Episode 2-The Outspoken King
"Exactly how the hell did you manage to get out of performing with Kid Fo-Fo?"
A shrug of her shoulders; Mercedes sat in the restaurant booth with her friends.
Mercedes pops a fry in her mouth. "Called a calculated strategy."
"Mmm-no, that's called being spoiled." Marquis points, Mercedes sticks out her tongue to his laugh.
"At least we finally got a break, my legs hurt from today." Gigi rubs her knees.
Marquis looked next to him. "You should be the last one—!
Gigi whacked his arm making Mercedes and Destiny laugh at them.
"So you doing the photoshoot for Muave?" Destiny asks her friend.
Mercedes sighs, slapping the salt of fingers. "Yeah I guess." She tossed the last fry back on the plate. "I promised my uncle Vernon, and since my dad got me out of the performance. I now have to."
"Don't want to say you did that yourself buuuut.." Gigi's face winces. "You kind of did."
"Yeah, every sacrifice comes with a price." Mercedes takes out her phone from the black varsity jacket she had on. "If Hakeem doesn't leave me alone. Damn."
Marquis picks up his drink. "Is it about him finding Tiana?"
"Yup and she in trouble."
Mercedes sucks her teeth. "Destiny, shut up,"
"You know you are," Destiny says. "Did y'all hear the feds raided Xavier's house and his moms?"
"Yeah, I did." Marquis nods. "Shit is crazy."
"The feds got to him?" Mercedes lowers her phone. "Why the hell would the feds be looking into him?"
Marquis shakes his head. "You know he use to work with War,"
Destiny sighs. "I heard they took War in around the same time as Legend didn't they."
"Yeah but only Legend got out." Gigi points out. "Wai-y'all don't think Legend gave up War to get out early?"
"Hell no," Marquis frowns. "Know damn well he ain't no snitch."
"No, but somebody is, and the Feds must be desperate." Mercedes puts her phone away. "Everybody know Legend wouldn't snitch on War. He ain't stupid and that's rule number one when it come to any streets. Your ass don't snitch."
"That's point blank." Marquis agrees. "Xavier not that bold."
"Mmm," Mercedes rolled her eyes with a hum. "The only thing snitches are is, scared. Only fear strikes them into either talking or not talking. So for his sake he better be more scared of War then jail time."
Gigi shrugs. "I mean but aren't you already a dead man walking if you go to jail."
Mercedes sighs, looking down at her nails. "Pretty much."
The waitress comes over to the table.
"Now what dragged y'all in here?" She asked him.
"Now you know why, Tierra. Cause your mother got good waffles," Marquis nods.
"Don't make me hit you with my check book." She points it.
"What he means is," Mercedes threw her napkins at him. "We love coming to this diner just like everybody else in the neighborhood. Always reminds me of where I came from."
Tierra smiles. "Y'all are always welcome. Leave Marquis at home."
The girls laughed.
Hearing the door open, they see a couple of guys walk in.
Mercedes noticed a few of their faces and continued watching until one person emerged . Laughing and talking with them, Legend talked to the friend by his side.
"Welp, look who came in." Tierra sees them. "Buzz still been going on since he been home."
Mercedes grabs her drink, ignoring it the best she could.
"I heard y'all working on something big for the abandoned blocks, Marquis." Tierra looks over at him. "A club, hair dressers, barbershops and little stores."
"Yup, Legend just signed off on all the construction's yesterday. Gonna be a while before it's all up though. Foundation is built, we just got to gut it out."
"I can't wait." Tierra says.
"Yeah, neither can we." Destiny nods. "That club is going to be a banger."
"Legendary, right, Cedes?" Destiny looks over to her friend.
"Yeah." Mercedes forces a small smile.
Tierra catches this. "Wait. Y'all two not together anymore?"
Mercedes went to answer but stopped when a few girls approached the booth that Legend and his friends sat at. Their giggling and falling over them made her eyes roll.
"No," Is all Mercedes said. "That was a long time ago, Tierra. You know that."
"I know but y'all was so cute." Tierra pouts.
The laughter got their eyes for a brief moment.
Gigi frowns "She laugh any harder she going to choke."
"Hopefully it will be on that coke." Destiny scoffs. Mercedes hits her arm. "Ow! I meant the drink in her hand."
"Mhm."
Mercedes picks up her phone when it rings. An annoyed groan at the name that popped up.
Twin Keem
"Hakeem the hell Lyon, what do you want?"
"Dad calling everybody to the house tonight. He said you better be there."
"You a messenger now?" Mercedes asks him. "Usps dumb ass?"
"Oh so you got jokes?" Hakeem asks her. "Bring your butt to dad house or you going to be in trouble. I'll tell him."
"Little snitch bit-" Mercedes jaw dropped when she heard the dial tone. "I know his ass did not—!"
Mercedes mumbles as she digs in her purse—she slaps the money on the table. "Beat his ass. I got to go, watch out."
Destiny quickly moves out of the booth.
Mercedes snatched her black shades out and puts them on as her heels hit the floor. She dials Hakeem and puts the phone to her ear.
"See ya'll at practice tomorrow. Remember to be on time," Mercedes points back. "Marquis, I'm mostly talking to you."
"I got you," Marquis nods.
Mercedes got the voicemail of her brother. "Have you lost your damn mind? Boy don't you ever call my phone and then hang up on me." This caught a few people's attention. "I hang up on you, that's how that works. Walked your big head ass in my session today and got nerve to have sass? So you sassy now? I know one thing for sure and another for certain, you better answer this phone when my name pop up before I pop up on your doorstep."
Mercedes hangs up the phone, annoyed.
"They need to bring flip phones back, more dramatic." Mercedes mumbles.
Legend sees her walking and excuses himself from the table, he gently moved one of the girls out of his way.
"Mariah,"
A double take as he stops her from leaving. "Oh now you see me?" She turns around and gave a motion to the table. "Thought you couldn't see through all of that."
A simple brow raise. "All of what?"
"I got shades on, but I'm not blind." Mercedes adjusts her bag. "I-"
"Legend." One of the girls interrupted. "Your frie-"
"Aht, excuse me." Mercedes waved a hand, making the girl look over. "We are talking."
"I was just asking him a question from one of his boys about what he wanted to order."
Legend eyes her before glancing to Mercedes who smirked making him sigh under his breath.
"No, what you wanted to do is make yourself known to me and be noisy." Mercedes playfully points.
"That's not-"
"I'm going save you some time and wonder, he single." Mercedes nods. "Satisfied?" The girl rolls her eyes as she leaves. "And he order the number five," Mercedes rolls her eyes. "desperate ass." Legend snickers. "Ain't nothing funny."
"You always amaze me, even without trying."
"You just was going to let her come over here?"
"I like my life just fine so I stayed quiet." Legend hands go up in defense. "Now go on back over there with your friends and pay me no attention like you did earlier."
"When did I not notice you earlier? You didn't think I seen you sitting over there yelling on the phone?" His head tilts down. Mercedes looks back at him. "Yeah. That voice travels when you're mad. Let me guess, baby twin?"
Her eyes roll. "Shut up, Legend."
Legend chuckles and shakes his head. "I also already knew you were here."
"How did you-" Mercedes sighs, eyes looking to the ceiling. "Marquis. I got to start remembering that fool still your cousin."
"Always slips your mind,"
"Yeah well things slip your mind to:" Mercedes looks over his shoulder.
Legend smirked watching her. "Ain't no reason to be looking over there."
Mercedes snaps her attention fully back to him. "I wasn't."
A circle of his finger. "You know I can see your eyes through the shades."
"What I tell you about minding my business?" Mercedes asks him.
Legend hand reached for her. "How many times do I have to tell you that you're always my business,"
Mercedes slaps his hand off to his laugh. "Save that for the branches that blew over to your table."
Legend laughs. "Jealous?"
"Boy please, " Mercedes scoffs. "Branches break easily, remember that." A point of her finger. "And ain't none of them me."
"I'll never argue with you there, mama." Legend says, Mercedes looks over at him making him smirk. "You really changed."
"Excuse me?"
"You excused."
Mercedes head withdraws as she dropped her purse off her shoulders.
"Oh so we being like that?"
"I was saying you changed in a good way."
"You left that part out when you said it the first time. And what changed?"
Legend nods. "You," Mercedes took her shades off. "Not your heart, just that fire that I knew was always there. The more I see you, the more it just grows. You grew up a lot on me."
"Yeah, well." Mercedes looks off. "Can't stay the same forever. Not how life works."
"Some things can't stay the same."
Mercedes gave him a look for this, she scoffs and shakes her head with a smile.
"Mmm-mm, no." Mercedes says making him bite on his amused smile. "I got to go."
"Now hold on,"
Mercedes moved her arm out his reach. "Levan, what I tell you about reaching for me."
A jaw drop. "Oh the government?"
"Mhm, since you been throwing out my name. My turn." Mercedes nods. "You want to talk so bad. Did you hear about Xavier?" Legend head tilts innocently making her nod. "Of course you did." A look around before she asks him in a low voice. "Is it because of War?"
"What makes you think I know?"
"Legend don't play dumb with me, now you can't try it with, trick, tricky and trickster over there." Mercedes motions to the girls. "But don't lie to me. What is going on, is this still about you and War?"
"What happened between me and War is not important,"
"Really?" Mercedes folds her arms. "You sure about that?" Legend could only look at her for a while before avoiding those hazel eyes. "Yeah, see. That's how I know your lying to me. Can't even look me in my face."
"Don't read me right now Mariah."
"Don't be lying to me then, Legend." Mercedes steps up to him. "You want me to really forgive you but you don't even really trust me enough."
"You one of the few I do trust." Legend brows pull. "I'm keeping you away from this."
"You know who you sound like?" Mercedes brow raised. "Lucious Lyon," the glare of Legend showing how much he didn't like that. "and I have one already. I don't need another. So if that's how it is..." Legend holds out his arm, stopping her from leaving. Mercedes sighs. "Move your arm."
"I want to talk to you." He guided her back to him with a hand on her arm.
"Unless you being honest with me, the only thing you have to say to me is 'bye', so goodbye."
"I will talk to you,"
"When?" Mercedes looks up at him. "When you behind bars again?"
Legend seen that hurt look making his gaze soften.
"I'm not going anywhere."
Mercedes takes her arm away and points. "That's the same lie you said to my face two days before you did what you did. Saying you protecting me. Why can't I know what I should be watching my back from?"
"I dragged you into my foolishness enough years ago. I'm not doing that again."
"Let me tell you something," Mercedes pats his chest, looking up at him. "Not a soul in this world makes me do anything that I don't want to. You didn't drag me in anything. I wanted to, so I did."
"And why did you want to?"
Mercedes chewed on the word that almost fell off her tongue. Those were the words that she was going to return back to him years ago.
"I don't know," Mercedes shakes her head, avoiding his gaze.
"You want me to be honest with you, yet you can't even be honest with yourself when it come to me."
"Oh I wonder why," Mercedes glares back at him.
Legend sighs, hands sliding in his pockets. "Mariah, I didn't stop you to argue. You want me to talk to you?"
"Yes, didn't I just say that."
"Okay," Legend rubs his hand over his chin. "When you agree to come out with me one night, I'll talk."
Mercedes points. "Oh, oh I see what this is. In order to get you to let me in and stop acting like I'm some delicate ass flower. I got to go out with you."
"That's it."
"I'm not dating you again. I meant that."
"I never said anything about dating me. I just want you to come out with me." Legend hand brushes down her arm. Mercedes ignores the slight shiver from his touch. "I can work on letting you in. As long as you take my hand when I reach for you. What do you say?"
"Mm," A look up and a down. "I'll think about it."
"That's all I ask, pretty girl."
"Yeah, yeah, keep your flirting to them over there. They not use to it. I am." Mercedes shoos him away.
"Yet I know that body of yours always gives me the same reaction."
"You wish it did." She puts on her shades. "Now go on back to your little friends and your fans around your table. You need to tell the one in the pink get her cornrow fixed, it's crooked."
Legend bit on his laugh, hanging his head. "Yeah I really don't know what happened to my little quiet Mariah."
"She got older and realized she got Lucious Lyon as her daddy," Mercedes scoffs. "If that don't toughen you up, nothing will."
"I'm glad you found your voice." A proud smile on him. "Don't loose that for nobody. Not even me."
"Yeah, I won't." Mercedes eyes find his. "Lucious Lyon wasn't the only thing that helped me though."
"Yeah?" His brows raise. "Who else?"
Mercedes tongue poked in her cheek making him smile as he already knew.
Legend steps closer and leans in. "Come on, I'm listening."
Mercedes finally looks back to see that amused gaze staring back at her. His brow raised and waiting for the answer.
"A good friend who taught me if I was going to be around the streets to not be stupid."
"What's the persons name Mariah?"
Mercedes leans to his ear. "Pain in my ass."
A light slap to the side of his face that had him looking at her taken back. "That's for walking away and not coming to me."
Going to swing again but this time he grabbed her hand.
"I know what you doing."
"What are you talking about Legend?"
"You knew damn well I was going to grab that hand this time." He pulled her card making Mercedes drop her smile. "Uh-huh. So again, what's the name of the person?"
Mercedes snatched her hand away. "Get off me."
"Legend?" The girl from earlier called him. "You coming back or what?"
"Yeah, Legend. You coming back?" Mercedes walks around, eyeing him up and down with a frown. "Move."
"Really Mariah?"
"Go ice your cheek and get out my face, Legend." Mercedes waved him off. "With your now high and mighty flirting ass. Thinking somebody just supposed to forgive you cause you breathing ass," Legend sighs with a certain smile. "trying to be in my face but in theirs. Acting like the king of the hood, but more like the Joker ass..."
Marquis shakes his head slow as him and the girls had been watching.
Mercedes walks towards the door. "Get on my damn nerves!"
Legend smirks. "Watch your step on the way out."
Mercedes made sure to casually knock the menus off their table as she continued walking.
"Ooh," Destiny winces.
Legend nods slow. "Okay, foreal though ?"
"Shut up, Legend."
The girls at the table jaw dropped as one of them glares.
"I know she didn't." The one from earlier says.
"Pick it up if it bothers you."
A rub of his cheeks as Legend chuckles. "Still crazy as hell."
"Enjoy your day, Levan."
"Miss you already Mariah!"
Mercedes waves her hand. "Man, bye!"
Outside...
Mercedes walks to the Lincoln. The driver opened up the door for her.
Feeling her phone vibrate, she looks down.
Mal
Mercedes answers it. "Jamal,"
"Did Hakeem tell you to come to dads?"
"Yeah he told me and you tell MC he going get my size eight right upside his head for hanging up on me as I was talking." Mercedes tells him. "I know I'm spoiled but that one-"
"Wait, wait, wait, Mercedes, that's not all that happened."
"I'm not for another 'Who going to rule the world' meeting." Mercedes sighs. "Like I don't-"
"Mercedes the meeting at dads house isn't for that."
"Then what's it for?"
"Uncle Bunkie is dead. Said he got shot..."
Mercedes felt the phone slip out of her hand as the voice of her brother started to fade...
Later that night, at Lucious Manor
The family were quiet as they had gathered in the den after hearing the news.
Only thing that could be heard is the sound of Cookie crying quietly in the chair with Jamal by her side.
Lucious talked to them. "They don't have any leads." Mercedes sat in the chair, face buried in her hands as she stayed quiet. "But I'm gonna find the person that did this to my friend. And when I do, I'm gonna tear..."
"Don't do anything silly, dad."
Lucious sucks up his tears. "They gonna be found." A vengeful look in his eyes.
Anika takes his hand and pulls Lucious to the couch to sit down.
Lucious looks to his daughter. "Mariah, baby girl."
"Mmm-mmm." Mercedes shakes her head as she inhaled, wiping the tears off her cheeks. Eyes pink and puffy from crying. "He didn't do anything to deserve how they just did him like that. In a river? Are you kidding me?"
Vernon reached for her. "Mariah,"
"No!" Mercedes moved away from him. "No, no." Burying her face back she tried to keep from crying hard in front of everyone. "They didn't have to do my uncle like that,"
Cookie almost got up but her son beat her to it to her shock. Hakeem got up from his seat and sat on the arm of her chair, putting his arm around her.
Mercedes cried with her head in his lap.
Keeping her close, he looked back to Lucious. "Man, Bunkie wouldn't hurt nobody."
Cookie sniffles and nods her head. "I understand, baby. He was like a father to you and your sister." Hakeem eyes rolled over to her when he seen her get up. "Come here. Come here.
Hakeem snatched away from her reach. "Don't touch me." He blocked her way from Mercedes. "Don't you ever touch me or my damn sister again."
"Hakeem." Jamal stood up.
"Don't disrespect your mother like that." Vernon tells him.
"I can't deal with this right now, I can't." Mercedes sniffles up her tears as she got up from the chair and left.
"Cedes!" Hakeem called after her. He glared at Cookie who shakes her head at him with tears in her eyes. "Never should have came back."
Cookie cried as she plopped down in the chair. Vernon rested a hand on her shoulder.
"Hakeem." Jamal called after him as he stormed out after his sister.
Lucious looks over to Jamal. "Make sure they all right. You know your sister is not good with death."
Vernon sees the oldest shaken up. "Don't you worry, Andre. We're gonna find him."
Meanwhile...
Mercedes laid in the old room of her twin.
Pillow tucked under her head as she laid on her side.
Hakeem came out the bathroom. "Got you some tissue."
"Don't worry about it," Mercedes tells him.
"Yeah okay," Hakeem plopped down and used it to wipe the tears off her face. "Nose snotty."
Mercedes glares making him smirk a bit, she cracked a small one but it fell quick.
"You didn't have to yell at her like that Keem, she was just trying to help."
"Haven't she been helping enough?" Hakeem asks. "All of a sudden she get out and everything start going left. You know when it come to me and you we come second to Jamal." Mercedes eyes flickered up. A few tears fell but her brother cleaned them right up. "You know it's gonna be okay. Right?" He nudged her. "I got your back and you know that."
Mercedes smiles a little. "I know."
Jamal walked in. "Knew I find y'all two together."
Hakeem grabbed his red bong and laid back.
"You going light that while she right there?" Jamal asks.
Mercedes shakes her head. "Everyone get a one shot."
"See," Hakeem lit it up. "besides your mother stressed me out."
Jamal sat on the bean bag, he looked at Mercedes. "You okay?"
"I will be."
"She'll be straight," Hakeem nods, he looks down at her. "I got her."
Jamal smiled a bit. People could say a lot about Hakeem with his attitude and being spoiled but there is one thing he was good at and that's looking after his twin.
"How does she know he was like a father to us?" Hakeem asked.
"They're cousins, stupid." Jamal says with a slight laugh.
"And?"
"And Cookie knows everything." Mercedes sighs.
"No, she don't." Hakeem retorts.
"Yes, she do." Jamal added in.
"No, she don't."
"Yes, she do." Jamal and Mercedes tell him.
"Man whatever," Hakeem took a deep inhale before smacking away the smoke.
"Yo, she wants me to come out the same day that you two perform at Laviticus and get ya'll press."
"She's Satan's daughter." Hakeem raised his voice. Jamal laughs as even Mercedes cracked a small smile. "Why's she even here? Ain't she supposed to be locked up for like ten more years?
"Hakeem, she ain't that bad."
A throw up of her hand. "I tried to tell him."
"Man, I don't even feel like performing at this show." Hakeem shakes his head.
"Don't do that, you know Bunkie would want you on that stage. So we got to, for him.
"Cedes is right." Jamal says looking back to Hakeem. "You know Bunkie wouldn't want y'all to gout like that. Especially not for him."
"I know, I know." Hakeem sighs, he looked to Jamal. "Cedes being stingy with the information," this gets a glare from her. "You know Tiana?"
Jamal seen his look. "What'd you do, fool?"
Mercedes takes a pillow and smacks him with it. "Not keeping it in his pants like I warned him."
"Chill!"
Jamal laughed.
Hakeem took another hit as Vernon walked into the room.
He waved away the smoke. "Come on, what'd I tell you about this damn reefer?"
Hakeem coughed.
Mercedes leans up and snatched it. "Give me this, stupid. Can't even smoke right."
Vernon shakes his head. "Police gave me Bunkie's personal effects." He took out Bunkie"s chain. "There wasn't much left, but... think he'd want you to have this. Match the one he told me he gave to Mariah."
Hakeem took a hold of it and gave a thankful look to his uncle.
"Mariah," Vernon handed her a photo as she sat up. "Had this in his wallet. Thought you might want that."
It was a photo of her and Hakeem with Bunkie when they were seven. It made her smile come back as tears filled her eyes again.
"Thanks uncle Vernon,"
A pat to her back, he takes the red bong off Hakeem.
"The last time I'm gonna tell you about this." He waved it. "Why does Lil Wayne look like the devil?"
Jamal saw the gift they were given but seen his sister on the verge of tears.
"You going be okay?"
"Yeah, I just need time." Mercedes nods. "I do..."
Mercedes laid back down with the photo as she turned her back, closing her eyes.
The hurt continued to hit away in her stomach.
Who took her uncle away from them?
_____
That's it for this chapter!
Please be sure to fav and leave comments ❤️