We just wanted food

One particular weekend me and my cousin went to get Chinese food and we ran into some boys trying to talk to us. My cousin Niecy was all for talking to them, not that i was hating or nothing she just had no idea how my dudes would react to seeing me walking down the street with these dudes.

So I agreed that they could walk us to the corner of my street and that's it and only for my cousin. So for two blocks I was paranoid hoping, praying, and wishing that we didn't run into any of the boys especially Christian. And while I was bugging out Neicy was acting like a dumb hoe. Twirling her hair and giggling like crazy. I had nothing against her for being a hoe that's her business but I just hated dumb hoes.

When we got to my street I stopped and looked down it to my house. Not a sole in sight, I finally let out the breath I wasn't aware I had been holding.

"Niecy say bye to your lil friend get his number or something, seriously we need to shake out."

"What the rush babe, you got somewhere to be?" Said stupo number two the one who had been pestering me the whole walk and even after seeing that he was getting on my god fearing nerves he kept talking. I didn't even know him and I knew that I hated him, plus he was ugly as fuck.

" I'm really trying to help yall broke ass out, if my boyfriend or my brothers see yall, yall gone be over with."

"We ain't scared of no body, not your brothers and not your weak ass dude."

"Whatever lil boy. Niecy, I'm out I gotta live with em when you can just go home so you know where i'm at." I said this and I turned on my heels and started walking up the street. And guess what they was right behind me, them damn fools, they cant say I didn't tell em.

Right on que Christian stuck his head out the second floor window. Did I mention his hair had got like hella long, he looked super cute with braids but when he rocked a fro like he was now he seemed more menacing , more I'm that dude.

"Yo, who the fuck is that walking with yall?"

I just shrugged my shoulders, smiled and pointed to Niecy. Before I knew what was happening he had jumped straight out that second story window and landed on his feet. Sigh, he was so fly. Fro out, no shirt to be seen just his muscles glistening in the street lights, he had on low rider cargo shorts and no shoes, just crispy white socks. How the hell did he land in them socks.

I started to walk towards him until I looked at his face. His chocolate browns were absolutely glacial and he had his hand clinched. Okay.... jealous much. He was totally pissed, so like my Christian.

So I started for him again, he really needed a hug but before I got to him, he let out the call. It sounds some what like screeching tires and a high pitch whistle, " SKIRUUUURT." And all I could think was ....damn, they really should have stopped at the corner.

Now Niecy was trying to get them boys to go and they was steady saying the aint scared of nothing, that lasted all of the two seconds it took for my boys to come charging down the stairs. I mean I would have heard that if I was still at the corner. Christian had hit boy number two with a right that sent him backwards, he quickly got up and, finally, ran although but he was to late.

Out came Joey, Dale, Reese, Todo, Charlie, Little, and Montel. A few of them took off on foot after the dudes, while Dale and a couple more jumped in his Thunderbird and took off at high speeds, with Reese hanging out the passenger side chunking up his hood. Them boys would probably run the next time they saw me and I really didn't think Niecy would be getting that call.

A couple of days later we were all on Potomac, a street in the deep dirty south of the beautiful, the brave show me state of Missouri, Saint Louis to be exact. We were chilling, sitting on the porch of the homeboy Zale. Zale was deadly when it came to free styling and him and the homegirl Lesha was tearing it up. None of the brothers were here today, just Me, Zale, Christian, and Lesha.

I sat on the stoop, on Christians lap, giggling while he tickled me every chance he got. I was trying very hard to listen to what they were rapping about but he kept bothering me. So turned on him and started tickling him to, at first he tried to act like it didn't bother him and then, he started bugging up, laughing.

I still hated his teeth and made a mental note every time I saw them that if he didn't get them fixed I would personally see to it. But that aside I can well and truly say that I was in love for the first time and I didn't know how my world would be if I didn't get to see him everyday. I shook my head as he laid on the ground now still laughing, seriously he was worst than Elmo. And all I could think was how was it that I had found the toughest, most sensitive, gangster in the hood to fall for and have him fall right back, all over my shoe laughing.

I shook my head at him and helped him up, to the porch, and we were soon joined by Zale, and Lesha.

"So, what's up for today yall?" Asked Lesha.

"I wanna go to the carnival." Zale said

"The one on Meramec?" Christian asked.

"Damn right I'm down," I said hopping up. "Just let me get my purse."

I made a move to go into the house to get my purse and was quickly stopped by Christian, he held up his finger to his lips, in a gesture to be quiet. I frowned but did what he said. I had absolutely no idea what was going on, and then I heard it and I was struck with fear. The sounds I heard was hushed hiss whisper, coming from the gangway between Zale's house and his Neighbors, followed by the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked back.

Christian moved his head to the left, indicating that we should run that way. We had to get away from the house, I understood. Zale's sister and her four babies was in there as well as his elderly granny. I shook my head and then we were moving away from the house.

"Yeah you ain't so tough now, bitch ass nigga," The voice said, and I knew who it was in that instant, I knew that voice. It was asshole number two, and maybe number one, but I knew his voice.

I heard the shots felt the heat of the bullet flying by my face, and then they stopped and so did I, I was now in the gangway across the street they were reloading and I didn't see any of my crew. I started to take slow steps backwards deeper into the gangway.

"Where you think you going bitch. You the one I really want, your wack ass brothers put my eye out, I'll be lucky if I ever see again."

"Fuck you," I said, shaking on the inside but tough on the outside, "I told you to leave before they saw you."

He lifted the gun and pointed it directly at me, "Well you wont be seeing shit, nightie night, Bitch.'

I didn't close my eyes. If I was going to die here I wanted to die looking him in his face to remember for all eternity, that a simple walk for food had cost me my life. And this selfish bastard was the reason. He was hesitating though, which told me he didn't really want to do this, but he felt like he had to. I vowed right then and there if, I made it out of this by some miracle, I would take his, I would take his life and I would not hesitate.

I felt rather than heard a shift from behind, I hoped it was friend and not foe. Dude saw him to because his face got hard, like he was pissed all over again and his fucked up eye was even more fucked up. In spite of the danger I wanted to laugh, where the hell was my trusty dusty boyfriend?

His hands clinched and he pulled the trigger, and them I closed my eyes. I opened them when I was hit in the face by something wet slimy. I was covered in blood, but I was not hit. The dude stood before me, shock apparent on his face as he dropped the gun. I looked down to where the gun was and there lay Zale, shot in the head close range. He must have taken the bullet for me, he must have saved my life. He had saved my life.

I dropped to my knees and put his head in my lap, and started to cry. I didn't care that he was leaking all over me, I didn't care that the dude that did it was standing over me. I heard a scream, and saw Zale's sister come out of the house followed by his granny. They were both screaming hysterically.

I looked up at the dude who did this and shook my head slowly this time. Zale was dead, he was dead and this ugly ass fake ass, soft as cotton ass bastard had done it. It just wasn't right. Zale was one of the realest, why him.

I stared at that young man until I saw death, why was he still here. The next thing I knew, I heard sirens in the background, and he looked scared as if he was going to run. "Don't move." I said slowly.

He froze and then looked scared at something over my shoulder. There stood Zale's sister, same gun, but her face was filled with pain and disgust. She didn't blink either when she unloaded on dude. I felt nothing but satisfaction as he hit the ground.

Suddenly Christian was there he took the gun from her and disappeared again. The ambulance arrived and declared dude dead on the scene. Zale however, they found a pulse. My dude had took one to the head for me and he might still make it. When he came through I was going to make sure he was good forever I owe him my life.