“That little slut. So was she all up on him at the club last night?”

“See, that’s the funny part,” Rhonda continued. “Had I been the one to bag Don B., there’s no way in hell that I wouldn’t have been drinking like a queen and a few dollars heavier at the end of the night. This bitch acts like she’s scared to say two words to the nigga.”

“What was up with that?” Billy asked, not really understanding Reese’s actions. Reese wasn’t as scandalous as Rhonda, but she was a sack chaser in her own right.

“I don’t know, but had it been me, I would’ve been on my bullshit,” Rhoda said. “Something is funny with her story and I’m gonna get to the bottom of it.”

“Speaking of stories, a little bird told me that a certain rapper was spotted coming out of your building,” Billy said.

“Damn, muthafuckas always clocking me.”

“So did you fuck him that day, or before then?” Billy asked smugly.

“Why do I have to have fucked him, because he was coming out of my building?”

“No, because I know your trick ass.” Billy laughed.

“Fuck you, Billy,” Rhonda said, good-naturedly. “You damn right I gave him some pussy. That li’l nigga is on his way to being a star.”

“That’s my girl, always looking for a come-up,” Billy said sarcastically.

Rhonda said something, but the beep on the line muffled it. “Hold on, I got another call.” The line momentarily went silent and Rhonda was back. “I gotta go. That’s Paul on the other line. I’m about to bark on his ass for trying to stunt the other night.”

“The drama in your life never ends,” Billy replied.

“Whatever, bitch. ‘Bye!”

“Get out the mirror, son. Your eye don’t even look that bad,” Groovy said, flicking the thumb sticks on the PS2 controller.

“Man, I’m gonna kill this nigga when I catch him!” Rel said, angrily pressing the ice pack against his cheek. He hadn’t really felt it the night before, but when he woke up he felt the effects of Jah’s blow. His cheek, just below his right eye, was swollen and a blood vessel was busted, leaving a nasty red web on the white of his eye.

“I still don’t see how you let ol’ boy catch you slipping like that,” Slick said, thumbing his own stick.

“Fuck you mean, you don’t see how? That nigga snuffed me. Yo, on everything I love, if he hadn’t snuck up on me, I’d have laid his ass down in the club. On the real, these niggaz be acting like they don’t know what it is wit’ ya boy, know what I mean? I’m about to get back on my tough-guy shit, son.”