Kendra was distraught, but she didn’t want to bother anyone else with her problems, and her head hurt from all the crying and screaming, so she thought it would be best just to go home. Kendra called her sister to let her know that she was going to take a few days off from work and clear her head.
“Sis, what’s wrong? I’ve never heard you sounding so depressed,” Nia said, full of concern.
“Nothing’s wrong. I just need a break from work,” Kendra quickly answered, trying to keep from breaking down.
“Ken, do I have to call Trent and curse his ass out?” Nia snapped.
“No, boo. I’m fine. I just need to relax and chill a bit, you know?” Kendra said with a forced smile.
“Fo’ real, Ken. You know I will cuss a nigga out and beat a bitch’s ass for you, sis?” Nia reassured her sister.
From the time she was born, Nia had always been the rowdy one of the duo. She would whoop ass and take names later when it came to protecting herself and her younger sister. That was how they had grown up, and, in the mean streets of LA, it was all about survival. On the other hand, Kendra had always thought she was too pretty to fight, but she was very outspoken. Because of this, she always got into fights, but don’t get it twisted. Although she didn’t like to fight, that didn’t mean that she wouldn’t whoop ass. Besides, that was what she liked for people to do- underestimate her capabilities.
“Nia, I said I’m good. I just wanted to let you know how I was feeling, so, if you happen to call me and I don’t answer, you will understand why, okay?” Kendra said.
Just as Kendra was about to power her phone off, Trent called. She pressed the END button and sent him straight to voicemail.
“Now, he can see how that shit feels,” she stated.
Instead of powering off her phone, she put it on silent. Then, Kendra threw on a Ginuwine CD; something about that man always sent chills up her spine. Because Kendra was feeling herself, she did something she had never done before. She went into Trent’s blunt box, took a couple already rolled blunts out, lit one, and started to smoke. Kendra puffed real hard on the blunt, holding the smoke in her lungs as she had seen Trent do many times before. Once she exhaled, she started to choke and gasp for air. Kendra flicked the ashes on the floor. She took another long drag and caught a head rush. Damn! I can’t smoke this shit, Kendra thought as she smashed the blunt in the ashtray.
Trent was still in his truck, parked in his parent’s driveway. Kendra had pissed him off. First, she had acted a damn fool. Then, she’d had Nia to call him and tell him off.
When he answered his phone, Nia started going in, “Trent, yeah, you my bro. Bro, I love you dearly, but, if the reason my sister is stressing is because of you, I’mma fuck you up personally. Feel me?”
“Calm the fuck down, Nia. Ain’t gone be none of that. You heard? And secondly, yo’ sister’s a big girl now. She can handle herself,” Trent stated.
Then, he released the call. Trent was still flabbergasted about what had taken place at his parent’s house. Trent called Kendra, but she didn’t answer. He knew that she was pissed, so he didn’t press the issue. While he was trying to talk to Kendra, Mrs. Moore drove up and had a car full of bags, so Trent hopped out the truck to help his mother with the groceries.
“Wipe that look off your face, boy, and tell Mama why you and Kendra were out here acting like fools,” Mrs. Moore demanded.
Trent was shocked to hear how quickly news had traveled. It was probably one of his mom’s nosey-ass neighbors.
Trent stated, “Ma, it was nothing that I can’t handle.”
“Boy, if it’s something you can handle, Kendra wouldn’t have stormed off, and you wouldn’t be over here looking like you lost your best friend!” Mrs. Moore said, continuing to lecture her son on his wrongdoings. “Now, I don’t know what you two are going through, but you better hurry up and fix the situation, Trenton. Kendra is a lovely lady. Her type doesn’t come around that often. Now, I know you don’t want to miss out on the opportunity and be left with coulda, woulda, shoulda. You hear me talking to you, boy?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Trent replied.
“And I know Nicole’s been around for years, but that girl is trouble. She rubs me the wrong way.”
Trent raised a brow. He couldn’t believe what he had just heard. Then and there, he realized that he couldn’t get nothing passed his mom. She even knew Trent was selling drugs. She just had a few rules of her own. She had told him, “If this is the life you plan on leading, then you need to make sure you are the best at what you do. Now, keep in mind. I don’t do jail cells, grave sites, or hospital rooms, and please don’t bring the law to my doorstep.” Trent was eager to know just how much his mother knew about him and Nicole.
“What does Nicole have to do with this, ma?” Trent asked, a little aggravated.
“Mommy knows best, and I heard how she kept asking about you earlier when she was over here. You better watch that young girl. She’s nothing but trouble.”
“Nicole was over here today?” Trent asked with a surprised look on his face.
Now, it was all starting to make sense to him. The woman that had hung up in Kendra’s face was Nicole. Trent kissed his mom on the cheek, put the groceries on the ground, and said, “Thanks, Ma. I gotta go.”
Trent got in his truck and smashed through the city streets, eager to snatch Nicole up. As he drove, a lot of thoughts ran through his mind. She had violated him one too many times, and, now, she had to pay for her actions.
“This is why I shouldn’t be fucking young bitches,” Trent said, as he ran a red light.
Trent was so deep in thought that he didn’t notice the flashing red lights behind him until he heard the loud speaker coming from the squad car.
“Pull over right now!” the officer commanded.
Trent looked in his rearview. “Shit,” he exclaimed as he pulled over to the right.
“Put your right hand out the window, and turn your ignition off with your left hand and drop the keys on the pavement,” the officer said. Trent did as he was told, still cursing under his breath.
The officer approached the truck with caution. “Do you have registration and proof of insurance for this vehicle?” the officer asked.
“In the glove compartment,” Trent said with the officer still watching him. He reached in and grabbed the paperwork.
“I’ll be right back,” the officer said and went back to his cruiser to run the plates. He came back with a ticket.
“You checked out. Just make sure you pay attention to the intersection. You could have easily run someone over,” the officer said, handing Trent the ticket.
Trent thanked the officer, grabbed his papers, and continued on his journey.
Nicole was standing outside, smoking a blunt and engaging in a conversation with her neighbors when he arrived.
“Hell yeah! I got that nigga wrapped around my pinky. He knows where home is. He just go play house with that bitch until I’m ready for his ass,” Nicole said, trying to make herself look good in front of her friends, but she was fabricating a lie. Nicole was always bragging to her neighbors to make them jealous. The girls were around her age and clung on to every word she tossed their way. They listened with open ears, like they had a pad and pen to take notes with. Nicole was so busy making up lies about her life with Trent that she didn’t even notice him pulling up. Without warning, he grabbed her by the throat and choked her in front of the same girls she had just been bragging to.
“Bitch, you want to play games!” Trent spat.
“Baby, not so rough and not in front of everyone,” Nicole said, trying to keep up appearances, but the girls immediately understood.