She plopped beside me. “Yup, and I also remember a girl named Paige asleep in your bed. What’s up with that?”
“That’s what I came to talk to you about. I’ve been keeping some shit from her, and I feel like when I tell her, she’s not going to want to fuck with me.”
Sasha looked at me curiously. I had been able to keep that part of my life separate from them. However, now the shit was becoming harder to do. Sasha placed her hand on my lap. “Y’all have been doing the podcast for the last three years. She should be the easiest to talk to. The only thing I can say is if she’s meant for you, she might be mad at first, but love always wins.”
I didn’t know if what Sasha was saying was right, but she had found love, and so had Monfua, Mali, and even Peanut. I nodded slowly, “Is Dio here?”
The sound of his voice made me shake my head. “You’re a nosy nigga, I swear.”
He came from the other side of the wall and shrugged. “Nigga, you in my house.”
I pointed at him as I glanced at Sasha, “When y’all putting this nigga out, and where the fuck is Zu?”
Sasha’s brows raised. “He’s asleep.”
“I would be too, as much fucking as y’all do,” Dio laughed. “What’s up, though. I heard it’s your birthday. Happy Birthday, gang. What are we doing?” he asked.
“Thanks, I have plans. Anyways, I wanted to holla at you about something. After the spring semester, I was thinking maybe you can manage Scooter.”
Dio burst out in laughter. He pointed at me while he looked at Sasha, “Yo’ boy delusional. I said the nigga was an ally, not I wanted to be hip to hip with the nigga.”
Dio had it in him, and what better nigga to manage someone like Scooter than a nigga who could relate. “Dio, the shit sounds funny, but you work well with handling others. I mean, I won’tbe too far behind y’all. I’ll handle the music and production; you’ll handle the management. I’m telling you, it will elevate your leadership skills.”
Dio blankly stared. “You’re serious?”
“Just as serious as the question you asked about—”
“A’ight, fuck it. I’ll do it, only after the semester is over.”
“Bet.”
Dio walked off as Sasha approached me. “I’m happy you’re opening up. I am. Now let me tell you about something that I think would really win Paige over.”
Sasha began explaining OLS. I heard Peanut and Monfua talk about it, but never paid it any mind. Now, my ears were perked. I took in everything said, but before that happened, I knew Piggy and I really needed to talk.
SCOOTER
PRESS PLAY
I checked my phone, which was on its last leg before dying, to see that it was now visiting hours. Since Paige dropped me off, I had been here at the hospital sleeping in the waiting room. I knew it was some bum shit, but I didn’t feel alone as Indigo and London sat in the chairs across from me. When I glanced at her, she looked like she hadn’t slept in days. I could tell she was out of it, and I could only imagine what she was feeling. I got up from the chair and walked over toward her. Her sad, empty eyes looked up at me, “You want something to drink or anything?” I asked.
She shook her head as tears filled her eyes. “I just want him to come home,” she mumbled as she quickly wiped her eyes.
“Is it that bad?” I asked.
She didn’t say anything, but broke down into full sobs. I placed my hand on her shoulder, “Bop is strong, he will pull through. I’m going to see if they will let me back there now.”
I walked toward the nurse’s desk to ask if I could see him. The nurse looked at her watch and replied, “Yes, follow me.”
She came around and led the way. When she stopped in front of the door, she gave me a tight-lipped smile and walked away. I entered the room, and as soon as I saw him lying there, I shook my head. I thought about how this could have been me. However, it was Bishop who stopped me from doing something that would have put Keith in the position of Indigo. I moved toward his side. “Bishop, nigga, I’m sorry,” I started. “You’ve got to pull through, you have to. You got a shorty out there losing her mind and a dog that knows only you.”
I wasn’t sure what to say. This shit had Naheem written all over it, and if I couldn’t do anything in this situation, the least I could do was find Naheem. I slowly backed out of the room. As I made my way back down the hall, the sound of Keith’s voice exuded from the waiting area. “What the fuck happened to him!” he shouted.
I rushed toward him, “Keith, calm down. Bishop is strong; he’s going to pull through.”
Keith shoved me off of him, “Nah, man, Bish-Bishop is like a father to me,” he cried.
That shit stung, but I understood. I pulled Keith in for a hug, but he wouldn’t allow me to comfort him. “Get the fuck off me! You don’t understand, Kareem, you will never understand!” he shouted.
