Dying to Live
-
Captain Canada
- Posts: 8019
- Joined: 01 Dec 2018, 00:15
Dying to Live
Sheesh, one hell of a freshman season. Let's see how he levels up next season
-
Soapy
- Posts: 16919
- Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 18:42
Dying to Live
HE SCARED OF THE SWITCH!
Solid season, bitch ass nigga
-
Caesar
Topic author - Chise GOAT
- Posts: 17038
- Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 10:47
Dying to Live
New Year, New Changes
The LSU football team trudged off the buses, the December air thick with exhaustion after their bowl victory against Penn State to close out the season. The trip back from Tennessee had been subdued despite that, a somber reflection of a season that fell far below expectations. Royce kept his head down, his headphones drowning out the murmurs around him as the players filtered toward their lockers. Most of them were ready to unpack, head home and not have to think about football until spring camp.
But that would have to wait.
A group of staffers intercepted the team as they made their way toward the facilities. “Everyone to the meeting room. Now,” one said, their tone leaving no room for argument.
The players exchanged confused glances. All except the upperclassmen who looked less surprised, a few of them muttering under their breath as they made their way to the meeting room. Royce followed the flow of bodies. Something seemed off.
He tapped Greg on the shoulder. “This shit normal?”
The senior shook his head. “What you think, man?”
Royce shrugged, expecting him to elaborate but the question lingered as they filed into the room.
Inside, the team gathered, filling the seats in tense silence. On the floor before them, Scott Woodward, the school’s athletic director and his staff stood at the front, their expressions grim. Royce slouched in his chair, ready to get whatever was going on over with so he could get back to his apartment and start catching up on his sleep.
Woodward stepped forward. “I just want to start by congratulating you all on winning against Penn State yesterday. That was a great way to cap the season,” he began, his voice steady but strained. “I’m not going to drag this out because I’m sure you want to get packed and head home for the holidays. We’ve decided to go in a different direction, and Coach Kelly and I have agreed that we’ll be making a change on who is leading the program.”
The room erupted with murmurs, a mix of shock and inevitability rippling through the team. Royce sat up straighter, some of the exhaustion he was feeling clearing. He glanced around the room at his teammates, some of them wearing expressions of disbelief, others impassive.
Woodward continued. “I apologize that Coach Kelly wasn’t here to deliver the news himself. I know he wanted to. I want you to know that this isn’t a reflection of your effort. You’ve given your all for this university and we’re proud to have you here. I hope that you have a great new year and we look forward to seeing you back here for the spring.”
When the meeting ended, the players shuffled out of the room, their faces a mix of confusion and apprehension. As soon as they hit the hallway, phones began buzzing live a hive of bees.
Royce pulled his phone out of his pocket, the screen lighting up with notifications. Texts, missed calls, and social media messages flooded in, most of them from area codes he’d never seen before.
A call from Billy popped up on the screen. He answered as he stepped into the cool morning air.
Billy didn’t even let him get a hello out before he spoke. “I’m guessing the news that they fired Kelly has gotten out. Is your phone blowing up?”
“Yeah,” Royce said, glancing at the notifications piling up. “I’m guessing all this shit is from motherfuckers trying to get me in the portal?”
“Correct,” Billy replied. “Y’all only have four more days to get in the portal. Time really isn’t of the essence. What do you want to do? The only people who would be mad if you pull out of your agreement are people who are about to be escorted out of the building.”
“I ain’t going anywhere.”
Billy chuckled. “It’s your call, my man. We’ll use this as leverage. See how much more we can squeeze out of LSU. Especially if they hire one of these names they’re talking about.”
Royce smirked. “Bet. Just let me know what to sign. I got bills now, Billy.”
~~~~~~~~~~
The next morning, J.J. and Dewon helped Royce move out of the apartment. The sun was just beginning to rise over the building, casting a golden glow over the courtyard as they loaded the last of his boxes into the truck Royce had rented.
“You didn’t even need us for this shit, man,” J.J. said, tossing a duffel bag into the truck bed. “You ain’t got but two bags and a few boxes. And with all that NIL money your ass got, you could’ve hired someone to do this shit.”
Royce leaned against the truck, sending a text. “I been buying all the food in that bitch for the last two months. I’m paying you niggas. Besides, y’all lucky I pack light.”
Dewon chuckled, closing the tailgate. “You the one that use up most of the food in the motherfucker, too. Them bitches you brought all up and through here ate like they were filming fucking mukbangs. Should’ve got some soup and salad bitches.”
“And you should’ve got some bitches,” Royce shot back, earning a laugh from J.J.
As they finished loading up, J.J. leaned against the side of the truck, his expression thoughtful. “How much y’all think shit gonna change next year? With a new coaching staff and everything?”
“It’s going to be the same old shit with a different white man running the show,” Dewon said. “Not like they about to bring Coach Prime down here to coach us. That shit would be fucking lit. A movie every fucking game.”
Royce shrugged, letting his phone hang from his fingers. “Depends on who they bring in for y’all. Motherfucker come in here and run two receiver sets every fucking down, y’all in trouble. Shit, if I’m keeping it a hundred with y’all, you know they gonna keep bringing in receivers either way. I’d be seeing what’s out there if you trying to play.”
Dewon nodded, his face serious. “You right. Might be time to bounce. I’m trying to see the field before I graduate, not sit behind niggas forever wondering when my name gonna be called.”
Royce clapped him on the shoulder. “Gotta do what’s right for y’all. Ain’t nobody gonna blame y’all for hitting the portal to play. Niggas do that shit for much worse reasons every season. As long as y’all don’t go chasing no pussy.”
“I don’t know. I got a bit of a thing for Caitlin Clark. I might go see if I can find me one of them in Iowa,” J.J. said.
“Bro, that’s nasty work,” Royce said, shaking his head.
“I might transfer just to get away from his ass,” Dewon said, laughing at J.J.
…
As Royce pulled back into the parking lot to grab some last things from the apartment, he spotted Effie walking from a car. She was carrying a couple of boxes, her hair bouncing with each step. When she noticed him, a small smirk played on her lips.
“You moving out?” she asked, stopping a few feet away. “Going to another school? What do y’all call that?”
Royce grinned, stepping out of the truck. “Transferring? Like when any other college student decides to go somewhere else?”
Effie raised an eyebrow, her smirk widening. “Excuse me for not knowing if you athletes had some special name for it.”
Royce took a step closer, his tone playful. “Well, we don’t, but I’ll stay if you want me to.”
She laughed, shaking her head as she hitched the boxes up onto her hip. “Then I guess I should be telling you goodbye.”
“Damn, that’s cold blooded. But I’m just moving into my new spot. I got an apartment downtown,” Royce said, brushing off the jab.
“I didn’t know that you had apartment downtown money. Isn’t it expensive?”
“Stupid fucking expensive. $2,200 a month,” Royce said, cringing as the words left his mouth.
Effie whistled. “Stupid is right. I don’t think anything could get me to leave a free place to live to pay that much for something I don’t own.”
“It’s pretty nice, though. You should come check it out.”
Effie gestured toward the buildings behind her with a teasing smile. “Should I bring my boyfriend, too? Is your place near that fancy restaurant everyone talks about? Chris has been trying to get a reservation there for months.”
Royce didn’t miss a bet. “I’m not into no weird shit like being watched, but you can go tell him about what we do after. That’d be between y’all.”
Effie laughed again, her eyes sparkling. “Bye, Royce.”
She started to walk away, but Royce shouted after her. “When you gonna stop playing and let me take you? I see how fast you be answering my texts, you know?”
Effie didn’t turn around, but the shake of her head was answer enough. Royce chuckled to himself as he texted Dewon and J.J. to bring down the last of his things.
~~~~~~~~~~
Britni sat in a quiet café, her fingers nervously tracing the rim of her coffee cup. The air smelled faintly of espresso and cinnamon, the gentle hum of conversation around her blending with the soft instrumental music playing overhead. Across from her sat Aaron, a guy from one of her classes who had been persistent about taking her out. She finally agreed, thinking maybe it was time to try—to move on, to feel something again.
Aaron was nice—funny, even. He was clean-cut, wore a navy sweater that matched his eyes, and had a smile that seemed to come effortlessly. He had spent the past ten minutes animatedly recounting a story about a group project gone wrong, and Britni had been nodding and smiling in all the right places. But the truth was, his words barely registered.
“…and then turns out we all passed anyway,” Aaron said, chuckling. “I for sure thought we were going to fail.”
Britni forced a smile, her fingers tightening around the cup. “That’s… nice.”
Aaron’s laughter faded as he noticed her distant expression. He tilted his head slightly, concern flickering in his eyes. “You okay?”
Britni blinked, startled as if pulled from a trance. “Yeah, sorry. I was just… distracted.”
Aaron nodded, his tone gentle. “First dates can be weird. No pressure, though. I’m just glad you came.”
She wanted to respond, to say something to ease the awkwardness hanging between them, but her chest tightened, her words caught in her throat. Her thoughts drifted again, unbidden, to Romeo. His smile, his laugh, the way he used to make her feel invincible—it was all so vivid, as if he were sitting across from her instead of Aaron.
Guilt clawed at her chest, twisting her stomach into knots. What was she doing here? How could she sit across from someone else, pretending to feel something when all she could think about was Romeo?
Her eyes stung, and she blinked rapidly, willing the tears not to fall. “I need to go,” she said abruptly, standing up so quickly that the chair scraped loudly against the floor, drawing a few curious glances from nearby tables.
Aaron stood too, his expression shifting to concern. “Did I say something wrong?”
“No, it’s not you,” Britni said quickly, fumbling to grab her purse. Her voice wavered as she spoke, and she hated how fragile she sounded. “I just... I can’t do this.”
Without waiting for his response, she turned and hurried toward the exit, her vision blurring as tears filled her eyes. The door swung open, and the cool evening air hit her like a slap, sharp and unforgiving. But it did nothing to calm the storm inside her.
She walked briskly to her car, her breaths coming in shallow gasps as her chest tightened further. By the time she reached the driver’s seat, the first sob broke free, wracking her body. She climbed inside, gripping the steering wheel with both hands as the floodgates opened.
The tears came hot and fast, blurring her vision and soaking her cheeks. The sound of her own sobs filled the small space, echoing in the silence. It felt like betrayal—like she was cheating on Romeo, even though he was gone. How could she move on when every part of her still clung to him? The memories of their time together were like a vise, holding her in place, refusing to let go.
She pressed her forehead against the wheel, her fingers clutching it tightly. Flashes of Romeo filled her mind: the way he used to tease her about her laugh, the late-night drives when they talked about everything and nothing, the way he’d hold her like she was the most precious thing in the world. The thought of anyone else holding her that way felt wrong—impossible.
Her sobs eventually subsided into quiet sniffles, but the ache in her chest remained, a dull, constant throb. The weight of the past two years pressed down on her like a physical force, and for the first time, she realized how deeply it had rooted itself in her. She didn’t know how to move forward—if moving forward was even possible.
The LSU football team trudged off the buses, the December air thick with exhaustion after their bowl victory against Penn State to close out the season. The trip back from Tennessee had been subdued despite that, a somber reflection of a season that fell far below expectations. Royce kept his head down, his headphones drowning out the murmurs around him as the players filtered toward their lockers. Most of them were ready to unpack, head home and not have to think about football until spring camp.
But that would have to wait.
A group of staffers intercepted the team as they made their way toward the facilities. “Everyone to the meeting room. Now,” one said, their tone leaving no room for argument.
The players exchanged confused glances. All except the upperclassmen who looked less surprised, a few of them muttering under their breath as they made their way to the meeting room. Royce followed the flow of bodies. Something seemed off.
He tapped Greg on the shoulder. “This shit normal?”
The senior shook his head. “What you think, man?”
Royce shrugged, expecting him to elaborate but the question lingered as they filed into the room.
Inside, the team gathered, filling the seats in tense silence. On the floor before them, Scott Woodward, the school’s athletic director and his staff stood at the front, their expressions grim. Royce slouched in his chair, ready to get whatever was going on over with so he could get back to his apartment and start catching up on his sleep.
Woodward stepped forward. “I just want to start by congratulating you all on winning against Penn State yesterday. That was a great way to cap the season,” he began, his voice steady but strained. “I’m not going to drag this out because I’m sure you want to get packed and head home for the holidays. We’ve decided to go in a different direction, and Coach Kelly and I have agreed that we’ll be making a change on who is leading the program.”
The room erupted with murmurs, a mix of shock and inevitability rippling through the team. Royce sat up straighter, some of the exhaustion he was feeling clearing. He glanced around the room at his teammates, some of them wearing expressions of disbelief, others impassive.
Woodward continued. “I apologize that Coach Kelly wasn’t here to deliver the news himself. I know he wanted to. I want you to know that this isn’t a reflection of your effort. You’ve given your all for this university and we’re proud to have you here. I hope that you have a great new year and we look forward to seeing you back here for the spring.”
When the meeting ended, the players shuffled out of the room, their faces a mix of confusion and apprehension. As soon as they hit the hallway, phones began buzzing live a hive of bees.
Royce pulled his phone out of his pocket, the screen lighting up with notifications. Texts, missed calls, and social media messages flooded in, most of them from area codes he’d never seen before.
A call from Billy popped up on the screen. He answered as he stepped into the cool morning air.
Billy didn’t even let him get a hello out before he spoke. “I’m guessing the news that they fired Kelly has gotten out. Is your phone blowing up?”
“Yeah,” Royce said, glancing at the notifications piling up. “I’m guessing all this shit is from motherfuckers trying to get me in the portal?”
“Correct,” Billy replied. “Y’all only have four more days to get in the portal. Time really isn’t of the essence. What do you want to do? The only people who would be mad if you pull out of your agreement are people who are about to be escorted out of the building.”
“I ain’t going anywhere.”
Billy chuckled. “It’s your call, my man. We’ll use this as leverage. See how much more we can squeeze out of LSU. Especially if they hire one of these names they’re talking about.”
Royce smirked. “Bet. Just let me know what to sign. I got bills now, Billy.”
~~~~~~~~~~
The next morning, J.J. and Dewon helped Royce move out of the apartment. The sun was just beginning to rise over the building, casting a golden glow over the courtyard as they loaded the last of his boxes into the truck Royce had rented.
“You didn’t even need us for this shit, man,” J.J. said, tossing a duffel bag into the truck bed. “You ain’t got but two bags and a few boxes. And with all that NIL money your ass got, you could’ve hired someone to do this shit.”
Royce leaned against the truck, sending a text. “I been buying all the food in that bitch for the last two months. I’m paying you niggas. Besides, y’all lucky I pack light.”
Dewon chuckled, closing the tailgate. “You the one that use up most of the food in the motherfucker, too. Them bitches you brought all up and through here ate like they were filming fucking mukbangs. Should’ve got some soup and salad bitches.”
“And you should’ve got some bitches,” Royce shot back, earning a laugh from J.J.
As they finished loading up, J.J. leaned against the side of the truck, his expression thoughtful. “How much y’all think shit gonna change next year? With a new coaching staff and everything?”
“It’s going to be the same old shit with a different white man running the show,” Dewon said. “Not like they about to bring Coach Prime down here to coach us. That shit would be fucking lit. A movie every fucking game.”
Royce shrugged, letting his phone hang from his fingers. “Depends on who they bring in for y’all. Motherfucker come in here and run two receiver sets every fucking down, y’all in trouble. Shit, if I’m keeping it a hundred with y’all, you know they gonna keep bringing in receivers either way. I’d be seeing what’s out there if you trying to play.”
Dewon nodded, his face serious. “You right. Might be time to bounce. I’m trying to see the field before I graduate, not sit behind niggas forever wondering when my name gonna be called.”
Royce clapped him on the shoulder. “Gotta do what’s right for y’all. Ain’t nobody gonna blame y’all for hitting the portal to play. Niggas do that shit for much worse reasons every season. As long as y’all don’t go chasing no pussy.”
“I don’t know. I got a bit of a thing for Caitlin Clark. I might go see if I can find me one of them in Iowa,” J.J. said.
“Bro, that’s nasty work,” Royce said, shaking his head.
“I might transfer just to get away from his ass,” Dewon said, laughing at J.J.
…
As Royce pulled back into the parking lot to grab some last things from the apartment, he spotted Effie walking from a car. She was carrying a couple of boxes, her hair bouncing with each step. When she noticed him, a small smirk played on her lips.
“You moving out?” she asked, stopping a few feet away. “Going to another school? What do y’all call that?”
Royce grinned, stepping out of the truck. “Transferring? Like when any other college student decides to go somewhere else?”
Effie raised an eyebrow, her smirk widening. “Excuse me for not knowing if you athletes had some special name for it.”
Royce took a step closer, his tone playful. “Well, we don’t, but I’ll stay if you want me to.”
She laughed, shaking her head as she hitched the boxes up onto her hip. “Then I guess I should be telling you goodbye.”
“Damn, that’s cold blooded. But I’m just moving into my new spot. I got an apartment downtown,” Royce said, brushing off the jab.
“I didn’t know that you had apartment downtown money. Isn’t it expensive?”
“Stupid fucking expensive. $2,200 a month,” Royce said, cringing as the words left his mouth.
Effie whistled. “Stupid is right. I don’t think anything could get me to leave a free place to live to pay that much for something I don’t own.”
“It’s pretty nice, though. You should come check it out.”
Effie gestured toward the buildings behind her with a teasing smile. “Should I bring my boyfriend, too? Is your place near that fancy restaurant everyone talks about? Chris has been trying to get a reservation there for months.”
Royce didn’t miss a bet. “I’m not into no weird shit like being watched, but you can go tell him about what we do after. That’d be between y’all.”
Effie laughed again, her eyes sparkling. “Bye, Royce.”
She started to walk away, but Royce shouted after her. “When you gonna stop playing and let me take you? I see how fast you be answering my texts, you know?”
Effie didn’t turn around, but the shake of her head was answer enough. Royce chuckled to himself as he texted Dewon and J.J. to bring down the last of his things.
~~~~~~~~~~
Britni sat in a quiet café, her fingers nervously tracing the rim of her coffee cup. The air smelled faintly of espresso and cinnamon, the gentle hum of conversation around her blending with the soft instrumental music playing overhead. Across from her sat Aaron, a guy from one of her classes who had been persistent about taking her out. She finally agreed, thinking maybe it was time to try—to move on, to feel something again.
Aaron was nice—funny, even. He was clean-cut, wore a navy sweater that matched his eyes, and had a smile that seemed to come effortlessly. He had spent the past ten minutes animatedly recounting a story about a group project gone wrong, and Britni had been nodding and smiling in all the right places. But the truth was, his words barely registered.
“…and then turns out we all passed anyway,” Aaron said, chuckling. “I for sure thought we were going to fail.”
Britni forced a smile, her fingers tightening around the cup. “That’s… nice.”
Aaron’s laughter faded as he noticed her distant expression. He tilted his head slightly, concern flickering in his eyes. “You okay?”
Britni blinked, startled as if pulled from a trance. “Yeah, sorry. I was just… distracted.”
Aaron nodded, his tone gentle. “First dates can be weird. No pressure, though. I’m just glad you came.”
She wanted to respond, to say something to ease the awkwardness hanging between them, but her chest tightened, her words caught in her throat. Her thoughts drifted again, unbidden, to Romeo. His smile, his laugh, the way he used to make her feel invincible—it was all so vivid, as if he were sitting across from her instead of Aaron.
Guilt clawed at her chest, twisting her stomach into knots. What was she doing here? How could she sit across from someone else, pretending to feel something when all she could think about was Romeo?
Her eyes stung, and she blinked rapidly, willing the tears not to fall. “I need to go,” she said abruptly, standing up so quickly that the chair scraped loudly against the floor, drawing a few curious glances from nearby tables.
Aaron stood too, his expression shifting to concern. “Did I say something wrong?”
“No, it’s not you,” Britni said quickly, fumbling to grab her purse. Her voice wavered as she spoke, and she hated how fragile she sounded. “I just... I can’t do this.”
Without waiting for his response, she turned and hurried toward the exit, her vision blurring as tears filled her eyes. The door swung open, and the cool evening air hit her like a slap, sharp and unforgiving. But it did nothing to calm the storm inside her.
She walked briskly to her car, her breaths coming in shallow gasps as her chest tightened further. By the time she reached the driver’s seat, the first sob broke free, wracking her body. She climbed inside, gripping the steering wheel with both hands as the floodgates opened.
The tears came hot and fast, blurring her vision and soaking her cheeks. The sound of her own sobs filled the small space, echoing in the silence. It felt like betrayal—like she was cheating on Romeo, even though he was gone. How could she move on when every part of her still clung to him? The memories of their time together were like a vise, holding her in place, refusing to let go.
She pressed her forehead against the wheel, her fingers clutching it tightly. Flashes of Romeo filled her mind: the way he used to tease her about her laugh, the late-night drives when they talked about everything and nothing, the way he’d hold her like she was the most precious thing in the world. The thought of anyone else holding her that way felt wrong—impossible.
Her sobs eventually subsided into quiet sniffles, but the ache in her chest remained, a dull, constant throb. The weight of the past two years pressed down on her like a physical force, and for the first time, she realized how deeply it had rooted itself in her. She didn’t know how to move forward—if moving forward was even possible.
-
djp73
- Posts: 13284
- Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 13:42
Dying to Live
Britni = Juliet
-
Soapy
- Posts: 16919
- Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 18:42
Dying to Live
trickaroo!Caesar wrote: ↑30 Dec 2024, 12:04“Stupid fucking expensive. $2,200 a month,” Royce said, cringing as the words left his mouth.
Effie whistled. “Stupid is right. I don’t think anything could get me to leave a free place to live to pay that much for something I don’t own.”
“It’s pretty nice, though. You should come check it out.”
-
Caesar
Topic author - Chise GOAT
- Posts: 17038
- Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 10:47
Dying to Live
At this point, you're just slandering this man. He just told her the costSoapy wrote: ↑30 Dec 2024, 14:09trickaroo!Caesar wrote: ↑30 Dec 2024, 12:04“Stupid fucking expensive. $2,200 a month,” Royce said, cringing as the words left his mouth.
Effie whistled. “Stupid is right. I don’t think anything could get me to leave a free place to live to pay that much for something I don’t own.”
“It’s pretty nice, though. You should come check it out.”
-
Caesar
Topic author - Chise GOAT
- Posts: 17038
- Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 10:47
Dying to Live
Hand Down, Man Down
Royce pulled into the small parking lot outside Arianna and Toni’s apartment complex in Lafayette just as the morning sun broke through the clouds. His jaw clenched as he gripped the steering wheel, his mind replaying the quiet conversation he’d had with Arianna on the phone the night before. She didn’t have much detail to go into, but he didn’t need it. He’d seen the bruise on Toni’s face. He knew what he needed to know. Someone had put their hands on someone in his family.
He stepped out of the car, grabbing a pair of shoes from the floor on the passenger side. The cool morning air did little to temper the heat bubbling under his skin. As he climbs the stairs to their apartment, his footsteps echoed in the stillness. A couple coming in the opposite direction nodded at him and mumbled a good morning.
When he got to the door, checking his phone to make sure he had the right apartment number, he banged on the door and shouted for Arianna to open the door.
She answered moments later, her expression a mix of slight anger, relief and apprehension.
“Why your ass knocking on the door like the fucking police?” Arianna asked quietly, leaning out of the door to look up and down the breezeway. She looked down at the shoes hanging from Royce’s fingers. “Broke out the black Forces, huh?”
“Yeah, watch out,” Royce said, gesturing to the apartment.
She moved out of the way to let him step inside. Toni was sitting on the couch, her knees pulled up to her chest, watching a movie playing on the TV. She looked smaller than usual, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as if bracing against the world. Her gaze flicked up to Royce then quickly back down.
“Where he stay at?” Royce asked, his voice low but steady.
“On campus,” Arianna said, shutting the door behind him. “But he come by here all the time like he live at this motherfucker.”
Royce sucked his teeth. “Then I’ll wait until he show up,” he said, dropping the shoes in the corner. He turned to Toni, his eyes narrowing. “Text him and tell him to come over here. I know they ain’t got shit to do today.”
Toni froze, her fingers tightening around the hem of her sweater. “I don’t think he’s in Lafayette. He said he was going to go home for a few days for the new year,” she said softly.
Arianna crossed her arms, her voice sharp. “If he’s in Houma then text him and find out. We could drive down there, too. It ain’t but an hour away.”
But Toni didn’t move. Royce noticed the hesitation, the way her eyes darted toward the window as if searching for an escape. His jaw tightened. “Yo, why you covering for him? That nigga punched you in your shit. Just send the fucking text before I go ride around ULL campus looking for that nigga.”
“Toni,” Arianna said through clenched teeth.
Toni didn’t answer either of them, her silence speaking volumes. Royce exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down his face.
“You think I’m playing, but I’ll sleep at this motherfucker if I got to,” Royce said, walking to the kitchen to sit down at the dining table.
“It’s not that serious, Ro,” Toni finally said.
“How you gonna say that it’s not that serious?” Arianna snapped. “He hit you. You just gonna let some nigga beat on you?”
“I’m over it,” Toni shot back. “Ro, you can just go home.”
Royce shook his head as he leaned back in the chair. “I’m not trying to hear shit unless it’s that you texted that bitch ass nigga and told him to come here.”
…
The hours crawled by as Royce sat the table, his leg bouncing impatiently while he exchanged texts with Alix. The quiet in the apartment was suffocating, broken only by the occasional exchange of hushed words between Arianna and Toni. Around mid-afternoon, Royce stood abruptly, heading for the door.
“Where the Popeye’s?” he asked, his voice curt.
“They got one down the road on Pinhook,” Arianna said, frowning. “We got food in there, though.”
“Yeah, but I ain’t trying to cook nothing,” Royce replied, opening the door.
Toni sprang up from the couch, her voice rising with panic. “Ro, wait!”
She followed him out of the door, catching up to him at the base of the stairs. “Don’t do anything stupid,” she pleaded, grabbing his arm. “Please.”
Royce followed Toni’s gaze as she glanced toward the parking lot. There, Deshawn leaned against his car with two of his friends waiting along with him. He looked up and locked eyes with Royce, his confident demeanor faltering slightly when he spotted Royce, but his expression quickly hardened.
“You came all the way down here to get your ass beat, nigga?” Deshawn asked, his voice cutting through the silence of the parking lot.
Royce pulled away from Toni and crossed over toward him. “You must’ve lost your fucking mind if you even fixed your hand to hit my people.” He gestured to Deshawn’s friends. “I don’t know where you found these niggas, but they must not know that you been pussy.”
One of Deshawn’s friends laughed, his posture shifting slightly. “Man, D, just go beat the brakes off his ass so we can get to that party they throwing on the northside.”
Deshawn nodded, pushing away from the car, cracking his knuckles. “It ain’t gotta be a fair one. If he ain’t shit when he alone, not like back in Houma when he was always with his bitch ass brother.”
“Deshawn!” Toni shouted.
Before Royce could respond, Arianna came jogging down the stairs. Her voice cut through the tension like a whip as she looked at Deshawn’s friends. “Y’all gonna let them get their one, because if you don’t, I’m gonna Swiss cheese y’all asses.”
The pair turned toward her, their bravado faltering when she reached into the pocket of the hoodie she was wearing. Arianna didn’t pull anything out, but the implication was clear.
Royce tugged his own hoodie over his head and threw it aside, holding his arms at his sides. “So, what we gonna do, nigga? Or you only hit women because you know you can’t fight?”
Deshawn rolled his shoulders, stepping forward. He charged at Royce, swinging wildly. Royce sidestepped the first punch and delivered a sharp jab to Deshawn’s ribs, knocking the wind out of him. Deshawn stumbled but recovered quickly, throwing another punch that Royce easily deflected.
It wasn’t much of a fight. Royce’s movements were precise, controlled, while Deshawn’s were fueled by anger and desperation. Whenever Deshawn got too close, Royce would grab him and toss him aside, showcasing the disparity in strength between the two of them.
Within minutes, Deshawn was on the ground, hands covering his head as Royce rained down punches. Deshawn’s friends looked at each other, stepping forward, but a glance from Arianna stopped them from intervening.
“That’s enough!” Toni’s voice rang as she ran over, shoving Royce before starting to hit him on his back. Her eyes were wide, tears streaming down her face. “Ro, stop! You made your point.”
Royce stepped back, having to put his hands up to avoid getting hit in the face by Toni’s flailing. “The fuck is you doing?”
“I said that’s enough!” she shouted.
Royce shook his head, looking down at Deshawn, who was coughing and groaning on the ground. “You better not even think of hitting her again, bitch ass motherfucker,” Royce said, his voice cold. “Next time, she ain’t gonna be here to save your ass.”
Toni knelt beside Deshawn, her hands hovering uncertainly over him. Royce turned and walked away without another word, heading toward his car. Arianna followed him, her arms crossed as she glanced over her shoulder.
“You know she gonna stay with him, right?” she asked.
Royce nodded, his jaw still tight. “Yeah. As long as he don’t put his hands on her again, I ain’t worried about who she decide to be with.”
Arianna nodded. “He ain’t even fine enough for all that.”
Royce got to his car and opened the door. He stopped before he got in and looked at Arianna, consideration on his face. “Since when you had a stick?”
“Since I moved to a city I ain’t from with my cousin. I’m not about to have no one running up in my house thinking they getting free pussy without a bullet coming back at them,” Arianna said, a bit of defiance in her eyes. “You should get yourself one.”
“I ain’t outside like that,” Royce laughed.
Before he could get in the car, Arianna stopped him once more. “Hey, thanks for letting Mike-Mike take your old car. He’s trying to be man-ish down there and doesn’t want to let me do anything for him, but I’m glad he can at least get around.”
“Yeah, it was no problem. He don’t text me either, but tell him to if he need anything.”
As he got into the car and drove away, the adrenaline began to fade, replaced by a familiar heavy weight in his chest. He’d done what he came to do, but there was the nagging feeling at the back of his mind that all he’d really done is what he’d done so many times before.
Solved a problem by creating a different problem.
Royce pulled into the small parking lot outside Arianna and Toni’s apartment complex in Lafayette just as the morning sun broke through the clouds. His jaw clenched as he gripped the steering wheel, his mind replaying the quiet conversation he’d had with Arianna on the phone the night before. She didn’t have much detail to go into, but he didn’t need it. He’d seen the bruise on Toni’s face. He knew what he needed to know. Someone had put their hands on someone in his family.
He stepped out of the car, grabbing a pair of shoes from the floor on the passenger side. The cool morning air did little to temper the heat bubbling under his skin. As he climbs the stairs to their apartment, his footsteps echoed in the stillness. A couple coming in the opposite direction nodded at him and mumbled a good morning.
When he got to the door, checking his phone to make sure he had the right apartment number, he banged on the door and shouted for Arianna to open the door.
She answered moments later, her expression a mix of slight anger, relief and apprehension.
“Why your ass knocking on the door like the fucking police?” Arianna asked quietly, leaning out of the door to look up and down the breezeway. She looked down at the shoes hanging from Royce’s fingers. “Broke out the black Forces, huh?”
“Yeah, watch out,” Royce said, gesturing to the apartment.
She moved out of the way to let him step inside. Toni was sitting on the couch, her knees pulled up to her chest, watching a movie playing on the TV. She looked smaller than usual, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as if bracing against the world. Her gaze flicked up to Royce then quickly back down.
“Where he stay at?” Royce asked, his voice low but steady.
“On campus,” Arianna said, shutting the door behind him. “But he come by here all the time like he live at this motherfucker.”
Royce sucked his teeth. “Then I’ll wait until he show up,” he said, dropping the shoes in the corner. He turned to Toni, his eyes narrowing. “Text him and tell him to come over here. I know they ain’t got shit to do today.”
Toni froze, her fingers tightening around the hem of her sweater. “I don’t think he’s in Lafayette. He said he was going to go home for a few days for the new year,” she said softly.
Arianna crossed her arms, her voice sharp. “If he’s in Houma then text him and find out. We could drive down there, too. It ain’t but an hour away.”
But Toni didn’t move. Royce noticed the hesitation, the way her eyes darted toward the window as if searching for an escape. His jaw tightened. “Yo, why you covering for him? That nigga punched you in your shit. Just send the fucking text before I go ride around ULL campus looking for that nigga.”
“Toni,” Arianna said through clenched teeth.
Toni didn’t answer either of them, her silence speaking volumes. Royce exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down his face.
“You think I’m playing, but I’ll sleep at this motherfucker if I got to,” Royce said, walking to the kitchen to sit down at the dining table.
“It’s not that serious, Ro,” Toni finally said.
“How you gonna say that it’s not that serious?” Arianna snapped. “He hit you. You just gonna let some nigga beat on you?”
“I’m over it,” Toni shot back. “Ro, you can just go home.”
Royce shook his head as he leaned back in the chair. “I’m not trying to hear shit unless it’s that you texted that bitch ass nigga and told him to come here.”
…
The hours crawled by as Royce sat the table, his leg bouncing impatiently while he exchanged texts with Alix. The quiet in the apartment was suffocating, broken only by the occasional exchange of hushed words between Arianna and Toni. Around mid-afternoon, Royce stood abruptly, heading for the door.
“Where the Popeye’s?” he asked, his voice curt.
“They got one down the road on Pinhook,” Arianna said, frowning. “We got food in there, though.”
“Yeah, but I ain’t trying to cook nothing,” Royce replied, opening the door.
Toni sprang up from the couch, her voice rising with panic. “Ro, wait!”
She followed him out of the door, catching up to him at the base of the stairs. “Don’t do anything stupid,” she pleaded, grabbing his arm. “Please.”
Royce followed Toni’s gaze as she glanced toward the parking lot. There, Deshawn leaned against his car with two of his friends waiting along with him. He looked up and locked eyes with Royce, his confident demeanor faltering slightly when he spotted Royce, but his expression quickly hardened.
“You came all the way down here to get your ass beat, nigga?” Deshawn asked, his voice cutting through the silence of the parking lot.
Royce pulled away from Toni and crossed over toward him. “You must’ve lost your fucking mind if you even fixed your hand to hit my people.” He gestured to Deshawn’s friends. “I don’t know where you found these niggas, but they must not know that you been pussy.”
One of Deshawn’s friends laughed, his posture shifting slightly. “Man, D, just go beat the brakes off his ass so we can get to that party they throwing on the northside.”
Deshawn nodded, pushing away from the car, cracking his knuckles. “It ain’t gotta be a fair one. If he ain’t shit when he alone, not like back in Houma when he was always with his bitch ass brother.”
“Deshawn!” Toni shouted.
Before Royce could respond, Arianna came jogging down the stairs. Her voice cut through the tension like a whip as she looked at Deshawn’s friends. “Y’all gonna let them get their one, because if you don’t, I’m gonna Swiss cheese y’all asses.”
The pair turned toward her, their bravado faltering when she reached into the pocket of the hoodie she was wearing. Arianna didn’t pull anything out, but the implication was clear.
Royce tugged his own hoodie over his head and threw it aside, holding his arms at his sides. “So, what we gonna do, nigga? Or you only hit women because you know you can’t fight?”
Deshawn rolled his shoulders, stepping forward. He charged at Royce, swinging wildly. Royce sidestepped the first punch and delivered a sharp jab to Deshawn’s ribs, knocking the wind out of him. Deshawn stumbled but recovered quickly, throwing another punch that Royce easily deflected.
It wasn’t much of a fight. Royce’s movements were precise, controlled, while Deshawn’s were fueled by anger and desperation. Whenever Deshawn got too close, Royce would grab him and toss him aside, showcasing the disparity in strength between the two of them.
Within minutes, Deshawn was on the ground, hands covering his head as Royce rained down punches. Deshawn’s friends looked at each other, stepping forward, but a glance from Arianna stopped them from intervening.
“That’s enough!” Toni’s voice rang as she ran over, shoving Royce before starting to hit him on his back. Her eyes were wide, tears streaming down her face. “Ro, stop! You made your point.”
Royce stepped back, having to put his hands up to avoid getting hit in the face by Toni’s flailing. “The fuck is you doing?”
“I said that’s enough!” she shouted.
Royce shook his head, looking down at Deshawn, who was coughing and groaning on the ground. “You better not even think of hitting her again, bitch ass motherfucker,” Royce said, his voice cold. “Next time, she ain’t gonna be here to save your ass.”
Toni knelt beside Deshawn, her hands hovering uncertainly over him. Royce turned and walked away without another word, heading toward his car. Arianna followed him, her arms crossed as she glanced over her shoulder.
“You know she gonna stay with him, right?” she asked.
Royce nodded, his jaw still tight. “Yeah. As long as he don’t put his hands on her again, I ain’t worried about who she decide to be with.”
Arianna nodded. “He ain’t even fine enough for all that.”
Royce got to his car and opened the door. He stopped before he got in and looked at Arianna, consideration on his face. “Since when you had a stick?”
“Since I moved to a city I ain’t from with my cousin. I’m not about to have no one running up in my house thinking they getting free pussy without a bullet coming back at them,” Arianna said, a bit of defiance in her eyes. “You should get yourself one.”
“I ain’t outside like that,” Royce laughed.
Before he could get in the car, Arianna stopped him once more. “Hey, thanks for letting Mike-Mike take your old car. He’s trying to be man-ish down there and doesn’t want to let me do anything for him, but I’m glad he can at least get around.”
“Yeah, it was no problem. He don’t text me either, but tell him to if he need anything.”
As he got into the car and drove away, the adrenaline began to fade, replaced by a familiar heavy weight in his chest. He’d done what he came to do, but there was the nagging feeling at the back of his mind that all he’d really done is what he’d done so many times before.
Solved a problem by creating a different problem.
-
The JZA
- Posts: 9445
- Joined: 07 Dec 2018, 13:10
-
Captain Canada
- Posts: 8019
- Joined: 01 Dec 2018, 00:15
Dying to Live
idk why but I thought his ass was going to get sliced up. Wonder when them repercussions are gonna hit.
-
Soapy
- Posts: 16919
- Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 18:42
Dying to Live
What a stand up guy Royce is, defending his cousin