Stupid Boy

Slim

Using my key I let myself into my grandma's house. I knew Melo was here because his car was parked in the driveway. That was a good thing cause I needed to get at him about some shit anyway. Nigga been acting real extra with Dontae lately and the shit was starting to annoy me.

Romelo, Dontae, and I were thick as thieves growing up. My mom had some demons she was battling, alcohol being one, and she used to beat the shit out of us often for no reason.

She ran off from her mom when she got pregnant with Melo at 16 so we never met our grandparents or any family for that matter. My dad got fed up with her bullshit and left. Last time I heard he married some teacher. I can't respect a man that can leave his children with a broken woman and never look back.

When I was 10 and Melo was 13 my mom really went off the deep end and fell in love with the pipe. The abuse became worse and Melo being the oldest and spitting image of my father, got it worse.

Dontae lived in the same apartments as us and on the nights my mom would leave us hungry in an empty house to do God knows what, he would sneak us food. Tae's parents weren't rich but they did ok. His mom was an RN and his dad did construction work so he always gave us hand me downs whenever he got new shit because my mom refused to buy us new things.

My mom ended up submitting to the crack pipe ultimately leaving Melo and me to fend for ourselves. Dontae's parents looked out as much as they could and even got us connected with our grandmother so we wouldn't end up wards of the state. My granny didn't have much but she made do with what she had. Once we came in the picture she struggled, even more, to stay afloat.

Dontae being who he was, saved up his allowance and brought an ounce of weed and told us that we could make some money and help my granny out by flipping it. And flip it we did. We never spent the money we made, we put it back into the product until we were able to buy a pound. We took off from there.

A old head named Rick was impressed with our hustle and took us under his wing. Once we had enough money coming in to be better than good, Dontae took his cut and bowed out gracefully. Melo being the nigga that ain't never had shit, felt like Dontae quitting was making us lose money, so now he had a beef with him.

"Fuck you doing here?"

I brushed the memories off and looked up at my big brother. The money went to his head and turned him into someone I didn't even know.

"I gotta have a reason to visit my grandma?" I asked sarcastically.

"Mel I'm out. I gotta go handle some- oh what's up Slim? I didn't know you were here." Romelo's on and off girl Tiffany said coming from his old room.

Tiff had been around since we started grinding. Hell, she was a part of the team. She came from a fucked up family and Melo was like her superman. He swooped in and saved her from life. For that, he had her loyalty forever. She was the definition of a rider. He just couldn't be faithful.

"What up Tiff? How you been?" I asked side hugging her.

"Good, can't complain. I hate to be rude but I really gotta run. Melo I'll swing by later to pick you back up. Love you." Tiffany said pecking his lips. "Slim, it's a must we get up. It's been too long." Tiffany said before walking out the door and driving off in Romelo's car.

"Where grandma at? I know she ain't here if y'all been in that room together." I said.

My grandma MaryAnn Jacobs was very strict and old school. She did not play that shacking up shit under her roof. The only way you would be laid up in her house was if you were married.

"She went to Bible study. We weren't doing shit but separating money anyway. She got a run to make."

I sighed. No matter how many times I told this fool not to conduct any kind of illegal business here, he never listened. I didn't feel like arguing with his ass so I let it go.