From the minute Tone hopped in the car and they pulled off, Stew began bragging and boasting about the sex he had just had.
“I tore that pussy up yo,” Stew told Tone.
“Yo, take me back to the crib,” he interrupted.
“Why?” Stew began. “I’m about to show you the strip. Introduce you to a few of my people so you can do ya thang out here yo.”
“We can do that anotha day,” he explained. “Yo, just take me back to the crib before ya cousin start buggin’.”
“Tone, I know you ain’t gone let no pussy get in the way of you getting’ some money, yo,” Stew told him.
“Nigga, look who talkin’?” Tone said sarcastically. “I’ma tell you what I ain’t gone do. Let another nigga fuck up my shit. I do a good job of that myself.”
Tone’s statement had been an excuse to get away from him. It seemed like he spent the entire day sightseeing, smoking weed or just chilling with Stew. He felt like he had wasted enough time with this dude.
In Tone’s book if Stew couldn’t be used then he was useless. He served no purpose. Stew acted like he didn’t want to make any money, so Tone didn’t want to be around him. He didn’t want to be sidetracked by Stew’s nonsense any more. He wanted to make money so he had to hang around like-minded individuals.
Stew laughed. “Alright Tone, I hear you. I’ll drop you off. I’ll holler at you tomorrow yo.”
Fuck you! Tone thought. Tomorrow he planned on striking out on his own. He felt the urge to make something happen by himself. Stew’s heart wasn’t into hustling. Tone could tell. A real hustler eats, sleeps and breathes the streets. Hustling was merely something Stew did from time to time. At the moment this was very much Tone’s life. Hustling was the only hope he had.
“Yeah, do that,” Tone replied.
On the way home Tone couldn’t stop thinking about Shorty. He hadn’t been this pumped up about a block in awhile. He felt like he had connected with her in a way he might not never have with Stew. He knew sometimes it took a lame person to bring two real people together.
Despite her flaws, her drug habit, Tone felt Shorty was a real one. But only time would tell.
5
Normally Tone wasn’t a morning person at all. However, on this day his body’s internal alarm clock had awoken him in more than enough time. He was already dressed by the time his girlfriend woke up. He could hardly contain his excitement, not knowing what today’s adventure would hold. Today would be his first taste of the action. Tone would get to see what the hustle was really like in the streets of Baltimore. He wouldn’t be observing any more. From here on, he would be a fulltime participant in the drug game.
“Whenever you ready,” Tone said through the bathroom. “I’m ready.”
“Okay,” Sonya replied as she finished brushing her teeth.
Tone walked back into the bedroom and inspected himself in the full-length mirror. He was concerned that his nine-millimeter that he carried in his waistband might be too revealing. He adjusted the weapon until he was completely satisfied the bulge was gone.
The thought of the gun remained with him as Sonya entered the room to grab her book bag. He moved cautiously away from her, not wanting her to have too good of a look.
“I’m ready,” she announced, grabbing her books off the floor.
“We out,” Tone said.
“You sure about this?” she wondered. “I mean, goin’ to a drug block to meet a junkie you just met yesterday? How smart is that?”
“I’m doin’ what I gotta do,” he replied strongly. “Lemme worry about that.”
“I’d feel way more comfortable if my cousin went with you,” she stated.
“Nah, Stew good right where he at,” he remarked. “I ain’t got time for his B.S today. I’m makin’ moves.”
Although Sonya voiced her concerns she knew she couldn’t tell Tone how to move in the streets. Tone was too stubborn to heed her advice or listen to her woman’s intuition. Still, his safety was her number one concern.
“If anything happens…..” her voice trailed off.
“Yo, stop talkin’ like that. I hate when you get like this,” he huffed.
Sonya felt bad that Tone was mad at her, but she hated when Tone made her feel guilty about caring so deeply about him. She merely was trying to imply she didn’t think it was wise to be making drug related moves on his own, without anyone watching his back. He knew she had a point. He had come to the same conclusion himself. Yet he’d rather not rely on someone so unfocused as her cousin Stew.
“Sorry Tone, that’s not what I meant,” Sonya apologized. She promised herself next time she’d keep her feelings to herself. It was just one of those things that she always thought. But this time she mistakenly verbalized it.
Sonya insinuating something could possibly happen to him really bothered Tone. He didn’t understand why she would put that negative vibe into the air.
Tone snapped. “Don’t be sorry, just don’t do it.”
Within a few moments things were seemingly back to normal, although the silence between them told a different story. After their verbal exchange, the vibe was noticeably different. Sonya noticed that the excitement that had been so apparent in Tone’s eyes had been replaced by apprehension. His mood had suddenly changed. Inwardly, she was worried for Tone’s safety, but she needed to keep up the brave act. However, she knew once Tone left her presence she’d worry about him all day long.
After exiting the apartment and getting in the car, Tone instructed his girlfriend on exactly where to drop him off. God forbid if anything happened to him at least Sonya would know where to come looking for him.
“Be careful,” Sonya told him as the car came to a stop.
“I got this,” Tone assured her as he kissed her goodbye. “See you later.”
“What time you’ll be
