“Awwww, you miss a nigga?”
“Ever since we moved to Tampa y’all practically joined at the hip. I was surprised you came to watch the game with me last weekend.”
“All you had to do was say you missed a nigga and I could’ve penciled you in.” I reached over to pinch his cheek. He quickly swatted my hand away as I continued talking. “You be busy with school and shit, but I’ll start staying at your spot more. Next year we can get a two bedroom and be roommates. Ma all in love and shit. As soon as her divorce from dad is final, she’s going to try to move in with that nigga. He cool and all, but I’m not trying to live with the nigga.”
“You know if you tell ma how you feel she won’t move in with him. We will always come first,” Quincy clarified.
“I know, but I don’t wanna do that to her. Let her live because I’m trying to live too. And not under the same roof as my mom. Especially because Jameera already agreed that we are taking a break while she’s in Tokyo for the year.”
“What the fuck does that even mean?”
“She can do her and I’mma do me and we’ll find our way back to each other when the year is up. I’m not putting my dick on ice for a whole year.” I shook my head in disgust at the thought.
“So she’s free to fuck whoever she wants to while she’s over there?”
“I ain’t say all that now,” I refuted. “Why you always up in my relationship business? Who you sliding on? What happened with fine shit you met at the bar?”
“She was a fucking airhead who couldn’t hold a conversation,” he grumbled.
“But did you hit?”
“Knocked that shit out the park. I’ll probably keep her in rotation. I ain’t trying to get into shit serious anyways. I don’t have time for a clingy ass girlfriend like Jameera.”
“Stop talking about my girl before yo ass be walking,” I threatened playfully.
“We around the corner, I don’t mind.”
We bantered a little more as we pulled into his apartment complex.
“Alright, jit. You driving tomorrow or me?”
“Damn nigga, I drove to the game today. You driving tomorrow.” I side eyed him.
“It was just a question.” He threw his hands up in surrender. “I love you, bro. I’ll pick y’all up in the morning,” he dapped me up.
“I love you too,” I threw my arm over the middle console to hug him.
“I’ll text you when I’m on the way,” Quincy stated before stepping out of the truck.
I pulled out of the parking spot, and his phone started ringing in my passenger seat. Placing the car in drive, I eased back into the parking spot and hopped out with my key fob in hand, locking the doors as I jogged underneath the dark night sky towards Quincy’s building.
As I rounded the breezeway, I froze for a half a second.
“What the fuck?”
Across the hallway, closer to Quincy’s door, he was fending off four men who were trying to stuff him into a white van withdark tint. I dropped everything in my hands and sprinted in their direction. Quincy was giving it to them niggas, fists flying and connecting with jaws and rib cages.
When I reached them, I jumped in without hesitation, throwing a punch that knocked the closest nigga off balance. He stumbled, and I followed it up with a right hook to the face before somebody grabbed me from behind. I swung my elbow back into his gut and broke free. Three other men appeared from the van, and Quincy disappeared into the truck just before a loud pop sounded.
POW!
The force hit me like a Mack truck, signaling that I was hit. I stumbled back as the bullet seared through my skin, leaving me feeling like my entire body was on fire. My hand flew to my side, and when I pulled it up, blood soaked my hand. My vision blurred, and I looked up at the van, still worried about my brother, but they pulled off. I told my body to chase after them, but it failed me, and I collapsed on the ground, gasping for air because I felt like I was suffocating. Each breath I fought for only intensified the pain.
I used all of the energy in my body to dig my phone out of my pocket and place a call to my dad. Groaning, I frantically put the phone on speaker and listened to it ring. His answering machine picked up again.
“I don’t know what you got going on, but if you don’t find my fucking brother, I swear to God!” I moaned, tapping the red button to end the call.
Blood from my soaked hands covered the screen, and I knew I fucked up calling him first. The pain intensified and I managed to tell Siri to call mom. I blinked repeatedly, fighting to stay conscious, but everything around me became muffled, like I was underwater. Then the stars in the dark night sky above me spun, and my world faded to black.
