Black & Ugly as Ever by T. Styles Read Free Book Online Page B

behind the Popeye’s Chicken.”
I remember now. I met that girl when I was tryna find something to eat two weeks ago. I lost my apartment so I had nowhere else to go. Everything in the world I own is gone. I smoked up the four hundred dollars I made from selling the TV and everything else I had last week. I don’t even have enough money to call my friends. And when I do get some money, I probably won’t call anyway because nothin’ means more to me right now than gettin’ high.
“I don’t belong to nobody!” I told them trying to get up. When I finally made it up, I tried to move comfortably in the shoes I was wearing that were obviously too big for my feet. I felt hands touching my legs as if they were trying to pull me back down. Kicking them off, I moved toward the part of the floor no one was. “Now I’m gonna get some money to buy some more dope but if ya’ll want to hit, ya’ll gotta help. Hell, this ain’t no free world!”
“That’s right!” he agreed. “This ain’t no free world. And if you don’t bring back some of that money you earn, you’ll have to find some place else to live. Cause Carmen already told me your homeless. You need me just as much as I need you.”
Did he say live? I didn’t even know I lived here. I weighed my options quickly in my head and realized I didn’t have many. If I reached out to Miss Wayne, he would ask a bunch of questions about my new addiction. And I wouldn’t call that bitch Parade if my life depended on it.
I asked myself over and over why did I go back to Ty that night to cop heroin. I had 100 dollars that Jay gave me and could’ve spent it anywhere else. Instead I spent it with him. All I remember after smoking was feeling as if I was floating. It was as if nothing else mattered. It was everything he said it would be and more. I experienced orgasms that moved from my head to my toes and held on to me tighter than any man ever could. I was in love. With a drug.
“I’m with you,” Carmen said. “So what you waitin’ on?” she asked appearing from the shadows. Now that I came down from my high I understand why I trusted her. She reminded me of Sky. She had the same light skin, pretty eyes and soft curly hair. The only difference was that Sky wouldn’t be caught dead in a crack house or wearing the same clothes for two days in a row let alone a month.
“I’m startin’ to feel sick.” I told them rubbing my arms. “So whatever we do we have to do now.”
This drug took a lot of my energy. A lot out of me. It required that I catered to it every second of the day. The only time I was free was when I was smoking. So smoking was the only way to feel some relief.
“Me too so let’s go.” She opened the door.
“You, bitches betta make sure you remember where home is. Both of yall were homeless before I let you in.” I know for a fact I’m not coming back here . I thought. “You heard me?” he yelled.
“I heard you,” I responded not even knowing his name.
“Shut the hell up! We comin’ back,” she slammed the door behind us.
When we left, Carmen was right on my ass. Now that we were outside I could tell I was off of Minnesota Avenue in D.C. I was familiar with where I was so finding a trick should be easy. When I spotted a brick building I ran behind it to fix myself up. “What you doin?”
“Gettin’ myself together. Just cause we smoke dope don’t mean we got to look like it!”
“I can tell you ain’t been in the streets long.” She laughed, watching me take off my jeans and shoes. She was looking around to see if anybody was watching us.
“Why you say that?” I asked right before I sniffed my panties and threw them down on the ground. They stunk so bad they made me nauseous. Once they were off I put my jeans back on, and tied a knot in the back of my shirt. It was October and there was a slight nip outside but not too cold to bare.
“Cause these mothafuckas care about one thing and one thing only. Pussy. So all the getting neat