Being Armani

Chapter 23 - Armani

"Armani! Armani! Wake up yo! Where going to be late for Daisha's birthday party!"

I open my eyes to see Marcell with an irritated look on his face, "Geez, I'm sorry, I just wanted to take a nap..." I roll off the couch. "Come on, the kids are waiting on the lawn!" He was trying to drag me towards the front door.

"Hold up, don't rush me!" I fixed my dress. I was wearing a white fitted short sleeved maxi dress so my little baby bump could show. Not everyone knew I was pregnant though.

"Aw, look at you! Looking all cute and shit!" Malika said walking into the living room.

Malika was doing a lot better, the basketball coach at Stanford was informed about Chris slingin' drugs, he lost his scholarship and was kicked off the basketball team. We don't know where he is and personally, I don't give a fuck! And she's really hittin it off with Jewel though.

"Bro, shut up, you're slowing her down!" Marcell was really getting annoyed. "Don't tell me to shut up nigga!" Malika snaps.

Marcell throws his hands up in the air, "Are you for real, Armani, did you make the cake?"

Oh shit..."Oops, I forgot!" I shrug my shoulders. "Babe, do you know how mad Marco is gonna be? It's his first daughter's first birthday and she ain't got no cake!"

"Goddamn, you need to chill!" Malika says to Marcell.

One of the kids run inside, it was India, "Um, mom...dad?" We just ignore her.

"We can just buy a cake from Safeway!" I say. "No, Costco's cakes slap though!" Malika says.

"Um, you guys really need to see this!" India says.

"No, no, no, their gonna know it ain't your cake though," Marcell says. "Well, I can bake them a cake tomorrow and then we can give it to them when it's actually Daisha's birthday!" I half-yell.

"Guys!" India continues calling us.

"That's a good idea!" Malika says, she sides with me no matter what. "Now, where are we going to buy a cake?"

"GUYS, THIS IS MORE IMPORTANT THEM A DUMBASS CAKE!" India yells. Hakeem and Christina run in after her. "What?!" I yell. Christina looked worried. Hakeem kept looking outside. "What?!" I asked again.

"Chris is here..." India says. "What!!" Malika yells walking towards the door. "Wait!" Hakeem holds her back, "Let me go lil boy!" Malika struggles but Hakeem is much stronger than her. "He has a bomb...he's going to set it off if anyone tries anything and all the other kids are out there, so be careful!" Christina cries.

"OH MY GOD!" Marcell says, he runs out the door and I run after him.

He stops right at the door and slowly walks onto the grass.

I grabbed the closest kids to me. Which happened to be Mercedes and Elijah, "You guys need to get inside, NOW!" I commanded. They didn't argue and Mercedes quickly rook Elijah inside with her.

"Chris you don't have to do this!" Marcell says cautiously walking towards him. Chris was panicking, "YES I DO! Y'ALL RUINED MY LIFE! Took away everything I loved, tell me why I shouldn't blast y'all to bits right now?!" he yelled.

Tamia shook her head, "This is Charmarco all over again," she whispers, although I could hear her. I look at her and motion her to come towards me. Marcell was distracting Chris so I was going to sneak the kids in.

"Stay as far away from the windows as possible," I tell her and gently push her towards the door.

I managed to get Asia and DeAndre back inside the house. I was struggling to get the rest inside since they were much closer to Chris.

I carefully walked towards Andre's car seat, which was at the edged of the sidewalk. I crouched and I was able to reach him, but I was unable to carry him in his car seat. So I just unbuckled him and carried him towards the door, lucky for me he was asleep. I handed him to Christina who was waiting at the door.

I stood back up, "Chris this is not how you handle things," Malika said. "SHUT UP!" Chris barked, "I trusted you! Now look what you get for betraying me!"

"Chris, you're really going to kill yourself? Is that what you want to risk?" I ask him, trying to talk him out of this.

He starts to cry, "STOP IT! I'M A GROWN MAN AND I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT!"

"YOU ARE GOING TO KILL MY FUCKING WIFE AND KIDS CHRIS! I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU WITH MY OWN HANDS!" Marcell yells.

"It doesn't matter because I'll already be dead and so will you!"

Janae crys, "I hope you rot in hell!"

She falls to her knees, "Whatever, I guess this is where it all ends! I love all of you guys, I hope God forgives me for all my sins and opens his gates for everyone who dies here today, except for the one who killed us!" she prays.

I start to cry. "Please, Chris, you don't have to do this!" Malika crys. "Yes I do, bitch!" And then everything goes slowly.

I see Sydney and Kenya in their car seats being thrown violently into the air...Janae picks up Robyn and runs towards me, but fail to reach me.

Marcell picks up Chanel and Amonee and starts running away from the bomb. Makiya carries Jayden, covering his head. Travon runs behind the Mercedes, but the car turns over and he disappears. Khalil, sprints for his life, but trips and falls, he screams as he is thrown across the yard. Deja, sits in the grass, waiting for her turn, calm as ever. She just waits. Trevor and Davine hug Michael, who is trying to comfort them. I run towards them and next thing I know, Marcell was pulling me away. I look at him, then look back at the boys, they were gone...Marcell pulls me to the ground and covers me, along with the rest of the kids he managed to save.

Then we're thrown, at least 50 feet in the air, I felt a sharp pain in my back. Everything was black from then on.