Read Smooth Operator for Free Online Page B

old enough to understand that didn’t nobody owe you shit?
    Arri twisted her lips and cracked open a sunflower seed. “Puleeze.”
    Beads of sweat ran down Darlene’s forehead. “I want that money. And Samara told me that she saw some li’l niggah out there hand five dollars to you.”
    “So? I got the money ’cause I braided his hair,” Arri snapped. “He gave me money for me and
I
spent it on candy.”
    Darlene snorted and scratched the side of her neck. “You spent it on candy?”
    “That’s what I said.” Arri cleared her throat and did her best to push the fear she felt rising in her chest back down to her stomach.
    Darlene looked surprised. She studied Arri’s face and said, “You lyin’.” She looked at the water lining Arri’s eyelids. “James said you was a ho, and I believe him. So since you a ho and this is your stroll, you gon’ pay me to live here. I want that money and I want it now.” She stood over Arri and stared her down.
    Darlene hated staring at Arri because it was like looking at her own reflection. “You know what? I’m sick of lookin’ at you!” Darlene grabbed a fistful of Arri’s hair and dragged her to the floor. “Always thinkin’ you better than me!” She slapped her. “Always thinkin’ you so much!”
    “Stop it!”
    WHAP!
    Arri felt everything inside her skull thump. She wondered why she couldn’t take Darlene down like she’d planned. Her body may be frail but her strength was unmatched. “Get offa me!” Arri screamed and her voice drifted into the other room, where her sister, Samara, rushed to the doorway.
    “I don’t have no money!” Arri screamed, doing her best to squirm out of her mother’s grip.
    “You lyin’ … and you lyin’ because you think I ain’t shit!”
WHAP!
    “Mommy,
please
!”
    “Don’t Mommy me now, ’cause if I ain’t shit,”—
WHAP!
Spit flew out the side of Darlene’s mouth—“then you worse than that, because you came outta my pussy!”
WHAP!
“So ain’t neither one of us shit and don’t you ever forget that! Now I asked you for that money and I want it!”
    “I don’t have it!”
    “Yes you do!” Samara screamed. “I saw Ahmad give you five dollars. And Mommy, five dollars is enough for a bag of smack.”
    “You need to mind your business!” Arri responded, trying to grab Darlene’s hands.
    “You need to tend to yours,” Samara said. “Give up that money and stop gettin’ yo’ ass kicked. You too damn grown!”
    “Shut up!” Darlene yelled as she slammed Arri against the wall, causing her to hit the back of her head and slide to the floor. “I want that goddamn money and I want it now!” She started ripping Arri’s blouse, “Where is it, I know you ain’t spend it all on candy!” She yanked her pants down and before she could pull at her underwear loose change fell from Arri’s pocket, some of it spinning on its head and others rolling across the floor. “Lyin’ ass!” Darlene snorted, wiping loose snot from her nose again. “Samara, pick up that money.” She scratched her neck.
    Samara hurried to collect the change.
    Street noises drifted in from the open window. “Darlene!” someone shouted from outside. Darlene huffed her way over to the window and looked. It was James, holding a taxicab’s door open. “Move ya ass,” he yelled, “you know this goddamn meter runnin’! Hell, whatcha waitin’ on?”
    “Hold it a motherfuckin’ minute.” She walked away from the window, collected the change from Samara, slipped it into her pocket, and snorted again. She straightened her clothes and fluffed her aged weave. “You gon’ learn not to fuck with me!” she said while catching her breath. “Now, look.” She stared at Samara. “I’ll be back in a few weeks.”
    The room fell silent and Samara asked, “Whatchu mean?”
    “Listen,” Darlene said as she walked to the closet and started packing what little she had in a worn suitcase, “it’s a job I need to see about. Some