MELODY DAVIS knocked on the door of Kevin's apartment, as she waited for him to open it. She was on her way to school and needed somebody to walk her. Jake had something to do with Reg, so he was gonna arrive at school late.
Melody sighed, before pulling out her phone and texting Kevin.
To: Kevin
I'm outside your house. Open the door.
The door instantly opened up and revealed his older sister, Keisha, with a glass of orange juice in her hand.
"Oh, hi, Melody!" Keisha greeted, smiling. "Hi, Keisha. Is Kevin in?" Melody asked. "Yeah, girl. He in his room, getting ready for school. You can come in, if you'd like." Keisha said. "That would be great. Thank you." Melody replied.
Keisha opened the door and Melody walked inside the apartment. She saw an older woman standing over the dining table, with a hand on her hip. Keisha closed the door back, before siting down.
"Who's this pretty lady?" Ms. Williams asked. "Mom, this is Melody. Kevin's friend." Keisha said. "Hi. It's nice to meet you." Melody said, holding her hand out. "You too, Melody. I'm Nina." Ms. Williams responded, shaking her hand.
"She's the new girl that Kevin's been talking. The one who moved in with Jake." Keisha stated. "Oh, really? No wonder he speaks so highly of you. You're very beautiful." Nina said. "Aw. Thank you. So are you." Melody responded.
"Hey yall." Kevin greeted sleepily, walking out of his bedroom "Looks like somebody on the struggle bus this morning." Nina said. "You not gone say hi to your friend?" Keisha spoke, pointing at Melody and making him turn around.
"Melody? What you doing here?" Kevin asked.
"I came to see if you wanted to walk to school with me." Melody said. "Oh, yeah, sure. Of course." Kevin smiled, making her blush. "You can eat with us, before y'all go." Nina offered. "Okay, yeah. Thank you." Melody replied.
Kevin sat down at the table and Melody took the chair next to him.
They both started eating their food.
"Why you look so grumpy today, Kev?" Nina asked. "I didn't sleep well." Kevin said. "He nervous about that play." Keisha uttered. "What play? My baby in play?" Nina asked. "The whiz. He auditioned for it." Keisha answered.
"The whiz, really? That's good." Nina said, walking out the kitchen.
"Really, Keisha? You got a big fucking mouth." Kevin insulted. "Language!" Nina shouted. "Dollar." Karen spoke up, walking out her bedroom. "I ain't got no money." Kevin said. "Well, then, put your marker in. Gone." Karen demanded.
Kevin sighed and stood up from his chair, before walking over to the swear jar.
"It should be two dollars for talking to your sister like that." Karen remarked.
"Morning, babe." Nina said, as she kissed Dre's lips.
"Morning." Karen responded. "Coffee?" Nina asked.
"Please." Karen answered, before looking over at Melody. "Hi." Melody spoke, nervously. "We having company this morning?" Karen asked.
"Dre, that's Melody. Kevin's new friend. The girl he's been talking about." Keisha voiced. "Oh, yeah, uh, Melody, right?" Karen inquired. "Yeah, that's me. Nice to meet you." Melody confirmed. "Wow. Kevin sure can pick 'em, huh, babe?" Karen retorted.
"Man, stop! Y'all embarrassing as hell." Kevin said, making Melody giggle.
"So; what's so important you using that kind of language around the breakfast table?" Karen asked, sitting down at the table.
"Nothing." Kevin lied.
"Kevin tried out for a play." Nina said, handing Karen a cup of coffee. "Good. Keep you off these fucking streets." Karen cursed. "Uh." Nina uttered. "Damn." Karen remarked. "That's two." Nina stated, making Melody laugh quietly.
Karen reached into her pocket and pulled out two dollars, handing it to Keisha.
Keisha stood up and placed the money into the swear jar behind her.
"Look, the reason I didn't tell y'all about the play is cause I might not do it." Kevin said.
"You tried out for it, didn't you? Well, we finish what we start in this family. You hear me?" Nina told him and he nodded his head.
"Now eat your breakfast, so you can walk this pretty young lady to school." Karen said.
Kevin sat back down in his seat beside Melody, as she looked over at him. Melody smiled from ear to ear, before shyly looking away and eating the rest of her pancakes. Kevin shook his head, as he smirked to himself and continued eating too.
*
MELODY DAVIS walked out the school building, with the boys. She was listening to Kevin complain about having to do the play, because Keisha had snitched on him to his parents. She actually thought it was pretty funny and entertaining.
"Man, why your sister do you like that?" Jake asked Kev. "I don't know, but now I gotta do this dumb ass play." Kevin answered. "Maybe she needs a little bit of Papa in her life to straighten her out." Papa joked, making Melody roll her eyes. "I think she already got that." Kevin remarked, laughing.
Melody looked up and saw a familiar man standing across the street. As he got closer, she realized it was the man who shot the kid. She felt her heart began to race, as she panicked on the insidez
"Kevin." Melody called, grabbing his arm. "Yeah? What's up?" Kevin asked, looking at her. "Look. Over there." Melody answered, pointing in the distance at the man. "Shit!" Kevin uttered, as he noticed Ronnie standing outside the fence.
"What?" Papa asked. "That's the dude." Melody answered, still pointing at the dude. "That's the dude that shot the kid and chased me." Kevin said. "What he doing here?" Papa asked. "What you think he doing here? He coming after us." Melody retorted.
"Come on, y'all. We gotta go." Kevin said, as he grabbed ahold of Melody's hand.
"Where are we going?" Papa questioned.
"We'll be safe in the auditorium." Kevin said.
"Auditorium?" Jake queried.
"Mr. Williams! I see you've answered my prayers." Mr. Gasca spoke out. "What, excuse me?" Kevin questioned. "Okay, we're short a few actors. You and your friends would be perfect." Mr. Gasca said. "Oh, hell nah." Melody uttered.
"Come on, Kev!" Papa shouted, as he pushed Kevin back towards the door.
"Whoa, guys! I promise you it's super important parts!" Mr. Gasca assured.
*
"The lollipop kids?" Melody questioned, looking down at the script in her hand. "Oh, hell nah. What do I look like?" Papa spoke, throwing his hands in the air. "Like a bunch of gay ass circus clowns. Man, screw this." Jake remarked.
"Look, at least we safe from that dude outside." Kevin said. "You snitch Kev?" Jake asked. "Man, what I look like? Don't ever ask that question again." Kevin scolded, clearly offended. "Why he coming after us?" Jake questioned.
"Yo, chill out guys! We don't need to be against each other, right now!" Melody shouted. "Nah. It's sus as hell, Melody. Him showing here." Papa spoke. "You on this shit too, Papa?" Kevin uttered. "Just saying." Papa said. "Well, don't." Melody scoffed.
"Yo, chill, Kev. We all in this with you." Jake told him.
"You're not, alright?" Kevin denied.
"The only person in this shit with me is Melody. That motherfucker coming after us. We the ones with the real problems. Man, what am I gonna do?" Kevin said, as he threw his hands in the air.
"The only way to get him off your back is to go and show him you ain't gonna snitch." Jake said. "Yeah, roll up on him. Man to man." Papa added. "I can't do that." Kevin stated. "You know where he hangs out, right?" Jake queried. "Yeah." Kevin nodded.
"So you got to him." Jake voiced. "Go to him? I can't do that." Kevin spoke. "Yeah, that's not safe y'all." Melody agreed with Kevin. "It's what you do before it becomes a thing. Show him you ain't gonna screw him over." Jake explained.
"But we ain't gone screw him over." Melody voiced.
"He don't know that." Jake argued. "What I say?" Kevin asked. "Go to him, show him your for real and that you ain't gone snitch on him." Jake instructed and Kevin sighed, deeply.
"How about I come with you to tell him?" Melody suggested. "Nah, nah. You ain't going." Jake spoke up, pulling her back. "He can't do that shit alone, Jake!" Melody shouted. "Nah, nah. Jake's right. You stay back Melody. I got this." Kevin said.
"You sure?" Melody asked, looking back at him.
"Yeah. Besides, I'd rather him come after me than you." Kevin said.
Melody smiled at the protective side of Kevin, before walking up to him. She pulled him into a tight hug and he instantly hugged her back. Jake watched in jealousy and Papa watched in amusement.
Kevin pulled away and looked at her, before smiling at her.
"You can do this." Melody encouraged.
*
MELODY DAVIS was now back at home. Jake was asleep in his bed across the room. She was writing song lyrics in her notebook. It was her secret hobby that nobody knew about. She wasn't named Melody for no reason. Melody loved music.
"Melody!" Harmony shouted, disturbing her writing and making Melody sigh.
Melody stood up from her bed and walked out the room, before walking into the living room. She saw her sister rolling up a blunt, while sitting on the couch and watching television.
"Come over here." Harmony order.
Melody walked over to the couch and sat down beside her. She watched as Harmony licked the fat ass blunt, before folding it together.
"You ever smoke before?" Harmony asked. "Uh, no. It's disgusting." Melody answered. "Oh, really? Well, you haven't been through life, yet. This shit right here calms a world full of chaos." Harmony said. "It probably does." Melody remarked.
"You don't gotta smoke it, but as a woman, you do need to learn how to roll up. It's important. Every nigga want a girl that can roll up his weed. Just like I'm doing right now for Reg." Harmony said.
"The type of man I want would never smoke weed." Melody said. "What kind of man is that?" Harmony asked. "Note a dope dealer." Melody teased. "Is that shade?" Harmony asked, making her laugh. "Nah. I'm just playing." Melody said.
"Well, I'm serious. Ima teach you how to roll. But as of right now, I need you to hand this to my man outside." Harmony said.
"Why can't you do it?" Melody asked.
"I don't need his homeboys thirsting over me. You a little girl. They ain't thinking about you." Harmony spoke, handing her the blunt.
"Let's hope they ain't." Melody replied, grabbing the blunt and standing up from the couch.
Melody walked out the living room and opened the front door. She walked outside and saw a bunch of Reg's corner boys standing out on the patio. She gagged in disgust, before walking pass em.
"Excuse me." Melody repeated over and over again, as she made her way over to Reg.
"What you doing out here?" Reg asked Melody, as she approached him. "Harmony told me to give you this poison." Melody answered, handing him the blunt and he laughed. "Poison, huh? You a trip, little sis." Reg spoke, chuckling lowly.
"Yo, is that Emmett?" Reg's corner boy spoke, catching their attention.
Melody looked over her shoulder, along with Reg. She watched as a young kid with brown bleached hair, approached the front patio.
"Oh, shit. Yeah, that's him." Reg said. "Who's Emmett?" Melody asked. "Come with me and find out." Reg said, as he grabbed her hand. "Who said I cared that much?" Melody uttered, as she let him drag her down the patio.
"What you doing around here, dog?" Reg asked, dapping up Emmett. "Hey, Reg." Emmett replied.
"How you living ?" Reg asked. "Hustling." Emmett responded. "This is Melody. Harmony's little sister. She staying with us, now. Melody, this is Emmett. A neighborhood friend." Reg introduced.
"Hey, Melody. I think I heard about you. My girl said you was friends with her little bro." Emmett spoke. "Who?" Melody asked. "Kevin." Emmett answered. "Kevin? Oh, shit. Keisha's your girl?" Melody asked, clearly surprised.
"Yeah, she is, but, uh, it's nice to meet you. Welcome to Chicago." Emmett said. "Yeah, thanks." Melody replied. "So, now that you've met her, I need you to look out for her in these streets." Reg said. "Oh, yeah. Of course, man." Emmett replied.
"Well, this was a wonderful conversation, but I'm going to bed. Goodnight, Reg. See you around, Emmett." Melody spoke.
"Aight." Emmett and Reg responded, in union.
*