"What you buying me for Christmas?" Hakeem asked, watching Brielle pull on a pair of black pants, "I want a real present too. Don't try to give me no everyday pussy for Christmas."

"If I put a bow on it, then it's not everyday pussy. Sprinkle some snow on there and now it's Christmas coochie."

Hakeem laughed, "It don't even snow down here."

The two of them were talking while Brielle got ready for an Interview, "What if I go in there and they pull up a video of me and Ky stealing those chicken sandwiches?"

"I be forgetting how you was living man. How you steal chicken sandwiches outta Popeyes?"

"We used to find a way to do everything." Brielle laughed, "I miss her so much."

The smile that was on her face slowly disappeared as she thought back to the last time she saw her. Brielle didn't reflect on her friendship with Kyser often, preferring not to think about her.

"Do they drug test?" Hakeem wondered, trying to change the subject when he noticed the sad look on her face.

It was just the first question that crossed his mind, him not knowing that if they did drug test, Brielle would fail with flying colors.

Brielle quietly stared at the button on her pants before responding, "I hope not."

She had been working up the courage to let all of her secrets go, telling herself that when opportunities presented themselves, she'd take them and tell Hakeem the truth.

Hakeem stood up with a sigh, "Ion understand. You told me you wasn't addicted to shit, but I'm getting crackhead vibes from you."

"I'm not addict- It's not an addiction." Brielle stuttered over her words, trying to make them make sense, "It's just when I'm having a bad day I need to... cope? I don't know but it's not an addiction."

Deciding that he'd been nice long enough, Hakeem's patience for the drug use was low. He'd accepted the first confession because he understood that she might not have thrown the remaining drugs she had away when she first moved in. Now, however, she would've had to actively go searching for drugs.

"I be having bad days too Bri. I promise you Ion think about hitting no bag though."

"My bad days are probably worse than yours."

"All that shit subjective. You just gotta learn how to deal with it."

Brielle instinctively drowned out what he was saying, a feat she'd almost perfected. In her mind, it was no use trying to explain because it wouldn't make sense to anyone besides her.

"I got so many niggas that's dead and Ian crashed out yet." Hakeem continued, "You be out here feeling bad for yourself bro. Yeah, ya mama ain't shit and people you love dead, but shit that's life."

"How am I "feeling bad for myself"? You're the one who brought this up."

"'Cause you a fucking cokehead for no reason. I told you when you first came here that you wasn't finna be living with me and still doing that shit, just for you to sit there and tell me you still do it."

Brielle tried to push down the defensiveness she felt rising within her but it didn't work in the slightest bit, "You act like I do it everyday. What's the difference between you and Josiah getting high all the time and me doing that maybe once every two weeks?"

She didn't tell him about how much she looked forward to that "maybe once every two weeks".

"That gotta be rhetorical. Ain't no way you asking me the difference between coke and weed."

Muttering a response too low for him to hear, Brielle left out of the room and went down the hall to find a pair of shoes. She wasn't necessarily upset about the way the conversation went since she was expecting it, she just didn't want to talk about it anymore, and if she stayed in the room with Hakeem she knew he'd continue talking.

Her efforts were in vain though since Hakeem followed her.

"I can't deal with that cry me a river ass shit. Just say you looking for a reason to be a crackhead or some."

"Didn't we have a conversation where you said you wouldn't say that shit to me?"

"Didn't we have a conversation where you said you wasn't gone do it?" Hakeem shot back, "I'ma treat you how you act Bri."

"Okay. Let me go steal your tvs and pawn them to buy crack. You know since that's what I smoke."

He closed his eyes briefly, opening them back when he thought of what he wanted to say, "That's 2."

Brielle knew what he meant immediately, "I'll be gone before the third."

"You'll rather live on the streets and sell pussy than stop putting that shit up your nose? You ain't even using the money to pay rent or nothing man. Just letting niggas fuck you so you can get high."

Being nice about the situation was getting him nowhere, so being blunt was Hakeem's only other option. He could tell that what he said made her feel a way, but nothing else seemed to resonate with Brielle.

"It's dead not even your business. I just said I'll leave so don't worry about it."

Brielle wasn't trying to call his bluff, she was genuinely prepared to leave. Not because she wanted to do drugs, but simply because she was tired. She could acknowledge, and even accept that she was the cause of the label that was placed on her, but certain things you don't expect from certain people.

And she didn't expect Hakeem to say what he just did.

Hakeem, on the other hand, just wanted her to stop being a crackhead. Nobody said anything to him about Bri but he still thought about it every now and then. Even if they weren't in a relationship, he still gave a damn about what happened to her.

So the threat to put her out was just that, a threat.

Neither of them spoke, Hakeem silently watching Bri finish getting ready for her interview, and Brielle quietly completing the task.

She pushed past him, walking quickly down the hall which prompted Hakeem to ask, "You don't want a ride?"

"I'll walk."

"Musty ass lil girl." Hakeem stated in a voice too low for her to hear, "Them folks ain't gone know if it's the onions smelling like that or you."

• • •

The pounding in Grace's head made her walk hurriedly down the hall in an effort to make it home as soon as possible.

School had been torturous lately, and the added stress of her condition made everything worse. No one knew about it, but she was still growing used to the thought.

She spotted Mario's car immediately, and bounded down the stairs to pull on the passenger door handle, frowning in confusion when it didn't open.

The tint of Mario's window made it impossible for Grace to see, even when she pressed her face against the glass. She was about to walk away when the window rolled down and she heard his voice, "Get in the back."

Grace noticed the smoke that seeped out of the cracked window, and slid into the backseat where she saw a girl she didn't recognize in the seat that was usually reserved for her.

"Um...." Grace let her words trail off.

"What?"

She wanted him to make eye contact with her in the rear view mirror, but he seemed to know what she wanted, pointedly keeping his eyes on the road.

The girl coughed slightly then looked at Mario, "You finna drop her off?"

"Yeah."

"Drop me off where?" Grace demanded.

He again ignored her, turning the music up to drown out anymore questions she may have had.

This was a different side of Mario that Grace was seeing. Whereas he was usually forthcoming and talkative with her, he was now cold, inattentive.

Feeling a rush of boldness, Grace leaned forward to turn the radio down, brushing arms with the passenger, "Dropping me off where?"

He finally made eye contact with her, "Don't touch my shit again."

A low giggle slipped from the girl's mouth, "Yikes." She whispered.

Grace felt her face heat in embarrassment as she stared at Mario, the earlier confusion returning. He was acting as if he wasn't the one to approach her. She wouldn't have even given Mario a second glance since, as she'd said before, Josiah was the only attractive friend that Hakeem brought around.

Mario was the one who initiated conversation, and Grace liked him as a person, allowing her to get past the fact that he hit every branch on the ugly tree.

She'd kept the secret from her brother because she knew how he overreacted, and when she contracted herpes, Grace knew she'd never tell Hakeem that she and Mario were together.

We might not even be together after this, she thought, looking at the back of the Mario's "friend's" head.

Before she knew it, they'd arrived at the apartment complex where Mario lived, and Grace paused to see who all would step out of the car.

To her relief, only Mario reached for his door handle, and Grace quickly followed behind him. It took everything in her to hold in her questions until they'd entered the apartment, "What the fuck?"

"What the fuck, what? I told you before about asking me all them damn questions."

"I don't have a right to know why a girl is sitting in the front seat and you tell me to get in the back?"

Mario shook his head no, "Nah 'cause you can't keep shit to yourself. You always getting mad and saying the first thing you think of."

That was why he didn't tell Grace about Travis and Bri. He needed to have something over her, and if Grace knew they even looked at each other before she'd bring it up in the heat of the moment.

"What you want me to pinky swear I won't say anything?" Grace asked while rolling her eyes, "Just tell me."

She listened intently as Mario relayed the information to her, "So Keem think Travis was the one who shot up his car, right?" He waited for Grace to nod in understanding before continuing, "Travis and Bri be linking, and ole girl was just telling me how one night right after it happened, they saw Jo and them over there by his house, but they ended up not doing shit 'cause they realized Kyra stupid ass was following them."

"I don't get how that helps anything."

Mario sighed with impatience, "Ain't no coincidence that they randomly figured out somebody was behind them after not noticing all night. Bri must've did some."

"Sooooo...?"

"So Bri picked a side and it ain't Hakeem's."

Grace let the information settle in her mind, smiling when she realized that Brielle had fucked up. That smile was replaced with a frown though when she thought to ask, "How you know the girl telling the truth? Maybe she just trying to fuck with you or something."

"Nah that's one of Hakeem hoes. Her name Maya."

She'd never heard of her so Grace just shrugged her shoulders, "If you say so."

Pulling Grace to him, Mario pressed his lips against her forehead, "Ain't I tell you this dick belong to you?"

Previous anger or jealously was overshadowed by happiness, a smile tugging at Grace's lips, "Yeah."

"Don't worry 'bout no other bitches then."

Grace nodded her head and pressed it into his chest, "Hurry up and come back."

When he walked out of the house, Grace flopped down onto the couch, reaching for the remote to the t.v. After realizing it needed batteries, she went into Mario's bedroom, digging through the nightstand for some.

Just as her hand made contact with the cool surface of the battery, her attention was caught by a piece of paper. She would've usually disregarded it, but the Mobile Health Department logo demanded that she examine the paper further.

Grace blinked multiple times trying to make the date on the paper change, but it remained there in bold letters.

Mario had known he had herpes for over a year.

So not only had he lied about just finding out, but he also lied about getting it from Brielle. Squeezing her eyes closed and taking a deep breath, Grace put the paper back where she found it.

Her first instinct was to call Hakeem and tell him everything, but she felt like she should get an explanation first. All Mario would do is lie to her, so she could only ask one other person.

After ordering an Uber, Grace grabbed everything that she cared to take from the apartment. She knew what the outcome of this situation would be, and she wanted to ensure she never had to come back over here.

She was hoping Brielle would be at her brother's house, and just her luck, she was. Since she had a key, Grace didn't bother knocking, and inside she found Bri tapping furiously on her phone.

"Hey." Grace greeted quietly.

Brielle looked up at the sound of her voice, abandoning her phone and standing up, "I thought I was just gone have to randomly catch you but if you wanna pop up over here that's cool too."

"I'm tryna ask you a question."

"You can't ask me shit sis. Now gone do whatever you needa do to get ready so you won't lie and say I snuck you."

Grace wasn't expecting Brielle to be so intent on fighting her, "Can I just ask the question first?" She nearly begged.

Brielle wanted to say no, but something about the desperation in Grace's voice made her think about it, "I feel like you tried to handle me fucked up. Ion wanna talk."

"When you and Mario had sex, did he use a condom?"

Brielle blew out a breath, "Grace I know his trifling ass told you I have herpes, but I really don't. I showed you papers and everything."

"He told me you gave him herpes."

Now, Grace knew that was a lie, but she was struggling to grasp why exactly he'd choose Brielle for that lie. She got her answer when Bri detailed her encounters with Mario, and then understood that for some reason, he was playing her.

Noticing that Bri didn't appear the least bit sympathetic, Grace shook her head, "Its my fault to be honest. I should've never called your mama."

"You called my mama?" Brielle asked as she thought back to when Alisha showed up at Hakeem's house banging on the door.

Grace's eyebrows drew together, "I thought Hakeem told you. Isn't that why you wanna fight?"

Brielle wanted to fight because she didn't like the slick shit Grace said, not because she was the one behind who told on her. It didn't slip past her that Hakeem already had this information and didn't tell her, but the usual anger wasn't there. Instead, it was relief.

She finally had something to make them even.

It may have sounded terrible, but with this, now she could make the argument that Hakeem had also been lying to her as well. The two instances were no where near the same level however, and Brielle just hoped she could flip it to work in her favor.

• • •

Josiah recited a phone number out loud then looked towards Hakeem, "Call Kyra and tell her I'm crying."

When he was ignored, Josiah turned his attention to Corey, "You do it then. She blocked me and her mama said if I come over there again she gone put the law on me."

That made Hakeem laugh, "What song you was over there singing?"

"The Mary J Blige song where she be talking about how she can't be without somebody."

"Nigga huh?" Corey asked through a cough while Hakeem had tears pooling in his eyes, "Why the fuck would you sing that?"

"Bitch have you ever listened to the song? It say she can't sleep without somebody. Nigga that's beautiful."

Josiah had been to Kyra's mama's house on multiple occasions, singing the same song everytime and receiving the same response from Kyra, nothing.

"Maybe she want a band out there or some shit. Y'all tryna go sing with me?"

Hakeem leaned back on the couch, "I got my own problems. Ain't nobody finna go sing in that girl yard."

"That's why Ion smell no food in here? I knew it had to be some."

Corey and Josiah listened as Hakeem talked about the earlier argument, leaving out details such as the exact words that were spoken between them.

"This might sound fucked up but..." Corey trailed off, "You should've known she was on that shit heavy when she was doing all that to get it."

"Facts. If you put her out though she can come chill with me and we can be in our feelings together."

Hakeem shook his head, "Ian tryna put her out." He admitted, "I just can't fuck with what she be doing."

"Why she say she do it? For the hell of it?"

"She said she be needing to cope but that's some bullshit 'cause what the fuck you coping with that make you think "Damn I need some crack today"?"

Corey snickered, "Ask her shid. Its a way to say everything, but you the typa nigga to call her a crackhead to her face."

Laughter commenced when Hakeem made no effort to defend himself, "Yeah you wild."

Tiptoeing around the situation didn't help though, and Hakeem was more than sure that Brielle didn't take him seriously. He felt it was partially his fault, but at the same time was he supposed to treat her like he treated niggas on the street?

This was complicated.

"You know what I think?" Josiah asked.

"Ion give a damn what you think."

Ignoring what Hakeem said, Josiah kept talking, "You gotta put your foot down bro. Bri cool as shit but how you gone let somebody do what they want in your house?"

"You let Kyra put you out."

"'Cause I was in the wrong. You ain't did nothin' to her."

The conversation wasn't finished because they heard the front door open, and listened as Bri came into the house. Instead of speaking, she went straight down the hall, closing her door behind her.

"She might be having withdrawals." Josiah whispered.

His assumption couldn't be further from the truth. Brielle wasn't having withdrawals, instead she had just found out something she felt solidified the fact that Travis had a death wish: Kyra was pregnant.

• • •

well shit.

lmfao thanks for reading ♥️