Zu shot up from the couch. “The fuck. No, I’m not!” he barked.
Chevy smiled. “Nigga, yes, you are. Take it up with Freckles. I want all this shit resolved before Zoomas.”
With nothing left to talk about, everyone began to leave. Chevy came up to me before walking out the door, “After the holidays, you and I need to talk. I’m going to let you enjoy the moment, but I haven’t forgotten. Whatever it is you think about me, I can assure you, you're wrong. So, I suggest you do your homework, but you got to see me,” he finished and walked out.
Dio tapped my shoulder. “You too, nigga, bye.”
“Dio, don’t put your fucking hands on me. Look, I’m trying to be cool and get with this whole program, so hear me out, I was thinking—”
“How are y’all a part of the same crew and don’t get along?” Samara jumped in.
My eyes cut at her.
Dio stepped in front of her. “Aht, aht, nigga, not that one. Better ease up. You do that to the girl across the hall, not her. Whatever you have to say, better always be toward me,” he paused as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t get it. How are you a part of Chi Kappa Chi and you don’t display an inch of fucking brotherhood? You’re weird, gang.”
I sucked my teeth. I was getting ready to dig off in his ass when Samara came forward. “Date night!” she yelped. “Why don’t you bring Paige with me and Dio? Like a double date,” she offered.
I pointed at. “You know what, Samara, I like you. Matter of fact, let’s invite Peanut, Alyse, and Scooter,” I paused as I glanced at Dio.
I knew he wasn’t going to turn Samara down because of the love he had for her. His nose flared. “Look, he’s not a bad guy. Despite how you feel about his brother. You’ve got to trust me.”
Samara clapped her hands together in excitement. “I will start planning,” she squealed.
I said nothing more as I left the house. Dio slammed the door right behind me. I stood between the two apartments, gazing at Paige’s door. I wanted to knock on her door and check on her. The soft side of me wanted to do all the romantic shit, but the dark side of me wouldn’t allow it. As much as I wanted to be with her, I couldn’t. There was no Paige and Braylen if Beans and Piggy could no longer exist.
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My body flung out of the car, slamming against the concrete as it drove off. I had spent hours with Naheem, dealing with all his threats. The nigga had completely lost his mind. He had gone from having his plans with Clark and Fiona to now wanting me to do a side job for him. I stood up, dusting myself off as I limped up the driveway toward Bishop’s.
Karma had a way of showing her ass, and she was doing her big one. I’ve always been a strong nigga, but I couldn’t deny that every day I dealt with this bullshit was breaking me. It had gotten so bad that death seemed much more peaceful. I wanted to call Morgan to at least let her know I was ok, but my phone was shattered and dead.
When I reached Bishop’s door, his dog barked just before I knocked. It was as if she could sense the hours I had spent sitting in that filthy building Naheem had taken me to. The door swung open, and Bleek was the one who answered. “Damn, you look like shit.”
I couldn’t even respond because the dog’s barking outweighed my thoughts. “Shut her ass!” I snapped.
Bishop appeared from his office, “Nigga, if you ever talk about my sweet girl like that, the last thing you’re going to be worried about is her bark!” he snapped.
He knelt and picked her up. “Come on, daddy’s sweet girl. Let me put you up before I have to kill a nigga,” he said as he disappeared from the foyer and came back moments later. “What’s up, Kareem? Keith’s at school.”
I ran my hand through my hair because what I was supposed to do was eating me alive. My thoughts were beginning to blur. My emotions were at an all-time high, and I was simply tired. Bleek and Bishop stared at me like I was crazy, and honestly, that’s how I felt. My hands shook, and my eyes welled up. I reached behind my back and whipped out my gun, aiming it at both of them. “Man fuck!” I shouted.
They both pulled their guns, aiming at me. It was two against one, and I didn’t even want to do this shit. The tears I begged not to emerge, did. I rocked back and forth as the tears spilled from my eyes. “You should have left me in that muhfucka!” I shouted at Bishop. “This shit is because of you!”
Bishop didn’t budge. He cocked his gun back, and I knew he had a hot one in the chamber. “I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with you, but Kareem, nigga, you either pull that muhfuckin trigger or Keith’s going to be crying over your dead body because what the fuck!”
“Kill me then!” I shouted. “Do it!”
Bleek shook his head. “I don’t have time for this shit!”
Click, click.
I banged my fist against my head. What I really wanted was for them to shoot me, to put me out of my misery. I began tomumble words that grew louder. “All a nigga was trying to do was get up some money for my brother and me. Living in a bando with no food, shoes, and clothes raggedy as fuck. Daddy is dead, and my momma, shit, it’s clear the bitch was living a good life with Mr. Harrington. I—”
Bishop’s head flew back, “Hold the fuck on. Your moms were fucking with Symphony’s dad?”
“Isn’t that what I said! Who knew one night on some jack boy shit would lead to this? Your pops, that nigga is crazy, and whatever you niggas did, the shit didn’t work. He wants y’all dead. Did you hear that, huh, Bop? I said Naheem is alive, and he wants yo’ ass six feet in the fucking grave!”
