Read Side Chic 3 (The Ratchetness Continues) for Free Online Page A

thanking God ever since I’d opened my eyes in the hospital and realized that I’d pulled through.
    “Don’t stop thankin’ him!” She shook her head again, the huge pink rollers in her hair shaking as well. Ms. Jackie was a plus-sized woman with skin the color of cocoa and she stood about 5’1. She was truly the mouth of the south. Nothing got past her. She knew a little bit about everybody’s business. It always amazed me how she claimed to be so into the church but was the most judgmental gossiper I knew. “I tell you, y’all young people out here living so careless, betraying each other and selling your souls to the devil! You’d better stop this nonsense because if you don’t you are going to end up locked away in a jail cell or six feet deep! Look at how that poor girl lost her life behind all this foolishness! I feel so bad for her mama! I remember when that girl was born! I know poor Marsha is about to lose her mind because Mika was her only girl!”
    I’d known that people would be talking about what’d happened but I hadn’t been prepared for this. I did feel bad about Tamika’s death and I did feel partially to blame for it but it wasn’t like I’d pulled the trigger or initiated what went down between her and I. The day that everything went down she’d come at me like always. I’d been trying to leave but I knew people wouldn’t look at shit that way. To this day no one knew that the real reason I’d slept with Tamika in the first place was because her triflin ass had blackmailed me!
    Tyson must’ve picked up on the uncomfortable expression on my face. “Ma, chill out. Tre has been through enough. He didn’t come here for you to throw the situation in his face!”
    “You be quiet! I’m not throwing anything in his face. I’m simply making him aware of the fact that if he keeps going the way that he is going he may not make it through the next time!” She looked at me like she was trying to see if I was paying attention. “I know Tamika wishes that she could have another chance, poor thang but you have one. So make good of it and do better!”
    “I will.”
    “I sure hope so. I heard that Mika’s brother Parnell is taking this extremely hard. You know that he’s locked up. He didn’t even get a chance to go to the funeral and say good-bye to his sister.” She shook her head sympathetically and then looked up at me. “I heard that he has said that this mess ain’t over with yet and that he plans on taking care of everybody who was responsible for his sister’s death when he gets out in a few months.” She warned. “I would hate to see something happen to you, Tre.”
    Hearing that only infuriated me! “No disrespect but I’m not worried about Parnell doing shit to me! If he wants to see me, I ain’t hard to find! I’ll tell you what though, this time I won’t be the only motherfucka lying up in the hospital fighting for my life! Somebody else will be joining my ass!”
    “Man, don’t worry about that shit! Come on, Tre.” Tyson told me looking at Ms. Jackie and rolling his eyes. He turned and walked out and I followed behind him, glad to get away from his mama’s mouth! She had me tight and the thought of cussing her old ass out had crossed my mind several times while I was standing there listening to her preach with all of that chicken grease and crumbs around her fat ass mouth! She lucky because that last bullshit that she’d said about Parnell had pissed me off to the point that I nearly told her what she could do too! The only thing that had stopped me was knowing that I would no doubt have to fight Tyson if I disrespected his moms and I was in no shape to be fighting anyone!
    “You can roll’em all you want! This is my damn house and I can say whatever I want to whoever comes through that front door! I don’t care if they are your friends! If you don’t like it, you can get out!” She yelled.
    We went into the kitchen and took a seat at the table. “Man,