In Due Time

Torrance

It started off as a regular day.

A regular damn day.

I woke up in my room in my apartment. Showered and brushed my teeth. Threw on an Obey t-shirt, my basketball shorts, and some Jordans. Called my nigga Tony up.

"Wus good?" he answered.

"You tryna hit the court or nah?"

He groaned, I heard a girl ask him where he was going, he told her to lay back down. "Damn Cal, I got company."

"Iight man, don't let me cock block. But be ready for me to beat cho' ass on the court tomorrow."

He laughs. "Iight nigga, peace."

We hung up.

This is regular. It was a Saturday. Every Friday my nigga Tony would go to the club, pick up a shorty, then bring her back to his crib. Always mackin. So on Saturdays, he would bail on playin basketball.

I noticed I woke up kinda late, gotta be to work in a couple hours. Decided to go down to the gym, get some Cardio in, come back and shower again, then put on my work uniform.

I worked at the Vans store at the Del Amo Mall. Vans and Chucks are the two most popular shoes in Cali, but I prefer my Jordans.

It don't take but five minutes to get there from my crib. And that's walking. Only two minutes in my BMW.

I get there and my boss is already on some fuck shit. Bald man from Pakistan.

"Cal, you're late!" he spits at me. I check my G shock.

"I'm on time."

"Early is on time. On time is late. So you are late!" He pushed past me, wipe some sweat from his forehead, then goes to the back.

"He been like this all mornin'?" I ask Dom, he was working cashier today.

He laugh. "Shit, that little nigga is like this EVERY mornin'." We both laugh. I go to the back to clock in. Bald man from Pakistan tells me to shelve some shoes and socks.

"Some girl been callin' here for you." Dom was eatin' some chips, not working.

"Stacey?"

"Nah, some chick. I know Stacey's voice like the back of my dick."

"Dom, quit feenin' on my girl."

He put his hands up. "I can't help how fine she is, bruh."

"She mine."

"She yours, bruh."

I go back to stackin' some size sevens. "You get the chicks name?"

"Nah, she ain't say. She just said she wanted to talk to you."

I ain't know who this girl could be. Everybody and they mama who lived in LA knew I was with Stacey, and that Stacey was my one and only. We been together since junior year and now, three years later, we still together. She go to Pepperdine University. It ain't that far. Only in Malibu.

I ain't go to college. Takin online classes so I dont fall behind. I had the grades but not the money. That's why I'm bustin' my ass now, so I can be with Stacey on her level.

Speaking of, she walked in the store right then.

"Hey, Cal." Wore some short shorts with a bandeau and some chucks, and some dark ass sunglasses.

"Hey baby." We kiss. She had her friend with her. That raunchy hoe who tried to convince Stacey back in high school that I was a dog and no good for her. Her name was Lyrical.