Chapter 12
Maleka
The next day
I really hated the fact that I had to do everything my mama asks me to, even when I’m tired as hell from my actual job, but she wasn’t making me pay bills, so respecting her house rules was my form of payment.
My mama was sweet to everyone around the neighborhood, nice to my friends, but when it’s just her and me, she’s a pain in my left ass cheek.
That’s why I've been looking for a nigga to come and save me from this shit. Shake Shack will forever have me listening to my mama, and I don’t know how much longer I can do this shit.
I know for a fact that I won't be delivering any pizza on my birthday.
On my way home, I decided to stop by the bodega a couple of blocks away from my mama’s house.
I had a mad craving for a soda because I was dehydrated as shit from this fuckin walk.
I entered the store, going straight back to the cooler to get my drinks, and spotted my favorite bag of chips on the way to the counter.
I knew I had to eat them in a hurry on my way home because my mama always had something slick to say about me eating junk food.
She would often make me feel guilty about eating anything because I wasn’t a perfect size seven like she was back in her glory days.
I paid for the snacks with the extra $10 I had in my fanny pack and busted the chips open on my way back to my mama’s crib. I already had plans of lying out on my twin-sized bed stacked with pillows while watching my favorite past-time show, ICarly.
My soda was tucked under my left arm, while I snacked on my chips and scrolled my phone, wondering if I should text my boo or not.
I didn’t want to seem too clingy because he’d said several times he didn’t like clingy ass females who required too much attention.
Plus, my best friend Jas also advised me against it, saying men always want who doesn’t want them.
It was just hard taking advice from a person who was beautiful with a cute shape who could get men regardless.
Anytime we went out, it was always her getting the attention, and the only reason she didn’t get even more was that people were scared of her fine ass brother.
I used to have the biggest crush in the world on Crew when we were younger.
He never would give me any attention, though.
I was far from his type back then, and I am just coming into my looks.
As I finished off the bag of chips, I turned it upside down into my mouth to catch the crumbs in the corner of the bag. That’s when I felt a strong pull at my waistband out of no where.
“What the fuck! Get off of me!” There was a man trying to pull my fanny pack off of me. I connected with his face, but my cheap ass fanny pack broke, and he snatched it off and ran in the opposite direction.
“Yo, bring my shit back! What the fuck!”
I chased him for as long as I could, but I wasn’t in shape worth shit, so I only lasted a block and a half before I decided to stop and watch to see what he looked like and had on.
From what I could see, he was a tall white dude with a mullet and a large tattoo on his neck.
Shit, when I think about it, Jasmine said something similar to the same description of the dude who robbed and killed Trey.
My hands were shaking so bad that it took me a minute to realize I had my phone in my hand the entire time.
Before I even thought to call sorry ass NYPD, I thought to call my best friend to tell her what I think just happened.
“Hello?”
“Bitch, tell me why I just got robbed by 5th Ave.”
“Damn, what did they get?”
“My fuckin fanny pack with all my mama money in it. She's about to bug out.”
“Damn, I know she is. Did you see what he looked like? Are you going to call the police?”
“It’s pointless to call them about the robbery, but I think a murder will get them moving.
Didn’t you say it was a tall white dude who robbed y’all and killed Trey?
Friend, I think this may be the same dude who just robbed me.
So you should come down here, and we can talk to them together.
Maybe then they will go case the area and look at cameras and shit to see where this guy went. ”
“I don’t know if I should do that, Maleka.” She replied, her voice now sounding much more tired and drawn out.
“Why not? We could crack the case together. I don’t think it’s too many tall white niggas just running around robbing people in Brooklyn. You better come on and get justice for your man.”
Jasmine let out a deep sigh, and I couldn’t help but wonder what that was for.
“What’s wrong? Did I bring up suppressed emotions? Aren’t you going to therapy to handle that?”
“Leka, that doesn’t mean that it’s working right away. Plus, I’m just not for thinking or talking about Trey’s case anymore. Especially not to the police.”
“And why fuckin not? I would want justice if something happened to my boo thing.”
“Well, I would, only I was told not to seek it.” She replied, stopping me in my tracks.
“Un un, see now you need to tell me what the hell is going on.”
“I can’t, Leka.”
“Yes, you can. You tell me everything, and name one thing you’ve said that got back to anyone. I even know the secret about you know who.” I implied some shit she told me not to tell a soul, even though I didn’t understand keeping that a secret.
“But Leeka, this one is much more important to keep than any of the other ones I’ve ever told you. This is the difference between life and death, to be honest.”
“You know I wouldn’t tell your secret, especially if I could get killed for it.”
She paused for a second. I could tell that she wanted to get it off her chest the way she kept letting out breaths and saying, “Okay, okay. Just say it, Jas,” to herself.
“Alright, so it was one of Crew’s homeboys that killed Trey because they got into it after he put his hands on me in the parking lot.”
I gasped so loud that the Latina couple walking past me stopped to see what had taken my breath away.
“I knew that nigga was putting his hands on you. But are you serious, Jas?”
“Yes, I’m serious, but you cannot tell anyone what I just said. I mean, no one. Crew owes loyalty to this person, and I couldn’t turn him in for that reason. That’s why this shit is weighing so heavy on me.”
“Yeah, girl, I know it is, but you know your secret is safe with me. Always.”
“I hope so, this can never ever ever get out.” My mouth was still open, but I didn’t want to spook her by letting her know how actually spooked I was about this.
“To be honest with you. It feels good to tell someone the truth. I’ve been holding that shit in since it happened.”
I guess the relief in my friend’s voice was worth the new guilt she put over my heart. Me and her have been thick as thieves since the beginning of time, riding for each other no matter what, holding in secrets that were juicy enough to tell the world. I guess this adds to that list of secrets.
No wonder she needs to see a fuckin therapist after that shit. I thought my problems were big, but once again, Jas one upped me.