Noelle.

TWENTY TWO.

"Aye man, you aight?" A voice spoke from over me, making my body tense up, ready to leap into action and put hands on whoever I got to. This a rough ass neighborhood, worse than where me and my moms live, I forgot that I gotta be aware of my surroundings fasho cause I'll be damned if somebody catch me lackin. Wrong place at the wrong time exist.

I stood up from the curb, my group of friends spread out near me, "You cool dawg?" Trey spoke again. I shook my head, "Why yall bring me here knowing Mu'fucks be shooting and my brother just died by gettin shot? The fuck wrong with y'all bum ass niggas? Somebody take me the fuck back to my moms, shits lame as hell" I spoke, lashing out on all four niggas that stood nearby, damn near cussing out Mu'fucks who ain't even come with us I was so pissed.

"Yo, I understand yo brother just died but don't take that shit out on me. This my first time comin here, how was I supposed to know you was gon get ho'd and shot at?" Duece hissed unapologetically. "Aye, aye" half of the group spoke as I took a step closer to Duece, "Watch yo fuckin mouth, ain't nobody ho me, he got his licks in but if Mu'fucks really hoe'd me they wouldn't have started tryna shoot. Only person bout to get ho'd is you if you disrespect my mu'fuckin brother again bitch ass nigga" I spat, face to face with him now as if the three niggas holdin me back ain't matter.

I got 18 years and the past 4 months worth of pent up anger and this nigga finna unleash it with a few words, and at this point, when I start, I ain't gon stop. Duece always been a lil bitch in my eyes, only reason I tolerated him is cause I ain't a nigga that be ready to go off about every little thing, but he been bitch made since the moment I met him. Always fuckin with my leftovers, always got some lil slick shit to say like a female. He seem like the type that'll set you up fasho, I always kept him at an arms length, but he tipping closer and closer to the edge when it come to me on this matter.

"Who you gon ho? Do that shit then" He dared. It took all of a few seconds for my fist to connect with his jaw, not once, not twice, but repeatedly. It was as if I blacked out and ain't have no control over what I was doin at that point. It took some random niggas plus my three other friends to get me off that nigga when I started. By the time I was back in my body Duece bitch ass was laid out on the concrete, blood soaked his shirt and his face as nearby people gasped watching the show.

I took a deep breath and by the time I knew it I was in Brandon car, "Nigga what the fuck wrong with you? Is you good? For real. I ain't neva seen you spazz like that before dawg, you needa go talk to ya moms" Brandon spoke as each word went in through one ear and out the other. Brandon been my closest dawg since like fifth grade. He'd just moved from New York to Nevada cause of some family shit. Besides my family, don't nobody know me better than him. He been my rollie for some years now, he know if anybody can calm me, it's my family, specifically, my moms.

I pulled my phone out my pocket, ignoring my friend, a message from Derek read, "You coming home tonight?" I looked at the time on my phone, 2:30Am. From the looks of it, I ain't the only one who been having trouble sleeping since Judah died. Derek has always been one to go to bed at a reasonable time, my mom too, especially with her working. I get to the point where when I try to sleep, all I can see is my brother's dead body laying in his bed, my mom holding his head and screaming for me to call the police and me being stuck. Most times I feel like ion even deserve sleep cause if I would have just stayed up that day instead of taking a nap, I would have been able to know that something was wrong with Judah. He would probably still be alive.

I wouldn't feel so much emptiness, feel helpless knowing my moms and brother is hurtin and ain't nun I can do about it. This shit unfair, I ain't never had to deal with death before, I been feelin like I'm losin my mind silently and can't nobody see that shit. In what felt like no time, Brandon was outside my moms house, "You good or you need me to help you in?" He asked, his eyes locked with the side of my head as I slowly unbuckled my seatbelt, feeling dizzy now that everything was all said and done. I was so pissed at Deuce bitch ass I forgot I was drunk.