Chapter 14
Think It Through
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O'Shae
I sat quietly in my waiting chair listening to my phone going off for the fifth time in my lap. Dink has called, Corina has called, Bria called, and my mom has called me twice now. Honestly I'm not caring to talk to any of them, my main focus has been on August, and what the doctors might say about his condition. Last I was told was that he had a pretty bad concussion and they needed to evaluate him and give him time to rest up. That was last night so I'm hoping we'll be able to see him today.
August's mother-- Ms.Sheila, and Travis had came up to the hospital after one of the doctors called them, and they've been up here with me since. Ms.Sheila has been worried like crazy, and upset that anyone would do this to Aug, meanwhile Travis has been pretty quiet. Although he's been quiet, a permanent scowl has been on his face, and he's made a couple calls here and there to someone. I don't want to be nosey, but I do want to make sure he's okay.
"Travis?" I called out as I walked up on him while he stood posted up against a wall.
He looked over at me and lightly smiled. "Hey Shae."
"Hey, you okay?"
"Me? Yea, I'm straight. Why?"
"I don't know," I shrugged. "You just haven't said much, and I just wanted to make sure you're not ready to explode on the inside or anything."
He chuckled and shook his head as he refolded his arms. "Naw, I'm fine. I know lil brody gone be straight, but I do wanna know who did this, and I wanna know now."
As soon as he said that I got nervous. I know exactly who did this considering I saw his face clear as day as he ran away last night. I've been thinking about telling the police, but the doctors said they won't be coming up here until August wakes up. I'm scared of saying anything and getting Rah caught, but I can't just let him run around beating niggas with baseball bats. I said it won't happen again, and I've let it happen, I needed to do something to ensure none of this goes down ever again.
"Yea, I hope Aug can remember." I lightly smiled. Travis nodded and I rubbed his back before heading back to my seat.
This is all a lot to think about, especially my next moves. One thing I know though, is I need to talk to Raheem right away. He did this and I need to go and figure out what I can do to make sure he's gonna leave August alone once he's woke.
"Baybeh," Ms.Sheila called before lightly placing her hand on my back. I looked up and over at her. "August is going to be alright. He's a tough lil thang, so don't even stress about it." She assured me.
I nodded liking her and Trav's positive energy. The two of them have hope in Aug, and I'm trying to be the same way, but seeing him get hit in the face with that baseball bat has me thinking the worst. The side of his head was bleeding so bad I thought he was already dead when I sat in the street cradling him. I just pray to God that he doesn't have any internal bleeding.
"Yea, I'm sure he will too. And I'm sorry this happened to him. I know it must have been scary for you to get that call."
"Oh yes it was, but I've prayed, and August has told me you're a church girl, and I seen you prayin' too. God gone hear us, and he gone give my baybeh anotha chance. "
I nodded and smiled at that. I did pray for Aug, a couple times actually just for the sheer fact that I'm scared for his life. Even though we haven't been together long or known one and other too long for that matter, he still holds a place in my heart and I just don't want to go back to days without him in it.
"Uhm Ms.Sheila, I have to go grab some things from home. If the doctors give you an update on him, could you call me?" I asked. She nodded and watched me stand up.
"Of course baybeh. Gone head and do whatchu gotta do."
"Thank you." I leaned down and hugged her before heading for the elevators.
I got in and headed down to the lobby and then out into the cool night air. All of Atlanta has been going on without a care in the world while Aug lays up in that bed, and it pisses me off. Then again, of course, the world stops for no one. I walked through the parking lot being sure to check my surroundings before I got into my car. I just sat and let the warm seats relax me a little while I thought about calling Rah. I figure I wont so he doesn't go into hiding, I'll just go find him my damn self.
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I banged on the door of the frat house he stay up in, and then waited for somebody to come and answer. Its loud in there so clearly they must be watching some game or playing one. It only took a little minute for one of them to open the door.
"Hey O'Shae. Whatchu doin' over here?" Trevor asked me, I pushed past him and headed for the stair case and up to Rah's room.
The wooden raggedy door was closed, but I just went ahead and opened it without knocking. His room was hotter than the hallway and I could hear folks laughing and chuckling. When I walked in deeper sure enough Rah's little homies was all chillin' on the couch either smoking something or snorting something.
"Get the fuck out, all of you!" I yelled. They all looked up at me, and got they shit together before rushing past me.
I closed the door behind them, and turned back around to find Rah walking out of the bathroom. He looked up at me, and frowned while I shook my head. His damn eyes were red and you could definitely see the visible line of cocaine under his nose.
"Really Raheem?" I asked. He sighed, and sat down on the couch in his room right in front of the pile of drugs still chillin' on the coffee table.
"What are you doing here O'Shae? Shouldn't you be checking on yo lil boyfriend?" He threw his head back on the couch and closed his eyes.
I sighed starting to get real pissed off with him. He in here takin' this shit as a joke after he done put August in the hospital and got him fighting for his life. He simply in here snorting shit up like any other time, which I know means talking to him is going to be a pain for me. I hate when he's like this, but I'm entirely too use to it at this point.
"Yea I should be, but I had to come here to make sure you aren't going to come for him anymore."
He opened one eye and then closed it back laughing a little bit to his self. "Hey, he was the one talking all that noise. I just wanted him to know what he was dealing with."
"I don't care Raheem! You can not keep doing this shit!"
"Yea I can, and I will if you keep fuckin' with him."
"So what, you want me to leave him alone all together?" I asked. "Will that make you leave him alone?"
He sat up and nodded. I feared that would be his answer, but I shouldn't have expected anything else. He wiped his nose and then started choppin' and separating the coke again before going to snort it, but I stomped over and slapped all of it off of the table.
"Stop! For once, could you stop!" I yelled at him. He slowly looked up at me and then stood up and started walking over to his bed, but I grabbed his arm and made him face me again.
"Can you listen to me?"
"What do you want O'Shae? Just leave me alone before I fuck you up."
"I want to know that you will leave him alone."
He huffed, and then leaned down closer to my face. "I'm not leavin' him alone until you leave him alone. I told you, you cain't fuck with anyone besides me, but you keep trying me, and if you keep messin' with him O'Shae, I promise he ain't gone live." He explained and then turned back around, and walked to his dresser, and pulled out another bag of cocaine.
He pissed me off beyond belief and I wanted to hurt him so bad. Once again he was taking something that makes me happy away from me, and he don't even give a damn. He has a problem that stems farther than all these damn drugs, and I wish I knew what it was because I'm over living like this. I started to stomp back over to his coffee table, and grabbed the glass ash tray off of it before throwing it at him. It broke on his back, and I grabbed more crap just flingin' at him. I missed a few times, but a lot of them did hit him.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" I screamed. He quickly walked over to me, and through me up against the wall squeezing my arm tightly.
"You better fuckin' stop."
"Or what Rah? You gonna hit me? Hit me then." I provoked.
He turned the other way, and then faced back towards me before cocking back and smacking me across the face. I stumbled over to the side and held my cheek just letting the sting set in.
"See, you always startin' shit with me Shae, and then wonder why yo dumb ass gets hit. I swear you piss me the fuck off." He explained.
I looked up at him, and just shook my head. "If I piss you off so much leave me alone!" I shouted. "Leave me the fuck alone, and let me move on!"
"No! You belong to me and that's that. You gone have to learn one day, and so is this little nigga you keep fuckin' wit'. You better leave him alone O'Shae, I'm tellin' you." He warned again. "I'm not sharing you with anyone else."
"I'm not even yours! We have been over for years now Raheem! Just let me be fuckin' happy for once, why do you keep trying when I don't want you?"
"Because you don't understand that you could be happy with me if you leave these other niggas alone!"
"I won't be happy with you because you do the same shit over and over! I gave you a chance to let the drugs go, to stop hitting me, but you can't so just let me go."
He shook his head, and started pacing back in forth. I could see that the drugs have set in and he was getting a little crazy. He kept repeating the word no over and over again, and I was feeling hopeless.
"No, no O'Shae. I'm not lettin' you go, and I'm not lettin' that nigga have you. I would kill him before I give you up."
I huffed, and stared at him some more. He was truly crazy, and I don't know what these drugs would make him do , and I'm not taking a chance. August means too much to me for me to be selfish and put him in harms way with Rah, so I'll leave him alone to make sure he'll be okay.
"Fine. I'm not gonna talk to him anymore."
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August
When I woke up my damn head was poundin'. Shit hurt so bad, and not ta mention my damn leg felt horrible too, shit, my who body really. I looked ova, but my vision was blurry as shit I ca jus' barely see mama inna chair on her phone, and Travis sittin' on the edge of my bed watchin' TV.
"Yo, ca yall get me somethin' ta drank?" I asked. Both of 'em looked at me and started smilin'.
Mama was the first ta hop up, and come kiss me all ova the face. "Oh thank you Jesus, my baby is woke." she cheered.
Trav came ova and patted my good leg, befoe dappin' me up. "What up brody, how you feelin'?"
"Like I got hit by a fuckin' truck. " I groaned, and then started rubbin' my eyes trynna see betta.
"Man, what even happened ta you?"
I shook my head feelin' pissed off thankin' back ta the pussy ass shit. Raheem came out thea' ta jump me, and shit and really fucked me up wit' that baseball bat. I was gone let that nigga live befoe, but nah that he did that punk ass shit? It's ova foe him as soon as I'm all healed up.
"Some niggas jumped me out inna parkin' lot at Shae's apartment." I tol' him and then looked aroun'. "Aye, whea' is Shae anyways?"
"She said she had ta go home real fast. She'll be back." mama tol' me. I nodded, and then jus' chilled back.
The whole left side of my face hurt like a bitch, and my vision still wasn't clearin' up. I blinked a couple times, but it wasn't gettin' no betta and I started ta get nervous. Fuck is goin' on wit' my eyes?
"Mama, ca you call the docta?"
"Yea baybeh." She leaned ova and pressed a button behine me, and then sat back down.
It ain't take long foe a nurse ta come inna room all smiles and shit, but I ca barely make out her face. "Hi August, I'm nurse Gina, how you feelin' baby?"
"Not good."
"Okay can you tell me on a scale of one to ten how your head feels?"
"Nine."
I ca see she wrote somethin' down and then looked back ova ta me. "Okay, and your leg?"
"Seven." I tol' her. "Say doc, what is wrong wit' my leg anyways?"
"Oh, you tour your ACL."
"Wow, ain't that bouta bitch."
"Yea, and we have yet to do surgery because we needed your input on a few things regarding it, but since you're woke we can get you into surgery in just a couple hours." She explained ta me. I nodded, and then started massagin' my thigh.
So not only did this nigga fuck my vision up, but he done tour my fuckin' ACL. I swea' it's ova for that nigga as soon as I'm feelin' betta.
"Oh and Doc, thea's somethin' wrong wit' my eyes. Shits all blurry nah." I saw her get up and walk ova ta me befoe pullin' a lil flash light out her pocket.
She flashed it in both of my eyes, and then made me follow her finga. When she was done she put the flashlight away and then turned her head ta the side a little.
"Uhm, I'm going to get the doctor. Give me one moment." She said befoe leavin' out.
I got even moe nervous cause of how fast she rolled up outta hea'. I turned ta mama and I ca tell she was nervous too. It ain't take long foe the docta ta come in, and introduce hisself. Afta that he started checkin' my eyes too, and then sighed.
"Okay August, so what I'm seeing is that your eye sight has deteriorated from the blow you took to the head. You're experiencing blurry vision and from what I can see you'll probably have to go through laser surgery to correct this. " He first tol' me makin' mama gasp, and me and Trav sigh. "Now by doing so we will not be able to fully get your eye sight back to normal, we'll probably only be able to bring it back sixty percent. After that you'll have to wear glasses or contacts."
Life is throwin' a nigga the biggest curve right nah. I got a fucked up leg, fucked up vision and all types of shit. This is crazy, and I swea' that nigga jus' don't know what he done got his self inta.
Doc went through and tol' me that I also had a concussion ta add on ta otha things and then they got shit tagetha foe me ta go inta surgery foe my knee. Befoe they would give me medicine foe my nerves, they made me talk ta the police, but I jus' lied and said I ain't see who did the shit ta me, 'cause I wanna handle Rah on my own terms. Fuck some little time in jail. I want that nigga wit' a cap in his ass.
Doin' all of this, and O'Shae still hasn't shown up. I called her earlier, and texted her but she aint reply back so I'm hopin' she'll be hea' when a nigga wake up, because I need ta see her.
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O'Shae ; Four days later
I got out my car and grabbed the few grocery bags from the backseat before heading towards my building. These last few days have been so boring without August. Ms.Sheila kept me up to date with everything that happened with him after he woke up, and I told her I'd come to the house after his surgery which I did. He was sleep when I came over that day so I just dropped off the gifts I got him and left.
I want to be with August, bad, but I don't want Rah to hurt him either so I decided I'd just have to leave him alone. This little shit with the fight was only a fraction of what could happen to him if we keep messing around, and I don't want him to be hurt worst so if I gotta let him go to ensure that, then so be it.
I walked up the steps looking for my house key on my key ring, just before I got into my hall. I looked up, and had to do a double take once I saw August on crutches leaning against the wall next to my door. I dropped everything and rushed over to him.
"August what the hell are you doing here?" I asked. He opened his eyes, and looked down at me. He looked tired and in pain.
"Jus' open the doe please. I would like ta sit down." He stated.
"Oh right."
I stuck the key in and opened the door for him before helping him in and over to the couch. He tried to pick his own leg up, but he groaned, and stopped so I gently grabbed it, and helped him put it on the coffee table.
"I'll go get you a pillow." I told him before heading to the back and grabbing two off of my bed and coming back to put them under his leg. He watched me the whole time, and then started closing his eyes.
I took that chance to go back out and grab my groceries, and bring them into the house. I put them in the kitchen and then walked back over to the couch and just looked at me. His face was bruised on the side pretty bad, and he just looked out of it, I'm sure because of whatever pain medicine he's on.
"Stop starin' at me and sit down." He demanded. I jumped because I didn't think he'd notice since his eyes were closed. I sat down next to him and he open his eyes, and turned his head my way.
"August, how'd you get here? You're suppose to be on bed rest."
"I drove, and I don't care."
"You drove!"
"Yea, that's what I jus' said." he stated calmly befoe shiftin' aroun' a lil.
He looked up at me again with a frown, and I got nervous thinking about where this was all going. I haven't answered not a single call or text from him so I'm sure he's pissed with me.
"Aug why are you even here?"
"I'm hea' 'cause my girl ain't been answerin' her phone, and ain't came ta see me." He pointed out. "Nah why have you been ignorin' me O'Shae?"
"Because, I can't let you get hurt again August."
He looked at me confused, and then huffed. "That nigga ain't finna do nothin' ta me again Shae. And don't you thank it's up ta me whetha I wanna leave you 'cause of that nigga or not?"
I bit down on my lip, and shrugged. "Yea, but--"
"But nothin'. That nigga ain't scare me away from you." He explained. "Its my choice wetha I wanna leave you, and I don't so don't jus' be makin' lil decisions wit' out talkin' ta me no moe."
I looked up at him, and nodded. He's a sweetheart and crazy all at the same damn time. As hard as I was trying to stay away from him I should've known better.
"Nah go make me somethin' ta eat."
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