A Slum Love Crime. (A$AP Rocky Story)

Part Ventidue

It felt like I was outside of my skin. As soon as it was over, it felt like I wasn’t the same Tremaine anymore. This was worse than anything I’d ever felt in my entire life. It would be a little better if I had more time. But unfortunately, Ferg called to report that they would be back tomorrow due to a failed mission.

I wouldn’t be able to look Rakim in the eye after doing what I did with Kevon. I could barely look Kevon in the eye now as he sat across from me on the sofa, playing with his two cousins who came over for a visit.

“If only I could erase it,” I mumbled as I stared into nothingness. I could see Kevon look up at me from the corner of my eye.

“What was that, Tre?” He asked, his hand still in his cousin’s.

“Nothing.” I said a little louder. I looked at him with rage and all the hatred I had in me. All of this was his fault. It was his fault that I betrayed Rakim. Yes, you could say that I played a part. You could say that I could have stopped him if I wanted to. But I refuse to take any of the blame. Kevon knew well what he was doing to me when he said those words…let me care for you. It wasn’t just thrown out there. It was a seductive technique, a scheme. He executed it perfectly.

And I hate him for it.

“Good. We can’t have you mumbling to yourself all over the place.” Kevon said. I could swear I saw him wink a little. I cuddled into myself in the couch, hesitant to turning on the TV. If I did turn it on, I wouldn’t watch it anyway. It was of no use.

With a sigh, I got up from the couch to go upstairs. I couldn’t be in his presence any longer. It seemed like only bad things happened when he was around.

I banged on Benny’s bedroom door, ignoring the faint moans that were coming through the door. I banged harder still, until finally he dragged his feet to the door.

“What is it?” Benny asked, his bare chest adorned with sweat. His eyes were large with irritation.

“I don’t mean to disturb you and Keisha, but I need to use your phone.” I said with the realest smile I could manage.

“What about the one downstairs?”

“It’s dead.”

Benny sighed and went back into the bedroom for the phone. He didn’t seem to want to break off the fun he was having with the mother of Kevon’s two baby cousins downstairs.

Soon he returned, handed me the phone, and slammed the door in my face. I went straight to Kevon’s room and locked the door behind me—I couldn’t take any chances. I lay on Jordan’s bed and dialed the number slowly. There was no hope that she would pick up, but it didn’t hurt to try.

The ringing suddenly stopped, and there was laughter in the background. I heard a slapping sound and more loud laughter. I didn’t want to say ‘hello’ just yet. I wanted to listen a little longer.

“Lemme smack that cake one more time, baby…” A faint male voice said. Again, the slapping noise rang through the phone along with a short giggle.

“Hello?” I yelled, unable to take it any longer. There was silence.

“Hold on.” Someone briefly said. I couldn’t even tell if it was a male or a female.

“Hello?” Momma’s voice came this time. I sighed in relief; I was starting to get worried.

“Hey, Momma. It’s Tre.” I replied, picking idly at my toes.

“What do you want?” She asked, obviously annoyed. I was taken aback by her tone, but I didn’t let it affect me too much.

“I just wanted to talk about Danny and his niece. Remember telling me about them? Where do they live?”

“Ugh! Why do you even care, girl? It’s none of your damn business! You’re always bothering me.” She shouted. Then all of a sudden, I could hear her sobbing softly. I shook my head.

God, these drugs are killing her.

“Look, Momma. The faster you tell me, the faster you can get back to the Candyman, okay? That way, he won’t be upset.” I told her. She was silent.

“Alright, fine. I heard through the grapevine that he and his niece moved to Guyana. They think they’re off the grid…But just wait until the Candyman gets a hold of them!” Momma laughed. I couldn’t take anymore of her strange behavior.

“Okay. Thanks, Momma. I guess I’ll call you soon.”

Before I could get another word in, she hung up. I threw the phone on the floor and lay back onto the bed. I sighed. This situation was really too much. Kevon promised to take the troubles away, but he didn’t. The only way he could take those troubles away is if I kept giving him what he wanted, but I made a vow to myself to never let that happen again.

There was an upside to this, though. Rakim would be proud of me. I obtained some valuable information. Hopefully, I could focus on that and only that when I saw him.

                                                                       * * *

“Can I speak to Shandy, please?” I asked timidly. Day turned into night and Benny’s baby momma and their two daughters were gone. Kevon and Jordan were in their room, so I was in the living room with Dom. I decided to call the one person that I hadn’t spoken to throughout all of this—Shandy.

The phone shifted a little. “Hello?” She asked in a monotone.

“Shandy?” I asked in disbelief. Was it really her?

“Tre?”

“Yeah, it’s me, Shandy. Wow…I haven’t spoken to you in so long.” I replied in almost a whisper.

“I know.” She said. She didn’t sound very enthusiastic.

“How have things been? Are you—”

“How have things been with you, Tremaine? Where the hell are you?” Shandy asked, growing angry.

I sighed. “I’m taking care of business. I’m sorry, but I really can’t tell you much.”

“Whatever. Things have been just fine with me. I have no friends, I’m poor, and I’m doing horrible in school. Everything is swell.” Shandy stated sarcastically.

“Wait…what do you mean ‘no friends’? You’re supposed to have a lot of friends.”

“Yeah, I’m supposed to. But I don’t. Justin broke up with me because I wouldn’t give him sex. And once word got out, no one at school would talk to me.” Shandy explained. Her voice went from angry to glum.

“That sounds horrible, Shandy. At least you did the right thing, though. You have your dignity!” I said, trying to cheer her up. It didn’t seem to work.

“That’s slowly fading away, too.”

“What about Nicole? Besides me, you and her were best friends.”

“She was pretty much the only person who talked to me after Justin left me, but she ended up moving to Guyana out of nowhere.”

I sighed again, heavier this time. Shandy’s story was making me sad. A nostalgic feeling was coming over me. “I wish I was there, Shandy.”

“I miss you. I know you can’t tell me much—we’ve all been asking Kevon, and he says he can’t tell much either—but when can you be back?” She asked me.

“I don’t know. I thought I would be home earlier, but things have been…tough.” I replied.

“Oh. Well, it was nice talking to you, Tre. I have to go fold laundry.”

“Oh, okay. Wait! Shandy, where did you say Nicole moved to?”

“Guyana.” Shandy replied.

“Alright. Thanks, bye.” 

We both hung up the phone. I missed her already. She never did apologize to me, but I could tell she wanted to. I was over our little fight. I just wanted to see her again.

Other than that…Nicole moved to Guyana?

Something is wrong with this picture.