Bad Apple - the Baddest Chick(21)
Apple shut the door behind her sister and then quickly picked up the clothes and stashed them in the bottom of her closet. It was her only choice, since Supreme and his people were on her ass every day. She just needed time to get his money together without the continuous harassment.
“It’s gonna work,” she said to herself with a sure smile.
*****
Two days later, Apple was walking out the apartment clad in some skimpy white coochie-cutting shorts and a shirt so tight, it pinched her nipples. Though it was a hot June afternoon, the wardrobe was out of character for her, but it was something she needed to do.
Apple hadn’t seen Kola all morning and thought she was probably shacked up with some nigga. It was perfect. When she stepped out of the elevator, the first faces she saw were those of Supreme and Guy Tony.
Supreme glared at Apple and marched up to her with the quickness. He grabbed her by her arm the minute she stepped off the elevator and shouted, “Bitch, you tryin’ to f*ckin’ duck me!”
Apple quickly went into character. “Nigga, get the f-uck off me!” she screamed, yanking her arm free from Supreme.
Supreme and Guy Tony were shocked.
Apple glared at them and continued her verbal onslaught. “Don’t you ever put your grimy hands on me!”
“Bitch, who the f-uck you talkin’ to?” Supreme yelled back.
“Nigga, you better f*ckin’ recognize! I ain’t that bitch to f-uck wit’, ya heard? You better chill with the bitch remarks ’fore I sick my goons on you!”
A startled Supreme glanced at Guy Tony, who could only shrug. Supreme was confused. “Apple, right?” he asked incredulously.
“Nigga, I ain’t my sister. I’m Kola. Get it right!” she barked.
Supreme looked at Apple, trying to figure out if he had the right sister, but Apple looked completely like her twin sister. He then studied her wardrobe. It was tight, provocative, and revealing, something he rarely saw Apple wearing. He took a step back and knew something was wrong.
Apple was relieved that her plan to fool Supreme was working. She wanted to laugh, but kept her gangster attitude up. “What the f-uck you want wit’ my sister anyway?”
“Nah, it was just a misunderstanding, that’s all, Kola,” Supreme said.
“It better be. That’s my f*ckin’ sister. You know my f*ckin’ crowd, nigga. Now back the f-uck up!”
“Yeah, I know. Ain’t no beef wit’ you, Kola.”
Though Supreme was a rough-and-tumble dude who’d made a name for himself, he knew not to f-uck with Kola and her vicious crew of hustlers and killers, including Cross, Mike-Mike, and Johnny Mack. He was aware of their reputation, and the last thing he needed was a war to start in Harlem.
Apple loved it. She smiled inwardly and wanted to push the scheme further, but she didn’t want to take any chances. She already had them believing she was her sister, and for once, she thanked God that she was a twin. “Move!” she exclaimed.
Supreme, his face twisted with upset and wonder, quickly moved out of Apple’s way and allowed her to pass. He had his doubts, but he didn’t want to chance pressing Kola, if it was actually her, because Kola had a fierce reputation in the hood. Hustlers knew her and respected her, while Apple was just her twin sister.
Apple quickly exited the lobby with such a cool stride and serious attitude that she actually started to believe she was her sister. She exhaled with relief, leaving Supreme looking stupid in the lobby.
When she was gone, Guy Tony looked at his boss. “Yo, I think somebody tryin’ to play you.”
“Yeah, I’ma be on it, Guy. If the bitch thinks her sister is gonna be her f*ckin’ messiah, she got another f*ckin’ thang comin’.”
Apple quickly headed to the 135th Street train station. She just wanted to spend the day out of Harlem. She met up with Ayesha and Mesha in the city, where she went to change her clothes in a public bathroom, and the girls spent the day out and about in the city. They had lunch in Times Square, where Mesha picked up the bill, and then they met a couple of cute guys, who tricked on them for the day.
By late evening, Apple was on the subway back to Harlem with Ayesha and Mesha. Fearing she would run into Supreme on her way home, she lied to her friends, telling them she had to get off a stop early and meet someone. When Mesha pressured Apple about who it was, she told them it was a boy. Mesha was ecstatic and started bombarding her with questions. Apple promised that they would talk later and then rushed out of the subway car to change clothes in the nearest bathroom.
She moved through the projects with a watchful eye on everything. Again, she was looking like Kola in her tight, revealing shorts, and with her sassy attitude. Once Apple reached her building and entered the apartment, she quickly stripped out of Kola’s clothing, wanting to enjoy the comfort of her bedroom. Nichols was already sleeping in her own bed, and Apple wanted to do the same.
Apple sat by the window and wondered how long she would be able to keep up the charade of being Kola, especially with Kola always being in Harlem. She felt that one day her cover might be blown and Kola would catch her in the act, or Supreme would finally pull her card. Still, she knew it was the only way she could duck Supreme.
CHAPTER 9
A week had passed, and as far as Apple could tell, her gimmick of pretending to be Kola was still holding up. Most of the time, though, she remained home, enduring her mother’s rants and malicious ways, only going out if she couldn’t help it. But she was growing tired of ducking Supreme and his goons, and whenever she ran into him, she would always pretend to be her sister. Apple noticed the frustration on Supreme’s face when he couldn’t tell the difference between the two.