Page 4 of Tangled Hearts

Rock dreaded going to his grandmother’s home because she never had anything good to say to him or about him.

Although he pretended that her words and negative body language didn’t faze him, it did.

If he never had to lay eyes on her, or her triflin’ daughter, again, that would be too soon.

But because of his baby sister, Raquel, he would walk through hell just to make sure she was good.

“Look at what the devil dun’ drug in,” his granny sneered when he entered through the front door after using his key.

“Rocky!” Rock called out, using the nickname he’d given his sister.

Mae Lou sat up in her run-down rocking chair. “I know you know how to speak when you walk in someone’s house,” she fussed with her nose tooted in the air.

Already over it, Rock ran his tatted hand down his face. “Look, Mae Lou, I’m just coming to check on my sister.”

“Which I understand, but like I said, I know even you have enough common sense to know to speak to the owner of the house,” she spoke, never stopping her continuous rocking.

“All that would probably hold some weight with me if I wasn’t the one paying damn near all the bills,” he snapped back.

“If you don’t want your sister out on the streets like you, then you’d keep on paying damn near all the bills. And next time you step foot in my house, speak, Rodrick,” she reiterated, ending the conversation.

“Hey, big brother.” Raquel smiled when her eyes connected with the only man in her life.

Lifting her up into his arms, he squeezed her tight. “What’s going on, Rocky? How’s school and everything?”

She sighed. “School is good, but when will I be able to live with you?”

“What’s wrong with living here?” Mae Lou butted into their conversation, something she always did.

Raquel’s eyes lowered. She hated living with her grandmother and wished she could go be with her brother. In her perfect little twelve-year-old world, she’d have a loving mother and could at least live with her. But that wasn’t her reality.

“And what’s wrong with you minding your business?” Rock snapped, truly fed up with his mother’s mother.

Raquel placed her hand on her brother’s chest. She hated when he snapped at their grandmother because she was their elder.

One thing she knew was that respect was everything, even when you didn’t feel the other person was reciprocating the same.

To her, nothing her grandmother did was disrespectful. Rude, yes.

“Just let it go,” she whispered to him. “What have you been up to? I heard about Knyc whooping Shakeisha’s butt,” she changed the subject.

With flared nostrils, Rock diverted his negative attention from Mae Lou. “You know how that girl is.” He chuckled.

“I know how you be trying to play my girl. Anyway, I need lunch money. You got me?” Rocky asked with her hand out.

“Always, Rocky.” He mushed her head before pulling out two twenty-dollar bills. Her school lunch would only be fifteen dollars for two weeks, but he always made sure to give her extra, just in case she wanted ice cream and stuff.

“Thank you, Rodrick.” She called him by his government name because she knew he hated it.

After sitting outside the house for a few minutes trying to decide whether or not he wanted to kick it at Mae Lou’s house or go to the spot he shared with his best friend, his spot won.

Every now and then, Rock would stay at his grandmother’s home, but it was seldom.

Regardless of the calmness he felt, compared to sleeping in his spot, he hated feeling like he needed Mae Lou.

He pulled onto the block and took in the stillness.

There were a few smokers walking around making noise, but for the most part, there wasn’t much movement which led him to believe he would get a decent amount of sleep.

Since they pushed product and slept in the same spot, neither him or Hov slept peacefully because the house could be raided by the cops or some hating ass niggas at any given moment.

Still, it was their spot, and they cherished it.

“You good? I thought you was kicking it over Knyc’s tonight?” Hov commented the moment Rock stepped in the house. He had a friend over and was planning on busting her down in the living room instead of his room.

Rock smirked knowing what was up. “Nah, I needed to stop and see Rocky. I’m ’bout to rest my eyes for a while in my room. You good?”

“Gucci, my nigga.” Hov grinned before shaking up with his friend.

Once Rock disappeared to the back, Hov gave Briana his attention. “Go ahead and take that shit off,” he suggested. There was no need to prolong what was about to happen. Besides, he wasn’t one to beat around the bush.

“Un-uh.” She shook her head. “Rock might come out and see. Let’s just go to your room,” Briana suggested.

“Nah. That nigga ain’t gon’ come out here until a sale comes to the door. You was just about to take your clothes off. What changed?”

“Your friend coming home. I’m not that type of girl, and if you think I am, then you got me fucked up. Don’t let these little niggas lie to you about me. I don’t get down with everybody, everywhere.” Briana snaked her neck with her hands crossed over her chest.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Hov walked over to the front door and opened it. “I respect it, but I’ll holla at you later.”

Her mouth dropped to the floor. “Are you serious right now?” she asked.

In her heart, she knew he was more than serious but didn’t want to believe it.

She’d heard all about how rude and borderline disrespectful Hov could be, but just like everyone else, she thought she had what it took to change him.

“Look, I ain’t about to argue with you or make you feel like you have to do something you don’t want to do. I would give you a ride home, but you live right down the street, so I’ll watch you walk home to make sure you get in.” Hov looked down at her as sincere as he could.

“You know what? Don’t even bother. This my hood, so I’m certain no one will mess with me while I walk home.

I didn’t want to believe all the bad shit people said about you, but it’s true…

it’s all true, and you never have to worry about me ever again.

Have a good life, Quameek.” She called him by his government name in hopes of pissing him off.

He saluted her and watched her ass walk out the door.

Regardless of what she said, he stood on the porch to make sure she got in the house safely.

He wasn’t that bad of a guy when it came to making sure nothing happened to his Black women…

unless they crossed him. Then, he’d put his foot in their ass himself.

Before he could make it back in the house, Nick was walking up.

“Rock in there?” Nick asked, eyes glossed over.

“Yea, but he’s sleep. What you need?” Hov asked, even though he already knew what Knycole’s daddy wanted.

Scratching his neck while looking around, Nick looked Hov in the eyes. “I just need something to hold me over until the first,” he whispered.

“You know you need to get right, Nick. I mean, you have a smart ass daughter that will probably never make it out because as long as you’re addicted, you’ll hold her back.”

Hov grew up with Knycole and hated how no matter what her father did to her, she loved him endlessly. Her spirit was pure and genuine, which would be the nail in her coffin when it came to leaving this place behind.

“Nigga, let me worry about my daughter. Now, either you gon’ give me something, or I’ll go ‘round the corner to get it,” Nick snapped.

Hov shrugged his shoulders. “Doesn’t matter to me because I get paid off that transaction too. But I’m personally not going to front you anything, or sell you anything, and Rock sleep right now, so what you do next is up to you.”

Nick scoffed before storming off. He hated running into Hov because he was always judging him, and that didn’t sit well with him.

Having a child tell you about yourself was more hurtful than hearing it from an adult.

Doing what he said he was going to, he went one street over and copped something to smoke on credit before he went back in the house.

Hov, on the other hand, stayed up all night serving the few people that came by. Normally, Rock would wake up as soon as he smelled money, but for one reason or another, he was more tired than usual and didn’t hear a peep.

The sun started to rise as the morning wildlife woke for the day. Old at heart, Hov had checked the weather while he served the block and knew it was going to be a nice day, so he made mental plans to do a little shopping later on after he got some sleep.

“Good morning.” Knycole smiled as she walked past the porch right before Hov could make his way in the house.

Yawning and stretching his long arms out, he spoke back. “Where Noir? She ain’t walking with you today?” he questioned.

She shook her head. “She’s cramping today, which lets me know I’m next.”

Hov looked at her upside her head. “Man, I really don’t want to hear about none of that.

Let me grab my burner and walk you.” He doubled back into the house not waiting for her to protest. Besides, it wasn’t out of the norm for him to walk with her somewhere.

He was just as much her friend as he was Rock’s.

In all actuality, he and Knycole had a special bond that stemmed all the way back to childhood.

She had saved him on more than one occasion, at a time when she needed saving too.

Knycole looked down at her phone to check the time. She didn’t want to be late and risk missing breakfast. Regardless of what any of the other bougie kids had to say, she enjoyed school food. “Hurry yo’ ass up!” she hollered from the sidewalk.