Rhonda sat on her love seat, smoking a blunt and watching videos. Though most of the mess from the party had been cleaned up, the floor was still sticky and the house reeked of sin. After the police had carted Paul away, Rhonda resumed the party to celebrate. P.J. had spent the night at Sheila’s, so she had no restrictions on how hard she went. She took Von in the bedroom and fucked him for an hour and a half as a reward for him standing up for her.

During their romp, she went on and on about how much of a G Von was and how he was killing the pussy, but it was all a prerehearsed script. What was really on her mind was how Paul had wigged out. When she had met him, Paul was a pure street nigga. He was like an older version of Jah, yet far more poised. His lawless attitude was one of the main things that attracted her to him. Those were the good old days, but since Paul had come home from jail, he was on a totally different page.

She had heard stories about cats going to jail and getting scared straight, but she didn’t believe that about Paul. When she had asked him about it, he simply said, “Parenthood ages you ten years.” He tried to sound all philosophical about it, but Rhonda didn’t believe that shit. She had three kids and still felt like she was twenty-one. No, it wasn’t the birth of P.J. that had changed Paul, it was his new bitch.

When Rhonda first started hearing stories about her baby’s father having a new shorty, she already made up her mind that she didn’t like her. She was nice to P.J. and seemed to have her shit together, but she reminded Rhonda too much of Kelly to even consider understanding her. To Rhonda, the greatest threat that Marlene posed was the fact that she had been able to manipulate Paul’s heart. She did it under the guise of trying to help him grow up, but Rhonda felt that she was really just a controlling bitch.

“You gonna pass that or let it burn?” Rhonda asked, nodding at the blunt in Reese’s hand, which sported a head of ash almost as long as the blunt itself.

“Shit,” Reese yelped as the heat nicked her finger. “I was so caught up in this article that I wasn’t even paying attention,” she said, holding up the Daily News piece on violence in Harlem.

“This is some sad shit,” Rhonda said, shaking the newspaper. “They found that nigga Rel, butt-ass with his whole skull caved in. First that silly muthafucka Pain, and now Rel’s old rapist ass. Yo, this is the only summer I’ve ever seen where every greaseball muthafucka is getting what they deserve.”