1KALEO
I dropped my clippers on my work station and kicked my trashcan out of my way. I was tired as hell and I was glad that it was time to close up. I loved owning my own shop. My pops had passed it down to me when he was ready to retire and no matter how much I bitched and complained, I would never shut the place down.
“Why are you over here looking like somebody spit in your face?” My brother, Rob, checked as he collapsed into my chair.
“What are you even talking about?” I sucked my teeth and snatched up a broom to get rid of some of the hair on the floor.
“You looking real tight.” He freed a piece of candy from his pocket, unwrapped it and threw it in his mouth, “You look tense. You need to get out more.”
“He needs to get laid,” Javits added, coming from the back room with a towel thrown around his neck.
“Both of y’all need to mind your own business. Matter of fact, get up out of my chair.” I hit Rob behind the head and he chuckled as he climbed up. “And you need to lock that damn door.” I pointed at it.
“We’re just looking out.” Javitiz shrugged, but made his way over to the front door and locked it.
“I didn’t ask either one of y’all to do that though.” I scoffed and continued to sweep.
Rob was my older brother and Javitz was my best friend so I was used to them giving me shit. I’d met Javitiz in kindergarten and we’d been inseparable ever since. We’d played ball together, fought together and graduated together. I kept my circle small and he made up the entire thing.
Javitiz called JV for short was an artist and I meant that in every literal sense. The dude was talented. If it was considered an art he could dabble in it. The dude danced. He played the drums and the trumpet. He could read and compose music and actually wasn’t half bad at it, but his heart was in drawing and painting. He wanted to open a tattoo shop eventually and he was saving up to do just that. He was a business major at the college he was attending, but he did it part time between working at the shop with me and a series of other odd jobs including selling drugs with my brother.
Rob and I were two sides of the same coin being raised the way we were. Our mother had dipped out a little bit after my birth leaving us with our pops who was a twin himself. Our pops and uncle had done a lot of running the streets when they were younger and the bricks they’d move had laid the foundation for the very shop we stood in. Our dad had purchased it to go down the straight and narrow and our uncle had kept moving work and running the streets. I’d followed after our dad. Rob had followed after our uncle.
“Speaking of needing to get laid,” Rob hopped up in to Javitiz’s chair, “What’s up with you and that girl you met?”
“We kicking it,” Javitiz shrugged, a smirk crossing his face, “Allur is cool people.”
“He’s smirking like a little girl,” Rob started laughing, “He’s sprung.”
“Shut up,” Javitiz hit him behind the head. “And uh,” he cleared his throat, “speaking of shawty, which one of y’all free tonight?”
“Kaleo!” Rob said instantly, “I’ve got a meeting. I can’t hang out with y’all lil niggas tonight.”
“Yeah okay.” I shot Rob a look. “What’s up?”
“Allur’s lil cousin is in town for a while and I may have said one of y’all would chill with her.”
“What the fuck you mean ‘chill with her’?” I asked. “Do I look like I need you to set me up on some blind date?”
“Look, she’s cute and going through a breakup. Allur is worried she’s going to fall into depression or something. I’m not telling you to ask her out or date her or fuck her or nothing like that. I’m just asking for you to talk to her while Allur is around so she’s not upset seeing us all into each other coming off her breakup and not sitting around just checking her phone repeatedly.”
“Yeah, okay. Run me four hundred dollars since you always need something.”
“Five-fifty,” Rob added, “because he’s always hooking you up with some stale ass hoes.”
“You right,” I pointed at Rob as I leaned my broom up against my station, “$550.”
“Done,” Javitiz pulled out his wallet, counted out the money and walked it over to me, “And don’t look like you want to kill yourself the whole time.”
Before I could respond a knock sounded at the front door and we all turned and looked in that direction.
“I got it.” Javitz spun around and walked over. He unlocked the door and then held it open.
“Hey,” Allur waved and Rob and I nodded once, “Soo, this is my cousin,” she looked back, rolled her eyes and then grabbed her arm and yanked her inside, “Novi.”
I licked my lips without thinking about it. Shawty was bad. She was brown skin with a short ass haircut. She was bigger than Allur both in weight and height. She looked around the room slowly before her eyes settled back on Javitz.
“What’s up?” He shook her hand.
