Chapter 30 #3
I ran up and kicked him straight in his nuts.
I was hoping he would kneel over in pain, so I could have the upper hand and beat his ass.
But whatever pain he felt became an afterthought because he looked up at me with pure rage.
He cocked his fist back, ready to give me what he’d been giving Lyss.
I didn’t have time to react or even blink because I was pushed out of the way.
Armias stepped right on in and showed Kenny why his nickname was Ali yet again. He knocked him flat on his ass.
“Wrong bitch, nigga!” He stomped all over his body.
“Stopppp! Lourdes, get your boyfriend before he hurts him!” Lyss screamed with tears in her eyes.
I stared at her in disbelief. She was concerned about the wellbeing of the mutherfucker who’d left her face battered and bruised. Clearly he had no qualms about hurting her.
“You need to be calling the police on this nigga before he really hurts you!”
“Girl, what?! I’m not finna get my baby daddy locked up! Our son needs his daddy! And whatever goes on between me and him is our business! Get your man before I call the police on him!”
Right then, I knew she was a lost cause. Her mouth was bleeding from that nigga punching her in it but she was still fixing it to defend that nigga. I was going to do exactly what she suggested. Get my man and mind my damn business.
“Armias, that’s enough!” I pulled him back by his shirt. He jerked away from me and continued kicking him.
“ARMIAS, TURN HIM LOOSE! I ALREADY CALLED THE POLICE ON THAT BOY!”
My Granny’s voice made him stop immediately, but he spit on him before grabbing my hand and pulling me to the porch.
“Granny, why would you call the police?!” Lyss screamed.
“Because he was out here beating on you! I don’t play all that, girl! I don’t even know why you brought that crack head to my house!”
“Crack?!” I exclaimed in shock. I never knew Kenny to be on drugs, but I had noticed that his good looks had been declining since last year.
I thought I was naturally becoming unattracted to him because I didn’t like him anymore.
But nope, he’d gotten slimmer, his eyes were dead, and he’d aged a good ten years...
and that was me being generous. If I didn’t know any better I’d think the nigga was merely stressed out because his life was in shambles.
Well, he probably was and that’s why he turned to drugs.
“He’s not on no crack!” Lyss screamed while helping that bum ass nigga off the ground.
He looked funky ass fuck with faded True Religion jeans on, a stained white True Religion t-shirt, and yellow G-Nikes.
His lack of jewelry was telling because he’d accumulated quite a few pieces when his rap career was popping.
He never left the house without his bust down rolex and Cuban link on.
In fact, he had it on the last time I saw him at my hair suite.
He probably sold them to feed his drug habit.
“Oh, my bad! Coke! Like that’s so much better!”
“You telling that old bitch my business?!” Kenny pushed Lyss away, nearly knocking her over in the process.
“No, Armias! Don’t go back down there,” I grabbed his arm with all my strength because he was literally about to fly off the porch.
“Yea, ‘cause Nalyssa ain’t gon’ do shit but lie when the police get here, so it ain’t even worth defending her,” Granny shook her head regretfully. My Granny loved all her grandbabies, so I know she was hurt that she had to stand by and watch Lyss self destruct.
“Man, ain’t nobody defending her. That nigga just called you out your name, Granny!”
“Ain’t nobody worried about that loser. I’m okay, baby, let’s all just go in the house,” Granny urged.
“If I’m not welcomed here then go get my son!” Kenny shouted.
“Baby, let’s just goooo,” Nalyssa cried. “I don’t want you to get arrested!”
“Bitch, I ain’t going no where without my son!”
“Kash is in there sleeping peacefully! Take your coke head ass on somewhere! You high as hell and taking it on everybody, but you won’t take it out on my great grandbaby!”
I was seeing firsthand why Armias was adamant about Granny babysitting Alouri at our house.
He didn’t like that people were always coming and going from her house.
Based on the way Lyss and Kenny were clowning, this probably wasn’t the first time they put on this type of scene.
There had to be a build up to my Granny declaring that he wasn’t welcomed.
“Why this bitch keep saying I’m on a coke, HUH?!” He roared in Lyss’ face while she cried like a fool.
“That boy needs help,” Granny mumbled. “Let’s go inside, y’all.”
We finally turned away from the never ending show they were putting on to go into the house. We didn’t even make it to the door before we heard something that stopped us dead in our tracks. It was so loud and distinctive that we all turned around in panic.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
“NOOOOOOOO!” Granny let out a piercing scream that crushed my heart.
Kenny had shot Nalyssa down like a dog right there in my Granny’s frontyard.
The same yard we used to play in as kids.
Tears ran down my face and I couldn’t even move.
I heard Armias shouting at me to get in the house, but the site of my cousin's lifeless body had paralyzed me. She had been shot multiple times and was drowning in her own blood. I never thought the day would come where I’d see Lyss like this and I was gutted.
“LOURDES, GET IN THE FUCKING HOUS-”
BANG! BANG! BANG!
“AHHHH!!” It was my turn to scream as I watched another body drop. There was no way I’d be the same after today.