Please excuse ANY grammatical errors.

July 23, 1993

~Cedric (K-Ci) Hailey's P.O.V~

"A'ight man, you go handle 'lat." Biggie said to me and both him and Puffy dapped me up.

"A'ight, K-Ci! Handle yo business pad'na. I heard Dalvin left early. Make sure you tell him my bad for showin' up late." Pac dapped me up last eyeing one of the women that was part of the group that Mary just fought.

"A'ight, see ya playa." I left with a tight grip on a fighting Mary J. Blige.

"Mary, you can't just go swinging on people! How many times do I gotta tell you this shit!? Huh!?" I yanked her because she was trying to go back to where them other girls was at. That's for sure going to start more shit.

"K-Ci, FUCK YOU! You keep fucking around with these bitches thinking I won't do shit about it!" Mary still tried running away to get back at the girls.

"At Dalvin's birthday though? C'mon now. This shit ain't fair to that man. We supposed to be havin' fun and we was until you decided to start wi ne. Dalvin was over there tryna have fun and you fucking shit up for everybody." I yanked her outside to the car.

"I don't give a fuck where we at. If I see somebody CONSTANTLY trying me AND my man, I'm gon' run these hands sooner or later. I'm tired you you and these bitches keep on playin' with me." Mary jerked all the way from me and go in the car and started drinking on her drink she still managed to hold while kicking ass.

"This shit gettin' old real fast Mary." I told her once I got in the car. I'm a little drunk and was before the party. The party just gave me more of a reason to drink. I'm not as drunk as I was but I am able to focus on what I'm doing. "You damn near ruined my buzz." I started the car up and we drove home.

You better believe that the car was everything BUT silent. Mary kept asking me about them broads backs at the studio. She'd get mad and swerve the wheel while I drove down the highway. This bitch is crazy as hell. Not to mention my phone ringing like crazy. Mary thinks it's a girl and it very well might be but that's not the point. We both yelled at each other at the top of our lungs. Everybody know that K-Ci ain't letting shit slide.

"When you sleep with her K-Ci!?" She yelled at me and swerved the car again in between lanes. I moved back in the correct lane.

"You fucking crazy man!" I yelled at her already irritated.

"Answer the phone K-Ci! Answer that bitch that keep callin' you!" She yelled at me.

I was trying to focus on the road due to my intoxication so I continued to ignore the call. From the corner of my eye, I saw Mary scoot up and felt her reach into my pocket to grab my phone. To get my phone she had to reach in my pocket thay was near the door. That means she had to reach over me. When Mary reached over me her head got in the way of my road view. I had to keep moving my head to see the road, all while pushing her out of the way.

"Fuck that, I'm answering it!" She finally had my phone and sat back down. "Who the fuck is this!?" She yelled out off bat when she answered it. "JoJo? I'm sorry. What is it?" She asked him. I could only hear JoJo speak lowly, so much of he said was incoherent to me. "De in the hospital?" Mary's voice softened. "For what?"

My head snapped in her direction in an instant. "You for real!? Or you just tryna get back at me?" I asked seriously.

"Robbed? Wh-who did this?" She asked JoJo concerned. "THE ROAD, K-CI!" She swerved the car back into our lane and that's when I focused on the road again. "Are you trying to us!? HUH!?" she looked at me sideways.

"ME!? YOU WAS JUST BLOCKIN' MY EYES FROM THE ROAD AND SWERVIN'!" I yelled at her.

"I'm sorry JoJo. Uhh, we gon' be there as soon as we can." She said into the phone and hung up. "YOU WANNA BE NEXT TO DEVANTÉ!? HUH!? CAUSE THE WAY YOU DOIN' ALL THIS DUMB SHIT, IT'S WHERE YOU HEADED!" She said angrily.

"What the fuck is wrong with De!?" I yelled out at her. I was definitely sobering up.

"He was robbed and he's in the hospital. That's all JoJo told me." She said as I stopped at the nearest gas station to turn around since the hospital is the opposite way.

When we made it to the hospital I had to make sure to tell her to act right. I really should have dropped her ass off at home, but I wanted to get to the hospital as soon as possible since I don't know much about De's condition. When we made it in there the nurses sent us to the floor he was on. We saw Dalvin, Derek, JoJo, Tia, and Tionne. A few of them had dried up tears on their face, but they were all calm.

"Is he okay?" I asked still observing everybody.

"He good." Dalvin nodded. "De just getting cleaned up and stitches."

"What happened to 'im?"

"Some niggas tied him up, beat him and robbed him. De ended up bitin' one of they fingers off in retaliation, according to Derek. JoJo almost caught one and Tia and HER-" his head motioned at Tionne. HER? Don't this nigga mean his girl? "-Saw the getaway car pull up and the dude jumped in. They ended up calling the police and they got there quicker than usual. Me and JoJo almost got arrested, and De freaked out when they put him on thw stretcher." Dalvin finished explaining.

"What now?" I asked them.

"He in there gettin' stitches on his head. They cracked it open." Derek told me.

"Fuck is SHE doin' here?" Dalvin asked me staring at Mary.

"Because she was with me." I responded.

"If it wasn't for y'all fighting, we would have got to his house in time." Dalvin said with pure venom in his voice. Oh, that's why this nigga mad.

"Stop blaming them Dalvin. They ain't know this was gon' happen. Nobody expected this. It ain't nobody fault but the niggas that did it. If you wanna blame somebody, blame yourself. Of you wasn't messin' around that little situation wouldn't have happened." Derek told Dalvin.

A nurse walked towards us. "We're finished stitching him up, and he's doing fine and STABLE. He isn't in much pain at the moment. We prescribed Mr. DeGrate with some medication. You all can go in there now. We need to make sure he stays awake, due to his concussion up to six hours. Any questions?" She looked at us all. Majority of us shook our head at the nurse about to walk to the room De was in.

"Yes. When is he able to be released?" Tia spoke up.

"Mr. DeGrate is requesting that he leaves this minute but we're hoping that he can stay two- three days max to track his progress of lack thereof." The nurse responded.

"What medications were he prescribed?" She asked.

The lady looked at her clipboard. "Triptan: Imitrex. Anything else?" The nurse smiled.

"No, ma'am. Thank you." Tia nodded and walked off to De's hospital room.

"Okay..." I trialed off following her as did everyone else.

"I don't think we should him what happened probably isn't the best idea." Tia said to us as we walked to his room.

"Fuck that. We asking him because we need information ASAP. Tryna get back at these niggas." Dalvin said shaking his head at her in disagreement.

"You don't want him to relive it. We don't know how he's feeling about the situation. It could be traumatizing." Tia stopped, frowning at Dalvin.

"He good. We need to know." Dalvin said and walked in his room.

Tia shook her head at him and exhaled out of her mouth loudly. Earlier she looked nice but this girl looks like shit now. Her and Tionne. They face puffy and they got dried up tears. His bodyguards stood in front of the door. When we entered his room Tia went straight into the bathroom in his room instead of going straight to him.

"Yo De!" I said when I saw him. I walked up to the hospital bed.

"Wassup y'all." He nodded at us. "Happy birthday man." De said as Dalvin dapped him up and hugged him. JoJo and me hugged him afterwards. Tionne attempted to but Dalvin pushed her back but not hard, shaking his head at her. "I had yo gift at the crib but them niggas probably took it." De told Dalvin.

"It's cool. You good. What all happened though?" Dalvin asked him.

"I came from the studio; tired. I went to sleep, them niggas woke me up, -" De started but then Tia walked in with a clean face, it was still red and puffy, but not as much as a few minutes ago. "What you doin' here?" His eyebrows furrowed in surprise.

"Dalvin's party." She nodded at Dalvin.

"You at a party?" De chuckled ay her and she nodded. "Who paid you to come? Who blackmailed you?" He joked.

"Nobody, Tionne talked me into coming. So..." Tia shrugged with a chuckle.

"Back to what I was saying. What happened?" Dalvin asked De. De turned to Dalvin then back to Tia.

"You look good. Look like a cheetah with a lions mane." De laughed.

(Tia's outfit. Not hair...)

"Thanks, it's leopard though. How're you feeling?" Tia asked him.

"Besides this headache I'm good." De answered her but left Dalvin on read.

Tia frowned. "The nurse said-"

"I know. I'm tryna leave so I told them I was good. Ion wanna be in not hospital. Shits unnecessary. How was the party?" He asked everybody. Tionne and Mary looked at each other awkwardly.

"It was good. Now, tell us what happened?" Dalvin said in response.

"Y'all looking a lil rough. You sho' the party was slammin'. Y'all hair is WHEW!" De rose his eyebrows at Mary and Tionne. "Mary yo wig crooked." De pointed at her laughing.

"De!" Dalvin yelled at him.

"Dalvin!" Tia said to him with widened eyes then squinted at him. Her tone matched his, I never heard her talk that loud. Then she looked at De. "But, I change the subject?" Tia rose an eyebrow at De then looked back Dalvin. "Maybe you should drop it, Dal." She eyed him.

"I agree." Derek spoke up.

"Me too. Drop that shit man." JoJo told him.

Dalvin held his hands up at them and took a seat. "A'ight."

"Yo Dalvin, Pac said his bad for showin' up late." I told Dalvin.

"Fuck that party." Dalvin threw his hands at me.

I shook my head. I wanted to say some shit so bad but I let it go because of the situation. "Ard." I nodded.

"Aye nigga, you hungry? Thirsty? 'Cause yo voice soundin' like yo smoked a few packs of Newports." JoJo told De cracking up. Everybody started laughing.

De was laughing. "Fuck you nigga." De pointed at JoJo. "Who all was there? Most important, who y'all fight?" De said looking at Mary and Tionne.

"They hoes." Mary said to him, pointing to me and Dalvin. "Kept lookin' at us and whispering. I knew somethin' was up with y'all and them bitches." Mary rolled her eyes at Dalvin and mean mugged me.

"If it wasn't for y'all I could have got to De faster. Y'all just had to start some shit!" Dalvin raised his voice at Mary.

"Aye man!" I said to Dalvin.

"I'm for real. Y'all always on some bullshit. Especially YOU Mary!" Dalvin pointed his finger at Mary hard. "Tionne, I told yo ass to stay put and you go take yo ass over there anyway." Dalvins whole face was scrunched up.

"We ain't start shit, we did finish it though!" Mary threw back at Dalvin.

De sat there moving his head back and forth between whoever spoke. "She right. I told yo ass sooner or later. Some shit was bound to happen." De said to Dalvin.

"So, you knew about them!?" Mary asked De.

"Did you hear what I just told them?" De frowned at her.

"How come-" Tionne started.

"They my family. Y'all would do the same thing for y'alls. You would tell Chilli and Left Eye men that they cheatin' on them, would you Tionne?" De asked Tionne.

"No." She said offended.

"Okay then... Plus, it ain't my business to tell. Y'all knew already anyways." De turned on the TV and flicked through the channels.

"Then she said it like she was offended. That's even worse." JoJo butted in laughing. Tia was between Derek and JoJo, and elbowed him to stop.

"This ain't got shit to do with with. Instigatin' ass." Mary crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

"Overdramatic ass..." JoJo mumbled.

Then the we heard the TV's volume go up. De turned it up once he saw the news channel, and shushed us. He was the star of that news channel. "It is being reported that DeVanté Swing, who is part of Jodeci, a music quartet was shot in his home about an hour and a half ago. He threw a birthday party for his little brother who goes by Mr. Dalvin and also part of the music quartet. They were gambling and a fight broke out. Many people fled but DeVanté was tied up and beaten. The suspects took all of his jewelry and money. Back to you Karen." Then De turned the channel.

De chuckled lowly. "A bunch of bullshit." He shook his head and another news channel told the story but it was different that the previous.

"DeVanté Swing was reported to be in the hospital in critical condition. His band mates JoJo and Dalvin; who is also his brother was arrested at the scene due to suspicion. He bit another person, who is not part of the band, fingers off. There is no further information regarding Mr. Sw-" De turned the channel again, then turned off the TV.

"How the fuck this shit get out so fast? It ain't even true. They got bits and pieces right but the rest of that shit is bullshit. This is ridiculous." De shook his head.

"Speakin' of what happened; what DID happen?" Dalvin asked De ONCE AGAIN.

"A LOT, now shut the fuck up!" De was mad as hell right now. I would usually talk and never shut up, but this whole situation is a shocker. "What I do know is one of them voices was familiar. It had to be someone we talked to before but not often. They knew I was gon' be gon' at yo party, so they took this chance to gyp me. Who all y'all tell about this party?" He looked at all of us.

"People at the label, and then they told some people. There was a bunch of other people nobody know about." JoJo told him.

De rose his eyebrow in interest. "People like who?"

"Man, ion know. Some regular lookin' people." JoJo shrugged.

"Muffin!" A voice from the entrance of the door yelled out.

It was De's girlfriend ran in the room with her arms open. I'm not a big fan of her, none of us are. Us as in Jodeci. This bitch sound like minnie mouse, but she is a nice looking girl. Her booty reminds of of bread loaf in some of the things she wear. She is clingy as hell. Want to be around this nigga 25/8. She call all day when he ain't around her. They only been dating for about four months. Not to mention that nickname. Who the fuck calls a grown ass man Muffin?

"Hey, girl." De kissed her on the lips once she made it to him.

"How're you feeling?" She pulled away from the long kiss.

"Who's she?" Derek asked nobody in particular.

"Yo brother girlfriend, don't be stupid." JoJo told him.

"Which one?" Derek was interrupted by a smack in the head from JoJo.

I looked over at Tia and he face held a confused expression. She saw me looking at her then changed it back to her resting face. De ain't tell Tia he was seeing somebody. Hmmm... This finna be interesting as hell. I smirked, observing it all. Drama, you can't live with it, and you can't live without it. Well, I can't...

~Joel (JoJo) Hailey's P.O.V~

"Is she why I ain't seen you much while here?" Derek asked De.

"Hello, are you his brother and sister?" De's girlfriend, Lady is her name.

"Yeah, well I am." Derek frowned at her.

De frowned at Lady. "I told you that I ain't have no sisters. It's three boys."

"Yeah, Derek and TIA, THIS is De's girlfriend LADY. Lady this is Derek, De's brother and Tia; his friend." K-Ci smirked at Tia.

"Hello." Tia smiled and waved. The moment she did that K-Ci's smirk dropped. Ain't what he wanted to happen, huh? I silently chuckled.

"His friend? How come we've never met?" Lady asked Tia and she shrugged. "What is your name again sweetie?" I know Tia hated being called sweetie, due to her snapping on ol' girl that one day in Vegas that De messed with.

"T-" Tia was cut of by K-Ci.

"Her name is Tia. They have been friends for like a year and a half?" K-Ci questioned looking at Tia.

"Yeah... Something like that." Tia nodded at K-Ci.

"That's right. I saw you in a few magazines. One was with my Stud Muffin here." Lady told Tia with a smile. I closed my eyes at the nickname. We tease De about that name all the time. It's funny as hell.

"You got a girl and mom and pop didn't meet her yet?" Derek asked De.

"Yeah, Muffins. When will I meet the your parents?" Lady beamed.

To answer her question; NEVER. How do I know? Well in the voice of Marvin, let's just say I heard it through the grapevine. She's his type in SOME ways but others not so much. DeVanté hardly ever really date people but when he does...

Anyways, don't none of us like her clingy ass. She's around 27/9, when Lady ain't around, she's constantly calling this mans phone. Back to back to back, on some psychotic shit. I'm surprised she wasn't with him when he was robbed. She'd be cool if it wasn't for that clingy shit. Well, besides her booty looking like bread loaf that's smashed at the bottom. This white girl got ass but not aesthetically pleasing. DeVanté HAD to get with her out of pure boredom.

"We'll see." DeVanté nodded at her. "How you find out I was here?" De asked her. He knew damn well how she knew. The news.

"The news. I called you a million times, but I thought you were still partying with Dalvin. How come I wasn't invited?" Lady asked Dalvin.

"I ain't throw my party. She did." Dalvin motioned towards Tionne. "Not me. It was a surprise party. That means they surprised me for my birthday." Dalvin said to her slowly and childishly, like Lady was an idiot.

Lady looked at Dalvin nodding slowly. "Okay..."

"You guy's fans are out there." Tia said looking out the window.

"Are they?" De asked.

"Mmhm, a bunch of them too. Signs and all." Tia turned back around.

"That's the problem with people. Worshipping celebrities and not God." Derek thought aloud shaking his head.

"Not all of them do that Derek." Dalvin told him.

"You believe in God? Lady, that's yo name?" Derek asked her.

"Yes, that's my name. No, I don't believe in God, but I do believe in science. I grew up Catholic but me and my family shifted over to Scientology when I was a teenager." Lady responded to Derek. We never asked her any of that. Damn, that's crazy.

Derek shook his head at her in disappointment "Nevermind Donald, don't bring her home. 'Cause if you do; blasphemy... The whole house will be filed with it."

"Who's Donald?" Lady frowned, and De threw his head back in frustration.

"You don't know yo man name? Y'all dated this long and yo still don't know?" Derek said taken aback.

"DeVanté. DeVanté Swing." Lady said in an obvious tone.

"Oooowwweeee. We got a big problem." I said shaking my head.

"Damn, so you got MONEY money, huh? Only rich people into Scientology." K-Ci asked her.

"Yeah, my father owns an island. I'd like to take Muffin there sometime. It's very popular. It's called Little Saint James." Lady told K-Ci. Tia had her head down cracking up silently. I felt her sides moving. "I'm surprised you don't know who I am. My daddy's name is Jeffrey Epstein, hence my last name."

"Y'all ain't religious but got an island called that." Derek mumbled.

Tia's sides moved harder, which means she was laughing even harder. After a while Tia began coughing. "I'm sorry, my al- allergies are acting up. It's summer..."

"I heard of that island. All the big time celebrities go there." K-Ci told her. "I ain't even know Jeffrey Epstein had kids."

"How did you meet my brother?" Derek asked her.

"We met at a Jodeci performance. It was fate how we met. We both have so much in common." Lady beamed.

Derek turned his head sideways. "Really? Like what?"

"Well, we both like music." Lady shrugged.

"And?" Dalvin spoke up.

"We're both Libras." She said to us.

"And? What else?" I asked her.

"And... I can't really think right now." She shrugged and turned to DeVanté. My head fell down as I laughed silently, just as Tia did. Her pussy got to be good for him to be with her. Shits sad. He can do WAYYY better.

"Where did you go to school?" Derek frowned at her.

"Catholic schools until I was a teenager. Then I just went to a private school." Lady smiled at Derek.

Derek raised his eyebrows. "College?"

Lady frowned at him. "No, I'm already rich. There is no need for college. College is for poor people trying to make it."

"What!? You sound stu- Tia, you in college right?" I asked Tia and she lifted her head, her eyes were watery due to laughter.

"Yes." Tia nodded.

"Don't you got money?" I asked again.

"Mmhm." Her head fell back down and I felt her sides moving again.

"What do you do for a living?" Derek asked Lady.

"Shop," she shrugged.

"That ain't no career. What do you do as in career wise?" Derek asked being more precisely.

"I said I shop. I'm already rich, so there is no need to have a career. We have enough money to pass down to future generations." Lady replied to Derek.

"So, your father takes care of you?" Derek asked another question.

"Yes, until me and Stud Muffin get married." She kissed De on the lips.

Tia went into an even frequent coughing fit. "I'm- I'm sorry-"

"She take my money, when I'm in need. Yeah she's a trifling, friend indeed. Oh she's a gold digga. Way ova tow-" K-Ci sang but got smacked in his head by Mary. Tionne's back was turned toward the sink as she laughed.

"Jax and Bigg Redd here." One of De's guards announced. As they dudes walked in. Those were Tia's bodyguards. I recognized them from Vegas, well one of them.

"Thank you!" Tia stood up. "Hey Jax and Redd. Umm, I'll see you another time Donald and everyone else." She said about to walk out.

"Ahh, I ain't seen you in months and you can't give a nigga a hug. You ain't even hug me when you walked in like you usually would." DeVanté told Tia.

"I didn't and that's my bad. I thought you were in pain. Still want one or something?" Tia turned around.

"Why would I mention it if I didn't?" DeVanté asked her in a duhh tone.

She walked over to him and side hugged him. "See ye. I'll be back another time."

"That church lady hug! Give me a real hug. I deserve it after all I been through today." DeVanté said pulling the guilt trip. Tia hugged him again, with her booty poked out. Another church lady hug, but De pulled her closer. Lady frowned.

"Donald..." Tia eyed him, pulling away abruptly.

"What?" DeVanté sounded oblivious.

"You know what." Tia pointed at him and walked off.

"Everything good man?" Jax asked De.

De was still laughing at Tia. "I'm cool. I wanna leave though."

"I feel ya man." Jax nodded.

"When you leavin'?" I asked Tia.

"Now..."

"No, I mean goin' back home." I told her.

"Oh, I'm only staying for a little over a week." Tia told me. "I'm not leaving just yet."

"Why you leavin' early for? I'm feeling like a third wheel. At least you was here third wheelin' with me." I laughed. "They ass over here kissin' and shit. I feel weird as hell in here."

"I- my feet are barking in these heels." Tia told me.

"Have somebody get some of them footie sock things from the front." DeVanté told her.

"I didn't think of that, but I was going to come back. No doubt." Tia told him. "I'll go ask them." Tia said walking out the door and I jumped up too and followed her out. I needed a break from that idiot too.

"Boy, she is one dumb broad." I told Tia.

"That's not nice JoJo." Tia laughed.

"I'm for real though. I ain't never met nobody that can win 'Are You Dumber Than A First Grader?' That chick is backwards. I needed to leave, even if for a moment. Yo ass was in there laughing too. Don't pretend." I told her.

"I was but that's because of Derek... Too. It was her but also because of Derek. He made it funnier. Stupidity is a deadly disease and can get a sucka killed. Donald better be careful, because that junk is contagious." Tia said laughing.

Tionne and Mary came up behind us. "DeVanté sure know how to pick 'em. Huh, y'all?" Mary said to us.

"Girl... I cannot believe this." Tionne shook her head.

"I'm tellin' y'all! To top it off, she don't know this man real name or that he ONLY has brothers." I said shaking my head. "She made my damn head hurt. I never really spoke to her, and maybe it should have stayed that way. He with a dummy that don't got nothin' goin' for herself. What is wrong with that nigga?" I shook my head.

"Shoo, that's him." Tia shrugged at me.

"You jealous?" I asked her.

"Of what?" Tia raised a brow at me.

"Lady?"

"Boy no! Heck would I be jealous of HER. You see me?" She laughed.

"'Cause she with De." I chuckled.

"You must have caught the dumb disease, because that is the most dumb thing you've asked me. Donald is a free man and I'm a free woman." Tia laughed shaking her head. "Jealo-?" She whispered to herself laughing. "Do you know how many women I've met that he's slept with? Plenty..."

"She's telling the truth, 'cause I done met a few." Mary butted in.

Derek caught up to us. "Di- did you hear that girl? I HAD to get out of there."

"Yeah, man. I knew she was a lil slow but DAMN!" I told him. "Anyways, what y'all asses was talking about at the party? I seen y'all by each other." I asked Tia and Derek.

"The bible." Derek answered amd Tia nodded.

"Yeah, we spoke about the bible. He came up to me and asked me did I know what I'm wearing is sinful. SO, I ever so kindly told him off." Tia batted her eyelashes.

"Kindly?" I asked her.

"Yeah, and then she quoted the bible. We argued using bible quotes then it turned to a regular conversation when she corrected me on a quote. I lost that quick. I didn't know she was this close to y'all." Derek shrugged.

"Yeah, I knew more than he thought I knew about the good lord." Tia eyed Derek amusingly.

"Yeah, we all cool." I shrugged.

"Yeah, it took a while for THAT to happen." Tia smirked then bursted out laughing.

"It did but we all here, right?" I asked her.

"Right. Can I get some hospital socks?" Tia asked the lady at the desk.

"Um, are you a patient here?" The nurse asked.

"No. So I'll have to pay." Tia nodded.

"Okay. The store is downstairs, you van buy them them. It's on the first floor." She told Tia.

"Okay, thank you." Tia smiled and walked away. "My feet hurt so bad." Tia whined.

"Girl, tell me about it?" Mary told her as we got into the elevator. She had on heels too.

"I'm glad I ain't no woman." I chuckled and pressed the button. Tia's guards are with us. We know better than to wander the hospital halls alone.

Author's Note: Donald has a girlfriend! Donald has a girlfriend! How y'all feel about that?😭😭💀👀👀

Word Count: 5,000

Please feel free to like and comment. Feedback gives motivation, and motivation urges me to continue to write.

Thank you all for taking the time out of your day to read another chapter of this story. Thank you for staying despite the slacking.💚🖤❤💜💙💛