Thug Love like No Other

Chapter Three

>2 weeks later<

~Monica~

It's been two weeks now, two whole weeks without my big brother. I haven't went to school since it happened but I was going to start to go again tomorrow.

Nothing feels real, I keep thinking its all a dream, but I know it's real.
We haven't taken anything out of Andre's room yet, haven't had the heart to do it.

I won't lie, normally I'm not a smoker but ever since he's left I've grabbed a few blunts from his room and taken them out.
I needed something to numb the pain and this was the only thing to help. The normal me wouldn't do this, but I wasn't the normal me, I was the brotherless me.

I don't know what to do with myself a lot of the time, I know Andre would want me to be strong but sometimes that seems like a lot to ask for. Damn.


~TJ~

I regret not getting in the ambulance with him, but I had to go find the rest of that crew who took him out, and nearly took me out.

Those motha fuckas got what they ass had coming to them. I took four out, leaving nobody to identify my face. I didn't take anyone with me, I knew they would only slow me down.

I see death almost every day but damn, seeing Andre like that killed me. He's the strongest guy I know, I guess it made me realize how quick I could go too. And I could see in his eyes that he knew he was dying, and that look killed me.

I guess it hurts to see the strongest person you know, the one you look up too weakened so much.

I sat down on my couch lighting another blunt. Damn, I can't go back on the promise I made to a dying man. I have to find his sister.

The problem was, when you're involved in the shit me and Andre are, you don't tell people shit, you don't tell people about where you live, the ones you love, nothing. So how the fuck would I find this girl?

I thought as hard as I could, taking another hit from the blunt. Yeah, that's right. Her name is Monica, my age, and she's a cheerleader or some shit, a real smart girl. I remember Andre came to the trap when it was just me and him bragging about that shit. He was proud of her. He wanted her to have the future he couldn't have.

The fact that I didn't even know where ol' boy lived screwed things up a bit. But I knew the area so I might as well start from there. I'll go in the morning though. A nigga go out there at night and get shot in about 5 minutes.

~Monica~

I put my clothes in a pile and my school things together so I would be ready for school tomorrow.

"Sigh" I really wasn't ready to go back but I knew I had too.

Dimir has been texting me non-stop since the night...

(Texts)

Dimir: Hey bae, I'm sorry.. You know how I get when I'm drunk. Why you ain't neva tell me you a virgin? Well text me back. Ily

Dimir: please talk to me, I'm sorry bae! It's not my fault!

Dimir: wow okay then. Fuck you too bitch.

Dimir: that's why I can have a new bitch in just a few seconds. Oh yeah I already do. Nobody wants your Virgin Mary ass anyways.

~Back to Monica~

Ugh, I'm so glad he doesn't know about my brother anyways. I don't tell him much, I never did. It's crazy how we were together for so long and knew nothing about each other. He probably doesn't even know my middle name without looking at Facebook.

I laid back on my bed, I was so tired but didn't want to sleep. I've been like that ever since Andre left. But I know I have to sleep so I'll give it a try. I have school tomorrow anyways.

As I fell asleep I could hear coughing coming from my fathers room. This has taken a major toll on him.


>The Next Day<

~TJ~

I looked at the clock, 8:00, right where I set my alarm. I wanted to waste no time finding this girl. It's already been two damn weeks since I made my promise. I'm surprised Andre hasn't haunted my black ass yet.

I got out of bed and got dressed, put on something that wasn't intimidating. I don't know this girl and if I actually find her, I don't need her to run thinking she's about to get her phone stolen.

As I got in the car, I tried my best to remember the area I knew Andre lived in. I had seen him walking from the store with some bags before so he couldn't live too far from the convenient store on 17th.

As I drove up and down the surrounding streets I saw tons of girls and niggas walking, oh yeah, they were going to school. I'm so glad I dropped out of that bitch, gave me more time for my money.

When I turned up another road I saw another female, this one walking alone. I had to admit she was bad as fuck, but now isn't the time for mackin.

As I passed her I looked in my rearview, Shawty was taking out a blunt! Her head was tilted back, blowing the smoke up as if it was the best thing on earth. When she put her head back down is when I saw it, Andre, she had his eyes, his face, that had to be his sister.

I stopped the car as quickly as I could and got out. She looked at me blankly.

"I don't have no gotdamn money so get the fuck out my face, and I won't come in your car either!" She shouted.

Damn, she had a nerve. Well I guess I would be bitter if my brother just got shot too.

"You're Monica, aren't you? Andre's sister?" I asked

She froze. Damn, maybe I should have been a little more discreet on that.

"Who's asking?" She said timidly. Her whole face and body language changed.

"He uh, he saved my life, before he died. And I'm the one who called the ambulance. He made me promise him something." I said taking a step closer to her.

She took a step backwards. "I know what this is, I don't need protection. I'm fine, what I need is for you to leave me alone." She said coldly.

"At least lemme talk to you..." I said now walking until I was just a step away from her. I looked at her, damn she was beautiful, green eyes, that long hair, but I gotta stay on target.

~Monica~

"At least lemme talk to you..." He said now coming only a foot away from me. I looked at him, he had a muscular build, and deep, inviting brown eyes. He was on the darker side, but it was a chocolatey warm color. I've never seen someone I wanted so bad, but hell.. I'm not going to show that, plus.. He's a thug.

I sighed, "fine, but I can't right now, you need to get your black ass to my school at 3:30 and pick me up if you intend on talking. The school is right up this street." I said pointing.

He gave me a look I couldn't quite read and finally nodded. "Have a good day." He said involuntarily licking his lips, it wasn't the lick of the lips I usually get though, it wasn't hungry. He walked away without another word and I rushed my way to school.


~TJ~

Thank god I found her! And now I gotta pick ma up at 3:30. Damn, fucking with my schedule and shit, I had a few things I needed I get to a few people around then but I guess they'll have to wait.

I have to admit, she wasn't how I had expected, I mean I knew we are around the same age but I guess I couldn't help but think she would be some innocent looking young girl. Well, she does look innocent, the blunt took me by surprise but I could tell she doesn't smoke much, she didn't have that experienced way about her, and I could tell she wasn't doing it for fun.

As hard as I tried to stop thinking the way I was, I couldn't help but seeing her green eyes piercing into mine, her inviting pink lips, and all those damn perfect curves she had.

Damn, I hope Andre can't read my mind.

As I rested with the seat of my car all the way back, I thought, then looked at my phone, damn.... Tomorrow is my birthday. I never really payed attention to shit like that though, I always felt older. I always had to be older.

When I was 7 I watched my crackhead mom, kill my baby sister. Trinity.. What a beautiful little girl she was at only 3 years only I adored her. We had different daddy's but it didn't matter to me. I always tried to keep her safe, away from the road, away from strangers. It always killed me I couldn't protect her from my own mother.

She was crying because mama hadn't fed us. I always did the best I could but there wasn't much else to eat in the house. When i would cry for food she would say I was being bad or some shit, always to weak to beat me, her crackhead ass thought of other things to do. Mixing bleach and some other shit and pouring it on my back, it would burn so bad.

She tried to do the same to Trinity once but I stopped her, which ended in me getting the worst pain I knew in my childhood.

Mother would always leave for a few nights, clubbing and getting high I assume. She would always come home with some different man too.

Well that specific night she came home she was mad about something, some nigga hit her or some shit. When Trinity wouldn't stop crying she shook her as hard as she could. Within an hour, my baby sister was gone.

After that my mother left, I moved in with the neighbor. She was a nice woman except for the fact that she might of well have been fossilized. I lived with her for awhile, she didn't pay too much attention. That's when I started doing what I do.

Drugs bring in a lot of money if you know what you're doing.

I got my money right, got her to sign a paper as my legal guardian and I bought a condo. She died two months later. It wasn't that long ago but seems like its been forever.

Thinking about this shit upset me, but I don't cry no more, it never helps shit. Plus I don't need emotions, it always fucks things up.

I looked at the clock, 10:48, I had plenty of time so I went ahead and handled my business.


~Monica~

I sighed, nothing feels the same without him.

I unlocked my phone looking at my notifications, around this time I would have already had a text from him.

We were watching a video today in class so I wasn't missing anything by being on my phone.

I went in and locked every message I had from Andre then looked at the time, 3:20.

When the bell rang I made sure to avoid every part that I knew Dimir might be in. The last thing I needed was to see him.

Right out infront of the school I saw the car I had seen that I had seen earlier, it was a nice car, and I'm sure he bought it with dirty money too.

I walked up too the car, opened the door and got in, turning around briefly to see a very angry Dimir.

"Drive, Now!" I said sternly. He seemed startled but didn't question.

When we got away from the school I turned to him, "So what's your name anyways?"

"TJ, my name is TJ." He said briefly glancing over at me..