Cocky, her cousin took a step forward, ignoring Kat and Goldie, and tried to pull Tender aside for a long talk. He thought he could use some scare tactics on her once they were alone. But this wasn’t the same Tonya he knew. This wasn’t the same timid kid that stepped up in the club a few months ago. No, that Tonya was gone forever, just like the innocence she once possessed.

Tender quickly pushed him away, shoving him hard in the chest. “Get ya fuckin’ hands off me! You bitch-ass nigga!”

Finding that funny, he advanced toward her again. Only this time he was met with resistance. Tender grabbed her drinking glass and cracked him upside the head with it, stunning him long enough for her friends to jump on him and pound him out. Instantly, the ruckus caught the attention of the big beefy bouncers. They rushed over and subdued the man before any other acts of violence could take place.

“Lemme go!” he hollered, as they dragged him out the club. “I didn’t touch them bitches. They hit me!”

Treating him as if he were a drunk, a jealous boyfriend or psycho customer, they roughed him up, disregarding everything he had to say. It was as if he were telling a lie. The bouncers had seen and heard it all before. That was one thing about working in a club that served alcohol; after a few drinks the liquor brought out the worst in people. Even nice guys became unruly.

“… I’m callin’ da cops!” he threatened. “Y’all got unda age girlz up in here …”

Many of the club’s loyal customers took offense to his last comment. They couldn’t bear to think about their favorite strip joint getting shut down. So they went outside to straighten him out.

Just when Tender thought she had put her family out of her mind, life had thrown a reminder in her face.

“Yo, wuz dat nigga really ya cousin?” Kat questioned her. “Dat nigga wuz trippin’ fa real!”

“Uh-huh,” Tender responded. “He ain’t nuttin’ but a tree jumper! A baby raper!”

That’s heavy, Kat thought. Now she was mad that they didn’t do some real damage to him.

“And dat’s ’pose ta be ya cousin?” Goldie commented. “Dat nigga oughta be shot.”

Tender went on explaining the nasty details of her ordeal at her family’s house. “… Yo, you got e’ry reason in da world ta stay away from dem rotten muthafuckas,” Kat insisted. “They ain’t ya family! Me and Goldie iz ya new family now.”

Tender felt warm inside. She did have two people in her corner. At least that’s what she thought.

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER
8