G.A.B.O.S. (Original Version)

Chapter XXIII

"And you are..."

"Lynise Franklin. I'm-"

"I know exactly who you are. He's been asking for you. Go right on in." She unlocked the door and let Lynise inside.

Lynise went into the room and approached Tremaine, who was lying on the single twin-size bed that had been provided for him.

Tremaine moved his arm from over his eyes when he heard the door close. When he saw who'd come in, he stood up and walked over to Lynise hurriedly, pulling her into a tight hug. "I was starting to think you weren't coming."

"When have I ever not come through for you?" Lynise returned the embrace. "I'm so sorry, Tremaine," she said once he let her go. She grabbed the sides of his face and wiped his eyes with her thumbs. "Come here. Sit down." She pulled him over to the bed and pushed him onto it. She sat on the floor in front of him and grabbed his hands. "Tell me what happened, baby."

Tremaine shrugged. "I don't know. They told me it was a drive-by. Some other people were hit, but they're all okay." He paused. "Heaven was so excited to go to school this morning."

"Heaven was the only person that died?" Lynise frowned. "How the hell? Where was she shot?"

"In the chest. Four times. Somebody shot my baby in the chest four fucking times!"

"Hey, calm down." Lynise squeezed his hands. "Don't get worked up. Talk to me."

Tremaine blinked back his tears. "Everyone else was just grazed. That's what her teacher told me. They got lucky, I guess."

"Heaven was shot in the chest four times, and everyone else was grazed?" Lynise shook her head, knowing that Tremaine was far too distraught to see what she'd pieced together immediately. "Tremaine, they didn't get lucky. They weren't meant to be killed."

"What?" Tremaine pulled his hands away from her. "What are you talking..." He paused when her words began to make sense. He hadn't bothered to ask Heaven's teacher how she could have possibly been the only one killed on a playground filled with people. "Heaven's four. How the hell do you have enemies at four?"

Lynise sighed and gave him an apologetic look. "Heaven didn't have enemies, Tremaine. You do."

Tremaine's heart sank at her words. "I got Heaven killed."

"That's not what I'm saying-"

"This is my fault. But who the fuck is bold enough to..." That's when he remembered what Tamia had told him the day before.

December isn't going to let me go that easily. If you take something from him, he's going to take something from you.

"December." Tremaine stood up.

"December did this?" Lynise watched as Tremaine walked over to the window and began to bang on it.

"Open this door!"

"Tremaine, sit down." Lynise went over to him and attempted to move him from the window. "Baby-"

He ignored her. "Open the fucking door! Now!"

"Tremaine, stop. Just relax, and we'll-"

When Lynise tried to grab him this time, Tremaine turned toward her and grabbed her shirt, pulling her toward him. "Keep your fucking hands off of me unless you want me to do to you what I'm about to do to December." He pushed her onto the floor forcefully and went back to banging on the window.

Seconds later, the door opened and two nurses entered the room, along with a security guard.

"Sir, we're going to need you to calm down," the one that was standing by the window ordered.