The Publicist

Brand New

He laughed. "Where are you?"

"I don't know August has me in the hood. It's time to go."

"Nah ghetto your favorite song remember."

"I don't want to be ghetto anymore. I take it back."

"Jazmine calm your scary ass down. August skinny ass would probably take a bullet for you before he let something happen to you. He may look like a tall Prince, but he just a real nigga coming through." DJ imitated when Aug said Im just a real nigga coming through.

"Here he come. Pray for me bestfrannnnn. That I make it out the hood." I clicked off as August came to the car with another guy. He was darker skinned with dreads.

They got in. The guy getting in the back.

"Babe this my bestfriend and cousin Sneak." He said starting the car.

"Hi." I said awkwardly.

"How you doing?" He said in a super think NOLA accent.

"Sneak don't bite Jazmine." August looked at me like would you chill the fuck out.

His cousin let out a chuckle.

"Yung why you ain't invited me over your house yet?"

"Been busy Sneak. Just got off tour you know how that go man."

"You been over his house?" He asked me.

"Barely. He's usually over mine." Aug looked at me. Uh- oh. 😩

"Hm." His cousin pulled out a blunt from his pocket and started to light it.

He took a puff.

"Saw you bought Aunt Shelia that new ride."

"Yup. Had to do something nice for my mama."

"I remember when you used to drive my car. Never paid for no gas." He laughed. then passed it to August.

"Nah man." He looked at me.

He knows I utterly hate weed! 😒 I rolled down my window. My lungs were screaming for fresh air.

"Since when you don't smoke nigga?" He chuckled. "Yung ain't never turned down a hit. You want some mama?" He asked me.

"No thank you."

"Sneak can you hold off on that?" He looked at him threw the mirror.

"Nigga what you mean hold off? You Hollywood now? Too good to smoke with your cuz?"

"Jazz got breathing problems."

I didn't but I guess that was the only lie he could come up with to get him to put it out and not make him seem like he was acting brand new.

"My bad. Y'all should've said something." He put it out.

"Jazmine yo name?"

"Yeah."

"Yung call you a lot."

August sighed. I saw where this was going.

"Not really. He's been so busy."

"Hm." He looked at August threw the mirror. "Saw you shouted her out on Instagram. Black love. Say you nothing without her huh Yung?" He laughed.

"Damn. You take a bullet for a nigga they don't mention you nowhere. Not interviews. This nigga call me his best friend but in interviews say he don't got friends. Can't get a twitter shout out. Instagram MCM." He laughed.

"See that Jazmine. That bullet still in there from saving this nigga life." He showed me a bullet in his arm.

"Corey you trying to say something?" August asked him.

"Nope. Just riding."

We pulled up to a corner store. Where men on crates were sitting out in front with their beers.

"We all getting out bae." August looked at me, like you not about to stay in the car.

We got out and went inside. Aug asked the man behind the counter for a box and him and his cousin went straight to the fridge to get this Pop called Big Shot.

I had never heard of it.

They were literally filling the whole box up with these pops. All different flavors.

"They only sell this down here?" I asked them.

"Yup." Aug said looking in the freezer.

"Why do you need so much of it?"

"Cause it's my favorite soda and the only have it down here."

"And we finna make some lean." His cousin interjected.

August gave him a look and cut his hands across his throat like shut up.

"She a good girl Sneak. She don't do none of that. Weed. Lean. Nothing. No baby I don't do lean." He looked at me.

"I didn't say anything."

"But you was thinking it." He said finishing filling up his box.

His cousin gave him a look.

We all went to the counter for Aug to buy his stuff. Then we left out.

The ride back to his cousin's house was rather quiet. We arrived. And Aug was about to get out but his cousin said.

"Nah don't worry about it nigga. Come see me when you remember who had your back when you ain't have shit. And your head ain't so far up her ass you remember who you really are." He slammed the car door and disappeared inside.

Aug let out a sigh then got out and went to the door. He stood there for a while his cousin came on the porch not letting him inside.

They started arguing loud as hell, until a guy who looked just like his cousin stood between them. I'm guessing his twin.

But that didn't stop them from going at it. All of sudden they started fighting on the porch in broad day light.

What in the ghetto hell? 😒

The twin pulled them off of each other and pushed his brother inside, closing the door.

I thought me and DJ had it bad. They got us beat.

August got in the car, slamming his door and drove off.