Pressure was sittin’ across from me, but his whole vibe changed without nobody sayin’ nothin’. The nigga was starin’ down at his phone like whatever he was lookin’ at just pissed him off or threw him off, and the way his jaw was tight, I already knew it wasn’t no regular message.
Renza caught it too.
“What’s wrong wit’ you?” he asked, leanin’ forward, lookin’ at him like he already expected some bullshit.
Pressure exhaled through his nose, shakin’ his head before he finally looked up. “Man… Prestyn done broke one of them vases down the hall.”
I snorted low, already knowin’ where that was goin’.
“And?” Renza asked.
“And while Pluto was cleanin’ it up, she stepped in the glass and cut her foot,” Pressure added, irritation sittin’ all in his tone like he ain’t know what he was more mad at.
Renza blinked at him, then looked up like he was countin’ the time in his head. “Nigga… it’s almost two in the mornin’. Why the fuck he still up?”
“’Cause he don’t give a fuck about shit we tell him,” Pressure shot back. “That’s why.”
I leaned back deeper in the seat, smilin’ to myself. “What Pluto do?”
Pressure rolled his eyes. “Man, she whooped his ass.”
That had me laughin’ low.
“You really be lettin’ her whoop them kids like that?” I asked, lookin’ at him.
“I don’t like the shit,” he said quick, sittin’ up a lil’. “But Pluto don’t play that shit. She ain’t one of them mamas that just be talkin’. When she say stop, she mean that shit.”
Renza shook his head slow, like he was thinkin’ too hard about it. “I ain’t gon’ lie… that lil’ nigga might be on the spectrum.”
Pressure turned his head so fast it almost looked like he was about to throw somethin’. “Dawg, shut the fuck up, and watch how you speak on my kids.”
“I’m serious,” Renza said, his hands comin’ up like he was standin’ on that shit. “Ain’t no way he just up at two in the mornin’ breakin’ vases for fun.”
“He a kid,” Pressure snapped. “Kids do dumb shit, nigga.”
Renza looked over at me then, noddin’ like he was connectin’ dots that ain’t need to be connected. “Nah… he might got that shit Kay’Lo got.”
“Man, go to hell,” I said, shakin’ my head.
Pressure rubbed his face, clearly over the conversation, then picked up his drink and finished the rest of it in one go. “Man, I need to get home anyway,” he muttered.
I pulled my phone out and glanced at the time, and soon as I saw it was pushin’ two, I already knew I needed to do the same.
“Yeah, I’m finna head out too,” I said, standin’ up and stretchin’. “I ain’t got no business still bein’ out this late no more.”
Renza smirked. “Oh yeah, you domesticated now.”
“Go ’head nigga,” I said, grabbin’ him up in a quick hug anyway. “I’ll get up wit’ you later.”
I did the same with Blaqson, then Kelli, and that nigga gave me a firm handshake like always, noddin’ once like he already knew what it was.
“Be safe,” he said.
“Always,” I replied.
Me and Pressure made our way out the section together, movin’ through the club while it was still lit but not how it was earlier, and once we stepped outside, that cool air hit different after all that smoke and liquor.
We walked a few steps before Pressure reached over and grabbed me, pullin’ me into a hug that was heavier than the usual shit we did.
