The Riots ( SLOW UPDATES )

chapter three.

      april 30th, 1992

7:01 AM

HAKEEM PULLED UP TO ALLEN'S HOUSE IN HIS USUAL MANNER, EXCEPT TODAY, HE WAS EARLY.

"What's up, 'Keem?" Allen said once Hakeem joined him and Dwayne as they sat on their bikes in Allen's driveway. "Why you disappear on us like that?"

Hakeem gave both of them dap as he sat down on the seat of his bike, his feet relaxed on the pedals.

"My bad. I had to get home to my mom and y'all weren't movin' quick enough for me." Hakeem joked.

Allen sucked his teeth as Dwayne chuckled, shaking his head.

"Guess who I ran into on my way to the crib?" Dwayne asked, giving his friends a look that said you won't believe this bullshit.

"Who?" Hakeem and Allen asked as in unison.

"Reedo." Dwayne responded dryly, rolling his eyes.

"Reedo, the crackhead?" Hakeem questioned in disbelief, leaning forward on his bike.

"Nah, Reedo my daddy." Dwayne sucked his teeth sarcastically. "Yes, Reedo the crackhead!"

Allen chuckled while Hakeem softly pushed Dwayne in annoyance.

"Anyway, Reedo was standing in front of my house, a forty in his hand, asking me for money, and was musty-as usual."

His friends laughed as Marcus and Charles pulled up on their bikes and filled in the gaps next to Hakeem in Allen's driveway. Hakeem gave them dap as Dwayne continued with his story.

"So I told him nah, get away from my house with all that and to go home, or wherever he stay."

"Who?" Marcus asked curiously.

"Reedo." Allen answered.

"Reedo, the crackhead?" Charles asked.

"Yes, Reedo the crackhead! Goddamn, how many Reedos do y'all know?"  Dwayne yelled in frustration.

"Damn, D. Who pissed in your cereal?" Marcus asked jokingly as everyone joined in laughter, Allen giving Marcus dap.

"It's that time of the month, man?" Charles joined in on the taunting which made everyone laugh even harder.

Dwayne contained his frustration, sucking his teeth and flipping Charles and Marcus off. "Fuck y'all."

"Finish the story, D." Hakeem said, trying to contain his laughter. 

Dwayne rolled his eyes, clearing his throat. "As I was sayin', Reedo wasn't listening to me and he followed me to the door. So I got in his face and told him if his stank ass don't get off my porch, I'mma knock him out."

"Then-y'all won't believe this-this nigga unzipped his pants, pulled down his underwear, and started pissing on my shoes!"

Everyone erupted in laughter, shocked at Dwayne's story.

"Nigga, you lyin'." Allen said, laughing.

"I swear to god, man." Dwayne said, holding up his hands in defense.

"So what you do after that?" Charles asked.

"Oh, I punched him in his goddamn face."

"Okay, now I know you lyin'." Hakeem said, knowing Dwayne had a tendency to exaggerate his stories.

"Why would I lie?" Dwayne said, disappointed his friends didn't believe him. "It ain't take much; I could've tapped him with my pinky and he would've fell flat on his face. He was as fucked up as my uncle on Christmas eve."

Everyone cracked up into laughter, including Dwayne. I guess it's funny how all of their situations weren't the best but they still managed to laugh.

"You heard from Malia?" Hakeem asked Charles, remembering what he wanted to tell his friends as they all got quiet.

"Yeah, she said they're down." Charles replied, noticing that the rest of the group was staring at them with confused looks on their faces.

"Down for what?" Marcus asked anxiously.

Hakeem and Charles gave each other a look before Hakeem told the group their plan for the riots.

"Charles and I were thinking we should go to the riots." Hakeem said to the unusually quiet group of young males.

They were all quiet for a second, looking around at each other to see who would say something first. All you could hear was the sound of police sirens coming from down the block.

"Well I'll be damned. It's about time y'all niggas came around." Marcus said, grinning while gripping the handles of his bike.

"Wait, whatchu mean,  go to the riots?" Allen asked wearily, narrowing his eyes at Hakeem and Charles.

"I already told y'all I'm not about to get involved in that crazy shit." Dwayne denied, shaking his head, going from his usual goofy self to serious in a matter of seconds.

"D, you're the main one always talkin' about the white man this, the white man that and how if you had the chance, you would do something." Hakeem declared, making sure to look Dwayne in the eye when he spoke.

"He got a point, D. It's time put some actions to those words." Charles said, backing Hakeem up. Even though they were talking to Hakeem, their words affected everyone in the group.

Just as Dwayne was about to say something, Hakeem checked the time on his watch and once again, they were about to be late.

"Let's go, we gotta meet the girls at school." Hakeem stated, starting to pedal first down the street.

"Wait, what about the riots?" Dwayne questioned, following behind Hakeem.

"You coming or what?" Hakeem asked, looking back behind him at Dwayne. 

Dwayne looked at the ground and then back up at Hakeem, giving him a mean glare. Hakeem knew Dwayne didn't like to admit that somebody else was right so Hakeem accepted his answer, smiling.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"What's the plan for all this?" Allen asked, still not even sure if he wanted to follow through with whatever plan they had.