“Them detectives still been comin’ around?” He asked.
I shook my head. “Nope.”
He nodded. “Good.”
Is that why they were crowding me? Because they thought I’d been talking to them fucking detectives? Instantly, I was annoyed.
“Is that why y’all here?”
Unlike the majority of the people in The Woods, I wasn’t threatened by them. I mean, they were a little intimidating, but I didn’t bitch up when they came around. I wasn’t one of those. I spoke my mind, regardless of what kind of trouble it might end up getting me into. I stepped around this bitch like I was invincible, knowing that wherever I went I had a team of thorough ass ancestors and angels walking with me. It was them who kept me positive when Meech would leave the house. Yeah, I’d be a little nervous because he’d be going out to do reckless shit, but still… I found comfort, knowing he had them with him. Didn’t matter though, apparently. Maybe I needed to pipe the fuck down then, huh?
Zeke frowned. “Man what? Hell naw. Support, my baby.”
“That problem been handled,” said Kiss, adjusting his white Cartier buffs.
I shifted around in my seat and took another sip of my drink. Zeke asked what I was drinking. I pointed over at the tub and Exodus snorted, shaking his head.
“That bullshit,” he scoffed.
I shrugged my right shoulder. “Goodbullshit.”
“Ain’t shit good about no jungle juice. Tub full of cheap ass liquor,” he retorted.
“Gon have yo ass tore down, sis,” Zeke said.
“I tried to tell her,” said Hood before passing Zeke the blunt he finished rolling, although Zeke was already smoking on his own. Like a weed head, Zeke took it, pulled from his own, and passed it to Kiss before pulling from Hood’s.
I didn’t say anything to either of them. Exodus again, eyed my cup and looked off. I knew what the jungle juice was and what it would do. I was okay with that. I wanted to forget today. I wanted to forget the pain.
A couple of minutes later, I noticed Kenya and Vellz marching over to the courtyard. He grabbed at her, and she snatched away, steady marching in my direction. I sighed, took a sip of my drink and sat it on the table next to me. As if her spidey senses went off, Lakeland walked over, her eyes on them too.
“Fuck they got going on?” She asked, arched eyebrow hiked.
“I don’t know. But I got a feeling that bitch about to try some shit with me and,” I paused and took a deep breath. “I’m with whatever.”
I was quiet for the most part. Stayed to myself unless I was with my cousins. I didn’t get into a lot of fights. Mainly because I stayed out of the way, partially because bitches knew I threw them, threw them. When Meech and I would get into it, he didn’t play with me. He manhandled my ass, for real. Probably not manhandle… but he for sure handled me. He never left marks on me or fought me like he would a nigga on the streets, but he didn’t play with me. Fighting him taught me how to fight. Iwasn’t with the hair pulling and wild arm flailing shit. I threw them bitches. Last fight I had was five years ago with some girl named Charity. Lake had to pull me off her. And by the looks of things, she probably would have to do the same today. The type of time I was on, Lake probably wouldn’t be able to stop me, low key.
“Shut the fuck up, Chevelle!” yelled Kenya, now in earshot.
“Man—”
“Anyway!” She yelled, stepping onto the concrete area of the courtyard. As expected, she walked up to me. “So… you been fucking with Vellz?”
Instead of responding to her, I stood up and instantly hit her in the face. If she was asking me if I’d been with the nigga she knew. There was no need for questions… arguing or none of that. Somebody told her something. One of the niggas or bitches at the party. I wasn’t surprised. Rumors and gossip spread around The Woods like wildfire. Crazy thing about that was, I had no idea he was fucking with Kenya. Had I known he had a little situation, I would have never messed with him. I wasn’t one of those neither. Didn’t play side chick games whatsoever.
“Aw shit!” Yelled Hood. From the corner of my eyes, I saw him grip the wheels on his chair and quickly maneuver around.
“Kenya and Sereia fighting!” yelled somebody in the distance.
The music came to a halt, and we got to tussling. She tried to reach for my hair, but I yanked away, dodging her flailing arms, backing up. I jabbed and caught her in the face again. When it connected, I heard ‘ohhh’s’ in the crowd. She stumbled a bit and before she could catch her footing, I was on her ass. Hitting her with everything I had in me, dodging the wild punches she was throwing whenever she threw them. I caught her real good against the side of her head, forcing her to fall on the pavement. Icouldn’t tell you what was going on around me because all I saw was red.
This bitch couldn’t wait? She decided to come up to me on bullshit on the day of my brothers funeral? I mean… did she want me to beat the fuck out of her? Had to. Because anybody in their right mind would know not to fuck with anybody after they buried a loved one. Especially not when it concerned a piece of dick!
I was on her. On top of her, feeding her fists, going to work on her dumb ass. Somebody grabbed me. I yanked away, grabbed a handful of her Fulani braids and went to bang her head on the pavement. I got her good once before I was lifted off the ground, with a pair of strong arms wrapped around me. Kicking and squirming, I tried to get out of their grip, but it was to no avail. Looking over my shoulder, I grunted at the sight of Exodus’s big ass, deciding to stop. He was a big nigga. Over six feet, more than two hundred and thirty pounds, all muscle. There was no getting away from his ass.
He carried me away from the crowd, across the grass, all the way over to building one. When he put me down, I looked up at him with a frown, like he’d lost his mind.
“Ssss,” I hissed, shaking my hand, at the feeling of stinging.
