Omniscient
[ sat, nov 11th 9:03 AM ]
Zolina's - Art Gallery
"You know what kinda piece you gettin' for yo' girl?"
Phoenyx turned into the lot of Zolina's, one hand on the steering wheel as he looked over at Grant in the passenger seat.
He offered to bring him to the art gallery as soon as it opened, so that he could pick out a gift for the girl that he was clearly crushing on— and couldn't stop talking about.
"Nah." Grant shrugged, focused on the text message that he was typing. "Zo said she got her assistant to lay out some options for me, though."
Rubbing his jaw, Phoenyx hummed as Nycki invaded his thoughts.
After learning that she worked for the gallery, their secret rendezvous had become an unintentional bad habit.
They still hadn't exchanged numbers, but every time that they bumped into each other, Nycki would eventually end up on top of him.
"And she ain't my girl, by the way." Grant added, locking his phone and putting it in his pocket.
"What?" Phoenyx took off his sunglasses. "You got me up early as hell to go pick out some art. Lil' Soraya better be yo' girl! Don't be on the same dumb shit that Ace was."
"I'm not, I'm not." Grant quickly defended himself. "I guess I meant to say she ain't my girl, yet. I planned out the whole day so I can ask her. The painting is a special touch."
"Look at you. Talkin' 'bout special touch." Phoenyx teased. "You a lil' Casanova, forreal. Gon' head."
"That's me." Grant smiled widely. "When you gonna get a girl, Nyx?"
"Shut up." Phoenyx said, fed up with his love life being a constant topic. "And mind yo' business."
As he reversed into an available spot, his eyes caught a familiar car that was already in the parking lot. He read the license plate and scowled.
Unclipping his seatbelt aggressively, he reached under his seat and grabbed his black Sig Sauer P320. He double-checked the clip before looking over at Grant's puzzled expression.
"Stay here." He ordered.
"What? Why?" Grant followed his hard gaze through the windshield. "Who is that?"
Phoenyx got out and leaned down into the window, "What I say, G?"
Tucking the weapon into the back of his jeans and pulling his fitted cap right above his eyes, Phoenyx took long strides across the pavement and stood directly behind the person.
Grant sat up to watch the interaction, pulling his phone out again and going straight to Ace's contact.
"You the nigga that keep poppin' up 'round here, right?"
Orion closed his rear car door and turned around, looking Phoenyx up and down before chuckling quietly.
"My face get added to a banned list, or something?" He asked, slinging a backpack over his shoulder.
"Nah. It can get added to a case file, though." Phoenyx said smugly.
"Damn. Why is everybody so hostile around here?" Orion took a few seconds to check his surroundings. "The gallery is open, right? You security or something?"
Phoenyx narrowed his eyes, "You tryna be funny?"
"Just trying to figure out the issue." Orion squeezed his key to lock his car, before folding his arms over his chest. "I mean, I don't think the owner has a problem with me being here."
"Her nigga do, though." Phoenyx shrugged. "And now I do."
"I don't want Zolina, alright?" Orion rolled his eyes, annoyed. "Y'all can stop stressing about that."
"Fuck you want then?" Phoenyx tilted his head, putting his hands behind his back. "Can't be her art since you ain't buy shit yet. But you a photographer though, right? Lookin' for some typa come up?"
Orion fanned him off and averted his eyes, refusing to answer the question.
"Ay, listen here, bruh. I ain't really fuckin' with yo' energy." Phoenyx pulled the gun out of his waistband and held it at his side discreetly. "There's alotta people ridin' for shorty, and honestly? I might be the nicest one."
The sound of the gun cocking back garnered Orion's attention. His eyes widened like saucers, and he held his hands up in panic.
"Woah, woah." He back peddled until his body hit the driver's side door of his Nissan. "Shit, chill out, man."
Before things could escalate any further, the slam of a door was heard in the distance, causing Orion's focus to shift momentarily. Phoenyx didn't blink or move a muscle until he felt a presence standing beside him.
He checked his peripheral and sucked his teeth, "Ain't I tell you to stay in the car?"
"Miss me with that shit." Grant frowned and sized up the man; not caring that he was more than a decade younger and weaponless. "Who is this?"
"Alright, alright. I just—" Orion sighed, wiping his sweaty palms on his jean jacket and deciding to diffuse the situation. "How well do you actually know her? Zolina?"
"What?" Grant's frown deepened at the question posed by the stranger.
Phoenyx turned his lip up, "Who is you to be questioning me 'bout my sis?"
"Our sis." Grant added.
"Y'all sis, huh?" Orion let out a hearty laugh then, shaking his head. "On some hood shit? Or that's really your blood?"
"She my fuckin' sister, nigga." Phoenyx walked up on him; the only space between them was the gun that was now pressed against Orion's abdomen. "The fuck do it matter?"
"Because, nigga." Orion didn't back down this time, staring at both Phoenyx and Grant with a cold expression. "Zolina is my fucking sister."
XXX
[ 9:38 AM ]
Vertex Condos
Repetitive buzzing disturbed Ace out of his sleep. The blackout curtains cloaked his room with darkness, making the time of day hard for him to guess.
He glanced down at Zolina who was still knocked out on his chest and tightened his arms around her, letting her beauty consume him for a few minutes.
Until he heard more buzzing.
Ace looked at his phone that rested on the nightstand, reaching over to pick it up. He squinted at the brightness and sucked his teeth when he read the time.
9:40 AM
After Zolina wore him out way into the early hours of the morning, he was looking forward to sleeping in late with her. But the two recent missed calls from his little brother had interrupted that.
He knew that Grant was going to the gallery this morning to get something for Soraya, and figured that he needed to ask Zolina for some more advice.
Just as he was about to return the phone call, text messages came through on his notification centre.
(9:45 AM) G🎮:
bro?
some weird shit just happened
with some dude at the gallery
Ace furrowed his eyebrows, sitting up slightly. Again, he motioned his fingers across the screen to call his brother, until more messages appeared.
This time, from Phoenyx.
(9:47 AM) Nyx🔥:
yo A
don't panic, but call me ASAP
it's about Zo
"The fuck..." Ace twisted his face up at the last message.
He took another long look down at Zolina, before carefully untangling his limbs from hers and getting out of the bed. Placing a soft kiss on her forehead, he went downstairs to call his best friend.
Phoenyx answered after a few rings, "Ace—"
"The fuck goin' on?" Ace cut him off, pacing the kitchen as he stared out of his high windows.
Sunlight flooded the main level of his condo, spreading brightness and warmth across his hardwood floors.
"Listen—" Phoenyx started to say.
"I am." Ace gripped the edge of his marble countertop. "Talk, bruh. G texted me some shit, then you send me some cryptic ass message right after?"
"Grant, forreal?" Phoenyx sucked his teeth, his voice fading away. "I told you I would handle this."
"I didn't know what was going on!" Grant could be heard in the background. "I was tryna have your back just incase—"
"Man, fuck talkin' to Grant right now!" Ace snapped, his voice slightly raising before he lowered it again. "What the fuck happened?"
"Ay, man." Phoenyx's calm voice came back on the line. "Relax."
"Relax?" Ace said exasperatedly, walking into his living room and sitting down on the couch. "Nyx, you know how I am 'bout Lina. So imma really need you to get to the fuckin' point before I lose my shit."
"Aight, aight." Phoenyx said quickly. "You know that nigga that keep showin' up at the gallery? Orion, or whatever the fuck?"
After hearing the name, Ace's hold on his phone tightened.
Even though he trusted Zolina wholeheartedly, and felt relatively secure in their relationship, the consistency of Orion's visits were unsettling.
And now, Orion had found a way to disrupt his peace while he was at home.
"Saw him again today." Phoenyx continued. "I pressed the nigga, and he—"
"He what?" Ace spoke through gritted teeth.
"Well..." Phoenyx sighed. "He saying that he's Zo's brother."
Ace yanked the phone away from his face just as Phoenyx finished his sentence. Staring blankly at the screen, he couldn't figure out if he had heard his friend correctly.
"Wh—" Ace whispered to himself. "What the fuck?"
XXX
[ 11:43 AM ]
8-Ball - Dive Bar
With it being earlier than 3:00 PM, 8-Ball lacked the usual crowd that would be pacing around its checkered floor tiles. Even the neon signs scattered across the moss green walls were still switched off.
Other than the staff that was stuffed behind the bar cutting limes and polishing shot glasses, there was only a small group of middle-aged men hunched over playing pool.
Ace sat at a table with his arms crossed and a hard mug on his face, while his two friends sat beside him. Demetrius was eating loaded nachos from a takeout container on his left, and Phoenyx was sipping on a small glass filled with 1800 tequila on his right.
Seated across from all three of them, with his hands neatly folded on top of the bar's shiny, oak table, was Orion.
Being threatened and partially held at gunpoint was all it took to convince him to meet up for this conversation. That, and being one step closer in reconnecting with Zolina.
But it did make Orion wonder; if Phoenyx claimed to be the nicest one out of the bunch, what exactly did he get himself into?
"What was yo' name again, nigga?" Demetrius finally looked up from his food. "Ryan, or sum'n?"
"Orion." Phoenyx corrected.
"Actually..." Orion avoided eye contact, watching the condensation droplets slip down his untouched glass of ice water. "My full name is Zorion."
Demetrius stopped eating, and Phoenyx put his drink down. The similarity between Zorion and Zolina's name, caused the hairs on the back of Ace's neck to stand up.
"Zolina and Zorion? Ain't this some trippy shit." Demetrius wiped his hands on a napkin. "I mean, y'all do kinda look alike—"
"Shut up, Meech." Phoenyx interjected, sitting up and narrowing his eyes at Zorion. "How old are you?"
"30." He answered.
"Damn." Demetrius whispered. "This nigga older than all of us."
"So you decided to just pop up outta nowhere?" Phoenyx continued on with the questioning. "Why now?"
"This shit prolly a fuckin' mistake." Ace finally said something. He was speaking more to himself, but they had all heard him anyway.
"Mistake?" Zorion laughed dryly. "Sure. If y'all could point me in the direction of another 22-year-old Zolina Smith, born on March 20th with deep dimples, I'll gladly be on my way."
"Where the fuck her mom at, then?" Ace interrogated. "Dad? How the fuck she end up in foster care? Y'all drop her off, or sum'n?"
"Chill out, Ace." Demetrius spoke up, watching as Zorion flinched at Ace's words.
"You know what? Fuck this. I've been lenient as fuck with y'all and this whole 'inspector gadget' shit." Zorion scowled. "Clearly y'all really care about Zolina, and I appreciate that—"
"You appreciate that?" Phoenyx repeated. "We don't need yo' recognition, nigga."
"I don't give a fuck what y'all niggas need, or don't need." Zorion grabbed his bag and pushed his chair out. "The only person I owe an explanation to, is my sister."
"Yeah?" Ace started to get up. "That's how you feel, huh?"
"Wait, wait, hol' up." Phoenyx stood up first, and put his arms out. "This not how this shit gon' go down. A, lemme holla at you real quick."
Ace didn't budge. He clenched and unclenched his fingers in order to avoid reaching over the table and draping up Zorion.
"Ace." Phoenyx gripped his shoulder. "Come outside with me."
The chair scraped loudly against the bar's floors as Ace got up. His eyes shot daggers at Zorion while he reluctantly followed Phoenyx to the entrance of 8-Ball.
Once they were through the doors, Zorion settled back into his chair and looked over at Demetrius, who merely gave him a sheepish grin before he resumed eating.
"Ay, man..." Phoenyx rubbed his neck, slightly squinting at the glare from the afternoon sun. "You need to tell Zo."
Ace closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Nah."
"Nah?" Phoenyx jerked his head back. "Fuck you mean, 'nah'? That's her whole brother in there—"
"I'on give a fuck what he is!" Ace yelled out. "Aight?! She just got over this shit tryna find her mom. And I'm supposed to let it happen again? Fuck no."
"Nigga, that ain't yo' fuckin' decision to make!" Phoenyx shouted back. "If you not gon' tell her, then I fuckin' will— or Meech gon' run his big ass mouth to Trin. So who you really want Zo to hear this shit from, huh?"
Ace sucked his teeth and leaned against the faded, graffitied brick wall. He ran both hands over his face, listening to the sounds of traffic in the distance.
He knew that his friend was right, and that he was being selfish about the situation. Selfish with Zolina.
Again.
Phoenyx let the silence simmer between them; allowing the tension to dissipate and giving Ace the time to sort through his racing thoughts.
"I just— I'on want her to get hurt, Nyx." Ace mumbled out, his voice laced with sadness. "I really don't, Bro. Not again. She don't deserve any more of that."
Phoenyx sighed deeply and leaned beside him. The emotions that he saw Ace display for Zolina still surprised him at times. If it wasn't obvious before, it was now crystal clear that she was his weakness.
She was everyone's weakness.
"You know I'd handle that nigga if he on some dumb shit, right?" Phoenyx said with confidence. "If he messes with her?"
"I know." Ace's body relaxed as he exhaled sharply through his nose. "I know you would. But fuck. This shit is crazy."
"You right." Phoenyx agreed. "It is."
They both looked through the bar windows, watching as Zorion took a sip of his water and conversed with Demetrius at the table.
Phoenyx spoke again, "But the universe ain't align all this shit just for fun."
👻
- Orion is actually Zorion... and Zo's brother
- thoughts?
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