Memphis Streets 2 (Urban)

Chapter 21- Jaleesa

Kookie and Pit Bull share a look. "Just cool?" Kookie asks.

"You ain't been down to the hospital to check up on her or nothing? Her or that lil Cartel nigga she was fucking around with? I mean, let all the lil Queen Gs tell it, you two are thick as thieves."

"Yeah. That means that you knew those two were gettin' it in waaay before anyone else did. Right?"

I force myself to be calm-well, to look calm anyway.

" Nah. I was surprised like everybody else."

They call me a liar, though their lips don't move. It's all in their eyes and in the swivel of their necks. Instead of engaging in a staring contest that I know I'll lose, I lower my head and pretend that this is the most fascinating shit I've ever read, but these bitches' gazes remain locked on me. When I hear them get up from their chairs and walk over to me, I damn near have a heart attack. Aw. Fuck. Am I about to get my ass beat? Pit Bull sits to my right, while Kookie plops down on my left. I look up and catch Stacy's worried gaze, and for a brief moment I wonder if she even has my back.

The way other muthafuckas' families have been acting, I think I have good reason to be concerned.

"Whatchu reading?" Pit Bull asks, snatching the magazine out of my hands.

She doesn't even bother to take a look at it before tossing it over her shoulder.

"What do you want?" I ask with attitude, which could get my head knocked off my shoulders.

"Why don't you come outside with us and let us holler at you for a minute?" Kookie says.

"For what?" Her face twists.

"I guess you'll find out once we get outside, won't you?" She stands.

Pit Bull stands up, too. I look up at them, torn between telling them to kiss my ass and bawling like a fucking baby. I knew this shit was going to fall back on me. Stacy climbs out of her chair, her hair wet and dripping down her back as she walks over to where I'm sitting.

"Is there a problem?"

"Nah. There ain't no problem. We just want to holler at Jaleesa outside for a minute."

Stacy plants her feet and folds her arms across her chest.

"For what?"

The two Queen Gs flanking my sides turn their hard gazes toward her, but to Stacy's credit, she doesn't flinch and she doesn't budge.

"It's a personal matter," Pit Bull says, rocking her head.

"You ain't got personal business with my lil sister. Anything that you want to talk to her about, you can say in front of me," she tells them.

"No offense, Stacy. I respect what you're doing and all, but this shit doesn't have anything to do with you."

Stacy's face gets harder by the second. It's her angry face, a look I know well since she'd been known to go off on me more than a fair amount of time growing up.

"Like I said, anything you have to say to my baby sister, you can say in front of me. We're all Queen Gs. Family is family, but blood is blood. You feel me?"

I don't think I've ever been more proud to have Stacy as my sister than I am right now. This is how family is supposed to act. At least I know now that if there is some shit about to pop off, she'll most definitely have my back.

"Fine," Kookie spits. "Let's take this shit outside."

"A'ight," Stacy agrees, and then shifts her hard stare at me.