Unbreakable

“ A Hustla’s Love”

Walking in the bathroom and seeing my best friend on the floor covered in blood I knew something was wrong. So as I sat down beside her I asked her what happened she started crying. I then knew something was seriously wrong. Beside her was a gun and a knife covered in blood. I knew it wasn't hers so I didn't even ask that question. I just held my friend as tight as I could.

See Tieti and I have been friends since we were four so she was my ride a die. We would do anything for each other and since we was all we had we were really close. Our story was about the same but a little different. We stayed in the same neighborhood our mothers were best friends but they choose drugs over their children. Tieti was the only child between her mother and whoever her dad was. Tieti's mom left her for this guy she met and never returned home, so my mom took her in because of the money. But, Tieti was smart she was laid back and never bothered anyone but you couldn't cross her she had a temper. Tieti was born Tietianna Ramon she was a bad ass dancer every dance that came out she picked up fast. We grew up in a small town and everybody knew everybody so Tieti always said her dancing and my music would take us away. I can admit we did get out but it wasn't because of our talents, it was because of our hustle.

I'm Dom born Domique Jones to be exact I was the loud mouth that always liked to show off. I had alot of confidence in everything I did. My parents didn't really have to worry about me because I was the stomper of the family. Every fight I got in I won, every freestyle I had I won, I was the savage when it came to flow and lyrics. Tieti would always say she would be my back up dancer to my music. We were the baddie girls on the streets. Everybody knew not to try either one of us together because we were coming full speed. Tieti and I both were smart, and we stuck together all through high school until we finished. We both graduated top of our class, went to college together but realized that wasn't for us. Some people would tell us we weren't the smartest for not finishing but we made more money on our job and school wasn't for us.

Tieti brought in more money than me every week, she was Tricc on the pole and when she when up she would come down with no hands in a split. My girl wasn't scared to try anything, guys asked for her by name. She would always ask me to serve them their drinks and tell the customer to tip me the same amount that was on the floor, especially when she knew they had it. The best thing is when she would ask me to dance with her. Tieti knew how to hustle she was the best of the best. She would always remind me of our past before its time to get money.

Tieti met this guy and she was so in love he gave her more than she asked for. He would always tell her to put her money away that he got it. He would pay for both of our nails and as her friend I always thought that was strange. I didn't have my dad in my life like that growing up, but he taught me one thing before he left and that was to never allow a man to think you need them. I took that as my man and my friends. That was my sister and I wouldn't dare let him think he had me too. I started noticing Tieti would come to work dressed to impress. Some days she would come to work beat and bruised up, or some days she wouldn't come to work at all. I used to worry about her because she wouldn't say anything but I would see her guy hitting on other women in the club. Our boss better known as Biggg Daddyy Jayy approached him one day to ask him where was Tieti and why she didn't come to work. He turned around and said the name is Dawg with a gun pointed at him. That was the day I found out he was crazy. I didn't see nor talk to Tieti for days but when she showed up to work she begged to come stay with me. Which I had no problem protecting my sister. She knew I would do anything for her. I knew she needed my help when I seen tears forming in her eyes.

That night after work I took Tieti's spot on the pole and she worked back stage helping the girls get ready. This night was different there were less men asking for back room sessions. They were more interested in in buying bottles. So I told the Dj to announce Sweet D to the stage as he played my song I went up and came down upside down rapping. The crowd went crazy. I've never seen so much money hit the floor in my life. When I slid around on my stomach and stood up, I dropped to the floor rocking to my second verse. I went up one more time to see that Tieti was coming up behind me, the last part of my song was a 1, 2, 3, and when she went upside down and into a split I dropped down into a split too. That's when the club went crazy. I knew my sister wasn't gone let me do my big night alone. We got in trouble by the boss but it made him some money because we had to do a show every Friday night.

We never thought that one Friday of us taking a chance would change our lives forever well at least mines. Tieti had packed up her clothes and went back home as she called it. I never questioned it my sister was in love and I wasn't gone stop her. I got a call that night to get on a plan and fly out to Cali and meet this record producer through the Dj of the club. After my show he wanted to talk to me about business. He asked me "Sweet D do you want to dance and serve bottles every night in this club?” My response was the name is Domique and no I want to be successful, this is just my hustle.

I explained to him what my hustle meant to me and why. Growing up with hardly nothing being the smartest but a dominant person I always had to go out on a lem for myself. Dancing in this club I never thought I would ever get the chance to put my music out there. Guys would come in the club and laugh at me because I wanted to do more than dance and be the bottle girl in this club but you have to have faith in myself and I can tell you now I’m not stopping there. His next words to me were I know your not so where are you available to get in the studio? All excited inside I wanted to stand up and jump for joy but I knew that would be so embarrassing.

I couldn’t wait to get back home to tell Teti about my trip and that I was about to change our lives forever. As soon as I got off the plan I sent her a text and she didn’t respond so I called her and no response. So I was stuck. I knew then I should have drown myself to the airport I would have took that charge. Right when I was about to make a call my phone rung it was Biggg Daddyy. When I answered he was out of breath he said i’m on my way to get you Teti is in the hospital. All I heard was hello, hello and ma’am are you ok in the background. All I could think was what happened to my sister and is she ok. When Daddyy got to the airport to get me I was sitting on a bench drinking water. All I wanted him to do was take me to my sister, and wanted to know who did it. His next words was is it’s gone be taken care of. I told him I know it will. When I got to the hospital Teti had discharged herself. She knew I was on my way because she read my message but didn’t respond.

Two weeks went by and I still haven’t heard anything from Teti so when I got the call to come to Cali I booked a flight. I missed my best friend but what could I do if she wouldn’t let me in. But I definitely missed my best friend. When I was packing I found an album full of pictures, fun, and laughs of Teti and I. I stopped packing and sat down in the floor and started crying and laughing at every memory that I flipped through. I knew one day she would realize she deserved better and her past was her hustle. I got up grabbed my phone and even though I knew she would text back, I text her and said I love you sister I’m leaving and you text me whenever you need something. That next week I left to go to Cali and I can say I loved it.

I had the hottest songs on the radio I was coming up on my first tour and I was so proud of myself. This small town girl that wrote poetry and everybody wanted to talk about was now living her dream. I had been to a few states before but since becoming an artist it has been wonderful. I was coming up on my city and I text my club family which they already knew about it. Daddyy wanted me to stop in the night before my show, it was good seeing the girls. It’s was definitely good to see how the money I gave to Daddyy brought the community back together. That’s all I ever wanted. The next night my show was lit. My city and surrounding areas came out to support me. Even parents that liked me and knew me brought their children. But the person that I wanted besides me was nowhere to be find. After my show I was back on the plane headed to the studio. I posted a picture on my social media and the caption read this is what happens when you manifest your dreams but we aren’t done yet.

I woke up the next morning with fifteen missed calls from Teti. I didn't call her back right away because I didn't know if it was a joke. I hadn't heard from her in years, I had been letting her know through text what was going on in my life, but I didn't know this person that was calling. What could she have wanted, was she in some sort of trouble? I didn't pay it any attention I went on by my day. In the studio and I receive another call from Teti. I soon clear out the room to have a conversation. "Hello Teti" a sweet voice said D help! "Teti send me your location."

When I arrived at the location Teti sent me I walked straight in. This was the same address I had been sending flowers and letters to for years. My best friend has been home this entire time and she never said anything. Teti, I called for her over and over. I didn't hear anything right when I was about to leave I heard a soft cry. As I followed this cry down the hall into the master bathroom, I saw Teti sitting on the floor. In front of her laid out in the floor was Dawg the guy that did horrible things to my sister. Teti spoke, " D, I had enough I have been in this house, I'm just now seeing I've missed everything. "I shouldn't have seen it, Dawg was dark and vicious, I never seen it."

I sat down and hugged my sister, I was thankful she was alive. She took me in a room to pack her belonging and on the floor was a black book. Teti had never seen this book before but it had an account number in the inside. When we opened the book we found that Teti had an account with money in it. This book was sent to Teti from a good friend of D's and she knew exactly who it was.

Teti and D were back together again. D took Teti back to California with her. Teti got back on her feet with the help of her best friend. She was also getting ready to go on tour with D soon.