Lighter Shade of Brown (Urban Fiction) BWHM

Chapter 1 Part 3

A few hours later Cleo's eyes fluttered open. Sleep dulled her senses. Confusion set in as she looked at her surroundings. From the queen size bed she sat on to the forty-two inch screen television opposite the bed, everything appeared unfamiliar to her. She scooted across the mattress and found her shoes on the side of the bed. Quickly, she stuffed her feet in them and stood. The bedroom door was partially open, so she peeped out before entering the hall. The faint music of a video game floated up from the bottom of the stairs.

"Ha...I just tapped that ass again." She heard Ant yell.

"Fuck this shit." A girl's voice shrilled. "Where the hell did you say C's was again, Ant?"

"I didn't," Ant said.

"Then speak up, motherfucka." The girl shot back, her tone over flowing with straight up attitude.

Cleo went halfway down the steps to put a face with the voice, but all she could see of her was a wealth of wavy brunette hair. Was she C's girlfriend?

"He bending corners," Ant waved the medium height Latina girl off. "But he's En route though."

"You said that shit thirty minutes ago." The girl stood and began pacing the length of the living room. "I know he better not be with no bitch. Shit, I do know that much."  The girl glanced at the stairs and locked eyes with Cleo. "Oh hell no...this motherfucka fucking black chicks now?" The girl tried to jump over sofa in an attempt to get to Cleo, but Ant caught her in mid jump.

"Calm the fuck down, Tina," Ant held on to her tight while the girl struggled in his arms. "She here with me."

The girl's squirming body went limp and she contorted herself around so she could look at his face. "She here with you?" Tina frowned and waved a hand in Cleo's direction. "What happened to Keena?"

"Don't worry about all of that. This my girl, and she was upstairs sleep in my room until you came...you probably woke her with all that loud ass talking you was just doing." Ant tossed Tina on the couch and sat back down.

Cleo came all the way down the stairs. She walked slowly in the living and edged her way over to the opposite couch. The time on the cable box read half pass nine. Liberty had probably turned the projects upside down looking for her by now. She prayed C's came back soon. Nervous and on the edge of her seat, she looked in Ant's direction and found that Tina had both eyes trained on her. After a few minutes of ignoring her, Cleo began to feel uncomfortable.

"What?" Cleo snapped.

Tina smirked. "How long you and Ant been chilling?"

Cleo lifted her chin and tilted her head to the side. "Why?"

"Just curious. Ain't ever seen you around here before...please believe I would remember if I did." Tina moved to the edge of the sofa.

"Oh yeah, why's that?" she folded her arms across her chest.

"Because I'd remember seeing a puta negra around here," Tina pointed her finger and began to roll her neck. "Especially one as black as you."

Ant closed his eyes and shook his head. "Tina don't make me put your ass out."

Tina turned on Ant, "Oh yeah...and then where the hell your ass gonna stay...not here." She rolled her eyes and then whirled around to face Cleo. "Besides I'm just talking to her...I know you don't mind me talking to yo' lil' girlfriend, Ant."

"Man yo' ass being messy...ain't nobody got time for that shit." Three wrinkles gathered between Ant's eyebrows.

Tina smacked her lips and stood. After an unnecessarily long stretch, she crossed the living room, swinging her hips from left to right, the way Liberty did when she wanted a particular scrub in The Ninth to notice her. Without an invitation she plopped down on the cushion next to Cleo. As soon as she settled her eyes flared and bugged. "What the fuck..." She grabbed Cleo around her neck and landed a fist in her eye.