Despite the tint on Travis' window, Brielle still
remained slouched in the passenger seat with the hood pulled over her head so no one would see her.

"I'm getting treated like a side nigga." Travis stated with a laugh, "How you gone say you ain't fucking with him like that, but damn near on the floor?"

Brielle only responded to one part of his question, "I'm just trying to keep down unnecessary drama."

"You in the car with me and I'm an opp to them niggas. Can't nothing come from this but drama."

She winced slightly at the truth behind his words. It made her feel better though to know that if it ever came down
to it, she could play the 'I didn't know the full story card' since Hakeem had never told her the history behind why he disliked Travis.

It probably wouldn't work that well since she'd witnessed somewhat of an altercation between them, but she still was gonna try it.

"Then why you keep tryna fuck with me? You must like drama."

"The way you keep responding and shit must mean you like it too."

Brielle rolled her eyes, "You said you needed help. I know you can't read, so I came to help."

"Boy you really rude as fuck. I tell you my struggles and you talk about me. It's always the ones who you think wouldn't do it."

His behavior was lowkey confusing. How did he go from being mad at her, to not caring at all.

Travis glanced at Brielle, "Why you looking at me like that?"

"I'm wondering why your attitude changed."

"Like I said, you ain't mine. Who you fuck with ain't got shit to do with me."

"Hmmmm."

"Yeah hmmmm." He laughed, "Now shutup before I get mad again."

"He told me to shut my fat ass up, so I shut my fat ass up."

Travis shook his head and reached to turn back up the music before Bri grabbed his arm, "What you meant when you said Hakeem daddy was a snitch?"

She'd been wondering why he said that since she found out Hakeem was the cousin he was referring to. It wasn't like she could ask Hakeem, and he wasn't forthcoming with information at all.

"Ain't that a part of relationships? Y'all talk about each other families and shit?"

"We're not in a relationship bruh. That man just let me stay there."

"Keem don't let nobody do shit without getting some in return. Niggas don't know that man but I grew up with him. If he ain't asked for shit yet, believe me it's coming."

Brielle was the one who initiated sex, so she didn't know if she believed Travis. All Hakeem seemed to want was for her to stop doing drugs, which she hadn't, and go to school, which she didn't do anymore.

So she didn't exactly see what Hakeem gained from her being there.

"You gone answer the question or not?"

He seemed to be debating on whether he wanted to tell
her, "Not."

Travis' answer surprised Brielle since he volunteered information readily before he even really
knew her, but now he wouldn't tell her about this.

"It's that bad?" She asked, trying to get even the smallest amount of information.

This time when he looked at her, all hints of his usual playing self were gone, "Even if it is beef, that's still my family. Ian with that playing both sides shit. Either you fuck with me just 'cause you fuck with me, or don't fuck with me at all."

Damn, Brielle thought.

She was now backtracking, mentally berating herself for making it too obvious that she was fishing for information, "I was just wondering. You don't have to tell me."

"Bet. Where you tryna eat at?"

• • •

"You got a problem or some?" Hakeem questioned Grace, noticing the hard stares she kept throwing his way.

He was looking through the fridge for some food when she came into the kitchen, making it known she had something to get off her chest.

"Where Bri?" Grace asked, "You must've put her out?"

Hakeem didn't know where Brielle was, and he wasn't about to blow her phone up for no reason. She was dry texting him so he just left it alone.

"Why it matter? You don't do shit but throw shots at her anyways."

Grace leaned against the kitchen counter, "Y'all had sex?"

"Ain't no way my lil sister finna sit up here and ask me who I fucked or be fucking."

"I'm just asking. It's embarrassing that you even hang with her after all the stuff people be saying, then you got people asking me about her."

He knew people would only take him serious in his presence, continuing to talk shit about Bri when he wasn't there.

"Tell them mind they business. You prolly be with it and that's why they talking to you 'bout her. Lemme find out."

Rolling her eyes, Grace chuckled, "You can't get mad 'cause you talk to the neighborhood hoe. Did you have to give her some powder when y'all was done? Or it don't count since she stay with you?"

Monica stood silently just outside the kitchen as she listened to her children argue.

"You calling her a hoe but you got herpes? You wild as hell."

Anger overshadowed the nonchalance Grace was trying to project, "I can't believe you taking up for a bitch you barely know, over your blood sister."

The longer they argued, the more Grace thought about Hakeem's herpes remark.

As if Brielle wasn't the reason she had the disease.

There wasn't a way to tell Hakeem without telling him from where she got her information, so she allowed him to think what he wanted, while counting down until the truth came out.

• • •

It was quiet in Walmart as Brielle led Hakeem through the store, looking at packs of meat, "Do you eat pork?"

"I eat everything except ass." He responded, "I just can't make myself do it."

The cart stopped and she turned to look at him, "Can you ever be serious? Like, ever?"

"I'm just telling you I eat pork. Ain't that what you asked?"

Hakeem stepped out of the way as a stocker pushed his dolly down the aisle. This was the only thing he hated about coming to Walmart in the middle of the night, all
the workers in the way of everything.

"Why you wait til 1 in the morning to go grocery shopping?" Hakeem asked.

Brielle shrugged, "It's not that many people in here."

That was a reason, but she had also spent the entire day with Travis and this was the only free time she had.

"Yeah 'cause ain't nobody tryna be in here with the niggas who be finna run ya damn ankle over."

"I figured you wouldn't wanna come in the middle of the day when you might see hella people you know."

"The hell I care 'bout people seeing me for? Niggas see me everyday."

"While you're by yourself." Brielle stressed, "Not while you're with me."

She knew people talked about her. Their city was small and word traveled, so she assumed Hakeem wouldn't want people to know that he... well she didn't even know what they did but she figured Hakeem wouldn't want anyone to know.

"What difference it make? Ion care if people know I fuck witchu'. Ain't nobody gone say shit to me."

Since his conversation with Grace, he realized how bad it just might be if the shit made it to high school.

Well Bri is still in high school, he reminded himself.

As much as she didn't act like it, or as much as her circumstances would beg to differ, Brielle was just 17.

The sound of her sniffling made his attention go to her face, searching for something, "You good?"

Their eyes connected, and for a split second, she almost told him about her slip, "Yeah. I think I'm getting a cold from all that walking."

She almost thought he knew she was lying until he nodded, "I'll get you some yellow."

"I'm sure Mucinex works too."

Hakeem laughed under his breath and continued to follow her down the aisles. When they were heading towards self check, Brielle turned to him, "Are we friends?"

"What?"

"I think of you as a friend, so I'm wondering how you see me."

"You the homie. It's all love."

Brielle scrunched up her face, "That sounds gay. You have sex with all your 'homies'?"

"Only the fine ones." He responded, helping her get the stuff out the basket.

"Josiah fine as hell. Y'all be hunching?"

"Bri I'll knock your fucking head off."

Her laugh was heard throughout the front end of Walmart, "You said we homies. Mind your business."

"If Ion knock it off Kyra gone do it for me. You pick."

"I could probably beat both of y'all ass to be honest. Catch me on a good day."

Hakeem threw a loaf of bread at Brielle's head, "Today better be a good day 'cause I'm knocking your ass out soon as we make it to the house."

"You act like I'm supposed to be scared of a nigga who wanna get cuddled. You my lil love bug."

They continued to talk while exiting the store, almost missing the police officers who stood next to Hakeem's car.

That only kept their attention for a brief moment though, since it'd be hard for anyone not to notice the new holes that decorated the car.

• • •

y'all think it was travis or mario? somebody want all the smoke 🤧

grace said bri got herpes chile. maybe she knows something i don't.

thanks for reading 💕