Volume ten

"You hungry?" Black asked as I opened my eyes.

"No." I mumbled.

"Come eat anyway."

"I want some onion rings."

"You got a client in two hours so you need to get up and get ya shit-"

"Don't tell me what I need to do when I know, I've been handling shit before you came in the picture and it's going to be the same when you out. You don't have to remind me of shit."

"Instead of hurting ya feelings Imma walk away." He chuckled walking out the room as I rolled my eyes.

Hero started barking from the doorway making me turn to look at her, I reached over to pick her up since I know she just wanted to cuddle with me. She smelled me then laid down making sure we was face to face making me chuckle, I grabbed my ringing phone ignoring the call from Face.

"So you not gon talk to nobody but me?" He asked walking back in with a plate of food.

"I can stop talking to you too."

"When you gon do that then? It's been about a month since you talked to anybody, you need to get off that emo shit."

"Do you even know what emo is dickwad?"

"I'm a what?" He asked with his mouth ajar as he started laughing real hard. "You really mad with ya mad ass."

"I'm not though, I just don't want to talk to anybody and if I been under you for too long you should have told me so I can leave, I only live next door." I rolled my eyes standing up.

"You've literally been taking everything I said out of context and you starting to make me mad now."

"I don't care."

"If I ain't want your depressed ass here I would've kicked you the fuck out, I keep holding my comments back because I see you going through enough but you know I'll make you cry. Lose the fucking attitude with me cause I ain't do shit to you."

"I'm going now so it don't matter."

"Aight well you ain't taking her." He took Hero out my hands.

"This not even your dog!" I frowned.

"Oh, now she ain't mine? "He chuckled. "Come on, let's get you ready to do hair darling."

"You're really annoying me." I rolled my eyes walking out the apartment to go to mine with him following.

"So what you gotta do?"

"Feed in braids, some kind of tribal braids and lemonade braids."

"You doing three heads at once?"

"Bring a friend, half off. Bring two friends, the most expensive is free." I explained my deal to him.

"You stay having a deal going on."

"I wanna go back to church." I told him. "I'm losing touch with God."

"You don't have to go to church to praise him."

"I know that but I'm in need of some healing."

"Do what's going to make you happy." He said making me nod. "Did you go see how the constructors doing they job?"

"I go check tomorrow, I have to do something with the spot Dylan nail spot was going to be."

"Why not keep it? She don't got a lot of time but in the mean time you could look for some licensed girls to do nails."

"I'll think about it."

"Don't you got interviews tomorrow too?"

"Constructors stop at 4 so that's when I'm holding interviews. I'm going to post on IG that I'm looking for cosmetologist then I'm going to add it on my website and on job searching websites. I'm going to announce interviews tomorrow then I'm going to have interviews every Wednesday and Saturday just to have options."

"You smart." He chuckled handing me a plate. "Imma come with you tomorrow, any bitch that flirt with me can't get hired."

"You keep trying to feed me."

"Your fat ass eating, right?"

~

"Aye, why it's a hole right here?" Black asked making me roll my eyes, ever since he been here he been getting smart with them or repeatedly asking them questions. "Y'all been at this for almost two months, y'all said this shit was gon be done by approximately May 19th. Shit look like y'all didn't even start, fuck y'all been doing?"

"Pharaoh." I sighed.

"Esme, this shit not cheap. We already paid them just for them to not do shit. I could've did the shit they did myself."

"Okay but talking like this isn't going to make them work faster."

"My money gon make them work faster or they gon be giving my shit back."

I walked away from him deciding to walk around myself to tell them what they need to fix, I walked in the place that was supposed to be my office smiling. At least this was done how I wanted to, I could start ordering furniture for this area now.

"Aight, y'all did everything right in here." He said as the man followed him. "The bathroom toilet too close to the ground, other then that everything in here aight."

I walked out the office looking at the spot Dylan part was supposed to be and sighed, I'm still going to have her part like Black said. I would just have to make sure I find people that want to do nails, maybe I can have three or four.

"Some girls starting to come." Black told me making me nod. "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm feeling nauseous as hell, I shouldn't have took those Advils."

"You wanna go home?"

"No, it's people here already." I told him as I walked towards the girls that was standing around. "It's 3:58, it'll take them around ten minutes to pack they stuff up. At 4:10 lock the door and any girl who late gon have to wait until another interview."

"Bet."

"For the girls that's here, sign into this sheet then take a name tag and write ya name down." I handed them everything.

"Here." Black handed me a ginger ale as I sat down, I watched some more girls and boys walk in but grew confused when Hendrix, Keyz and Emmy walked in.

"Don't mind us." Emmy smiled standing to the side.

"Time?" I asked.

"4:07." A girl called out.

"4:10." I reminded Black as few more people walked in. "Did I remind y'all to put the number next to y'all name? The next girl just count how many people signed before and put the number you are by ya name and keep it going please."

"You look sick." Hendrix pointed out.

"The Advils making me feel sick."

"Es, you allergic to Advil." Emmy looked at me like I was dumb.

"I'm allergic to Tylenol."

"I think it's both, every time you take Advil you feel sicker than you did before."

"Well, I had a headache and that's the only thing Black had so I'll deal with being nauseous for a few."

"4:10." Black said as he closed the door in some girl face.

"Black." I looked at him blankly as he opened the door back then putting the sign on the door I made.

"Go head sissy." Emmy smiled as I stood up.

"Well, I'm Esme and this is my shop. Obviously. I'm not going to ask "why you'll like to work here" or any other questions like that, it's obviously you either love doing hair or you need money. In a few months this shop will be open and some of the people you're sitting next to might be here or might not."

"Two months." Black corrected making me roll my eyes.

"All I'm looking for is an employee with professionalism. I don't care how good you do hair, how many costumers you attract, none of that. If you can't understand this is a job and not a social shop or your friend house then there isn't any point to even go through the interview process."

"Please sit down." Black mumbled to me as I almost tripped making me look at him.

"I'm okay." I told him. "So I really didn't plan to waste that much of y'all time, I just have to remind y'all that renting a booth will be 175 a month-"

"So we have to pay you?" Some girl cut me off. "175 for what? Just to do hair?"

"Please don't cut me off." I looked at her. "If you seen this on Instagram, Craigslist, Indeed or anywhere else then you should have read everything. I own this place which means I pay a mortgage, electric bills, hair supplies, furniture and more. There's shops that's making you rent a booth while taking a percentage in the money you make while doing hair, all I'm asking is for 175 every 30 or 31 days. If that's a problem with you or anyone else here then Black will unlock the door and you guys can see your way out the door."

"Well that'll be me." A girl chuckled as three more left with her.

"That's fine." I shrugged. "Anymore questions?"

"Are your prices going to be going up or staying the same?"

"Same, my prices will never change and if you feel like you deserve to be paid more then by all means." I motioned towards the door.

"Yeah, Imma just go cause I'm not bout to go home making 80 dollars for two sew ins."

"If you're doing only two sew ins then you don't belong here anyway, see ya watch ya feet." I waved as she and her friend got up. "Anybody else?"

"Nah." A few people said in unison.

"I'm good." A boy said making me laugh.

"It's going to be three stages of the interviewing process. The first stage is now, Keyz is going to hand y'all some papers to fill out. The second stage will be me calling y'all back depending on how y'all answer them questions and if you don't get a call back and feel like you deserve this then call me, email me, write on my Instagram, do anything to make me give you another chance. The third and final stage I will give you two hairstyles to complete and that will tell me if you the right person for this job."

"What if you don't hire me but a few months past and I get better, can I reapply?" A girl asked.

"You can always reapply but if I have the limited amount of stylists I need then the most I can do is hold your application until I need you."

"Understandable."

"So y'all can just fill out the questions then hand it to Black, if you have questions I'm right here. And if y'all know anyone who do nails can y'all add their name and number onto your app. Thank you."

"I just got one." A boy said. "You know when and if you gon call us in?"

"Maybe in the next two days or so."

"Bet." He nodded making me nod.

"Es, you really don't look good." Keyz said.

"This how she get every time she take Advil, she'll be good in a hour or two." Emmy said making me nod.

"Emmy, can you get me some onion rings?" I asked.

"You always want some fucking onion rings, stinking ass." Black looked at me.

"He all the way across the room and still worried about me." I rolled my eyes.

~

I woke up seeing the sun was going down as I yawned, I be waking up and still be tired. I should really get paid for sleeping, I'll be a millionaire.

I looked to see Black wasn't in the bed anymore so I stood up to find him but as soon as I opened the door I heard yelling and cursing making me roll my eyes, he was playing the game with his annoying friends. I was going to go in the kitchen until I heard my name making me pause.

"She good?" I heard Hendrix ask.

"She don't talk to me so I don't know." Black answered.

"She ain't good." Keyz chuckled. "The little girl is stressed and depressed."

"She'll get over it." Black stated.

"Nigga really?" Keyz laughed.

"I can't do shit if she don't talk to me. I'm used to her annoying ass always making conversation and annoying me now I gotta talk to her to make sure she good."

"Emmy said she gon be good, just gotta give her time."

"That's exactly what I'm doing, I'm not forcing her into anything."

"It's been three months since Dyl got locked up, if she not talking by now she not gon never talk." Hendrix said. "You the only person she actually talk to and if we ain't here we don't see her, that shit not healthy."

"Well what you suspect I do Mr. Know Everything?" Black looked at him blankly.

"If she anything like Emmy, which she is then force her into it." He said. "Once she start talking she gon let erthing out and she should be good."

"And if she not?"

"We gon pray for you." Keyz chuckled.

I walked in the kitchen as they all looked towards me, I didn't spare them a glance as I got the pickles out the cabinet. I sat at the island grabbing my laptop looking and ordering for furniture while also looking over the questions from all the interviews.

"You drinking pickle juice?" Keyz asked making me turn around.

"Yeah, she do that nasty shit." Black scrunched his face up in disgust.

"I like what I like." I shrugged.

"Found somebody you like yet?" Hendrix asked walking up to me.

"Eight people so far."

"Oh, Imma transfer two thousand in your account to invest."

"Thank you." I smiled hugging him.

"You know anything for you." He flicked my nose.

"Aight, we bout to be out." Keyz stood up coming to hug me. "I love you sis."

"I love you too."

"What you doing?" Black asked sitting next to me.

"Buying furniture, I know how I want everything so now everything just need to come together."

"Figured out a name?"

"Not yet." I shook my head, that was the most hardest part about this.

"What else you need money for?"

"We paid for the construction so that's done. We have the chairs and tables for the salon and nail part, the dryers, the tvs, the receptionist desk and chair along with the new laptop for whoever get the job, the mirrors are on their way. So I believe we just have to get all of the hair supplies which Hendrix just helped out a lot with."

"Everything settled with the cable and electricity?"

"Yeah." I nodded.

"Then everything settled, we just have to wait on the slow ass construction."

"And get through these apps." I rolled my eyes looking at the bunch of papers from the interviews I been holding every Wednesday and Saturday for the past two months.

"Crown Es." He said looking at me.

"Huh?"

"What about Crown EsStylez?"

"I like it." I furrowed my eyebrows.

"So how about this, I take half of ya workload off by taking." He grabbed more than half of the papers. "Then you go throw something on and we'll go to whatever restaurant you want."

"Okay." I smiled since I was hungry.

"Oh now you wanna be nice and shit." He chuckled as I leaned over to give him kisses.

"Shut up." I continued smiling.

~

The next day I decided to come to the studio with him since he was asking me to, he was working with Shy Glizzy and he knew I liked him so in his efforts to try to cheer me up he was letting me meet him.

"You so fucking fine." He said making me look up to see he was recording me making me tilt my head and smile.

"Thank you." I said as he pulled off from the red light, I gathered my stuff since we were only a block away from the studio.

"Nas in there cause he gotta work out some beats so-"

"Tell him don't say anything to me." I cut him off. "He say something to me, I'll hurt his feelings today."

"He don't say shit, you don't say anything."

"Exactly." I looked at him. "Cause this time he say something to me I will have him beat up and I don't care what unnecessary beef it causes."

"It ain't even gon lead to that, just listen to me rap and be happy."

"Will do." I smiled.

We walked to the elevator after speaking to the receptionist, when we walked in there Nade, Nas, Keyz, Hendrix and a few more people were in there along with some females and Shy Glizzy.

"Wassup?" Black said as he dabbed up Shy Glizzy and Goldlink. "This my girlfriend Es."

"Hi." I smiled.

"Wassup?" Both of them said.

After speaking I went to sit down next to Keyz, it was no point of me being in their face. The only nigga I dickride is mine.

After about an hour I started getting hungry making me look at ubereats, I didn't know what I had a taste for but some hot wings would be good as fuck right now. I ordered 40 pieces so whoever wanted one could have one, I wanted a lot to myself but I wasn't a selfish person.

"Can you go get my food when it comes?" I asked Keyz.

"I'll think about it." He looked at me. "Why you ain't been talking to nobody?"

"I'm mad." I shrugged. "I'm mad at Dylan for being dumb and at them for being dumb but also at myself for encouraging a lot of shit she did."

"So this why you gon let her do this bid by herself?"

"She wasn't thinking about me when she made this decision so I'm not thinking about anything concerning her."

"You gon regret not being in her life Es, that's your sister through thick and thin."

"You're right but until then I got a right to feel how I feel and react how ever I want."

"You right, you entitled."

Another twenty minutes passed as my phone dinged telling me my food was outside, I told Keyz as he walked downstairs to get my shit. He came back making me silently cheer in my head, I immediately started eating as Keyz was eating some with me.

"Damn, niggas selfish." Nade said making me laugh.

"Just ask for one." I said putting one on a napkin to hand to him.

"Let me get one Keyz." Nas said.

"These aren't his but you can have one." I told him putting one in a napkin.

"Thank you." He said making me nod.

10 minutes Black came out the studio, he didn't even say anything he just grabbed a wing making me chuckle. As long as nobody touched my drums, I didn't care bout giving them nothing.

After he ate whatever he wanted he sat down getting his food, I stood up to throw away the napkins and the empty bottle. As I was walking by from the trash, I felt somebody slap my butt real gentle. I looked back to see Nas acting like he didn't just do it, I smacked the shit out of him making everybody look at me as Black jumped up.

"Esme." Black grabbed.

"Esme my fucking ass!" I yelled snatching out his grip to hit Nas again. "Don't put your fucking hands on me."

"I ain't even touch ya hoe ass!" Nas walked towards me as I was about to swing on him but Black grabbed me.

"Es, I was looking at you he didn't-"

"Yes the fuck he did!" I looked at Black. "You can't even be nice to a nigga."

"Bitch you swear-"

"Stop walking towards her, you dumb nigga?" Hendrix asked getting between us.

"Damn, it's that serious he smacked ya ass?" A bitch asked.

"Did I give him permission? Did your ugly ass hear me say he can touch me? That's sexual assault and just cause y'all bitches like when random dudes touch y'all don't mean others do!"

"Es calm down, Nas you touched her son?" Black asked.

"Ain't nobody touch that delusional ass bitch, you just said you was looking at her. You know I ain't touch that bitch!"

"I'm done arguing with you, you getting beat up periodt." I shrugged unlocking all their numbers texting the group chat.

"I don't give a fuck!" He yelled making Keyz stand up as they started holding him back.

"That shit don't scare me cause if you hit me you won't be getting beat up, you'll get killed." I shrugged as my phone started ringing.

"Who put their hands on you?" Q asked as soon as I picked up.

"This nigga Nas, he slapped my ass now he trying to go off and shit."

"That's him in the back yelling and shit?" Ice asked.

"I'll slit his muhfucking throat then stitch that shit up and make him survive off drinking his own fucking blood." Mickey said.

"Where yo nigga?" Face asked.

"He in the other room with Nas, I'm done with the disrespect. Can y'all come here?"

"Be there in 15." Kee said.

"Shit, 10." Benji corrected as they hung up.

"Who you on the phone with?" Black asked coming in the room making me look blankly.

"My brothers bout to come knock his shit off."

"I told you if you get somebody on him it's going to cause unnecessary beef."

"I don't give a fuck!" I yelled. "This shit been going on since the beginning of our relationship and you haven't done shit! Fuck all this and fuck him, Dylan should have killed him when she had the fucking chance!"

He said something else but I ignored him, I didn't wanna hear shit else I wanted to see Nas get his fucking face beat on until he learn his fucking lesson. I don't give a fuck if I was dragging anything, don't do anything without my fucking permission.

"They pulling up, come outside." I told him walking in the room.

I didn't give nobody a chance to say anything as I walked away pressing the elevator button, I got on the elevator going to the main level. Walking outside I seen Mickey, Kee, Ice, Reem, Q, Benji, Face, Terror, Kay, O and Randy. All their attention went to me as I walked towards them.

"Where he at?" Q asked.

"I told him to come outside."

"Either they come out here or we come in there." Mickey said.

"They don't want that." Benji chuckled. "I promise you they don't."

Black, Nas, Hendrix, Nade, Keyz, and Ty walked out walking straight to us. Q handed me his shit as he took off his shirt, he handed me that too. As soon as Nas was in arms length he swung twice fast as hell that I could tell caught him off guard.

"He ain't gon last." Face laughed as Nas nose started bleeding.

Q wasn't giving him no time to swing back as he kept punching him real fast, he was even throwing in kicks and knees. Nas hit him back a few times that connected but Q was whooping his ass. I could already see Nas eye turning purple, Q punches was powerful. It was like getting hit by a cinder block.

Once Q finally dropped him, Ice kicked him in his head as he stopped moving completely. Nade tackled Ice who quickly got up punching him all in his face. It's like as soon as I blinked everybody was fighting.

Face and Reem was fighting Black, Q and Benji was tag teaming Keyz, Hendrix was fighting Mickey and Kee, Nade was getting beat up Ice and Ty was straight getting jumped by Terror, Kay and O. I didn't try to break up anything as I just recorded like they said, I just hoped nobody started shooting.

Security from the building started breaking shit up as I moved out the way, I knew cops were going to be called soon and that's what I didn't want. Face was the first to stop fighting as he tried to help break up other fights.

"Ayo, police bout to come." Reem called out making his brothers stop.

"This was fun, let's do it again." Ice chuckled spitting out blood.

"Word, let's meet up again when my butchers come." Mickey smirked. "We'll have a hell of a time."

"Y'all wanna play them games? Boy I'll-"

"You'll do what nigga?" Q cut Keyz off punching him in his jaw making him trip over the curb.

"Pick y'all manz up, boffum." Ice chuckled talking about Nas and Keyz.

"Y'all niggas talk too much, little ass boys." Black said.

"Bust a move." Face said. "Bitch ass nigga letting some nigga grab on his girl and talk to her how he want, you a bitch."

"And I'll piss on ya mother." Ice laugh. "Ice Kelly in this bitch."

"Aight, come on." Reem chuckled.

"Get up nigga!" Mickey laughed kicking Nas in his head again as he still didn't move.

"Damn, y'all better check on y'all brudda. He ain't looking too good." Kee laughed.

"But then again they ain't looking good either KeeGunz." Ice chuckled.

"Y'all niggas wanna continue taunting, let's go damn!" Reem said looking around for cops.

"Esme, get in the car. I don't trust you round these niggas right now." Q said as I didn't object, I ain't wanna be around them right now anyway.

"Thank y'all." I said to Q, Face, Reem, Ice and Kee.

"You our sister, ain't nothing we wouldn't do for you." Kee said.

"Even though you been ignoring niggas." Face chuckled.

"I been told you what it was going to be." Q told me.

"Y'all can just drop me off at Emmy house." I told them making Q go in that direction.

"Call us if anything, I don't give a fuck." Ice told me as he pulled up.

"If you go home and those niggas there, you know wassup." Face said.

"I'll be fine." I shrugged. "I love y'all."

"We love you more."

I used my key to open the door, Emmy was sitting in the living room studying making me smile. She looked up and immediately jumped to me making me laugh, we hugged for at least five minutes before I sat down.

"Soooo Hendrix and them just fought." I said making her smile drop.

"Who?!" She basically yelled grabbing her phone. "Why the fuck he ain't call me?"

"He fought Face and them."

"What? What the fuck? For what?"

"I went in the studio all nice, sharing my food and Nas smacked my butt so I smacked him then called them after we started arguing. I'm tired of the disrespect or feeling like I gotta watch what I got to wear around him. I used to start with him sometimes but Emmy, it was a point where I used to cry just seeing his face. He reminds me of the stuff Tony used to do."

"Why you ain't never tell me?"

"Cause I thought telling Black would be enough."

"I ain't fucking with you right now." Hendrix said walking in with Black, Nas and Keyz behind.

"I don't give a fuck who not fucking with her, why nobody told me bout this?" Emmy asked. "I'm trusting my baby sister around all y'all and y'all got her feeling miserable as fuck around this nigga."

"Baby, it ain't like-"

"I don't wanna hear shit!" She yelled. "I don't give a fuck who you are, ain't no nigga will EVER hurt my sister again! I'll lose my freedom over this little girl without second thought."

"Calm down Emmy." I told her seeing she was turning red.

"Naseem you like touching her, right? Touch me so I can make your body stop functioning. You'll never have the confidence to talk to another bitch."

"Stop." Hendrix grabbed her as she smacked out his hands.

"Y'all dragging out a situation, shut the fuck up." Black said making Emae look at him.

"I'm bout to just go." Nas shook his fat ass head walking out the door.

"Es, you coming home so we could talk or what?" He asked.

"Yes." I told him. "I love you sissy."

"I love you more." She hugged me.

Black walked out the door not waiting for me as I grabbed my stuff, when I walked outside he was already in the car. I opened the door, he waited for me to put on my seat belt then pulled off real fast. 

"Can we stop at Krispy Kreme or dunkin donuts?" I asked making him look at me, he nodded not saying anything.

"What you want?" He asked making me look up to see we were pulling into Krispy Kreme.

"Get a dozen. I want the oreos cookie and cream, two strawberry iced, original glazed, two glazed chocolate cakes, glazed blueberry cake, cinnamon bun, cinnamon sugar, glazed cruller, New York cheesecake, and powdered cinnamon cake."

"What else?" He asked repeating everything I said.

"Three apple fritters and a iced caramel latte with extra whip cream."

"Add a hot chocolate with no chocolate syrup on it but extra with cream. Chocolate cake and blueberry cake doughnut holes."

I chuckled, we was a fat ass couple. He handed me everything as I looked making sure all my doughnuts was there, he looked at me as I nodded telling him everything was there. He pulled off heading to our apartment building.

"You hungry?" I asked once we were in my apartment. "Where the hell is Hero?" 

"I think she at my shit."

"Can you go get her? And are you hungry?" 

"Nah, I don't got a taste for anything. I just want my doughnuts."

"Okay." I nodded sitting on the couch grabbing one of mine sipping my drink.

Black walked back in with Hero behind him as she wasted no time jumping on me, I smiled kissing her as her hyper ass continued playing. Black went in the back then came back with some sweatpants on.

"I ain't mad at you." He said.

"You have no reason to be mad at me." I shrugged. "Your friend continued disrespecting me and you didn't do anything but say something which obviously didn't work so hopefully he'll be less rapey."

"When you gotta put one of ya brothers on a shirt, I hope you not mad at me either."

"If you put one of my brothers on a shirt we're not going to be together. Periodt."

"You think I'm bout to keep fighting niggas every time I see them when I could never see them niggas again?"

"If it's worth our relationship then do as you please."

"Our relationship? Our relationship just ain't matter to you when you was holding up a camera watching me get jumped or even getting in the car with them niggas." He chuckled.

"And our relationship never mattered when it came to your retarded ass friend, you seen the bruises he put on me just by grabbing me and that still didn't matter to you. I broke down in your arms about him scaring me and you still had him around me the next day."

"You right, I didn't take shit serious enough."

"As I said if ya pride bigger than us then do what you need to do but just know today will be the last of our relationship. I love you, a lot and you hold a big ass part of my heart but so do they so if you taking people who mean shit to me away from me then you don't give a fuck about me."

"Es-"

"I never asked you to choose between me or Nas, I just wanted you to handle the situation so I didn't have to."

"I'll leave it alone." He said making me look at him seeing he was being serious.

"And this is why I love you." I smiled. "I know this just took so much to even say it."

"I love you." He shook his head sighing. "I don't wanna do shit to hurt you."

"And I believe you." 

"Now find a movie for us to watch." He said as he sat down next to me leaning his shoulder on my head making me smile.

Even if everything around me was going wrong, Black was always right.
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