Bad Apple - the Baddest Chick(13)

The girls made it down to the lobby and rushed to get a cab, since they were running late. It was a change of plan. The girls didn’t want to be one minute late for the concert. They strutted to the cabstand to catcalls, pick-up lines, and compliments from block to block, but they walked close together and ignored the attention.

They reached the cabstand on the busy Harlem street and asked the driver how much it would cost them for a ride to Giants Stadium.

“Eighty-five dollars,” the driver informed them.

“Damn! Why you lying?” Mesha barked.

“It’s eighty-five dollars. That’s gas, tolls, and bridges,” the driver said.

It was already a quarter to five, and the girls didn’t want to be late for the opening act.

Mesha sucked her teeth and looked at her girls. “Yo, what y’all wanna do? I mean, it’s already almost five, and to keep it real, I look too f*ckin’ cute to be gettin’ on a train or bus and be worrying about these thirsty-ass niggas dirtying me up.”

“I’m sayin’, that fare is a little too steep, Mesha,” Apple let it be known.

“Apple, look at us. I’m sayin’, how much you got to put up?” Mesha asked.

“I got twenty-five,” Ayesha chimed.

“A’ight, I got forty then.”

Both girls looked at Apple to fill in the gap.

Mesha said, “Apple, all you gotta do is put up twenty, and we good.”

After spending money on clothes, her hair, and a few other expenses, Apple only had eighty dollars left. Though the bus and train were cheaper, she didn’t want to be late for the concert either. Reluctantly, she agreed, and the girls jumped into the cab and were soon headed toward the George Washington Bridge into New Jersey.

*****

With Sunday traffic, it was a forty-minute ride to Giants Stadium. The girls jumped out of the cab excitedly and were overwhelmed by the hordes of people and cars surrounding the stadium. It was Apple’s first trip outside of Harlem, and by the look in her eyes, Giants Stadium could have been Europe. Even though it was only a few miles from the city, it was something different for her.

The girls hurried to the entrance. They didn’t want to miss a single thing. It was like they were in Hollywood, with high-end cars in the parking lot and celebrity buses and trailers parked not too far from the event. The diversity of people attending Summer Jam was something Apple didn’t expect. She noticed Asians, a few Indians, and even some Russians and Mexicans entering the building. There were also quite a few ladies dressed more provocatively than her and her crew. She knew what they came for—to catch a baller or maybe f-uck a star.

The groupies were lined up outside of the stadium for miles, with a candid thirst in their eyes. Apple couldn’t blame them, though, because she looked around and noticed the fine men in attendance, different races, and different sizes. She smiled and gawked at a few. She was in cutie heaven with the ballers and shot-callers all around her.

“Damn! Niggas is f*ckin’ fine out here,” Apple commented with a smile.

“I know, right.”

“But they ain’t finer than my boo, Ludacris,” Mesha stated.

“You mean my boo,” Ayesha corrected her.

“Uh-uh, my baby comin’ home to me tonight,” Mesha joked.

“Well, as long as no one ain’t touchin’ my husband Drake, we good,” Apple chimed in.

“Whateva, Apple,” Mesha teased.

The trio soon made it past security into the vast arena and looked around for their seats. In the distance Apple could see her friend, Cartier from Brooklyn, heading down toward the Orchestra seats. It looked like she was with Bam and Lil’ Momma.

“Cartier!” Apple screamed and caught hateful looks from the concert goers. “Cartier!” she yelled once again, ignoring the hard stares.

“Who you callin’?” Mesha asked the obvious.

“What it sound like? I just saw Cartier and her crew inching toward the floor seats. I was hoping to get a hook up.”

“You can’t just leave us,” Mesha stated. “We came together we leave together.”

Apple ignored her. She hated being seated so high, where it was hard to see anything, but happy to be out of Harlem for once, she made the best of it. Once the girls made it to their seats, Apple looked around wide-eyed at the thousands of fans who came to support their favorite artists.

The concert opened up with Drake singing “I’m Goin’ In” with Cash Money’s Birdman. The crowd went crazy. Apple jumped up and down, roaring with excitement with the screaming crowd. As she sang along, she kept her eyes on every single detail, like she would be quizzed on it later. It was an intense experience, with the lights, the blaring music, the colossal projector screens all over, and the screaming fans.

Drake closed the set with his big hit, “Over.” Nicki Minaj performed the summer dancehall anthem, “Hold You” with Gyptian. She then sang “My Chick Bad” with Ludacris. Ayesha and Mesha went crazy, screaming out, “We love you, Ludacris!” The noise in the stadium was almost deafening, louder than any Jets or Giants game.

As the night continued, the crowd’s screams never died down. Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka Flame represented for their state by performing “Wasted,” “Lemonade,” and “O, Let’s Do It.”