why he too wasn’t at work, the club’s den mother, Venus, asked her to cover for Echo, who was making her own hours usual. From the stage, September watched Dante close. He had never given her a reason to fear him before, but as she watched him stare down the rally of her regulars, calling out his girl's name and tossing money at her nearly naked body, September feared Dante’s sins would ruin everything she had going for herself. More now, than they even did before.

Just as September could see the thought to defend his ego cross Dante’s mind, TK began to hype the crowd for the next dancer. As Venus assisted her with picking up her earnings, she kept her eyes on Dante as well. Because regardless of what September’s workplace may have looked like – this was still the girl’s job.

“You gotta be past the drink minimum now, huh?” September spoke from behind Dante as she approached him at the bar. His back was to the woman, as his eyes were still fixated on the stage September had just exposed herself on. Hearing her voice, over the pulsating trap music and clamor of unwinding men, Dante turned towards his girl. Upon his first look, he was in awe. From her blonde curls to her pink toes, Dante had loved September since he first laid eyes on her five years ago. However, looking at her now under the neon glow of Heaven’s, he couldn’t help but feel betrayed. September’s model physique had once been a view for only his eyes only, but now every asshole from the south bay to upper north knew what lay beneath.

Dante expected his girl to be dressed and ready to go – since he had told her they were leaving almost an hour ago. And yet she stood before him scantily clad in a soft rose garter set. While hiding his anger, Dante said, “We really need to talk.”

“So talk,” September said as she signaled for the bartender to give her a shot. “I got some time. Is it about why you not at work?”

“I think maybe we should go home and talk about it.” September took a moment to survey Dante’s face carefully. She didn’t need to go home to know what he needed to talk about. She was sure it had everything to do with her dancing because lately, it seemed Dante couldn’t keep a job. He worked exactly four days at his last job before he spent four months awaiting the next. Two weeks was his record this time.

“I’m at work, Dante. I can’t just come and go as I please.”

“Work?” His voice implied that it was a question, but it was the heckling in his tone that made it clear those six shots of Hennessy he consumed had him ready to get some things off his chest.

“Did you get fired again?” September shot back, feeling attacked. At the same time, she had to agree with Dante. Here at her job was not the time to talk about this. Closing the gap between the two, she backtracked on her words. In a sensual and apologetic tone, she said, “You know what, you were right. Let’s just talk when I get home.”

“We can talk now. Go get yo stuff, we leaving.” His tone was stern. So much so when the words cleared his mouth, Dante moved away from September, tossed back one more shot, and headed towards the exit.

“Dante,” September called behind him, exposed more now than when she was on stage. As she once again approached his guarded stance, deep in a den of wolves, her customers sensed her unprotected energy and salivated at the unraveling scene. “I’ll be home soon, baby. And then we’ll talk, okay?”

Although all the other girls discouraged it, September wasn’t breaking any rules when she kissed Dante’s lips goodbye. And then his hands slipped down her waistline to hold her heart-shaped butt in his hands. September would’ve let it slide, knowing Dante needed this at the moment. But as September spotted her boss slipping out the side door, she pulled Dante’s hands back. Needless to say, he didn’t like that.

“Wow,” he said, stepping back. September tried to explain why she moved his hands before the man caused a scene. “So you’d rather stay here and act like a hoe, then be with your fucking man?”

From her place under Dante’s chin, September remained silent. Instead of risking her job to argue with Dante here, just so she could argue with him at home, she looked around. She thought Rhapsody and Echo were just mean girls when they warned her not to have her boyfriend hanging around Heaven’s Hideaway. There was nothing in the official rules that said her boyfriend couldn’t visit her at work. But as she stood, dodging the starved stares from the club’s patrons, all the power she just felt was gone.

Flushed with memories, September remembered how she first felt when she got up on stage. It was an overwhelming feeling. All eyes were on her as she felt the room judging her. She had watched the woman before her get showered in dollar bills, and September figured she’d just repeat everything she did and get the same response. But her rainfall was like a light drizzle. September had bombed on stage three nights in a row before Lola gave her some advice. The next night on stage, September did just as the club’s star dancer had said. Envisioning herself alone with Dante, riding his dick. She didn’t understand how that was going to stop her from being nervous – and then she tried it. Instantly she felt in control. She moved her body across the stage to a standing ovation. She would never work the pole like Lola, but against a bed of 10s, 20s, and 100s, September kept her mind on top. Just the same, as quick as her new confidence came – it had all faded away now. The same guys she had just taken for a ride now saw her as nothing more than a pretty face they wouldn’t mind bending over if they had a chance. And that wasn’t going to make her no money.

“I see you when I get home.” September repeated, pushing past the man to continue working.

"If you don’t leave with me now-”

“Or what!” September shot back into Dante's words. One final time, September walked over to where Dante stood. “You’re drunk, Dante. Go home, sleep it off, and we’ll figure this out in the morning.”

“Ain’t shit to figure out!” He yelled, extending his 6 foot-frame to tower over the woman he loved. He was putting his foot down. “This the life you want, go for it. But I ain’t gon stick around and look like a fool. You wanna talk about work? I lost my job today because I had to defend yo hoe ass. I knew this was a bad idea. You dropped out of school, anyway!”

September could see Buddy the doorman and his security team, as they began to approach the two of them. As they drew in closer, she contemplated matching Dante’s energy and telling him of all the ways he made her look like a fool. Instead, she held her tongue. Staring into Dante’s eyes, she could feel that power he attempted to take away begin to resurface. In the middle of a strip club, Dante’s biggest fear was getting ready to come true. September spared a look towards those who were hoping for the worst and felt more in power than before. “Okay.” She said, motioning towards Buddy to give her a second before he kicked Dante out. “If you’re home when I get there, we’ll talk. If not. Well,” She kissed Dante’s cheek sweetly before she headed towards the locker room hidden behind the club’s stage.

It took everything in her not to tell Dante of all the ways he was a fuck up. To remind him of all the times she would cover shifts and do private events to make ends meet since he couldn’t keep a job. To paint the man a vivid picture about the time she went to the champagne room with Fargo, despite all the rumors she had heard. All because Dante couldn’t keep his mouth closed or his hands to himself – or even his dick. September had turned to Heaven’s Hideaway after all of Dante’s promises to support her through college fell flat. After falling behind on multiple bills, almost losing their apartment, and still needing to cover the remaining balance of her tuition, September continued to wait for Dante’s help. When she first started dancing, he was with it. The money had begun rolling in, and he was in-between jobs even then. This new attitude of his had only come after Dante fucked Rhapsody – and now he wanted her to quit. Despite being lied too, let down, and cheated on, September never once bought it up after she forgave him. If only he respected her enough to do the same.

Either way as September, pranced through the club, savoring in the looks of desire and need, it didn’t fucking matter who did what to who anymore. Never again would she question why she started dancing or wonder why she still was. Never again would she lose her power, more now than ever.