"Coffee & Cream"

*Warning* - I don't mean or want to offend ANYONE with this story. It's just and AU (Another Universe) story I came up with, I'm not hating, and I do not believe light skin people act this way. It was just something I took from a story I read.

Chapter 1

       My whole life we have been dived among ourselves, divided we stand, divided we fall. Isn't that what a famous political leader once said, well that's black people in this country, today. Divided among tone, bright or dark, coffee or cream, butter or chocolate, you get the picture I hope. Bright Blacks & dark blacks, the respected & the disrespected, the prominent and the poor. You can actually split our world up that far, to little silly things like that, this town where I was born and bred has to be the center of the battle between blacks.

       Me, I'm Brittney, I'm from Midtown well SOUTH Midtown, if you are anyone in this world you know where Midtown is. This town has seen some of the most prominent and famous black people evolve. But this town also breed's hatred, for generations our race has been taught to hate one another. Sounds stupid huh? It is, but I live it. OK I see you aren't getting it, let me break it down.

       In this town there is no black, white, and other. It's DEEP blacks and LIGHT blacks, that's what teacher try to say these days. But it's really light skinned & dark skinned, a race divided, a race torn apart, and it never seems to get any better.  It used to be a time when Whites hated all black people, now it's based on the tone of your skin, the deepness of your blackness. Bright people are always the most celebrated and exalted, and dark peoples are always looked down upon and ignored. They lived the high life, while the rest of us are left to live middle class or poor lives.

       You may think it's not a noticeable division but it is, we even have different schools, and different shit like that it's dumb. Like I said I'm from South Midtown, all dark skinned people are, it's like dark skinned and Latino's in South Midtown. Now North Midtown is like WOAH, whites, light skinned people and other ethnic people, and they had the best in everything up there.

       North Midtown is nothing like where I come from, where I'm from it's like a ghetto but not a real ghetto, you gotta watch yourself but you ain't gotta be crazy or nothing. We can drive through North Midtown but they would prefer if we didn't enter the stores or anything, they act as if we have a disease but they love us during certain times of the year. Election, the City Counsel Charity Parade, and the Hospital Fund Bazaar; at all three they get something out of it, MONEY.

       Me you ask, well I'm dark skinned, not really but they put me in that category, I'm like the color of coffee after you add a little sugar & milk to it. But it doesn't matter I'm me and I'm used to life I've lived my whole life. And I know I'm better than five of them vain, uppity, bitches but anyway now that you know the situation let me let ya'll in on my peeps. 

       First there are my cousins, they are like my siblings since my brother is resting with God now. Omari & Marques, half brothers but they look just a like, Marq is older and Omari is cuter hehe. Then their sister Kris, my best friend, more than a cousin, she's my sister always with me that's my girl. Then her boyfriend Jarrell, the talker of the group, skinny as hell, but will he throw fist you so fast you'll forget his waist is smaller than his girls.

       NeTanya, Omari's girl, she has an attitude about everything but her friends, family, and her man. Shaniya, is Marques longtime girl, she's like all of our protection cause if you fuck with ANYTHING that got her name on it she ready to cut yo ass, she got that deep Latin temper. Now Jarrell has an older cousin Kelton, he running on that deep gangsta shit, all that is the business sector or rather East Midtown, so we keep him close cuz he our deep connect.

       Anways you probably wondering what we, Omari, Jarrell, Kris, & I, are doing standing on a side walk staring across the street, looking like we smell shit or something. Well, they got the school's right in front of each other, and we are looking at them fake ass niggas.

       Omari laughed for while before saying loudly, "How he gon' wear a Red Roc-A-Wear outfit with some blue Nikes? They ain't even on the same level, let alone MATCH."

       I laughed and looked over at my cousin, he had out done himself again, with a Fat Albert Jean suit and some new brown Timbs, my cousin could dress and he always had his braids fresh, "Don't even trip off that nigga, he prob didn't buy the damn outfit."

       Now see Kris was being quiet and that wasn't normal for her so I tapped her as a signal to show me what she was looking at, she whispered so Jarrell couldn't hear, "The white bandana, twists, the heavily starched jeans, the white Midnight Baseball shirt, and the white fresh crispy pair of K-Swiss."

       I caught sight of what she was staring at and he was fresh, for real, he gave my cousin a run for my money except you could tell he was a pretty boy, "Cute but no stallion, anwayz look at the trick in front of him."

       Jarrell acted like he was gagging when he looked at the girl who could have been white if it wasn't for the definite permanent tan and thick hair, "What she got on? Where is it? Cuz all I see is rolls! And we ain't no where near a damn bakery!"

       We laughed loudly getting the attention of the group of people on that side of the street who looked at us like we were shit on a stick, Kris flipped the girl off before saying, "Come on lets go, I don't like looking at that shit to long they may think they got fans or somethin."

       We started walking off when I threw a look over at dude and he was still looking, I wasn't having that so I shook my head & rolled my eyes and walked beside Omari, who noticed dude too, "Come Britt don't let that fake nigga stare at you too long he might contaminate you or something."

       Now if you didn't know the schools weren't too far away, there was just a street between us, so if we talked loud enough you can easily hear one another, and I think dude heard that. They had just split T.J.Moosely High into a south & a north, of course all the North could beat us at was sports most of our athletes didn't care about, golf, Volleyball, and soccer. Now South Moosely High was extreme on basketball, track, and football. We beat their asses in it all, but it was pretty much a tie on baseball, we were even on that. And dude was on the baseball team, the shirt was proof, now Omari was our football player, Jarrell was track he could out run everyone, but Marques loved his baseball he hardly ever struck out it wasn't him.

       It took us maybe 5 minutes to get the park, it was the only thing that joined the two schools together, the creams, as we called them, were already spread on their side and we were on the other side. They boys stripped down and joined some friends from so basketball while Kris and I sat on the grass watching. I had a green apple sucker in my mouth while watching the boys play, it was a wonderful thing to watch tall, dark, and handsome men sweat.

       Kris sat Indian style looking at Jarrell for a second before drifting to the creamy side, though we didn't like their attitude their Chanel suits, and Gucci bags had us trippin. She look at a blonde girl and cream girl standing up in Versace pumps, "No, no, no see I wouldn't even wear those junts out here."

       I looked over at the shoes and shook my head, I wanted some black one just like that but it would cost way to many paychecks to but one pair, "I heard one pair of those at Macy's alone cost a grand."

       Before Kris could reply a football came out of no where hitting me in the back of the head. Me and Kris both turned around to see the same boy we were scooping earlier, with a wife beater and shorts coming our way followed by a girl who looked like him.

       Kris & I both got defensive, and Kris said something first, "Yo yellow ass watch were you throw yo damn ball."

       The dude picked up the ball, smiled an apologetic smile before saying, "Hey I'm sorry I didn't mean to hit ya'll."

       Kris made an unrecognizable sound deep in her throat sounding like, 'humph', since he was being civil I decided to be the same, though the deep cream color of his skin was someway irking me, "It's aiight just don't let it happen again."

       She hit me looking appalled just before he smiled an amazing smile, "I'm Druex who are you two lovely ladies?"

       Before either of us could reply the girl who looked like him snatched the ball from him turning her nose up at us, "Druex come on don't talk to those dirty ass black monkey's."

       We both cracked up a minute letting them stand there and stare at us before standing up, not knowing our hostile stance had stopped the boys game, there was one thing my cousin never left home without and that was her blade, "So you got beef cream? Cuz I know you ain't tryin to diss bitch, there's a million ways to throw my wrist, so there's a million ways I can cut yo ass."

       Druex wasn't a dumb nigga he saw the 10 niggas behind us, and he knew we could both take his sister so grabbed her by the arm throwing us sympathetic looks, "Come on Monica before you get yo big mouth ass into something you can't get out of."

       We laughed as they walked away toward all the cream and white people looking over at us from their side, we just threw them an ugly look and turned back to the game.  The boys were ready for a fight between the sides, they had been ready for a year now, since the whole drama over my brother.

       OK I know ya'll are wondering about my brother, his name was Quentin, tall, dark skinned like Omari's color, curly hair, and big gray eyes. He was good looking, everyone knew that cuz every female, even some creams, wanted to bone him. But all that was good for him came to an end one night about a year ago, a light skinned girl wanted to get with him so bad she asked him to her house when her parents were gone. His mistake was liking her back and actually going over there, they got their groove on, he didn't know that would be his last booty call ever. Her parent's came home, thought he broke in and raped her, and they killed him.

       I don't want to go into particulars, but no one was charged and they papers read as another 'nigger raping a good honest young woman'. It wasn't like she wasn't fienin over him, cuz the trick wanted him more than she wanted anything, and those light skinned folks act like they aren't niggas themselves. But like I said no one was charged and the shit hit the fan, the next day a fight broke out in the exact spot we were standing earlier, of course we beat some ass. But they were upset that they lost so they killed a pretty girl from around my way, no charges there either, and we decided the moment was not right to retaliate. But everyone was ready, that girl wasn't even 12 yet, she looked older than her 10 years but she wasn't and you don't mess with a young girl for an adult crime, so they have it coming.

       Well, anyway later that night I got a call from NeTanya to meet her around the way at the park, I didn't want to go alone but I went, she didn't call if it wasn't important. So I was sitting on the bleachers looking up at the stars while I slowly ate another green apple suckers, I love those things. It was a while before I saw her tall frame walk into the park, you could tell she just came from Rosline that girl could do hair, she did mine when I wanted my micro's curled.

       I got up and met her halfway, she didn't like to sit down, something about people coming up behind you, "What's up?"

       "Kelton." She replied looking around like she thought someone was watching us, she did it so many times I started looking around.

       "Wuz up wit him?" I asked wondering why NeTanya would be worried with him, they were barely friends, she always said she had no respect for a man who hustled for a living.

       "He found out who popped Quentin, working with those white folks downtown really helped too." She said all nosey like, she was the neighborhood newspaper, if anything went down she knew, you just had to be someone for her to tell she wouldn't tell just anyone.

       She didn't noticed my totally uninterested look, I wanted to know what mother fucker popped my only brother, "Who was it Ne?"

       The look on her face went from cool from sorry, she bit her lip before answering, "The 5-0 told him to skip town after the whole thing went down, the girl even left, her whole family is gone. But dude wasn't in her family, he's gone now, so only Kelt, the 5-0, and City Hall knows his name."

       "Damn," I replied as tried to smile knowing that I been waiting to hear this for too long, "hold up...cream or white?"

       "White, supposedly it was her boyfriend." NeTanya replied throwing a long look over he shoulder.

       This is another moment when I don't see the reason in our prejudice we are the same race, and at the same time I hated the girl for getting my brother killed. "Thanks Ne."

       NeTanya gave me hug, "You wanna walk with me?"

       I shook my head sitting on the bleachers, "Naw, Ima sit here a minute."

       She shook her head walking toward the fence, "Aiight girl, be careful aiight. Keep your hand close to you."

       I shook my hand understanding, dark people weren't safe this close to North Midtown in the middle of the night. 'Keep your hand close to you' was a way of saying stay alert, at night I was like Kris I had some protection, but it was in the form of my brother's knife. I watched NeTanya walk away before I let myself go, I didn't cry in front of people, and my brother was the only thing that brought tears to my eyes. I was so caught up in my memories that I didn't see the dude from earlier walk up.

       See since I'm tellin this story let me switch on you, he was about to practice his shot for basketball when he saw me sitting on the bleachers crying my eyes out. This boy was from way up North Midtown, he had a house that look like half of the White house, a Benz coming his way on his 18th birthday, and more money than most of my family together. Everyone knew his family, the most prominent black family in town, they owned half of everything. He had born and bred a high class guy, but he wasn't even feeling that way of life.

       I wasn't looking at him until he sat beside me and gave me the cutest look of concern, "Are you OK? Is there anything I can do?"

       He had his hand laying on my back and I threw him a deadly looks, "I'm fine now can you take your pretty hand off me before you lose it."

      Dude didn't get up but he did move his hand, "I hate to see a pretty woman cry."

       I wiped my eyes thought of what my brother would've done, looked at him up and down, and finally gave him a purely disgusted look, "Oh so I'm up to your standard of beauty? Damn I gotta lay out in the sun tomorrow so I can darken up."

       Druex, I already knew his name he gave it to me earlier, made a look like that hurt, "Mos def, you got exactly what I'm looking for. But I never did get your name?"

       I ignored the question about my name, crossed my legs, threw him an 'you wish' look before asking, "What are you looking for creamy boy?"

       "What did you call me?" Druex asked looking confused, like he had never heard that term when talking about the North Midtown black folks.

       I rolled my eyes pushed a braid behind my ear, "Creamy boy."

       "I've been called that before but I wanna know what it means." Druex asked tapping the bleacher softly, he was sitting so he had a leg on both sides and he was facing me.

       I gave him a face like 'don't be dumb', but I answered him, "It means you uppity, black ass niggas from North Midtown. "

       "Who says I'm like all the rest them?" Druex asked crossing his arms over his chest looking sincere.

       I was a little vexed I had actually never had a conversation with someone from up north, "I'm not poppin what you handlin, but Ima answer you anyway. Because you are from North Midtown, how else can you be?"

       I could tell he didn't understand my first sentence, it only meant I didn't  believe what he was saying, "I'm different." Druex replied, his sincere look never changing, he was loving the way my dark skin glowed in the moonlight. Little did he know I was completely turned off by his high yellow tone.

       I twisted the sucker a minute before speaking, "Whatever yellow ass, anyway answer my question. What are you looking for?"

       "Curves, dark smooth skin, lips like woah, and everything else I ever wanted." Druex replied looking me over his eyes, lingered on my thick thighs, and went straight back to my eyes.

       I rolled my eyes, this yellow fucker was not slick I dun heard better game, "Why want one of us when you can have a perfect redbone girl, with long hair, and skin so smooth you'd think she was white?"

       "Never been my type, ever, that's why I ain't had a girl in a minute, I can't have what I want." Druex replied looking me over one more time, see that was the kind of shit that niggas from my block wanted to see so they could jump another nigga.

       I stood up pulled down my shorts stuck my sucker back in my mouth, "I guess you used to getting what you want?"

       "Yea, but I'd rather have a challenge." Druex smiled following me as I walked out the park, his eyes following my hips, I didn't have a big booty but I could work my hips.

       I kept walking toward my neighborhood knowing if he followed me to far he'd get jumped, even 5-0 did get out the car on this side of the street, and if they did they were from this neighborhood. I turned to Druex, "Aiight then challenge yo ass back across that street cuz I think you better go back you might get hurt down here."

       "But you're going this way why can't I come?" He asked looking serious, we weren't past the my school yet and he couldn't see the groups of dudes standing on the corner watching houses and the streets.

       I laughed a loud, long, hearty laugh, "You wouldn't last one minute over here, and I'm from this way so I know everybody around the way. They won't touch me."

       He knew what I was getting at, so he shook his head looked down the street before asking, "OK then I can I have a name?"

       "Brittney." I replied strutting my way down the street not really thinking that meeting would change the course of both our lives. But it would, two different people, from two different worlds, and this would be the biggest change for me. I never found myself wilding out on the nigga, specially a nigga from North Midtown, dude was about to bring drama to my block. 

*Chapter 2
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