12
Shorty liked my photo. A smile eased on my face. Yes sir. My head began to spin which let me know the liquor was kicking in. I decided to slide in her DMs hoping she would answer a nigga back. To my surprise, it was almost immediate. She had to be clocking a nigga’s page.
I didn’t know the purpose of me hitting her up because me going to New York was a fucking no go. I slid my phone back in my pocket as I went to head back inside the party. A pair of hand gripped my shoulder, swinging me back. That’s when I felt blows to my body. “Fuck you Dio!”
I heard one nigga shout.
“You had that nigga Lucas killed snitch ass nigga,”
another one gritted.
I tugged at my pants, snatching the gun from my hip. I whipped out so fast aiming the gun, “I never been no snitch nigga!”
I gritted.
I swung the gun in every direction. With my other hand, I wiped my eyes because I couldn’t fucking see. Now wasn’t the time for the liquor to take over. One, two, wait, four, no two, niggas? “Shit!” I yelled.
“You a bitch Dio, yo ass a dead nigga walking!”
I heard one of them say.
I kept swinging the gun from side to side, as my blinking became rapid. I took one last blink as a glimpse of a nigga coming up to me caused me to pull the trigger.
Bloaw!
The sounds of screams erupted. I tried to gain focus as one thing became two. I felt a tug at my leg when I glanced down. I immediately felt sick. The day’s meal and liquor sizzled in my throat until it came up splattering in the grass. I turned back to the person on the ground.
“Man, shit, Ace, nigga!”
I shouted.
“Di-Dio why?”
he coughed.
I dropped to my knees beside him, “Yo my nigga you weren’t supposed to be standing there. Fuck was you doing my nigga?” I cried.
My tears landed on his face trickling down, mixing with the blood seeping from his mouth. I shot my best friend. The one nigga who had me when no one else did. The one nigga who wanted an exit from the street shit. The one nigga who sought love from a family he never knew. The one nigga that was dying in my arms by someone he trusted.
The sounds of the police cars, and ambulance was getting closer. I slid my two fingers over Ace’s eyes closing them once he took his last breath. “I love you my nigga,”
I whispered.
I got up, grabbed my gun, and took off. The demon really had a hold on me, and I didn’t know what to do.
Since leaving Diamond’s, I had been riding the city looking for my brother. There were so many thoughts going through my head. From Dio to Chev to Foe, to Harvey, and even Freckles. My life had turned into a downward spiral, and I didn’t know if I was coming or going. I’d sent Dio a text, hoping he would at least respond. Although he was out there being reckless, he was still a young lost soul, a sheltered kid who portrayed a life that he didn’t need to. The thought of him catching his first body sunk in and I knew he was out there, scared.
The way that shit eats at you is indescribable. I was at the point I didn’t even want to argue but rather hug him because I know he needs me. Hell, I need him. Dionysus was the kid I’d never asked for. I knew before I truly addressed my brother there were holes in my life, I needed to close to be able to connect with him. So, I hit Harvey up and told her to meet me. I’d pulled up to the Zoo noticing she hadn’t got here yet. I hopped off my bike and hurried inside. I flicked the lights on as I glanced around the space. We had done so much damage.
It had only been a few moments before I heard the door open. I turned to a nervous Harvey standing there. She slowly came forward, stepping into the light. Zeus versus Harvey. The wild beast versus the delicate princess. Our eyes watched each other with no words. Where did I go wrong?
She cleared her throat, “You find Dio?”
she mumbled.
She was truly so fragile. So broken, and I had never noticed until now. I continued to gaze at her as I was trying to find a spark, a fire, something.
“No, but this is not about him right now. This is about you and me,”
I told her.
Her brows raised in confusion. “What do you mean Zu I—”
I held my hand up, “Let me talk,”
I said as I paced around her. “My best fucking friend, Harvey. You could have, no wait, you should have said something,”
I started.
“Zu I—”
“No, you don’t get to talk. I know I’m not perfect, but I tried for you!”
I yelled. “You had a nigga out here doing shit I thought I would never do for someone who never really wanted me in the first place. So, I’m only asking once. At what point did you fall in love with my best fucking friend?”
Her eyes watched me as I continued to circle her. Clap!
“I asked a question!”
“Zu.”
Clap!
“Answer the question, Harvey!”
I shouted.
I circled around her a little faster.
Clap!
“The night he first took me home!”
she shouted.
There it was, finally, the fucking truth. “Why didn’t you say something then?”
Tears filled her eyes, “Because I wanted to give you a chance. I was trying to fight whatever it was I was feeling for Myles to give you the chance Zu, but,”
she paused. “By the time you started to notice me in the way I wanted, it was too late. I-I’m sorry, I am.”
I stopped to look at her, “Sorry doesn’t change hurt feelings. I get it though because my nigga loves you. It’s taking me a lot to even say this shit but y’all deserve each other. You were never my person, and I wish it was something I realized then. Thank you for showing me who you are. Thank you for showing me that love doesn’t exist between you and I,”
I finished walking out of the Zoo.
I felt a little weight lifted from my shoulders, but there was much more I needed to address; I just hope that God would grant a nigga just a little peace tonight, so I could move forward because if Dio didn’t show up by morning. I was about to light this muhfucka up.