• • •

Hakeem pov

The girl was quiet as she reached to put her seatbelt on, staring straight ahead.

I realized then Ian even know what her damn name was.

"What's ya' name?" I asked as I pulled away from the curb.

"Does it matter?"

She was finna irritate me.

I turned the music up instead of throwing her out the car like I wanted to. How you gone be rude and I'm out here giving you a ride?

After about 5 minutes or so, she turned the radio down to say, "Bri."

"Oh so you do got manners?"

She shrugged, "What's your name?"

Tryna flex like she don't know me when everybody out here do.

"You ain't gotta act like you don't know. My fans keep me humble."

Bri laughed under her breath, "I really don't know who you are. Sorry."

Letting her lie to herself, I responded, "Keem."

"That's ugly, but okay."

Ian know if she was tryna flirt with me or what, but I wasn't fucking with nobody who hit the bag, so Ian say anything else until I needed directions on getting to where she was staying.

When we was almost there, I thought about the fact that I didn't actually know if she was on that shit.

So I asked, "You really be doing crack?"

Her sigh was loud, "Didn't we just talk about this in the middle of the street?"

"Yeah but I'm just making sure."

"I don't smoke crack."

Her ass be doing something though. Niggas do call anybody who walking or riding a bike a crackhead, but it had to be some else there.

"So what you be smoking weed or some?"

Bri didn't answer, looking out of the window and ignoring me.

"Oh so you can't hear now?"

"Nigga just drop me off. Acting like a fucking therapist tryna chat and shit."

I stopped my car in the middle of the street, "iight get out then."

I was expecting her to say no and then tell me what kinda drugs she be doing, but this mothafucka' hopped out with the quickness and started walking her ass up the street.

Ain't even close my damn door back.

She cut through somebody yard, jumping the gate to take a shortcut.

I couldn't do shit but shake my head and go wait at the house she gave me directions to, to see if she made it.

When I saw her go into the yard, I finally pulled off.

_______

Brielle pov

Kyser and I walked around Walmart eating food from the deli and talking about finding programs to get our G.E.D.

I still had to wait until I was 18 but since Ky was 19, she could go at anytime.

"I'm really not tryna sit in the classes." She complained, "I might just say fuck it."

"You sound a mess. What you plan on doing with nothing?"

Of course I didn't go to school, but I still planned on getting some type of education so I wouldn't be stuck running the streets forever.

"The classes are like 2 hours." I continued, "You spend two hours a day doing bullshit, Ion see why you can't spend it sitting in a desk."

"You acting like somebody mama."

"And you acting like a damn fool. It's called common sense."

Our 'argument' continued as we walked towards the freezer section to get hot pockets. We wouldn't have a microwave, but the ham and cheese flavor tastes good when they thaw out.

After getting the box out, we pushed the cart into an area where there was a blind spot in the cameras, before shoving food inside my book bag.

We were casually on our way out of the store when an employee approached, "Excuse me ma'am."

I'm so damn tired of running.

Kyser was slower than me, so I made it out before her, running towards the street while she laughed and tried to keep up.

When we made it to the other side, I looked at her, "Another Walmart we can't go to."

"Guess we'll have to start going to Family Dollar."

• • •

"Throw that shit." Some dude said as he tried to fuck me.

Emphasis on tried. This was the weakest stroke game I'd ever encountered.

I faked a moan to cover up the laugh I wanted to let out when he started talking about how well I took dick.

Sir, your dick is the size of one of the Vienna sausages I ate the other day. Anybody could take it.

Eventually he came and I was put out of my misery.

"Here." He said, handing me the baggie as well as $40, "I'ma see you around."

No you won't.

I gladly accepted and stood up from the mattress that was on the floor to pull my pants back on.

Somebody called him from outside the room and I followed, seeing Kyser still waiting for me on the couch.

"That was quick." She whispered as we walked out.

"Not quick enough."

When we were down the street she pulled a bag out of her pocket, "Look what I found."

"Found?" I laughed, "Bitch did you steal his shit?"

"Didn't I just say found?"

"How'd you even know where to look?" I wondered aloud.

"His friend left out the house and I just did a lil walkthrough. I found this and some money. I left the money though 'cause I'm not tryna get my ass beat."

Like he wouldn't beat her ass for stealing his drugs.

We continued to look for an abandoned house to stay in tonight when I saw a car that looked like Keem's drive by.

"There go ya' boy." Ky teased with a smile.

I told her about him giving me a ride home the other night, leaving out the part about him badgering me about drugs.

He was clearly just tryna be funny, maybe about to offer me coke for sex.

A typical not shit nigga.

That's why I wasted no time in getting out when he stopped in the middle of the street.

"That's the hood boy." I replied, "Him and his community dick."

Ky laughed, "Him and his 15 baby mamas."

"20."

He actually didn't have any kids that we knew of, he was just a hoe. I guess it didn't matter since he was single, but still.

The sound of screeching tires interrupted our conversation, and we looked to see the dude whose house we just left flying down the street towards us.

At this point, I should just run track.

_______

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