Introduction To Hard 2 Da Kore (Hard2daKore Book 1) (6 page)

Mike after they get up off you, slip off to the left about 10 yards out stop, and I’ma hit you with a bullet, so be ready Mike, ‘cause it’s comin hard and it’s comin fast. This third down yall so let’s at least get this first down so we can get close enough to their goal. It’s gonna be on a rush hut 2 aight, Hut 2?” Jay whispered to us all.

Everyone responded with head nods then we walked up to the line of scrimmage and lined up. Jay took position behind Rob the center.
“
Set! Down!. Blue 42!.. Rush Hut 1 Rush Hut 2!” Rob snapped the ball quickly into Jay’s awaiting hands. I started running my route as instructed glancing over to see if I had my defender beat. I couldn’t seem to shake him. I watched Jay fake the handoff to Mike, then scrambled to his left, pump faked a pass to the other receiver, then faked a long pass to me while a few of the other team members followed me closely.

As I was running I saw Mike scramble through a few defenders, spun off and ran his short route and turned around. Jay threw a rocket pass to Mike who caught it and started running towards the end zone. Mike ran quickly and swiftly through the oncoming assault of the other team. He even managed to shake off Big Ox, making him fall to the ground as Mike ran in for a touchdown. We all cheered and ran down into the end zone for a celebration.

“Yeeeah! What you got to say now!? How that fuckin’ grass taste in your mouth, big Oxtail head ass nigga!” Jay taunted. Big Ox got up smiling and dusted himself off. “That’s cool, that’s cool! So now it’s only what!? Twenty eight to seven!? Ha haaa! Now all y’all need is about four more touchdowns to beat us Mr. Babyback quaterback, and that my friend. Not going to happen, not on my watch hommie!” Big Ox boasted loudly.

I looked over at Mike and then at Jay. “What 28 to 7? You mean to tell me that that was the
only
touchdown Jay?” I asked confusedly. “Yea Mann, but now all we gotta do is score four more times, put a stop to these niggas and we got ‘em. Trust me it’s nothin’ we got this!” Jay explained confidently. We all looked downfield and saw the other team lined up and ready for the throw down. Big Ox stood in the middle of the line.

“It’s our ball now, let’s see how y’all gonna stop me!” Big Ox teased as we continue playing...and play we did, and through all the running, hard hitting, illegal hits, holding, catching and trash talking. We manage to pull off an upset and finally beat them by the score of 42 to 35, and Jay savored every sweet second of our victory.

Even though we won, and the tension was high from our ongoing rivalry. It was only right that we showed good sportsmanship and shake hands with our opposition like we did at the end of every game. So we did. Big Ox stared at me as I shook his hand. “Yo Jamar, your man Korey, da Mann right here made you look real bad today hommie.” He instigated. “That’s iight, cause I think he know who the betta
man
is, and if he don’t he gonna find out soon enough.” Jamar chuckled.

“Betta man? Yo son, you don’t know me like that.” I replied, trying not taking heed to their bullshit. “Ha ha, I know you betta than you think kid.” Jamar replied as he and Big Ox chuckled as they left the field. After saying our farewells, me, Mike and Jay walked across the field. “Damn Mike, I didn’t know you had skills like that. We finally beat those fuckin’ bums.” Jay bragged excitedly. “You ain’t never play no ball back in high school? You got skills kid for real.” I stated.

“I was never really into sports and shit like that. I was more into the honeys nameen? Besides all that practice ‘n shit after school, I definitely wasn’t with that. Besides, wasn’t no money in it, and you know I loves me some money.” Mike explained. “I feel you on that one dogg.  Hey y’all it’s a party tonight at The Funnel. My man Xaviar from The Born Criminals havin’ a birthday party tonight. Yo mad celebs gonna be there too. What’s up Mann you wanna come?” Jay asked.

Let me tell y’all about my cousin Jay. Jay is a party animal. He always be goin’ to the clubs and concerts. Says he be hanging out with rappers and singers and what not. He got mad pull with a lot of club bouncers though. He be gettin in a lotta major hot spots. He got photographs of him, with just about everybody in the music industry today. Jay knows that I love to rap, so he always tryin’ to get me to enter rap competitions, or make a demo tape.

He said that I got skills, but I don’t know, I don’t think that I’m as good as all those other rappers out there. My cousin Jay disagrees. Ever since he came up with that name for me“Da Mann” he told me he was gonna only call me by my rap name, although Mann is just short for my middle name, Manning. I’m always Da Mann to my cousin Jay though. That’s why he never calls me Korey like most everybody else. “Word, tonight? I heard about that party. Bet I’m down, I ain’t been out in a while anyway.” I said.

“What about you Mike? I can get yall in for free or at least a discount.” Jay said. “Na, I got some business I gotta take care of.” Mike explained. “Aight then, Mann, I’ma call you later on around eleven so be ready. I’m outta here. Yo, good game Mike. Y’all be good.” Jay said as he gave me and Mike a pound and walked away with a few of the other guys from the game.

6                                                                                    
THE HOME STROLL                                                                   
(Korey)

“Yo Mike, what’s up with you.Why we don’t chill like we used to do back in the day? It’s like I see you every day at work, but after that it’s like you disappear. I’m sayin, you could chill with a nigga sometimes. I don’t even know where you live, and I never ever see you around the hood no more. What’s really hood wit’cha hommie?” I asked as we walked away from the field. “I be chillin’. I don’t be doin’ much Kore, takin little trips n’ shit like that. I stays on some extra low incognito shit for real dog, but damn my nigga, I’ll start comin around more if you be missin me that much my dude, ha ha.” Mike joked.

“It ain’t like that nigga ha ha ha.” I had to laugh. Mike always had a way of making jokes out of things, except when it came to Sal. “I’m sayin I be chillin too, with my girl mostly, but sometimes I might hang out with my cousin Jay, but sometimes I wanna see what’s good with my dude Mike. You know, go drink a few brews and shoot some pool or a game of All Madden and what not.” I said."I feel you my nigga, I aint got no problem with that, but yo if we do chill you can chill with me cause I ain’t feelin’ none of these spots around here. Shit every time you turn around a nigga gettin his wig popped, but it’s all good we gonna chill Kore word up.” Mike stated. “Yo son, you do be on some down low incognito shit for real.” I said. “Yo whatever happened to that chick that used to come by the shop all the time?” I asked him. “Who? Nikki?” He replied.

“Yeah, I think that was her name, I thought that y’all was goin’ together the way she used to come by the shop all the time.” I said. “Nah, not at all that’s just my peoples, she ain’t my girl or no shit like that. We just got a really good understandin goin on. I don’t trust them chicks like that Kore.” Mike stated. “Why not?” I asked. Mike smirked and paused before answering. “On the real Kore, and I’m talking for real for real, I’d rather be that
side
nigga to a chick than they main dude. Let them boyfriends and husbands catch the hell with them chicks. I ain’t got time for all of that, I just wanna hit it with no strings attached.” Mike explained. “Not all chicks are like that tho Mike. It’s some decent women out there, look at my girl. We been together for mad years, and I know, and when I say I know i mean
, I know
she loves me, just like she knows I love her. That’s just way we feel about each other. We just know it because we feel it. You never been in love before?” I asked.

“Yeah, I guess I can say I tried that love shit you talking about. Listen dawg, all the chicks I ever tried to love either fucked around on me with a nigga that had more, or sometimes just up and walked out on me. Look at my bitchass moms. She walked out on me as soon as I was born. She ain’t even try to get to know me and she cut out on me. So yeah, I guess I been in love with a couple of chicks before, but most of these broads, all they want is doe from a nigga, and getting’ fucked good, that’s about it. Yeah, so I guess that’s why I am the way I am now, that shit y’all call love. Niggas and chicks don’t love the same Kore. While a nigga be loving them, they be loving on shit like clothes and purses and real estate and hot wheels ‘n shit like that, feel me?

They want a nigga with potential and credentials feel me? And all niggas be wantin is to fuck as many bad bitches he could fuck.” Mike continued to explain. "Yo check this out Kore, I asked this one chick one time why she love me and what not? And I mean this chick was bad as hell too. I’m winin’ an’ dinin’ her you kno’ all that goody good lover boy shit. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t feelin’ this broad too dawg. I thought she was feelin’ me. We kinda was caring about each other. She used to tell me that she loved me, but I was on some shit like,
yeah right, ok
,
I love you too boo
type shit. So one day out of the blue she was like, I don’t just love you Mike, I’m
in love
with you, and I was like whoa, you
in love
with me?

So somethin’ in my head told me to ask her. What are you
in love
with about me? So I asked her, and you know what she said to me Kore?” Mike asked, sounding almost bewildered as he thought back into his past. “No what?” I replied, feeling almost nervous as to what was about to come out of his mouth next. “She said she was
in
love with me because I was funny, and that I knew how to make her laugh. That was it Kore, because I was funny. Psss, like I’m some type of joker clown ass nigga or somethin. I mean I was kickin’ some real “im feelin’ you boo” type shit to this chick and the only thing that she could think to remember was that I was funny?

Now I know I can be a funny mafucka at times, but damn dawg. So now how the fuck this chick expects me to take her being
in love
with me seriously, when all she thinks I am is a joke? But that was iight I was cool with that, and I still had a lotta love for her, and for all the rest of them for that matter. I got love
for
em no doubt, but love em, nah Kore, never that.” Mike said seriously as he shook his head. “Maybe, you just ain’t find the right one yet.” I said. “Yeah, you probably right, maybe I didn’t find the right one yet, but you ever think maybe the right one ain’t find me yet, or maybe ain’t no such thing as the right one, or maybe they all the right ones. I don’t know Kore, but that‘s why the only thing I need from a chick nowadays is some good head and some good sex.” Mike said. I can only guess that with all of Mike’s bad experiences with women, starting with his mother leaving him as a child, kinda turned his heart into an icebox when it came to building any serious type relationships with women. I thought as we walked towards my apartment.

“Hey yo Mike, look at that fuckin Bentley Coupe over there, that shit smoking!’ I be seein’ a black one just like that one sometimes, but it’s laced with
all
the mega blingy bling trimmings. Nobody knows who be drivin’ that shit though.” I said while we watched the car cruise by us slowly. "That’s probably one of them niggas from across the water in New York, they be gettin’ money like that.” He explained. “Shiiit, I wish I was makin’ that kinda money, I’d sure as hell cop me some shit like that too, with a bangin ass system.” I said to him. “Hells yeah! Me too, who wouldn’t? I think I saw that black one you talkin about too, that shit it hot too for real. Never saw the driving either. Them tints is crazy dark, but Kore, c’mon. We’ll never get no ride like that workin at that bullshit ass shop for that bullshitty ass money.” Mike said. We both grew silent for a minute as I thought about my next question which had been on my mind for a minute now.

“Yo Mike, you my peoples right?” I asked. “Yeah, of course.” He responded with a questioned look on his face. “And you know you can trust me too don’t you?” I asked. “Yeah, but why you asking me all of this Kore?” Mike replied. I was always kinda skeptical about what Mike was into because of how he seemed to disappear after work, but maybe I’m just buggin. I thought, so I said. “Never mind yo, it’s nothin.” I said. “If it was nothin then you wouldn’t have asked me could I trust you.” He said, and he was right, so I decided to just come out and ask him what I been wondering for a while now. “Yo, you be sellin drugs Mike?” I asked. “Why you asked that?” He replied with a puzzled look on his face. “Because yo, I don’t ever hear you complain about money, or bills or anything. When we get paid you don’t even look at your check. You just shove it in your pocket like it ain’t nothin, like you don’t really need it or somethin.” I said to him. Mike looked at me. “Yo, I didn’t I just say we don’t be makin no money workin at that bullshitty ass shop? That’s because it ain’t nothing, it’s not like we really makin enough money to live off of. Not working there anyway, but you my man Kore so ima keep it real with you Iight? I ain’t gonna lie. I might flip a few dollars every now and then to keep on top of thangs you know? A little weed ain’t never hurt nobody.” He explained. Can’t say I’m not surprised. I thought, then asked. “Yo, you don’t be scared the cops might catch you?” I asked him.

“Maaan fuck the police. I don’t do it all the time, and I never hold shit on me. I got other people for that.” He explained. “Do you make enough money to buy one of those Bentleys we just saw?” I asked. “What? Hellll no, shit if I did then I’d definitely have me one of them shits on the street. Shiiit I’d buy you one if I was makin’ that much doe my nikka.” He joked as we walked to my crib. “Well I guess a little weed money don’t hurt either. Shit, I be smokin’ weed too so I can’t say shit even if I wanted to. Hey, if it helps with the bills I guess you gotta do what you gotta do. I can’t fuck with them police though, not the way they be killin jokers nowadays. I ain’t tryina die for nothin.” I said. “I hear you bruh, but I gotta do what I gotta do.” I ain’t tryin’ to be hungry in this lifetime.” Mike said as we crossed the busy Tunrpike highway traffic and continued out homeboy stroll to my crib.