She whirled around on him and stepped into his personal space. She’s the only woman he lets get that close. “I’m not yours, Patrick.”
He grabbed the end of her high ponytail and tilted her head back. “You’ve been mine since I was fifteen.”
Her eyes softened momentarily, before she scowled at him. “I’m going back inside. You need to leave.”
He grinned at her before releasing her ponytail. “Ain’t no party for you to go back to, Tati.” He turned and walked back into the house, and I followed him while Rico stayed with her.
“We shutting it down?” I asked in the foyer. My eyes locked with Wyn’s as the nigga was literally dragging her down a hall.
Nut didn’t answer. He just grinned and took out his piece, so I took mine out too, and aimed it at the back of the nigga’s head.
Wyn’s eyes ballooned as she yanked from his grip. He looked at her, before eyeing me, and promptly let her go to duck out the way.
Only then did I lift my shit all the way and start blasting with Nut.
We were gone before the police were called. And no matter how Wyn is, she wouldn’t tell on me, or at least I used to not think so.
But how else did Chief Freeman know I was there? That nigga had the Hudsonville PD get me from school, doing the walk of shame cuffed and all. Interrogated me in a room for hours about the shooting, tryna give me statistics on how many times I’d be someone’s bitch in prison, and how this could go away if I give up Nut, or leave Tati alone.
By the time he dropped me off at my crib, the sun was down, and I knew a whole other war was waiting for me, since I couldn’t get Raya from daycare.
I didn’t expect my OG to wild out like that.
We hadn’t been getting along, sure, but the shit she said… the shit she called me…
I guess he called her, because she went ballistic as soon as I opened the front door. She destroyed my computer station. Told me if I wanted to be a gang member so bad, she wouldn’t stop me.
Told me my granddad would hate what I became.
Nana begged for me to stay. My OG wasn’t having it. Said it was her money paying the bills, and if she didn’t like it, she could go too.
It wasn’t even her money. It was her nigga’s money. The same nigga that could give a fuck about Raya.
He stood behind my OG, smug grin on his face, his piece loose at his hip, ready for me to step out of line. The nigga hated me from day one, and to this day I don’t know why.
I guess it don’t matter now.
Set had already been around, so he got me and brought me back to my Pop’s new crib. And that’s where I’ve been.
I wish I could have went to his and Nut’s new crib, but then last week, after I got a ping on my name and saw my OG signed away her parental rights, I heard a whole bunch of noise, and now I can hear Nutty cackling down the hallway on the phone, and them yelling when they play the game.
Maybe killing Tati’s pops would make me feel better. But it won’t make my mama want me again.
My door bursts open, keeping me from traveling down a dark hole. Set enters my periphery to open my curtains, making me flinch under the covers.
Then my covers are snatched all the way off me. I sit up and it’s Nut, scowling at me.
“Get up, bitch. It’s drill time.”
“Bro–”
“Nah,” Set says. “You heard that nigga. You don’t get cut no slack Baby Set. Nigga said it’s drill time, so it’s drill time.”
“Be outside in fifteen or I’m sleeping you, Dub. I’m not gone pull no punches.” Nut and Set leave the room, slamming the door behind them.
I sigh and rub my face. It’s drill time, I guess.
I take a quick shower and put on all black; boxers, joggers, tee, and hoodie. I slide on some black huaraches and take my locs out of the bun they’d been in, letting them hang free on my shoulders, and open the window before I go to meet them niggas outside.
