"Teesha, get off that damn girl." The guys laughed as Teesha fought some random hood rat in the middle of the street.

It was a warm summer night and we were all out in front of my house, just hanging out. Well, we were at least until the drama began.

"Hoe, I told you to stop running that damn mouth." Teesh continuously hit the girl while I stuffed the rest of my honey bun into my mouth.

"Kace, go get your girl before she catch a case." Josiah, my best friend, fussed while shaking his head. He didn't like drama.

Kace sighed heavily before standing to his feet and slowly walking over to get Teesh off the third girl of the week. This was nothing new for him or any of us. She was always beefing with somebody.

"And Monty just sitting there, watching the shit.." Josiah hovered down to me with his tall figure as a smirk crept onto his face.

"Right." Milly butted in.

"Shut up. I was eating." I wiped my hands of the left over residue from my honeybun, making them laugh.

"Teesh, get off the bitch." Kace sighed, trying to pull her.

"No. This bitch wanted to come down here and fight so let's fight. Get up hoe!" Teesh yelled as she laid the girl out on the ground, holding her wig in her hand.

"When I see you again, it's on sight!" The girl yelled as she walked away, trying to fix what was left of her hair.

"I'm right here! Fight me now, hoe." Teesh yelled.

"Chill out!" Kace yelled into her face as he roughly pulled her out of the street and back over to us.

"Her scary ass." Teesh went on as she angrily sat beside me on the staircase.

"What's that number three?" Kace huffed, leaning on the wall with Josiah and Milly.

"Teesh like Ali out this bitch, what you up 3-0 now?" Milly spoke as everybody busted out laughing, even Teesh.

"These hoes always want to fight me. I wonder why.." She trailed off, flipping her long, natural tresses.

"Jealous hoes. They can't stand a pretty bitch." She went on as I shook my head.

"Whatchu doing tonight, Mon?" She then asked me and I shrugged.

"Work." I expressed.

"Work?" They all spoke in unison, making me chuckle.

"Yes. Work."

"Tommy, you ain't got no damn job." Milly joked.

"Shut the fuck up, nigga." Josiah pushed him, defending me.

"Aw shit. I forgot. We can't joke about Monty without Josiah getting his panties in a bunch."

Kace and Teesh both laughed at his antics but Josiah didn't find anything funny at all.

"Yeah but they claim they're best friends." Teesh raised an eyebrow, looking at me.

"We are best friends." I defended while Kace scoffed.

"Yeah and Donald Trump is my president." He spoke smartly.

"Just shut up." I laughed, shaking my head. They were always pressing this situation.

Josiah stayed quiet and said nothing but we both knew exactly what it was. Our friendship didn't need to be explained.

"Oh shit. I think I hear my mama." Teesh said as everybody got quiet to see if her mom really was calling her.

"Lateesha!" We could hear her mama yelling from the next block over.

"Yup, that's my mama. I'll see y'all tomorrow." She spoke as she got up in a hurry.

"Curfew having ass." Kace taunted.

"Shut up. I'm grown. I just have business to take care of. I'll call you when I get in the house and Monty, we're still going to the mall tomorrow right?"

"Yeah." I assured, hoping I wouldn't be too tired from work tonight.

"Aight. I'm out too." Kace said a few moments after, dapping up the guys.

"I guess we can all just link up tomorrow?" I suggested, standing my feet and they nodded as everybody prepared to leave.

I watched Kace grab his corner store bag and his Arizona can that was on the ground before he made his way out of the gate and then out of my front yard.

"Aight. Jo. I'll hit you up tomorrow." Milly dapped Josiah up.

"Aight. Watch your body." Josiah told him, basically telling him to "stay safe."

"You too, nigga."

As Milly left right behind Kace, Josiah stayed leaned up against the wall as I simply looked at him. I didn't say anything as I made my way to the top of the staircase.

"Coming?" I asked as if he was waiting for my permission. He said nothing, pushing his tall, lanky body off of the wall.

I opened the gated security door before I used my key to open the front door, walking straight in.

I watched as Josiah ducked down to come through the front door before I chuckled to myself.

"Shut up." He licked his lips, closing the door behind him.

"Mom." I called up the stairs to see if my mom was home but of course she wasn't. She never was.

Saying nothing, I moved her forty ounce bottle and ashtray full of cigarettes off of the coffee table and sat them both in the kitchen on top of the counter.

As I did, I noticed a bunch of envelopes on the counter as well. I scanned through, sighing deeply once I noticed that these were nothing but late and overdue bills.

I stood in the kitchen for a while, collecting myself and trying to keep my composure. I then began preparing myself for a long night at work. I needed to make a lot of money tonight because I didn't know what my mother was doing. Obviously whatever it was, it wasn't enough to pay the bills.

Luckily I had this job so I could help out. Though she didn't know where the money was coming from, she didn't mind me or question me helping. No one knew but I did work. I just worked...late.

"Monty." I heard Josiah calling me, breaking me away from my thoughts.

Walking out of the kitchen, I walked back into the living room and Josiah was now sitting on the couch.

"You good?" He asked, knitting his eyebrows.

"I'm fine." I assured him as I was about to take a seat on the couch beside him.

Stopping me, he pulled me into his lap instead, making me straddle him.

"I've been waiting you all night, Montana." He spoke into my ear as I mushed my head into the crook of his neck.

"I've been wanting you too, Joey. You think they noticed?"

"Who cares if they did." He shrugged.

Now Josiah and I were best friends, we've been best friends since fifth grade and it's always been innocent. We just decided we wanted more one day and he ended up taking my virginity.

Its been like this with us for about two years now and we weren't interested in placing any titles at the moment. And the only way to do this successfully was to not tell anyone especially not our friends. Though they did hint at it a lot.

"You smell so good." I complimented, enduring his signature manly scent as I began to grind my hips.

Our hands then began to roam as he pulled my shirt over my head and caressed my breast. I then rubbed him gently through his sweatpants as his groans began to fill the room.

"You want to take this to my room?" I spoke softly and he shrugged.

"Wherever you want me to give it to you, Montana." He bit his bottom lip, looking me up and down as a smile slowly crept onto my face.

"Come on."

Awaking from my slumber, the silent alarm I'd set to wake me up, went off. I slowly sat up, removing Josiah's arm from around me as my kicked my legs off of the bed, sitting there for a few moments.

I then looked at the time and it was I had to be to work in less than a half an hour. Deciding to finally get up, I got out of the bed slowly so that I wouldn't wake him and then madde my way into the bathroom sore as can be.

"I need to stop having sex before work." I expressed, it only made me more tired and too sore to dance.

Quickly taking a shower and completing all my hygiene steps, I walked out of the bathroom and threw on some comfortable clothes. I then pushed my messy hair up into a ponytail, not even bothering to do it. Until I got to work anyway.

Grabbing my duffle bag full of stuff, I made my way out of my room and down the stairs. I silently prayed I didn't wake Josiah and that he wouldn't call me before I got off of work. No one knew about this and I wanted to keep it that way.

Leaving out of the front door, I inhaled the warm, summer breeze before letting out a deep breath to prepare myself for tonight. Lord knows that it's going to be a long one.

Walking out of the gate, I closed it behind me before leaving completely. I walked passed Josiah's car toward the bus stop and I waited for about ten minutes before the bus finally arrived.

Stepping on, the bus driver nodded to me obviously used to seeing my face at this time of night. Feeling ashamed, I swiped my pass and then made my way onto the empty bus and took a seat anywhere.

I hate this.

*

Stepping off of the bus, I could hear the music bumping from the outside of the building. Biting my lip nervously, I crossed the street and walked down the alleyway toward the back of the building.

"Hey, Marcus." I spoke politely to the the security guy, who's always securing the back entry way.

"What's up, Monty. You alright?" He asked, opening the door for me.

No.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I plastered a smile onto my face as I walked into the building and made my way up the staircase.

The music became louder and louder as I got farther into the building. I made my way to the dressing room and all of the other girls were either getting ready or they were packing up to go.

"Hey, Monty." Chocolate, one of the only girls I talk to here, spoke to me.

"Hey." I waved before opening my duffle bag and removing my clothes to put on my signature bra and thong.

I wasn't comfortable here but I had no choice. I had to get naked in front of the women in here and the men out there every night. There was no other options for me.

Looking around at everyone, I felt so alone. I was the only 20 year old here, making me the youngest. The other women didn't really speak to me but I wouldn't speak to me either. None of it mattered anyway, I was just here to make my money.

"Monty. You're on in 5." Someone yelled to me and I simply nodded as Chocolate came over to me with a drink in hand.

"Here, Girl. I know you need it."

"Thank you." I smiled small, taking the drink out of her hand and throwing it back. I wasn't a drinker but to do this, I had to. I had to drink or I wouldn't be able to dance for these men.

"Come on. Let me do you some quick makeup and slick your hair up in a bun." She suggested and I nodded, grabbing my tall heels as we walked over to her station.

She began to work her magic as she always did, making me feel the least bit of comfortable from her niceness. She was always super nice to me.

"Fix your face. You're way too beautiful to pout, mama." She smiled as she put mascara on me.

I said nothing as a tear slipped from my eye. She smiled small, looking at me.

"Don't worry. Everything will be fine."

*