Below The Belt

Intermission

Red's POV

Life hurts. I found that out when I was pretty young. It hurts when your mother leaves when you're too young to remember what she looks like. It hurts when your father uses fear and violence to instill masculinity into you. It hurts when that same father kicks you out for who you choose to love. It hurts when you find yourself living in a shelter struggling to make ends meet. It hurts when you end up fighting in an underground club for money.

And you know the rest. All that shit hurt.

And life hurts a-fucking-lot right now.

I've been laid up in this hotel bed for a day, only forcing myself to get up when I needed to use the bathroom. Anything else hurt too much. I haven't eaten, I haven't showered, and I haven't taken my meds.

In hindsight, Tyreek was... Right. I needed help. I knew I needed help when I sent him home.

I just didn't want the help from him.

I know it's ridiculous to still feel things for that dumbass nigga after everything we've put each other through, but you'd be stuck on him too if he fucked you the way he fucked me. You see the hold Dre got on that nigga? It ain't because of his smile, I'll tell you that.

So yeah. I'd rather sit here, miserable and in pain, than sit here staring into those eyes and seeing that smile and listening to him talk about how in love he is with Dre.

Tyreek was supposed to bring me clothes and a phone, but he ended up letting me know that he'd be late. He said if he couldn't bring the shit, then he'd have someone else do it for him.

Now I know I said I'd take help from basically anyone but him, but I also don't need his friends in my business.

I said that to him, and I could basically hear him roll his eyes through the phone.

Like he tends to do, he didn't listen to me. He said he'd send someone, but none of his personal, close friends.

I wanted to complain that a stranger might be worse, but I knew he'd just get frustrated and come up here himself. So instead I sighed and stayed quiet. I simply laid in bed in complete pain until knocks sounded on the hotel room door. Whenever I'd hear a knock, I'd be filled with fear.

I was terrified that on the other side of the door would be Mr. Onyx, waiting to finish what he started and end my life successfully.

My heart pounded as I forced myself out of bed with a pained groan. I clutched my side as I limped through the room, then stopped to look through the peephole at the door. When I saw no one, my heart began to beat faster as I slowly backed away from the door. Before I could get too far, another round of knocks hit the door, this time followed by a voice.

"Yo, redbone! You in 'dere?" An unfamiliar voice yelled, making me frown and stop in my tracks. Another knock came followed by his voice again. "Yo, pretty boy sent me."

Who the hell did this nigga send? I hesitantly approached the door again and opened it, keeping the chain in place just so I could see through without opening the door too much.

A familiar brown skin man with a few flashes of gold in his mouth stood at the door with plastic bags either in his arms or on the floor around him. When he saw me through the crack in the door, he nodded at me and stuck his hand out.

"Raymond Montgomery Junior. You can call me Monty Ray, or just Junior." He introduced himself. Suddenly, memories started to flood back of Tyreek's little Christmas charity fight.

"Oh." I muttered. This nigga sent Mr. Raymond's son? After I told him I thought he was fine? The devil is a lie. I closed the door to remove the chain, then opened it again and shook his hand. "Red." I said simply. Until I get my name changed, I ain't ever introducing myself by my government.