“It was just a fight,” Kam sucked his teeth, drawing even more ire from his father.
“It wasn’t just anything!” Kwame fired back, “You got suspended from school! I just spoke to Justin and he’s going to try to talk to the coaches, but they already talking about kicking you off the team!”
“Man, I could have told you that,” Kam shook his head, “They don’t fuck with me, they never have.”
“Watch it.”
“I’m just saying, obviously they’re going to take their side.”
“I leave for one day, Kamaldeen, and you get in trouble like this? How are you going to survive this week when I’m gone for damn near the whole week?”
“It has nothing to do with that,” Kam groaned, “It was just regular high school stuff, and a fight broke out and they need to put the fall guy on someone since we were on some other school’s campus and it made the school look bad. One person can’t fight by themselves, and I wasn’t even the one that started it!”
“Did you tell them that?”
“They weren’t trying to listen anyway,” Kam scoffed, “They told me I was suspended before I even sat down and everybody else just got indoor instead.”
“I’m not going to Puerto Rico,” Kwame shook his head, “Ain’t no way.”
“Dad, I’m telling you, it wasn’t my fault. I was just defending myself; I’ve been doing everything you've asked.”
“I know, that’s what makes this so frustrating.”
“I messed up but don’t let that mess up what you and Hector got going, not like I’m a loose cannon that can’t be left alone.”
Kwame took a moment to ponder, “You’re going to be either in the house or at the gym, I’ll tell the guys that they can expect you every day from three o’clock until seven, you understand? If I call and they tell me you’re not there, I’m cutting off your phone when I get back, the TV is leaving your room and you’re going to be begging the good lord to help you.”
“I got you,” Kam assured him.
…
“What paperwork you got on this?”
“It’s under my name,” Curtis replied, looking up from his bowl of cereal.
“Sharon still got you on the payroll?” Snow asked, admiring the granite counters.
“I can try to get something lined up for you,” Curtis confirmed with a nod, “Maybe not at Sharon’s but I know she be running people through her cousin’s shop too.”
“I’m good,” Snow shook his head, “Ain’t no amount of scrubbing going to fix my jacket, it is what it is at that point.”
He was right, his arrest record was extensive and had all the makings of a career criminal, not an employee.
“I ain’t going to blow up your spot,” Snow reassured his cousin, “I just need a place to lay low for a minute, let that shit with B-Wood marinate before I really start putting my foot in niggas’ asses.”
“This your crib just as much as mine,” Curtis corrected him, “Ain’t none of this without the work you put in.”
“You won’t even know I’m here,” Snow continued, “You can keep bringing them fat white bitches through.”
“I know your ass still burning from Big Rhonda,” Curtis fired back in a way only he could joke with Snow, “You definitely ain’t one to talk.”
“That’s different, jailhouse rules in effect. A bad bitch like Diamond going to jump from dick to dick soon as you get processed and spend all your bread. Now Rhonda? Rhonda might stuff the work in her pussy, she’s going to put money in your books, even move that burner that you forgot at your auntie crib. I’m a jail nigga, I need a Rhonda. You ain’t never been inside so what’s your excuse?”
“I don’t need one, that girl wasn’t even that big. Besides, that was like a one-time thing on a drought.”
“More like two times.”
“Probably three,” Curtis and Snow erupted in laughter.
…
Kam closed the lid of his laptop and grabbed his phone, scrolling through Jasmine’s latest story on Instagram which featured her hanging by the river. Kam didn’t need to be at the gym for another couple hours and the campus was a walkable distance, especially with the fall weather.
He threw a shirt on and texted Marcus as he made his way to the door, wishing to secure a ride from Jasmine’s back to the gym which was quite a distance. He had been texting him throughout the day but hadn’t gotten an answer. Kam was running low on funds and wasn’t trying to spend it on an Uber so he grabbed his gym bag and headed over to Marcus’ which would extend the trek to Jasmine’s but would expedite his required trip to the gym afterwards.
He knocked on the door but didn’t get an immediate answer, knocking on it again as he noticed his car was parked outside. He could hear footsteps inside the apartment and when he went to knock again, the door swung open.
“Fuck you doing here?” Marcus greeted him, dapping him up before leading him to the living room.
“I tried hitting you up,” Kam made his way to the living room where Johnny was smoking a blunt on the couch.
“My phone at my girl,” Marcus was short, “What you need?”
“I’m about to head over to Jasmine’s, you trying to slide?”
“Nah,” Marcus sat down, “Not today, little nigga.”
“Grown folk business,” Johnny laughed, “Not that little shit you got us into the other day.”
“Y’all the ones that started swinging,” Kam defended himself, “I never told y’all to fight my battles.”
“Can’t have motherfuckers jumping one of ours,” Johnny replied, “You trying to make some money today?”
“We ain’t doing that,” Marcus interjected, “I already told your ass.”
“What’s up?” Kam innocently asked, taking a seat.
“We got a play,” Johnny explained, “Some dope at a crib, maybe even some money too. Definitely some money, actually. It’s a two-man but the motherfucker liable to know it’s me, even with a mask. We grew up together, playpen type shit.”
“That’s a dead giveaway,” Marcus shook his head, “Even with that, I’ll rather stand on that with you then get young boy involved in this shit here. This ain’t no playhouse robbery, my nigga, it’s some real pressure behind this shit if it goes wrong.”
“That boy a bitch,” Johnny rebuffed, “Ain’t nothing going to go wrong. He’s liable to give up that money with no strap, no nothing. He’s just related to some motherfucker that put in real work so people are scared, that’s all. I’ve seen that boy get stomped out, not do shit about it.”
“Snow’s going to come looking for his money,” Marcus was adamant, “And he ain’t going to kill his cousin about it. He’s going to tear the whole city up looking for that bitch and I’m ready to stand behind that but young boy, he don’t got no business being involved in that.”
“Nobody even knows this man,” Johnny pointed towards Kam, who remained quiet, “We already got out of town buyers lined up. By the time Snow gets done beefing with B-Wood and realizes it wasn’t him, the motherfucker probably going to be back in jail, worried about some whole other shit.”
“I don’t know,” Marcus leaned back, looking towards Kam, “What you think?”
“I’m with whatever.”
…
Kam’s heart was pounding out of his chest and no matter what breathing exercise he tried, he couldn’t get his breathing under control. The lack of flowing oxygen only worsened once he put the mask on, making it feel even more real.
They crept up the stairs, relieved that there wasn’t a noticeable security camera aimed at any of the doors. Using the tip of the gun, Marcus lightly knocked on the door before taking a step back.
The gun that was tucked inside Kam’s waistband felt like it weighed a thousand pounds as Kam kept a firm grip on it, as instructed by Johnny. From the first time they placed a gun in Kam’s hands, Marcus had stressed him to not pull it out under any circumstance unless he was ready to let it go.
He desperately wished for that moment to never arrive just as the door slowly opened. Marcus didn’t waste any time kicking it in, causing Curtis to stumble to the ground.
Marcus held a finger to his mouth as he pointed the gun towards Curtis, instructing him to back up inside the house. Kam took a deep breath before following Marcus as they were now inside the kitchen, which had all the features of a luxury apartment.
“Close the door,” Marcus told Kam, who had forgotten his instructions.
Kam did so, making another mistake of turning his back to the action but thankfully, nothing occurred before they were all now in the living room.
“You already know what it is,” Marcus told Curtis, not bothering to mask his voice, “Anybody in here?”
“Just me,” Curtis managed to get out, “Just take what you want, bruh.”
Johnny’s intel appeared to be legit as Curtis looked even more terrified than how Kam was feeling on the inside, although he had the advantage of being on the other end of the gun.
They followed Curtis into what appeared to be the master bedroom with his hands raised and interlocked behind his head, as instructed by Marcus.
“There’s a suitcase underneath the bed,” Curtis’ voice continued to crack, “In the closet, behind the shoes, there’s a PS5 box that got the dope.”
Kam felt like he was stuck in quicksand as Marcus motioned for him to retrieve the items, taking deep breaths between each movement. He was relieved to go under the bed and indeed find the suitcase, opening to reveal what was the most amount of cash that Kam had ever seen in his life. He grabbed the handle and walked over to the closet, taking out the PS5 box.
“Put the dope in the suitcase,” Marcus instructed, which Kam followed suit.
The ordeal didn’t take very long and once it was done, Kam used the zip-ties they had brought with them to tie up Curtis’ hands, who continued to not put up any fight.
This was the world’s softest drug dealer is all that Kam could think as he felt himself getting more relaxed the more time he spent inside the apartment. Johnny had told them to pistol whip Curtis before they left but given his cooperation and the urge to get out of the apartment, Marcus felt no need to do so.
“Pleasure doing business with you,” Marcus said confidently as they began walking out of the apartment with Kam carrying the suitcase.
Marcus tucked his piece into his waistband as they closed the door behind them, quickly stopping Kam as he went to take off his mask.
“Not until we get to the car,” he said as they quickly rushed down the flight of stairs.
They reached the bottom step when they heard the unmistakable sound of a door violently opening just as Johnny’s car was within sight. They both froze and turned around to the sound of a bullet whizzing by their ears.
“Fuck!” yelled Snow as the gun jammed.
They both ducked with Kam covering his head frantically, afraid he had been hit. He felt Marcus’ pull as they began running towards Johnny’s car only for it to take off once more bullets rang out, shattering one of the side windows.
Marcus took a sharp left, pulling Kam with him who dumped the suitcase. With his hands free, Kam was able to take off as Marcus began returning fire as Snow had taken chase.
Kam would occasionally turn around to see Marcus running behind him, periodically firing shots as they made their way through the apartment complex grounds. Kam's eyes scanned for Johnny's car, hoping to see it turn the corner at any moment but it never came as they made their way to the edge of the complex. Kam jumped the gate, aiding Marcus as they exited the premises and were now running through the side street that led into the apartment complex.
Kam’s rapid heartbeat was only matched by his pounding steps on the pavement, picking up pace with each stride. The gunshots were less frequent with each turn into a street and then another street until it became quiet. Kam felt a sense of relief as he slowed down, turning around only to find that Marcus was nowhere to be seen.
“Yo, Marcus! Marcus! Marcus!”
write up the next one, keep it coming