After glancing over his shoulder for what felt like the hundredth time, Hakeem lifted his hand to knock on the door in front of him.

He still didn't know who shot at his car, and everybody swore they didn't know shit either. It had him paranoid that somebody was tryna fuck with him but he didn't know who.

The only person he could think of was Travis, and he didn't care to ask him if it was him, he just planned on returning the favor just as soon as he fixed a more important matter.

He wasn't so deep in his thoughts that he missed the sound of somebody yelling they got the door. It swung open to show a young girl, "My mama not here."

"Where she at?"

Before he got that answer, a much older girl yanked the younger one back, "What I told you about opening the door?!"

"I thought it was the people with the Bibles. They always give me candy."

Hakeem watched her yell at her sister for a few more seconds before interrupting, "Where your mama at?"

Darnishia looked at him with a mixture of disgust and annoyance, "She at work. What you want?"

"I'm tryna talk to her right quick. I needa ask her something."

"Well she not here." She began closing the door, "Bye."

"Who that is at my door?" A voice yelled towards the front making Darnishia sigh loudly.

"Y'all some liars in this hoe. Even got lil sis lying witcha'. Acting like I'm Rent-A-Center or some."

Darnishia didn't say anything as Alisha pushed past her, "You called the police when I came to your shit, what make you think I'm not finna do the same?"

"Ian on all that right now. I'm just tryna see what you want for you to let Bri go back and finish her shit."

Brielle didn't know he was here, and probably didn't even know that he knew about what happened. Josiah was the one who told Hakeem after Kyra told him about what happened in the mall.

He wasn't sure why Brielle didn't tell him about it, but it now made sense why she was looking sad recently.

When Josiah told him the date of which it happened, he also partially realized why she randomly had sex with him.

Alisha surveyed the young man on her porch, "You can't give me shit. Ion know why she sent you over here like I'm supposed to do what-"

"Give me a price." Hakeem interrupted, knowing all of this was because Alisha could no longer make money off of Brielle, "How much you want?"

She paused to see if he was serious, "How many weeks she got left?"

"Two."

"Four then."

Hakeem shook his head, "I'll give you two."

"Three and I'll pretend she doesn't even exist."

Darnishia swallowed over a lump in her throat as she listened to her mama basically auction off Brielle's education, and in her mind, Brielle in general.

"I'll give you the money when she starts back."

"You better not be lying either." Alisha warned, "I can just as easily take her back out."

He didn't bother saying another word to her.

• • •

Later that day, Brielle found herself at Kyra's house while she tried to apply a full face of makeup.

"Like this?" Brielle asked while filling in one of her eyebrows.

Kyra glanced at her, "If you don't take that shit off your face."

"Leave her alone." Maya laughed, "It took me so long to stop wearing dark ass eye brows."

"When you know better, you do better. Now back to Bri, how about we just start with foundation today and say forget the eyebrows?"

Brielle sighed, "I really don't care to learn how. I don't wear makeup anyway."

When Brielle experimented with makeup before, she gave up. It took too long to do, she messed up multiple times, and the finished product made her look like a ghost with ugly eyeshadow.

"I'm tryna help you out. Hakeem like bitches who look a certain way." Kyra's eyes wandered over Brielle, "And you don't look that way."

Though Josiah knew Hakeem and Brielle had sex, Kyra didn't. He wasn't in the habit of telling her certain things because she couldn't seem to help herself when it came to letting the person know what she knew.

Not that Brielle was exactly trying to impress Hakeem, she just didn't think he had a problem with how she looked.

"Bri fine without makeup." Maya insisted, "Fuck that nigga if he don't want a natural queen."

"You wear makeup though." Kyra pointed out, "Let me find out you tryna set my bitch up so you can get him."

Kyra was just making a joke since, again, she didn't know that Maya and Hakeem had history, but Maya didn't find it funny, "Why would I do some lame shit like that? I'll never beef with nobody about some dick that's for everybody."

"It was a joke. Why you being so serious about it?"

Brielle awkwardly stared at the young boy who was playing with action figures on the floor while Kyra and Maya continued to argue.

"'Cause she don't know me like that yet and might think you serious. How you'll feel if somebody said that about Jo?"

"Ain't a bitch on Earth bold enough to tell me she fucking with him."

Meanwhile, Josiah and Hakeem sat outside of the house contemplating the best course of action.

"Ian know she was gone be here." Josiah explained, "It shouldn't be no problem though since y'all ain't on that typa time. They look alike too. You got a type bro."

"Bitch get out the car. Your messy ass just want want me to go in there."

He laughed, "Man I'm bored. You don't wanna go shoot Travis shit up, ain't nobody fucking with me. I need some to excite me."

"Nigga I said soon. Meaning I'ma go handle that within the next day or two."

Since it wasn't just him in his house anymore, he needed to come up with somewhere for Bri to stay in case Travis was stupid enough to shoot back at his house and she got caught in the cross fire.

If she went to Monica's house, she might beat Grace ass and he didn't want his sister and his... 'friend' fighting. She could stay with Jo, but he could only deal with Kyra in doses so he felt like Brielle would feel the same way. It was giving him a headache thinking about it.

Which begged the question, "Why I'm not just killing this nigga again?"

Travis might've thought they were still family, but Hakeem thought of him as just another person on the street.

He didn't give a damn if Travis lived or not.

"Too obvious right now." Josiah yawned, "Give it another two months."

Since Hakeem decided not to go, he'd texted Bri and told her he was outside. They watched as she came to the car, typing something on her phone.

"Let's just go tonight." Josiah suggested, "Get it over with. You know she can stay with me for a minute. Even if I get put out again Kyra ain't gone put her out."

"You cheating again hoe?"

He shrugged, "I wouldn't say it's cheating. I'm exploring my options."

"Lemme see what Bri doing tonight first. Ima hit you."

After Josiah and Brielle spoke, he slipped out of the front seat allowing Brielle to slide in, "Hey pooh."

"What I told you about calling me that?" Hakeem laughed while backing out, "I hate that shit."

"What you want me to call you then? I'm not calling you
Keem like the rest of your bitches."

He looked at her in surprise, "Rest of what bitches?"

Since he and Brielle had sex, he hadn't slept with anyone else. That was almost 2 weeks ago, but still he'd been ignoring the "You up" texts in favor of watching some show Bri liked.

"Pick a nickname."

His mind went to an earlier conversation with Josiah about women being messy, and the fact that Maya was just in the same room, "What bitches?"

Bri shook her head, "I'm playing, pooh."

"What we doing tonight?" Hakeem asked with a sigh, "Watching Pretty Little Liars?"

"I have plans."

For some reason, he felt the urge to ask her what. Instead, "Bet. I'ma be out too. You got a key."

Hakeem didn't realize he needed to warn her to stay away from Travis' house tonight.

• • •

chile. i wonder if bri going over travy house. if so,i hope she doesn't get shot 🙈

thanks for reading 💕