Everything had been quiet in the ends recently. There hasn't been one murder in six months.
What had happened recently was that Lauryn had left, the beef with Dushane and Jamie had calmed down, Dris was dead, the council wanted to redo the block, Shelley had her own salon, Kieron bought a car off of Ruben, Jamie was in prison and yeah, basically sums it up.
I got kicked out of my flat because of the Summerhouse redo the council are planning. So I'd been staying with Jaq, it was pretty upsetting being forced out the deck.
Oh, and I straightened my hair. Well, Shelley did it because I wanted to try something new. I guess it suited me.
It was weird without Lauryn, but it was for her own good that she had left, though, otherwise we'd been in a completely different position right now. Jaq and I had gotten closer. I'd gone out clubbing with her and her friends, it was lit.
A couple months ago, I was feeling weird about Jaq. I hated her for beating the fuck out of Lauryn yet I loved spending time with her and loved it when she protected me. I got pissed whenever she was checking out other girls, catching wines from other girls at the clubs, went out with other girls. I had come to terms with the fact that yes, I had a crush on her.
But I'm not gay.
Maybe I'm bisexual but it was just Jaq. I wasn't attractive to any other women. And Jaq acted as a guy, dressed like a guy and got treated like one by most people. So did it really count as being gay? Of course it did, I'm being stupid. Jaq is still a girl. I'm just fucking denying everything at this point.
Anyways, I was sat in the living room with Jaq and we were just chilling and watching TV. She was slouched against me with her arm behind her head and her feet up on the arm of the chair. She was getting bored of the movie. I had put on 'West Side Story', a classic but one of my favourites.
Jaq kissed her teeth, "Why do you like this old movies, man?" She asked and I rolled my eyes, "It's just fucking Puerto Rican Romeo and Juliet, what's so special about that?" She sighed.
"Shut up and watch!" I scolded, "It's a good film, way better than Romeo and Juliet," I said and she sighed again.
She managed sit through the whole movie. I was sniffling a little, like always, but when I looked over at Jaq her face was wet. I started laughing at her, she clocked me laughing and sat up, hiding her face.
"Fuck off!" She snapped, wiping her face. She got up from the sofa and went upstairs into the bathroom.
I laughed and got up from the sofa, turning the light back on. I found it so easy to be around Jaq, crush or not, it just all felt so natural. I had a
feeling that Jaq should know about my crush, but also if she didn't feel the same way then everything would be weird. I mean, she flirted with me bare but she flirts with a lot of girls.
She came out the bathroom while shoving her phone in her pocket. "I gotta bounce," She told me, and grabbed her hoodie.
"Noooo," I sighed an she glanced at me, "Let me come, I've got nothing better to do,"
She hesitated and then sighed, "Yeah, alright," She agreed and I grinned, I grabbed my jacket and quickly raked my hands through my hair, "You coming like that?" She asked, referring to what I was wearing.
"Yeah, why? Do I look like a tramp?" I asked, looking down at my outfit. I was wearing my adidas sst tracksuit bottoms with a cropped white tank top that showed of my boobs slightly (actually that's an understatement) and a puffer jacket over it.
"Nah, nah, 's nothin'," She said and I nodded. I heard her mumble something about it being 'too revealing' but her words were pretty much inaudible. I ignored it and put on my crocs. I don't understand what the problem was, she was wearing a crop top too.
"Where are we going?" I asked, as we left the house.
"Jamie's out of prison, he was found not guilty cos of Dushane's video, Dushane wants me to chat to him," She said and I sighed, knowingly.
We got in a car with Kieron and Romz. I sat in the back with Romz and Jaq sat in the front with Kieron. "Why's she here?" Romz asked, confused of my presence.
"She's just tagging along, bruv, chill," Jaq told him and Romz nodded.
"What? You ain't happy to see me, Romz?" I asked him and he kissed his teeth.
Kieron drove off and we went round the block to where Jamie and his friends were celebrating Jamie's return by smoking and drinking. We got out the car and Jaq went up to them, while the rest of us stood slightly away.
"Dushane's video done the trick like he said it would," Jaq said, walking over there.
"Yeah," Jamie said, breathing out the smoke.
"I ain't here to cramp your party, bruv," Jaq clarified, "You do your ting and enjoy yourself."
"That's exactly what we was doin', bruv," Another boy said, he had a bottle of Hennessy under his arm and I think his name was Kit.
Jaq kissed her teeth and came over to Kieron, "Yo, fam, syke me that bottle," She said and took the box from him, "Dushane sent you this, enjoy it, man," She said and gave Jamie the box containing alcohol.
"What the fuck is this meant to be, bruv?" Kit asked, "Some sort of peace offerin' or suttin?"
Jaq kissed her teeth, "What the fuck does it look like?" She asked him and Romz gave him a look.
Jamie took the box, "Tell Dushane I said bless up, innit?" He asked.
"You can tell him that yourself," Jaq said, "He wants to link up with you tomorrow. No. 1 caff. You remember it, right?"
Jamie looked at her and then eyed me for a second, "Yeah, course,"
"Cool," Jaq said, "Ten O'clock. Cool."Then Jaq held out her first for him to spud. He glanced at it and then looked at her. Hesitantly, he spudded her, "Take it easy," She said and we got back in the car.
We drove off again and Romz had lit up a spliff for himself. It was getting dark outside and Kieron was playing music. I don't know where we were going, we were just driving around.
"Ay, that fat fuck Kit was a little too brash, though," Romz said, taking a final puff, "Fatty could've done with a likkle backhand. Let him know himself. You feel me?" He dashed the spliff out the window and Jaq and I laughed.
"Ay, hey, am I punkin' or are these boydem followin' us?" Kieron said, not joining in on the laughter.
"There ain't nothin' in the car, is there?" Jaq asked, getting concerned.
"Nah, nothin', still," Kieron said.
"Romy, you dashed the spliff, innit?"
"I dashed that still," He said.
We continued driving and then sirens started blaring. Two police cars came over and the bullyvan behind us was flashing lights too. Kieron stopped the car and I put my hand in front of my face to protect my eyes from the light of the sirens.
"Come on, man, what the fuck?" Jaq shouted, in disbelief.
"Ay, you lot chill, right?" Kieron said but Jaq didn't listen.
"What is this?" She groaned.
"You lot chill, man," He repeated, kissing his teeth, "Fuckin' 'ell."
A fed came up to the window and Kieron rolled it down slightly. "This is a Section 60 stop and search," The fed said, "Can you exit the vehicle, please?"
"Section 60?" Kieron repeated, slowly, "Are you all right, mate? Why?Plus what's all this hostility about?"
Another officer knocked on Jaq's window, "Unlock the door and exit the vehicle for me, please." He asked.
"Unlock my door for what?" Jaq asked, already pissed off, "You're disruptin' my journey and I got things to do, what's your problem?"
"Keep your hands where I can see 'em," The officer from Kieron's window said.
Jaq turned to him, "Show me your hands so I can see what you're doin'!"
She snapped at him.
"Keep your hands where I can see 'em," The fed repeated, "Don't make any sudden movements—"
Jaq tutted, "Fuck off."
There was some radio chatter and then a black police officer put his head at the window, "You've been ordered to exit the vehicle," He said, slowly, "Do as you're told, please."
"Rah, what the fuck's wrong with RoboCop, man?" Romy joked, making me laugh despite the circumstances.
"I asked you to get out of the car," The first officer said, "I asked politely, didn't I?"
"Ay, fuck off, man," I said, once I'd
stopped laughing. If there's something you should know about Romy and I, is that even in serious situations like this, we were probably the most unserious people ever.
"Get out of the car," He repeated.
"Fuck off!" Jaq said.
There was some noise and then the officers started banging agains the windshield with a baton. Jaq and Kieron yelled in shock, the put their heads down and covered themselves as the glass from the window smashed into the car. The doors were forced open and the four of us were dragged out of the car.
"Hey, come on, man!" Jaq yelled, "What the fuck is this?"
An officer grabbed my arms and twisted them behind my back as he took me out the car, "Why are you moving so fucking mad for? Get off me, bruv!" I shouted, as the fed continued and held me against the car.
"Ay, don't fucking grab her like that'" Jaq shouted and tried to move towards me but got slammed against the hood of the car, "I ain't got nothing for you! But gowan, give me a good old fuckin' search, I ain't hot nothin' for you, bro,"
"Get the fuck off me," Romy said, as he got handcuffed, "Fuck your section 60!"
Kieron got thrown on the floor and he groaned in pain. Then he got lifted up and held against the car.
I got turned around an officer with a notepad starting asking me questions,
"Why are you in this vehicle?" He asked and I rolled my eyes, "What's your relation to the owner?"
"Agh," I groaned, "Get your stink breath out my face, fam. Come violate us like this and you want answers from me? Suck your mum, how bout that?"
The officer mover away from me and another came and slammed me back agains the car, "What the fuck? Make
up your fucking mind!" I said, "Search me then, what the fuck?" I said as he began to pat me down.
"Stop resisting," He said.
"You don't need to be movin' like this." I said.
"I'm fucking calm as you, he's fucking twisting my arm!" Kieron complained but got ignored by the officers.
"Get the fuck off me," Romy told the fed, "Move, man,"
I struggled in the officer's grip and he spat in my face about resisting, "Fuck off, man!" I shouted at him, struggling some more, shoving him with my shoulder.
"Ay! Ay, Jaq! You good?" Kieron called.
"Yeah, I'm good, bro," Jaq responded, "Are you all right?"
"Yeah, yeah," Kieron struggled.
"No talkin'."
"Shut the fuck up you dickhead!" Jaq called, "You fucking public servant! You fuckin' work for us, don't forget!"
"Your doing the most now, move the fuck away from me, bruv," I groaned, attempting to shove the officer away, again, but he just slammed me back down against the car harder, making me let out a painful groan.
"Don't do her like that, bruv!" Jaq yelled but got ignored, "Yo, Aaliyah, you alright, yeah?"
I nodded, "Yeah, fam, I'm good," I said, "Ay, Romz? You alright?"
"Yeah, man, I'm good," He called back.
"Fuck off, man, you lot are bored, man!" Kieron yelled.
"Okay, guys, we're done, let's go, please," Another officer said, returning with the renters deal in his hand.
"All that fuckery and we ain't even done anything. Now you ain't even nickin' us!" Jaq shouted over at him as she got her handcuffs removed.
"I'd be careful whose cars you lot ride around in if I were you," The officer said, walking up to her.
Mine got removed and I sighed of relief, massaging my wrists with my hand. "Ay, can you fuck off, now?" I asked the officer who was still lingering near me, "Got fuckin' nothing better to do. You tapped yutes, swear down, your fucking bored!"
"Yeah, it's embarrassing, innit?" Romy shouted, laughing, "Move, bruv! Always on this dumb stuff, fam, I swear down."
"Yeah, walk off!" I added, "Embarrassin'."
"Ay, come we go, man," Romy said as we got back into the car.
Jaq had pulled her hood on and slouched down in her seat, she looked over at Kieron who was pretty shook up. "You good, bro?" She asked him.
————————
I went with Jaq the next morning to link up with Dushane, we had to tell him what happened with the section 60 bullshit. "Wagwan?" Jaq said, as we approached his table at the caff.
"What you sayin'?" Dushane said and she dropped the duffel bag on the floor underneath the table.
"We're good, bro, you?" She replied to him, as we sat down.
"Good. Even better now." Dushane said, referring to the duffel bag that Jaq had delivered. The two of us chuckled a little. "What you sayin' bout Sully's P's? Gonna drop them through?"
"Yeah, tomorrow," Jaq replied,
"When you see him, tell him I said bless up, innit."
"Yeah, course," Jaq said, "But listen, though. Us man got pulled over yesterday in Kieron's rental. The Audi."
"They didn't find nothin' on you, though?" Dushane asked.
"Nah, man," I said, "The car was clean."
"It's a routine stop, then, innit?" Dushane shrugged.
Jaq scoffed, "Man, that's what I thought." She said, "One of the officers turned around and said, 'Careful whose car you're drivin' round in.'"
"Why'd he say that?"
"Fuck knows," I said.
"What did he say exactly?"
"He said, 'Careful whose care your drivin' round in," Jaq repeated.
"Did he say Ruben's name?" Dushane asked.
"Nah, not until he saw the paperwork and that," Jaq explained, "What, you think there's a problem?"
"Nah, man. Nah, man, it's calm," Dushane said, "We've been cert. Legit."
"A'ight." She said and noticed Dushane looked out the caff, we turned around and saw Jamie. She kissed her teeth,
"This guy."
"What's wrong?" Dushane asked.
"I mean, can we even trust man?" She asked.
"Just keep an eye on him, yeah?" Dushane said and Jaq nodded.
"In a bit," Jaq said. We both spudded Dushane and then left the caff, she said wagwan to Jamie on the way out, too.
We waited a while for Jamie to come out and then Jaq took him to the bando where everyone was sorting out the drugs. When we entered with the Jamie and his friend, Kit, everyone inside stood up and seemed pissed. "It's cool, it's cool," Jaq explained, "Mandem, relax, it's cool. We're on the same team, remember. You forget?"
"Get on with your job, a'ight? I'm showing these man the ropes."
"Who dreamed this ting up?" Jamie asked, confused as to why the drugs were being stashed in old cans and bottles and shit.
"We're on a recyclin' ting, you get me?" Jaq explained, "Environmental and that."
"Blud, is that a fucking j... Bruv, what's goin' on in there, blud?" Kit asked, screwing his face up. We all looked over to what he was looking at. I burst out laughing at the sight of a used condom in a pile of rubbish on the table.
"Oh fuck, man," Kieron sighed and Romy started laughing too.
"Oh, shit," Jaq laughed.
Kieron picked it up with gloves and held it out. "Wait, hold on, hold on," Romy said, to the youngers who brought in the rubbish, "Is this yours?"
"Nah, bro," The boy said, "I picked that shit up by accident."
Everyone laughed some more and Kieron held it out to the boy. Once the laughter died down, Samsi spoke, "Yo, Ats' mum is looking for him," She said, "Said he ain't been home in time. She's
proper worried, fam."
"What? When did she ask you this?" Kieron asked.
"Just before I came in." She said.
"Ay, Jaq," Kieron said, "Have you seen him?"
"Nah, not even," Jaq said, not looking up from her phone.
"What shall I tell his mum, then?" Kieron asked.
"Fuck knows, bruv," Jaq said, looking at him and shrugging.
——————
The next evening, Jaq, Kieron and I were at a council meeting regarding the Summerhouse project. They sent me a letter telling me that I was going to be rehoused in a council flat in Peckham while they did up the block.
"Why can't you answer a straight question? Hey? What's so hard? Unless there's something to hide. " An old man, the only fella who was truly fighting to stay and was refusing to leave his flat. "'ave the plans changed or not? Just answer the bleeding question."
"I'm just trying to be fair to the other people who want to speak," One of the women on the board said.
Everyone clamoured and spoke over each-other and then the old fella spoke again, "When the consortium, this gang of crooks and thieves when they submitted to me their plans, they was
promisin' us the moon!" He said.
There were cries of agreement, "How we'd all come back to Summerhouse after the redevelopment and live in beautiful homes, and all bells and whistles. And now, we're getting these letters." He said and there was more agreement. "My letter says that I'm supposed to move to a council flat in Luton."
"I'm supposed to go to Bolton!" Another woman said.
"I'm supposed to go Croydon!" Tara shouted, standing up.
"I'm supposed to go to Peckham!" I spoke up and then sat back down again.
"And if I don't go within 14 days," The man continued to read out his letter, "The council says it won't be responsible for rehousin' me. That's blackmail! It's a disgrace!" He said, "And the letter don't say anything about coming back to Summerhouse! So 'ave the plans changed or not?" He repeated the question from before but it was so obvious that the council was avoiding it.
"Look, look, I understand you have concerns," A man on the board spoke up once we'd settled down, "Of course you do, this is about your homes. I know. But we have to face facts, okay?"
"And the fact is the economic climate is very difficult," He said, and there was more outrage. "And the consortium have had to make adjustments here and there, but I guarantee that those who come back are gonna find Summerhouse transformed. Absolutely transformed."
"There's gonna be additional green space. There's gonna be a second playground. Larger communal areas," He tried to complain but everyone was outraged and shouting over him.
The old man got up and set his letter on fire. "Dickheads!" Jaq joined ij in on the shouting.
———————
On the way back from the meeting,
Amma, Ats' mum approached Jaq and I. "Where is Attica?" She asked, she looked shook up and not well.
"I don't know, do I," Jaq shrugged.
"Attica is a child," Amma said, "I'm his mother. Tell me where he is."
"Look, I understand you don't know where your son is right now," Jaq
spoke, "But I ain't got a clue where he is."
"I know what you make him do," Amma said, "You use him in the streets. I know." Kieron and his mum stopped walking and glanced at Jaq.
"I don't make him do nothin'." Jaq said, "I don't know what your talkin' about, man," She said, kissing her teeth and walking off. I glanced at Amma and then followed.
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Yay long chapter but shitty ending.
3389 words