Platinum
When I opened my eyes, I saw a bright light. Somewhat like the light I saw when Scoota pulled that trigger. Nurses and doctors were crowded around me; speaking in that confusing medical terminology.
"She's awake," a nurse informed the others.
"She's still losing blood," a doctor said.
"I can't get the bullet out, it's so far deep into the tissue."
"Well you better get it before it travels to any organs, you're a surgeon but you don't know how to remove a simple bullet? And who gave her the anesthesia?" Someone raised their hand. "Well obviously you didn't inject enough! This team is horrible." He walked over to me. "Do you feel anything ma'am? Blink once if you do, blink twice if you don't."
I blinked twice and he nodded his head. I heard a machine beeping and my eyes started to close. I tried my best to keep them open but it was like an uncontrollable sleep came over me.
Slim
"What's good Slim?" Zo sat down in front of me for lunch.
"Not shit in here. What's up man?"
"I guess you heard the news then, I just hope she pull through." He started eating his lunch.
"What you talking about?" I'm confused. I don't even know what he's talking about.
"Aw damn. I ain't mean to be the bearer of bad news but Platinum got shot man. I know you probably thought she was gon' hold you down and shit but nah," he said then shook his head.
"Shot by who? And how you know?"
"A nigga named Stewart or Shawn, some shit! You know the pen know the streets before the streets know the streets."
"Scoota?"
"Yeah! That's that nigga name. You know him?"
"That's Drew's brother but I never fucked with him. Then he got diagnosed with a bipolar disorder before he left to prison, he messed up in the brain," I told him.
"Swear? Damn."
"You know why he shot her?" I need some answers.
"You know that baby she got?" I nodded in response. "He came over her house buggin' on some stupid shit and they were arguing over why he couldn't see the baby. She just came out with it and told him he wasn't the father. Next thing you know, he snatched the gun she had and shot her."
I was pissed off on the inside! I'm pissed with Platinum 'cause if she told Scoota it isn't his, it's mine and she didn't even tell me! But Scoota, him and I are gonna share a few words.
Every since I got into that last fight, the warden told the guards I have to talk through the glass instead of actually being with my visitors. It's fucked up but I'll be alright. I sat down in front of my childhood best friend, Alex.
"What's up G?" He picked up the phone with a smile.
"I'm holding up man. You heard about Platinum?"
"Yeah, I don't know how she doing yet. Why you talking through the phone when them niggas over there sitting with their bitches?" I laughed and explained to him. "Damn, keep cool. We don't need no more added time!"
"I know man, how things going out there?" I asked him, referring to our business.
"Some of our lil' niggas had a couple parties," he confessed. I was instantly pissed off.
See though the phone, we gotta use codes so they won't know what we're talking about. Parties: robberies.
"They throwing parties or attending?" I asked.
"Attending, it's wild shit."
"Wild shit? How much they spending on them parties?"
"As a total, about three hundred."
"Three hundred thousand dollars?" I tried my best to keep my composure. He nodded. Zo told me he had secretly cut a slot under this booth so I could give Alex the note. I looked at him then down. After my second time of doing it, he caught on and grabbed the note.
"Well I'm about to go bruh," he said.
"Aight man. Do me a favor though?" I asked.
"Anything," he stood up.
"Tell them lil' niggas stop having them fucking parties!" He nodded and I got up to walk away.
I pray Alex isn't hardheaded with those instructions I gave him because literally, my freedom is in his hands.
Platinum
I sat up in the hospital bed, cold and lonely. I miss Imani, Slim, my momma, his momma, even Drew. He works my nerves all the time but he's still like a brother. I saw my phone laying on a little table. How did it get here?
I touched the home button and saw that I had a bunch of missed calls and texts. I ignored them and called my momma.
"Hello?"
"Hey momma, where are you?"
"You're awake? I'm on my way baby!" She sounded so surprised and excited.
"Ok, where is Imani?" I asked.
"She's with us," she answered then hung up. Who is us?
About thirty minutes later, my momma walked in with Imani and my father was behind her. I grew angry with the fact that momma was with him and the fact that she had brought him here.
"What is he doing here," I questioned with anger still building.
"Platinum, don't you act like that now." Momma gave me a look but I ignored it.
"You, why are you here?" I pointed at him.
"I can't come visit my baby girl," he asked.
"No! You can't! After all these years, you want to come visit me? How about you leave?"
"You know what? I just got hungry out of nowhere," he said looking towards my momma. "I'm gonna go home and eat, call me when you ready to leave."
He kissed my momma's cheek then left the room, closing the door behind him. I cannot believe this shit. I sat up and she put Imani in my arms.
"Are you desperate or nah?" I looked up at her.
Momma stopped dead in her tracks and turned around with a grimacing look. She walked over to the bed and stood there for a few seconds.
Smack!
"What the hell?" I was livid with her.
"Little girl I am still your mother, regardless of what you think or how you feel, you will not disrespect me! My decisions have nothing to do with you anymore and you of all people have no room to criticize anyone!"
"What exactly is that supposed to mean?"
"You don't believe your own shit stinks but you feel like you can go around spraying air freshener behind other people," she yelled down at me.
"You know what? I've done some stupid stuff in my lifetime, but I never went back to a man that embarrassed me publicly, cheated, stole from me, and left me for dead!"
"Sweetie lets not forget Quincy. Did he or did he not cheat and steal from you? Or was that another lie you told? You oughta be a fan of forgiveness after all that you've done to Slim."
"Don't you dare bring him up!" My eyes started to burn at the mention of his name.
"Hmph, anything for the perfect princess," she said sarcastically. "I'm about to go sign your release papers, I'll be back."
Momma and I have gotten into far worse arguments than this but I have to admit, this one hurts the most because of Slim. It feels just like another bullet.
A doctor gave me my prescription for pain pills and I changed clothes. My wound still hurts like hell but I'm fine. Wait until I see Slim's friend Alex, though-game over for Scoota!
"Hey Alex," I greeted him as he walked through my front door.
"What's up?" He hugged me and took a seat in the living room.
"I called you over here for a reason," I started, "it's about who shot me."
"Scoota, ole' bipolar ass nigga, right?"
"Yeah, how you know?"
"Slim, he's another reason I came over." He sat back and made himself at home.
"What's going on?" I wanted to know badly. Anything that has to do with Slim, I'm utterly obsessed.
"Slim gave me this note, it's instructions. Read it and I'll be back tomorrow around the same time." He stood up to leave. Why would you get comfortable then go? Only Alex.
"I gotchu," I answered and followed him to the door. He opened it and stopped before he walked out. "What?"
"Platinum make me a promise, aight? After you read that note, don't do anything until I tell you to. Don't act at the wrong time 'cause you see where that got Slim even though it was all on you."
"Wow, thanks for making me feel better," I said sarcastically.
"Listen, I'm just being real and warning you."
"Aight, I promise."
He hugged me then left. I closed the door behind him and locked it. With the note still in my hand, I walked over to the couch and took a seat so I could read it. I opened it and saw Slim's handwriting:
Platinum has to get Scoota to come to her house but you and whoever you choose for the job needs to be in the hallway or behind a couch, something. She needs to get him comfortable and make sure he isn't strapped. Set a signal and when she gives the signal, y'all pop out and tie him up. Take him to the old warehouse and keep him there. Tell him this:
We gonna get right to the point of us taking you. You have three choices and I'll give you five minutes to decide. First choice, turn yourself in and say that you stashed the drugs and that you killed Asia. Second choice, confess to attempted murder and do that hard time. Third choice, you die right here and we burn your ass up. What's your choice?
If he doesn't choose him taking the rest of this ten year bid for me, force him to. Do whatever you feel like you need to do for him to give in. If you do this right, I'll be out in less than a month and we'll be back eating.
I'm gonna do what I'm told this time. I just really pray that Slim's plan works out.
