Lucious
The loud repetitive knocking and banging on my front door made my eyes shoot open. I sat up looking over at the clock seeing it was 4:22AM. It was still dark outside, and the house was quiet.
"Who is that?" Star asked sitting up as I got out the bed, sliding on my basketball shorts.
"I'm bout to see." I said as I walked out of our bedroom and to the front door. Without any hesitation or fear I swung the front door open.
I frowned and rubbed my eyes to make sure my eyes were seeing right.
"Serenity?" I asked
"Y..Yes Mr Lyon. It's me." She said crying catching me off guard. What the hell was she doing here at 4 o'clock in the morning?
"Who's at the door?" I heard Star ask. I looked over my shoulder and she was peeping from around the corner. I opened the door wider so that she could see who it was and her reaction was the same as mine.
"May I come in?" She asked.
I nodded my head and stepped aside so that she could come in. She sat on the couch as Star cut a lamp on so we could all see.
Her and Lyric were supposed to be having a movie night and sleepover, at her house. My mind went blank for a minute and Lyric popped into my head.
"What are you doing here? Where is Lyric?" I asked Serenity who had tears flowing down her face.
"Dad who at the door?" I heard Caiden ask. I glanced over and He and Reign was standing on the staircase.
"Serenity. Y'all go back to bed." I told the two of them. Caiden quickly turned to run upstairs like he knew something, and Reign followed.
I looked back at Serenity who had her head down. "I am so sorry Mr Lyon." She said making my heart skip. Sorry for what? Where is Lyric?
"Star go get my phone." I said. She quickly made her way to the room to grab my phone so I could call Cookie.
"Sorry for what?" I asked Serenity.
"I left her! I..I couldn't find her and they were shooting. Everybody was running and I just panicked... I didn't know W..what to do. And..." She rushed out but I cut her off.
"Shooting? You left her where?" I frowned.
"Where the Party was.." She cried.
Star walked back into the living room with my phone. Immediately I found Cookies contact and called her.
"Party? Where was the party?" I asked Serenity as the line rang, I placed back and forth waiting for Cookie to answer.
"It was somewhere in North Philly." Serenity Said making me groan and shake my head. These damn kids.
"Mmm hello?" She answered in a groggy voice.
"Cookie."
"What Lucious? It's four in the morning."
"Something might've happened to Lyric. Serenity here..." I said before she cut me off
"Im on my way." She said. Before I could say anything else she had hung up.
"She probably tried calling and texting me, but I dropped and broke my phone at the party." Serenity said.
I looked at Lyrics Location that said she was at Serenity's which made my eyebrow raise. "It says she's at your house." I said flipping the phone to show her.
Serenity shook her head. "Her Ipad is there, not her." She said. I called Lyrics phone. The line rang but she never answered. I felt myself becoming angry and agitated.
"You don't have any idea where she could be?" Star asked. Serenity shook her head.
"I'm so sorry. None of this would've never happened if it wasn't for me." She cried.
I walked to the bedroom Star and I shared before cutting the lights on. My temper was rising from not knowing. Quickly I slid on some sweats and A hoodie, along with my 1s.
I can't believe she lied, snuck out and now could possibly be hurt, missing or dead. I grabbed my truck keys and walked back to the living room.
"I want the address to where this party was." I told Serenity making her wipe her face.
There was a knock at the door, it couldn't be anyone other than Cookie. I walked over and opened the door to see my ex wife standing there. She had on grey leggings with a cookie monster hoodie to pair it with.
Her hair was up in her bonnet and she wore blue crocs to match her shirt. Internally I laughed because, I gave her the nickname Cookie monster.
"What's going on? I called Lyric almost ten times on my way over." She said looking up at me as I stepped aside to let her inside.
"They snuck and went to a party on the north side. Serenity said people got to shooting, she panicked and left Lyric." I told Cookie who raised an eyebrow before walking over to the couch where Serenity was.
"Your parents know about this?" Cookie asked her.
"No ma'am. My dad and Tiara are out of town." Serenity said referring to her stepmom.
I heard footsteps on the stairs letting me know one of the twins was trying their best to ear hustle. "Go back to bed." I said walking to the bottom of the stairs.
I frowned as I looked up at Lyric who was rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "What's going on?" She asked before yawning.
She was in her pajamas letting me know she had been here and sleep for quite some time. Cookie walked over to the stairs and made the same face I did.
"Mom? What are you doing here?" Lyric asked from the top of the staircase looking down at the two of us. What the hell going on? It's too early for this shit.
"Get your ass down here. Now." Cookie said sternly.
Slowly she made her way downstairs. When she was in reach Cookie snatched her by her shirt. "Sit your ass down." She said pointing to the couch.
Lyric was confused as she walked over to the couch, her eyes widened when she saw Serenity.
"Oh my god. You're here. You're Okay!" Serenity said ecstatically looking at Lyric, wiping her tears.
Without responding to her. Lyric plopped down on the couch, and looked in mine and Cookies direction. She knew that we knew what she had done. And it was nothing she could do about it, or say to get out of it.
"We sneak out to parties now?" Cookie asked our daughter who folded her arms across her chest.
I looked over at Star giving her a nod to go back in the room, So that Cookie and I could talk to them
and get to the bottom of everything.
"You know how much danger you put yourself in? You could've been killed." I added.
"I would've been fine had my 'best friend' not left me, on the other side of town BY MYSELF." Lyric said looking at Serenity.
"I'm sorry. I dropped and broke my phone. Then they started shooting." Serenity apologized.
"You left me as soon as we walked in the door. Save it, for real." Lyric snapped before rolling her eyes.
"How the hell you get home from the North side?" Cookie asked.
"I...I took the train." Lyric said looking at me but quickly looked away.
"In all fairness Mr. and Mrs. Lyon it was all completely my idea. She didn't even want to sneak out, I made her come with me." Serenity assured looking at Cookie and I.
"Lyric know right from wrong. You didn't tell her to lie to us. You had a choice and you did what you wanted." I said never taking my eyes off my daughter.
"Daddy it was just a party!" Lyric said finally looking my way.
"That you could've gotten hurt at. We didn't have a clue. If something would've happened to the BOTH of you, what did y'all expect us to do?" I said sternly.
"You guys mad at me for sneaking out, get mad at Serenity! She the one that left me for dead." Lyric said pointing at Serenity.
"We not Serenity's parents. We're yours. You are MY child, and you know better. " Cookie snapped making Lyric smack her teeth and cross her arms.
I glanced over at Cookie who had raised an eyebrow and tilted her head to the side. "Little girl, you must lost your damn mind." She said with a chuckle.
Lyric sat there as her leg shook up and down quickly, letting me know she was upset. She sat quietly, without responding to Cookie.
"Kelvin is leaving in the morning. When he's gone, your ass is coming home. You not to old or too big for me to whoop your ass. I will deal with you tomorrow. And Serenity don't think you off the hook, I will definitely be letting yo daddy know." Cookie said while looking at the both of them.
"And I would appreciate if you didn't influence her to do something she has no business doing." Cookie finished.
"Again Mr and Mrs Lyon, I am so sorry. This will never happen again." Serenity said earning a glare from Lyric.
"Good. See yourself out. I'll be by to get my stuff." Lyric said to her before getting up from the couch and going upstairs to her room, slamming the door behind her.
Cookie was about to go upstairs but I grabbed her, stopping her. It wouldn't help. "Just let it simmer Cooks. The both of you heated, you don't want her to shut us out completely." I mumbled in her ear.
"I should go home." Serenity said catching both our attention.
"Let us walk you out." I said walking towards the front door. I opened it up and followed Serenity outside, with Cookie behind me.
"It's late. Please drive careful and text my
phone when you get there." Cookie said to her.
"Yes ma'am." Serenity Said getting into her car. We watched her crack it up and drive off until she was out of sight.
Cookie looked up at me shaking her head. "What are we gonna do?" She asked me.
"We'll figure that out. I'm glad she safe." I stated scratching my head.
"When Kel is gone, I can come get her. Or do you want to bring her to me?" She asked.
"I can bring her." I said looking down in her almond brown eyes. "So you put that nigga out?" I asked with a smirk.
She nodded her head. "We had a few words. But I'm handling it"
I frowned. Kelvin had some nerve talking to her any kind of way Does he not remember who I am? "You want me to handle that?" I asked. Cookie shrugged and shook her head before chuckling.
"No. But I need him out of my space right now. I didn't need all this to happen. And then for Lyric to sneak out?" She said rubbing her temples.
The stress in her body language made me know she was serious. She looked like she needed a break. From everything and everyone. "You sure you good Cook? It look like some else is bothering you."
"I'm fine Lucious." She said looking down at her phone. "Serenity just let me know she made it home. I need to head out."
Part of me wanted to make her stay and tell me what's wrong. But the other half knows how stubborn Cookie is.
"Yea you should get going. Come on." I said walking towards her car.
Without saying another word, I opened up her car door and closed it for her. She rolled down the window as she backed out of my driveway.
"Be Careful." I said.
"I will."
I stood at the edge of the driveway and watched her drive off before making my way back inside the house.
~
The next day.
"Twenty, forty, sixty.." I counted to myself as I raked through my cash that had been brought in. I hit my blunt and continued to count. After everything that's been going on these past couple days, I finally had time to handle business.
My cell phone vibrated on the table making me glance down at it. I saw Meeks name and picked up. "Wassup?" I answered.
"I been keeping my ear out like you said." Meek said.
"What you heard?" I asked before hitting my blunt.
"It's some young niggas that's moving work through our territory." Meek said making me chuckle, I should've known it was prolly some youngsta's who don't know any better.
"Where you at? I can take a ride out there right now." I asked Meek as I tied a rubber band around my stack of cash I counted.
"Home. Nicki making me take her ass to the nail shop." He said making me chuckle.
"Aight. I'll handle it. Preciate you." I said before hanging up the phone and grabbing the keys to my truck. I wanted to see for myself who these niggas were, who they worked for, and what they was trying to sell my customers?
"Daddy you about to leave?" I heard Lyric ask as I hit the blunt again.
"Yes. Go inside." I said motioning her to close the garage door.
"Can I come?" She asked not listening. I put down the blunt and turned around to look at her.
"No. you heard yo mama. You grounded."
"Please? Once I go back to mom's I'll be on lockdown." She begged.
I contemplated with myself for a minute before nodding my head. "Aight. But yo mom better not hear nun about it." I warned. Cookie was serious about Lyrics punishment, and so am I. But I couldn't tell my baby girl no.
She nodded her head and walked over to my truck, that was parked on the other side of the garage and got in the passenger side. I followed behind and went around to the driver side, clicking the button so the garage would open. I watched her fasten her seatbelt as I slowly backed out.
"Where we going?"
"Just ride." I said as I made sure the garage closed back down before driving off.
My music blared through the sound system as I made my way to the block. I merged on the highway only for Lyric to turn the music down and look at me. "Daddy." She said
I turned my head and glanced at her before looking back at the road, letting her know she had my attention.
"I'm sorry for lying to you, and sneaking out. I just wanted to have fun and see what parties is about. It won't happen again." She said looking down at her fingers.
I sighed as I focused on the road. "Tuts, it's nothing wrong with wanting to have fun and party. But It's about being safe. You went to that party and nobody knew, they started shooting and you could've lost yo life. Niggas are ruthless and bullets have no name. You need to make smarter choices." I said to my daughter.
"Yes Sir." She said looking down.
I turned the music back up and took the exit to MLK. I headed over to my first spot which was 53rd and Lexington. I saw Tip standing on the corner in front of the corner store.
"Yo" He said walking up to my truck as I rolled down the window.
"Waddup." I said dapping him up.
"Hey MC" He greeted to Lyric.
"Hey uncle T."
I hopped out the truck to talk to Tip without Lyric hearing us. "So you seen anybody out the ordinary?" He asked.
"Na, not over here. I got a feeling they over there on 55th." I told him while looking at all the cars drive by. 55th Street is my hottest block. Everybody in Philly know who run 55th and what I'm moving. Drugs.
"You bout to head there?" He asked making me nod my head. We dapped each other up before I headed back to my truck to drive a few blocks over. After going through the light I made a left on to 55th street. Instantly my truck had everybody's attention. Even though there was 5% tint on all the windows they knew exactly who it was.
"Woah? Why is it so many people on this street? And why are they all looking" Lyric asked looking out her window.
"I better not ever catch you on this street." I said pulling over and parking my truck. "I'll be right back."
"Can I come?" She asked getting ready to take her seatbelt off, but I stopped her.
"No. Stay in the car. Lock yourself in."
I hopped out and heard people greeting me from all over the block as I walked down to the corner. As I got closer and closer to the corner store I saw a group of 5 young dudes, laughing, rolling up, and posted up. Without a care in the world.
One of them noticed me walking up and tapped all his friends on the shoulders. Soon all of their attention was on me, and they were no longer talking. "I knew it wouldn't be long before yo ass showed up." One of them said, I couldn't tell who cause it was five of them.
"Speak up. Quit hiding"
He came from the back of all his homies and looked at me. The tattoo on his face made me chuckle. Younging.
"Nobody hiding blood."
"How you wanna do this?" I asked rubbing my chin. I don't like to argue wit nobody about nothing. I'm too trigger happy.
"Put it like this. 55th was yo block, now its mine. And to get this mothafucka back you gon have to lay me down." He said as he blew smoke out making me laugh.
He obviously knows who I am, and that these are my streets. He not the first and wont be the last trying to fill my shoes.
"Look lil dude. You want my block? Take it from me. Fuck the threats, show me sum." I said shrugging my shoulders. He was about to say something, but his attention focused on what was behind me.
"Daddy I know you told me to stay in the truck, but all these people keep coming up to the window asking for..." I heard Lyric say but she stopped and looked at the guy with the face tattoo's, who was looking at her.
"Eyes up lil nigga." I said with a frown on my face, grabbing his attention.
He looked at me and hit his blunt before blowing smoke out his nose. "Lets bounce." He told his crew. He looked over his shoulder one last time to look at Lyric who was behind me, as they all walked away.