Sky's The Limit

xv

Or even worse— having her on top of the world while we're lookin' up, still tryna' get on.

Stargazing isn't in my plans.

Even if it means that I gotta' keep slingin' rocks, success will be the only thing in my cards. I'm gonna' make sure of it.

"Yo, you ready for the cypher?" Will asked upon his arrival.

With him was Ishaan, fresh from a class he'd probably been goofing off in.

The two took seats in my guest room while I finished counting up the money I made today.

"Yeah," I answered, feeling the extra eyes that rested on my hands.

"You went on a run today?" Will inquired.

"Nah."

"Aim must've had you cookin' today," he nodded while referring to our process of making our usual product. "You know you were always the only one who could cook without gettin' nauseous."

While he chuckled, I shook my head.

"Nah, I was out pushin' Primadonna," I replied with a casualty that caught both men off guard.

I could see Will and Ishaan look at each other out of my peripheral vision.

"Cris's joint?" Ishaan questioned.

"Yeah."

They looked at each other again.

"That reminds me— here's your cut," I wrapped one-third of the profit in a flimsy rubber band.

The stack was tossed into Ishaan's lap.

The next question was "How much did you make?"

I shrugged.

Will scoffed. "What, you don't wanna' give up a dollar amount like you ain't just give 'Shaan his cut?"

I remained silent while banding my cut.

"You must've been all over the city just to get that much... How many copies did you make?"

"A lot," I said, looking for an envelope.

"What's a lot?"

I scoffed. "I don't know, nigga. As many to fill up a box."

"And you just went out and sold 'em?" Will's eyes were narrowed as he continued his interrogation.

"Yeah... That's kinda' how it works." I slid the rest of the profit into the envelope.

"How?"

"I.V. got a lil' buzz with us bein' in the cyphers, and y'all havin' all these other tapes out... but the streets really been feenin for a fresh voice— a new female voice... Crystal's joint got it all. It practically sells itself."

Will was mad— Mad that I'd done something like this without consulting the group.

If one of us wasn't here, there wasn't no group as far as I was concerned so I could do whatever I pleased.

He didn't agree.

He was mad— Mad that I was risking the group's image.

He was mad that I was right about Crystal being a must-have, a hot commodity.

He said that I was risking Crystal's safety— that I was fanning the flames of Maceo's rage— that it wouldn't be long before Maceo would be poppin' up and poppin' off and bustin' caps.

"I'm supposed to be scared?"

Will was silenced, but his eyes did all the screaming that his pride wouldn't let be verbalized.