“Ahhhh. That boy is home,” Laike chanted in the phone as he answered it.
“Something of the sorts,” I responded. “Nigga, you played no fucking games on the pad, I see.”
“You deserved that. I had to make sure I set you up nicely to give your ass a reason to stay in that bitch.”
“As long as niggas keep their hands to themselves, you ain’t got to worry.”
“Then I ain’t got to worry.”
“Where you at, nigga? My stomach touching my back, and I need to see Whiteboy to get a real fucking fade.”
“I’m at yo’ door. You slacking.”
Barely a full second after he revealed his location, my doorbell sounded. Instinctively, I grabbed the loaded Glock from the table and took it for a walk with me. The path wasn’t a short one. It took me a second to reach the door, but when I pulled it open I wasn’t surprised to see Laike on the other side with a bottle of Ace in his hand that he popped the top on as soon as he laid eyes on me.
“Welcome the fuck home, my nigga!”
The bubbly splattered all over my fresh white tee. With a shake of the head, I left my annoying ass brother on the porch with the stupid ass bottle he was still piercing the air with while getting champagne all over my fucking floor. Some shit never changed.
“You still an old grouchy ass nigga, huh?” Laike finally joined me as I searched for something to clean up his mess with.
“Nah. I’m just not feeling niggas fucking up my floors or getting champagne on my tee.”
“Nigga, we can buy you a hundred thousand new tees and get a bitch with a big booty and OCD to come clean the floors in nothing but a thong. Just say the word.”
“Get out.” I pointed toward the door.
“Not that word, short-tempered ass nigga.” Laike chuckled.
“Bring your aggravating ass here, boy,” I sneered, pulling Laike in for a brotherly embrace.
He annoyed the shit out of me half the time, but he meant well. He’d always been the pesky little brother, just like Lyric had been the pesky little sister, but I imagined it came with the territory. Our chests collided as I cupped the back of his head in my hands.
“I missed you, big dawg.” He softened.
“I missed you, too, kid.”
Laike was only two years my junior. We were so close in age and looked so much alike that it was hard for some to tell us apart. We even shared the same height. Both standing 6’4. The only difference was our frame. He was thin as the wind. Me, on the other hand, I had some meat on my bones.
“So, what’s the plan? Food, barbershop? Then what?” Laike quizzed.
“I ain’t got no plans, really. When do the parents get back in town again?”
“Wednesday.”
“Bet. Seeing them is the only thing on my agenda this week,” I told him.
“Aw, yeah. Getting pussy ain’t?” Laike sneered, “’Cause if I was down for eight, I’d be whipping my dick out on any bitch that crossed my path.”
“I’ve waited this long, shit, what’s the rush?”
“Ummmmm,” he responded with a clever smirk on his face. “I know what the fuck that mean, nigga, don’t try to stunt.”
“I’m not.” I shrugged, leading him into the family room where I’d just left.
“Who is she?” Laike insisted as soon as our asses hit the cushion.
“I was planning on asking you the same ’cause I don’t have a fucking clue. I only got her name.”
