Set smirks as I walk up to them. “There’s my baby bro.” He squeezes my shoulder before I climb into the back of Nut’s DeVille.
“Why you got this car out?”
Nut glances at me through the rearview. “Tati back talking to me, so I’m meeting her on the Ave. It’s First Sunday, nigga, so all the cars out, and you know she like the hydraulics and shit. Y’all gone meet up with Reem and Sean there.”
“We’ll talk more once we get there,” Set says. We been stopped discussing business in any of Nut’s cars. I haven’t been able to check for bugs, and Chief Freeman will let the devil fuck him in the ass if it meant Tati would leave Nut alone.
Technically, they’re not even dating.
Don’t tell Nut that, though.
“Pops got you checked into Grant, so you can be with Sean at least. School picks back up tomorrow.”
“I know–”
“Do you? Yo ass been sulking like a fucking baby all winter break, nigga. Fuck Candy and her nigga; they can’t keep you from Raya.” Nut scowls and presses the gas.
“We moved back home so you ain’t gotta just be up under T and Pops. It’s just two more years until you go to college anyway.”
I look out the window and sigh. “What if–”
“Yo ass going to college, Shad. Ion even wanna hear that shit.” Set turns around and glares at me. “You and Sean and even that punk nigga Sincere can do yo music shit on the side, but you getting that computer science degree, too, Dub. Even if I gotta whoop yo ass every day to get you to class.”
“Yeah, Dub. You need to get a fucking degree. Me, Fredo, and Turk start up our shit this week, too. Rico’s doing his shit in the Marines. And even Ty doing his electrician school shit.”
It was the same song and dance with them. Set and Nutty preach about us making moves, so we not doing Tiny and Bishop’s bidding forever. They really try to keep me out of everything, and it was easier because I was only around on the weekends. Now that I’m here full-time, I don’t know what’s gonna happen, and I know that’s really why they both moved back home.
“Yeah, what about you, Set? You going to college?”
He smirks at me before turning around to face forward. “School not for me, Dub. Besides, between G-Pops and our new club, Ima be put up soon. Might fuck around and write a book or some shit.”
The conversation’s over once we pull onto the Ave and park on the street in front of the Soul Food Spot. Before I can even get out the car all the way, Tati barrels into me.
“Oh, Rahshad! I cursed my daddy out somethingfierce! And assoonas I graduate law school, I’ll move back and Patrick will get me an apartment and you can stay over as much as you want.”
She looks up at me like she’s the one who ruined my life, and I know I can’t end her Pops. I can’t bring any sadness to her life.
“Oh, so you just know Ima say yes to getting you and Shad a crib?” Nut grunts, rounding the car.
Tati lets go of me to bring Nut into another one of her soothing hugs. “I missed you so much, Patrick. I don’t like fighting with you… my winter break’s up and we haven’t hung out at all. You’re still taking me to the airport in the morning right?”
He morphs into the soft ass nigga he is with her and circles his arms around her, too. “C’mon now, girl. You know I can’t be skinning and grinning like this on the Ave. Bad enough you got on these jeans. I know yo ass can’t breathe.”
Set knocks his hand into my chest and we start walking toward the other side of the street. “We’ll get up witchu later,” he calls out to Nut.
“Stay dangerous niggas.” Nut throws up the Birch before throwing his arm around Tati’s neck and disappearing into the crowd.
“So what’s the deal?” I ask Set as we start walking toward one of their traps.
“Regular Sunday afternoon. Gotta teach some muthafuckas a lesson. Ricky Joyner been talking hella shit, and we’ve been asked to permanently shut him up. You been a little sad, so I figured you can do the honors, earn your blue rose and all that.”
My neck jerks and I stop walking. “What made you change your mind?”
Set has been adamant about me not having any blood on my hands. Sean caught his first body when he was thirteen, two years ago. Everyone else, even Reem, have earned their tattoos. All except me. I still get the same respect. I’m still Foe Dub, but I don’t have my rose, and Set, nor anyone else, was budging on it.
He turns around and shrugs. “You here full time now. You finna be going to Grant, finna be at the Birch all the time, you need to get acclimated, and Ima be the one to do it, not T, and not Pops.” He walks back to me and his stormy eyes harden even more. “Anyone asks you to do anything you come to me first, aight? I don’t care if you already in the car, you stop, drop, and roll out that muthafucka and call me. I already told these muthafuckas I’m the only one that can sanction you to do some shit, and I mean it, Shad.”
I nod and swallow the spit accumulating in my mouth. “I got you.”
