CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Chutes and Ladders

The fall months rolled through North Carolina and things were slow in St. Matthew except on Friday high school football nights, those were a big in the small towns. Briggy found herself missing the busyness of Illinois, the news of Illinois, the crime of Illinois there she was never lonely. Unlike now, St. Mathew was boring and lonely minus Jabari, some nights she cried for hours due to missing him.

Who the fucks crys because their boyfriend goes off to college? she would asked herself often even while crying. Then cry I don't know in her pillow.

It was the bite.

Jabaris wolf bite on her thigh from weeks ago, he puncture her flesh with fangs; not teeth and that was emotionally messing Briggy up. All her crying, texting, calling him all day was a result of a small wound and her fathers pure First Nation blood mixing together putting her in an uncontrollable emotional cocoon.

Minus him Briggy no longer enjoy life in St. Mathew, it was too boring now leaving her to do old retiree things lately; shopping aimlessly at discount stores and factory outlets.

"Hey girl!" Jabari's cousin Trisha came up to her in the toy section of Marshals; the girl was shaped weird all breast: no legs, no hips, no waist, no beauty only her southern accent to charm you with. In both of Trisha's arms were full of garment bags; she was newly sired away and shopping to celebrate. "You remember me? Trisha, I'm Jabaris cousin from the bar-be-que."

"How are you?" Briggy remembered her as the loud and over the top and like most people in St. Mathew was not to friendly to her, but over-friendly to Jabari.

There was a reason for that; Trisha was not a fan of the Homo Sapiens at all, but today she choose to be nice to this girl. Trisha was to be married soon and her misplace crush on Jabari must subside, but not before she found out more about him, sexually. Leading Trisha to invite Briggy to a party so she could question her and find out a few things.

"I'm doing good, good. Um, hey my girl is having a birthday party tonight at the club down the way, that little place off the highway." Trisha held up her garment bags from expensive stores. "I just found the best dress, Do you want to come? We can ride together, I'm not leaving until 10. I mean, ain't much else to do. Right?" Briggy wondered about that dive bar every time she drove by it was a large place sitting behind tall grass "Can you come by my Auntie Pennys house about 9:30ish, we can leave from thare."

"A birthday party, what do I wear?"

Trisha wiggled in her spot, "Wear something sexy. This is the dirty baby girl." Trisha hugged her with all her bag, it was the most powerful hug Briggy ever received from a female. "See you later Ms. Thang." Trisha watch Briggy walk away calling her a 'pet bitch' under her breath. She was just his pet bitch.

:

"Do you think this is a little too tight for this local bar?" Briggy showed off to her parents.

Drew gave her a side eye like a woman would. "Yeah, you're in St. Mathew not downtown Chicago."

"Whats wrong with it? Its just jeans and crop top." Alicia liked it. "It shows off her curves Drew. Hell! I gave her those curves, I will have you know!"

"This is all I got. So, it will have to be okay for your town." Briggy walked to the front door giving her mother uncomfortable news before she left. "Daddy and naa'li'' are come out for Thanksgiving."

Alice rolled her eyes and scuffed. "I want to see your grandmother, but not criminal ass daddy! He can stay wherever he is."

"Well, you married that criminal." Briggy shot back before she closed the door.

"Um hum, I divorced his ass too!" Alice rolled her eyes again and yelled at her daughter. "Don't drink too much Bridgett, you get into fights when your drunk."

Briggy smiled, remembering the bar fights from her past, she liked to fight and was good at it, but there was no reason to repeat that. "I won't lady, I'm good."

Briggy arrived at Pennys busy house sometime before Trisha, she stood in her living room giggling at old pictures of The Frankie's on the mantel. "Where you finna go?" Two deep voices asked her, together. Briggy looked up to see Tyron and Tyrell, Jabari's older twin brother standing there, both carrying fishing poles in waders.

"Well, good evening to you two, I'm going to a birthday party with Trisha." Briggy told them. "She told me to meet her here."

"My brother know you going?" Tyrell asked while he checked out Briggys outfit; disapproval, he did not like it. Her tight jeans and tiny top would give other men sexy thoughts about her, but she belonged to his brother and needed reminding. "Jabari seen you in them jeans. Naw." The other twin took out his phone and snapped a photo of her pants.

"Naw, he ain't go like them." Tyron, the photo bomber said.

"I'm kinda older than him, so I don't ask him for permission." Briggy got sassy with them.

"What? Gurl, yes you do. This here is St. Mathew." Tyron did not like her answer and called Jabari. "Hey Jay." Briggy bucked her eye out in disbelief and Tyrell to huffed back at her like a bull. "Yo Jay, ole'Trisha got your girl all made up and shit, taking her to the club."

Jabari was playing cards in his off-campus apartment dining room, he stopped. "What?"

Tyron went on describing what he saw. "I just sent you a picture, she got all this tight shit on, she got her hair all down and shit. She don't wear her hair like that when you here."

"She sho' don't." Tyrell said and he was also the quit twin, but tonight he was talking.

"She spilling out everywhere, guys go be on her little bro and for what? You ain't here and shit so why she gotta be looking like this?" All wolves were territorial about their females and Jabari's brother was no different.

Instantly Briggys phone rang with a Facetime from Jabari, "Hey you." She said softly and walked into the front hall to get away from the snitching twin.

Jabari looked into her face full of make-up and got jealous. "What's up? What your wearing?" Jabari was getting upset and throwing his cards down hard, one minute lasted and he went from chilling to jealous. "Why you got that on Briggy? I ain't never seen you in that."

"Jabari it's a crop top and jeans." Briggy liked the jealousy in his tone, she thought it was love; but it was ownership.

"It's gotta be something more than that if my brother tripping on you. Tyrell don't call me for nothing, he don't even talk." Jabari could see her large breast sitting high on her chest, showing her tan lines. "Go change or something."

Briggy walked out on the porch, she was trying to reassure the boy, all was good. "Jabari you've seen this shirt before and it boo it don't matter, I don't want these guys down here."

"Tell Jabari to pack that jealous streak up, acting like his daddy. She looks fine boy!" Penny yelled out she was sitting at the end of the porch, Briggy hadn't seen her until she spoke. "Gimme that phone, let me speak to him." Briggy handed her the phone. "Jabari, what did I tell you about letting woman choose."

Jabari wasn't sure what he mother was up too; because she objected to him and Briggy's close relationship. "Ma, why you in this?" He asked with a tone of indictment, he was on speaker phone so he didn't question her more.

"Let the girl go out sometimes. Ain't nothing to do round here but football." Penny told him as Trisha walked up. " Hey sugar. Y'all two hanging out now?"

"I'm taking her to my friend Val's party. But, Briggy can you drive? I took an Uber here, it's something stuck in my tire. Cmon girl, bye Granny." Briggy took her phone back as Jabari gave her more instructions on how to act before hanging up. "You ready to party girl? Who is that on the phone?"

"Jabari. One of them twins called him and bitched about my outfit."

Trisha shrugged it off and hoped inside Briggy rugged Wrangler Jeep. "This is nice, oh I likes this, you know where it is right? Off the highway, not too far".

Trisha took a small pill box out her purse, using her long pinky nail she dump into the pile of light brown powder and sniffed it up her nose. "You don't want none, right?" The drug Trisha was taking would kill any human, but she thought to share.

Briggy declined. "No, I'm good. Girl ain't your granny a preacher?"

The Werewolf inside of Trisha laughed, humans and their beliefs in Gods. "Penny, ain't my granny, she's my Aunt." Trisha turned up the radio, bouncing in the seat. "I'm ready to party! Party! Hell yea, girl I'm drinking some moon shine mix it with Jack!" She leaned over and gave Briggy a fake hug, like they were actual friends. "I'm so glad you came with me."

Briggy watched Trisha getting hype, wondering if she'd made the wrong decision to party with this one. Since Trisha was comfortable enough to just whip out hard drugs like that, what else was she going to do tonight? She'd been in enough fights and beefs in Chicago to know when to bow out; if the night got wild, she would leave.

"You and Jabari been together for a minute, huh?" Trisha was ready to start this inquiry. "So what that mouth do? I know my cousins, licky-licky is fire, huh?" Trisha went straight to the sexual questions, but Briggy laughed her off.

"Naw, ma' I don't share information on mine. That's not I roll!"

The girls got to the crowded club and had to wait in line, Trisha bragged about how much pull her family had, she even yelled she was a VIP, a few times but it did nothing. She could not get inside the bar no faster than anyone else. Trisha cussed the bouncer out for delaying her, it was Omar Ali; brother to Tommy Ali.

The Highway Diva bar was not very divy it was actually plush and well decorated. There was a C-section with a pool table and dart boards tucked away from the main area that had the dive appeal; however Trisha ushered Briggy over to plush side and to her friend Val's table, gift in hand.

"Hey girl!" Trisha hugged Val and rocked her back and forth.

"Bitch, does this bag say Gucci? You got me Gucci?" Asked Val, a regular size Latin girl with pink hair and smiling eyes, she pulled the bag to her chest. "What is it? A wallet? A watch?" Trisha tossed her long hair behind her ear and moved her weigh from hip to hip, modeling in a flirting way.

"Okay, okay I know what my boo like. Right!!! Hey, I brought Jabari's girlfriend." Trisha yanked Briggy up to the table; fast and hard, her strength was showing again. "This is Jabaris girlfriend Briggy, and this is my girl Val and we here to party! Oweee!" Trisha danced in place and leaned over to Briggy. "I don't know the rest of this fool at this table. Don't speak to them."

Val hugged Briggy, "Hey grab a glass," she told her looking around the bar. "And where's my mutherfuckin brother with my other bottles? We got that real moonshiners good shit, girl just wait till he gets back." Val looked around searching for him.

Someone grabbed Briggys elbow and spun her around, Mr. Tommy Ali. "Hey, hey beautiful Miss Briggy you came out? That teenager let you come to the club?" Tommy Ali was standing in her face, smiling and looking her up and down. "You're all types of fine."

"Tommy shut the fuck up, and get away from my table. Private party, not for you." Val stepped between Tommy and Briggy turning her back to him. "What we doing? What you drinking? Shine?"

"I'll take champagne." Briggy turned to back to Tommy until he walked away.

"Damn, who invited his ass. Here you go honey!" Val poured Briggy a drink and the partying began.

Trisha and Val partied hard and drank harder, ever so often they danced around the club, smoking cigars and hugging strange men. As 1:30 a.m. crept up Briggy was ready to go, she was tired of hearing Perry Pablo rap songs over and over and of the men grabbing her ass every time she walked anywhere. She could not find Trisha, she had ghosted her over an hour ago; leaving Briggy at the table playing games on her phone.

In that moment Briggy remembered why she liked to drive in separate cars to the club, because some girls never knew when it was time to leave. The bar was thinning out people were leaving and Briggy grabbed her purse and went to search for Trisha again. She found Trisha laying up under some dude in a dark corner of the dive part of the place, with her dress pushed all the way up and his hands up her thighs.

"Hey, yeah, I'm about to go. Are you ready?

Trisha objected, "He's going to take me home." Trisha slurred out her words and kissed the boy neck.

Briggy looked in Trishas oily face, she was drunk and her eyes were half closed, but the boy gave Briggy a strange look and motioned his head for her to leave them. "Are you sure? Do you know him?"

"What's your name again?" Trisha asked the human boy, she didn't know but his fingers were making her feel really good in that moment and her legs were wide enough for others to see what he was doing.

Briggy couldn't leave her here with a man who's name she did not know, that was a violation of the Girl Code. "Yeah, no Trish, c'mon for real. I'm ready to go, and you rode with me, so lets go! I'll drop you back off and pull your dress down."

The half of gallon of pure Moonshine Trisha drank combined with all that Carfentanil she sniffed, had her dopamine level rolling through alleys in her brain. "Damn bitch! You ain't my momma, I'll go when I'm fucking ready."

Trisha stood up to fast, objecting to being told what to do but her alcohol brain was slow, she stumbled back yelling and holding the table and falling back in the stranger boys lap, then people started watching. Trisha was going to show anyone watching how much power she had and how she felt about this Homo Sapien bitch right here.

Trisha vituperated Briggy calling her all types of bitches and hoes loudly, you could hear her yelling over the music. Trisha was spinning out of control for no reason, surprising Briggy because all she wanted to do was drive the girl home. In the past Briggy had dealt with plenty of drunk hoes before and there was no need to engage Trisha like this, so she back off.

"Yo whatever momma, do you. I'm gone, hope Mr. What's-your-name gets you home safe." Briggy went back to Vals table to say her good-byes to the birthday girl and Trisha came stumbling up with the back of her dress still hocked up..

"This bitch ain't my momma Val! If I say I'm leaving with ole'boy, then bitch I am!" Trisha walked into the table making drinks fall over.

"Get your shit starting friend," one of Vals table guest told her. "Put that drunk bitch in a Uber."

Trisha was charging towards Briggy approaching her, "Aye bitch just cause you fucking my uncle Jabari dont mean shit! So is half the hoes in here!"

Omar Ali rushed to secure the situation, blocked Trisha from Briggy who was trying to leave "Girl you are tripping. C'mon Tris why you doing this shit tonight."

"Fuck her Omar, old bitch ass humans hoes! I heard she be sucking dick, licking ass!" Trisha reached over and swung on Briggy and then kicked at her but she could not get past Omar.

Omar tried to call Trisha down, "Aye, aye come on Trisha what the fuck? Chill out, damn you always tripping. Aye Tommy..." He found his brother behind him. "Tommy walk Briggy out to her car." Omar kept his large body in front of Trisha as Tommy walked her to the door."

Tommy walked her outside surprised at how calm the human was during all this. If she knew that a female Werewolf was trying to attack her right now, she would not be so calm. "Shit I was surprised you showed up with Trisha's ignorant ass. She dhen got kicked out of every club round her for acting a fool and breaking shit. Jabari'm ain't tell you bout her?"

Briggy had nothing to say as she walked to her jeep with Tommy Ali behind her; Man-Man sat across the street watching, wonder why Tommy was following his nephew's pet. He watched the entire or deal from his pick up truck and had to bear witness to it later.

Both Briggy and Tommy got to her jeep. "Thank you, Tommy."

Tommy shook his head, "Trisha, she's a bad drunk, I've seen her face down next to a dumpster before, shaming her family and shit."

Bam! Trisha busted out the back door of the club, she had broken away from Omar, kicked her shoes off and ran at Briggy. At this point people usually apologize and flee from Trisha, no one in St. Mathew wanted issues with her family. Not, Briggy she'd seen drunk chicks act like this before, so she tried to ignore Trisha and she continued to her Jeep. Trisha knew her fights where never fair because of how who Aunt Penny was, she had bullied girls at every club and got away with it; not tonight.

Man-Man just watched, surprised at that Briggy wasn't speeding out of the parking lot by now, as Trisha was being held back by two males now, but she was acting wild and they were barely containing her. Briggy was her usual calm, because she trained in MMA from South Africa to Japan, figuring Trisha would be no problem for her.

Trisha broke free from one male and Tommy Ali and pulled Briggy from behind the wheel of the jeep, attempting to sling her to the ground, but she could not with all her strength soaked in stimulates. Trisha was sloppy with every punk and kick she attempted and then Briggy swung her right elbow and cracked Trisha square on the direct bridge of her nose. Trisha screamed grabbing her face leaning forward and got a left elbow to the top of her head, she screamed louder fell face first to the ground. Knocked out, she never saw the punches coming.

"World Star!" Some guy yelled out while everyone was recording the fight, laughing and commenting, but no one was help Trisha off the ground.

Val and Tommy Ali didn't know what to do, Val began to cry as she saw Man-Man walking across the street. She thought he was there to kill all of them for letting Briggy hit Trisha. She was practically royal, but he ignored them and walked up to Briggy.

"Go home Briggy, now go home." He put her in the jeep and watching Briggy's every movement as she had no wolf tendencies, nothing. So how'd she do it? How did a 127 pound human girl, knock out a pure breed female wolf? How.

Briggy felt bad and felt it strange no one was helping Trisha, at all. "Uncle Man-Man I'm sorry, I tried not to ignore her, I didn't say nothing back after she called me a million BITCHES."

"I know sugar, I know, just go!" He said and stood there until she drove out the parking lot.

The club goers were shocked because Man-Man let her leave, Why? She had just knocked Trisha out cold? He showed no concern for Trisha at all, either in fact Man-Man stepped over her body and walked back to his truck. She wasn't his kin no way.

Briggy drove back trying to get Jabari on the phone, desperately she wanted him to hear it from her not his drunk ass cousin version. His family was already looking at her sideway and talking shit behind her back this night would make it so much worse like a sandstorm in the middle of a monsoon.