King & Kaiser

•Forty•

Most of the trip back home I was in my own head about a lot of things. Mostly Alec, King, and Malcolm. But mostly Alec. These days I had one friend and that was Iaja. It was the fact that I had gone from five friends to one all in a matter of seconds. School was online now and literally everyone couldn't stop talking about what happened. It was hell.

I usually vibed with my camera off but people still talked. The only way I felt like I would ever get answers is by going to Alec and talking to him. But it was still too risky for me to go back to Brendleton. The blue six eight's was still gunning for us because of Reggie's disappearance. 

We were home now and I was in my room by myself. It was early in the morning and all I really wanted to do was go and talk to Alec. Hakeem and Syrus were a no go as far as I was concerned considering they were friends with Reggie before we all started hanging out in high school. 

I need to call Iaja and set this up.

"Hey mama." Iaja answered on the first ring.

"Hey, uhm-have you talked to Alec lately?" I asked nervously.

"No, not since the first time I told you about. Why what's up?" She asked.

"I want to meet with him." I sat down on my bed.

"Ok, I'll call him and see what I can arrange." 

"Public place, my side of town, no extra people just me and him." I warned.

"Got you. I'll call you and let you know when it's set up." 

"Thanks, Iaja. It means a lot to me that your still here for me." I smiled.

"Girl, you know I got your back no matter what." She reassured me.

We hung up and I just sat in my bed and waited for her to call me again.

*

A few hours later Iaja called and told me Alec was in my part of town waiting for me at Iguana Cafe. It was a new cafe that just opened up a couple blocks from my house. She said he was waiting there for me right now.

I got out of bed and got dressed. 

I put my hair in a bun and went downstairs.

"Where you going?" Malcolm asked.

Him and King were sitting on the couch watching football.

"Iguana Cafe. I wanna see what the hype about." I shrugged.

"Bet. I'll go with you." King stood up.

"Nah nah nah. It's only a few blocks and I'm a big girl. I can handle a walk, a coffee, and a walk back. Y'all want anything?" I put my hand on my hip.

"Oh she grown now?" Malcolm rolled his eyes looking at King.

"Both of you can shut up and fight me I'll be eighteen next month and we need to start talking about my birthday since erbody got some slick shit to say!" I mugged them both as I headed for the door.

"Bring me a blueberry muffin!" Malcolm shouted after me.

I walked out the door and started my walk toward Iguana Cafe. I was nervous but at the same time all I really wanted was answers. 

*

I walked into the cafe and it was people everywhere. But there was one low top fade red jacket wearing kid I could spot anywhere. I slowly walked up to the table surveying the scene around him. Making sure this wasn't a type of set up or anything. 

Thankfully, Iaja was sitting at the table with him and the two of them were talking.

"Hey y'all." I greeted them.

Iaja got up and gave me a hug.

"I'm gonna let y'all two talk. I'll be right over there." Iaja walked away.

I sat down as Alec just surveyed me. 

"Hi." I sat down in front Alec.

"It's good to see you again, Kai." He smiled nervously.

"It's good to see you again too." I replied.

There was a silence between us. I didn't know what to say or where to even start.

"Damn, for the first time in seven years I don't know what to say to you." Alec shook his head.

"I don't know where to start either." I shrugged.

"I just wanna say I had no idea about none of that shit Reg and nem had goin on. If they would have even brought that opp ass shit to me, I would've clipped it right then and there. I'm sorry." He apologized.

"How did it even get to them vs. me?" I frowned.

"It wasn't always them vs. you. It was Reggie vs. you. Reggie stopped fucking wit you the moment you kept in touch wit Iaja." He started.

"So since tenth grade Reggie has had it out for me?" 

"Not in that way but that's where it started. It got bad once Sko started checking for niggas around school. Reggie volunteered and Sko wasn't really checking for him. But then that night after you invited us all over, Reggie had a lil parlay wit Sko and boom next thing you know that whole shit go down at school." He explained.

"All because of Iaja? What is his deal with her?" I shrieked.

"Basically, he really had a crush on her. Like I'm talking this man was planning weddings type shit. She really had him sprung. I don't know what typa love Iaja be having going on but that shit dangerous. He felt like you was buddying wit the enemy so he started copping out. Telling Sko yo business and Sko telling him shit too." Alec sipped his coffee.

"What did Sko tell him?" 

"Sko and Malcolm used to kick it in high school. Sko the one who put Cisco on to Malcolm. They was homies. But when that whole shit wit ya mom and pops went down, Malcolm wanted Sko's head. Malcolm almost killed him in school, he brought a gun and everything. He would've been successful too if it wasn't for Junior. From that day forward, Sko was running wit the blue six eight's and Malcolm been running wit Junior." 

"Damn. He never told me him and Sko used to be friends." 

"They was best friends. It was him, Sko, and King. The three amigos. But shit now I guess it's just two." Alec shrugged.

As soon as Alec said that, something clicked in my head. Malcolm is waiting for me and King to fuck up and expose ourselves. It wasn't easy for him to believe Sko it was hard for him to believe us because Sko has no reason to lie, they were boys before all of this. Malcolm knows we're lying.

"Alec, I have to go. But here's my new number in case you wanna link again." I stood up.

"Thanks, Kai. I'm glad we got the chance to talk." He stood up and hugged me.

I hugged Iaja quickly and ran back home.