I'm so sorry for the long wait. I've been busy filling out applications for colleges and scholarships. It's my senior year, but I'm gonna try to write whenever I get a chance. There's only 3 chapters left in this book! I appreciate those of you who continue to read, comment, and vote on every single chapter!!!!
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*Keyanna*
I let out a deep breath as I took in my surroundings. We were at Mel's funeral and there hasn't been a dry eye in the room since the first 5 minutes of the service. This was the exact opposite of Rodney's emotionless "funeral". The only similarity between Mel's funeral and Rodney's was the closed casket. Mel had been shot multiple times in the head and chest. With these types of deaths, it's better to have a closed casket service so the family doesn't have to see their loved ones that way. Denzel and one August's brothers, Jamal, are the only ones that have seen Mel since he was shot. Denzel saw him when he had to ID the body at the hospital and Jamal saw him when he made the funeral arrangements. They both say he didn't really look like himself.
I was sitting in one of the rows in the middle of the church. Denzel, Kimberly, and Kiara were to the left of me and one of August's cousins was on my right. August was at the front with his mom and siblings. Every so often one of them would break down, causing half the people in the room to start crying. It hurt me to see August crying so much. I'm trying to stay strong, but the constant tears around me are making that extremely hard.
"Everyone please join me in prayer as we conclude the service," the pastor began. I followed suit as everyone respectfully bowed their head. "Eternal God, let your presence rest upon us as we give thanks for Melvin's life. We thank you for the days of life that you gave to him. May his memory live long among us and be a source of strength for us. In the midst of the loss we feel as we experience the death of one whom we love, keep us in touch also with the memories which can sustain us. May we find the courage to face the changes which life presents to us as we go on from here. Give to those who most deeply feel this loss the comfort of your presence, and enable each of us to minister to those who mourn. Amen," the pastor concluded.
The church began to slowly empty as people left to make their way to the cemetery. For me, that has to be the hardest part of a funeral. Going to a cemetery and knowing that you’re about to bury a loved one is practically unbearable. Death is inevitable, it’s a natural part of life, but that doesn’t make it any easier to deal with. I waited until most of the people were gone before I made my way to where August remained seated in the front pew. He sat staring blankly at the casket in front of him. I took a seat beside him, but stayed silent, not quite sure of what to say yet.
“This shit is fucked up,” August stated quietly. Physically, his body is right next to mine, but he seems so distant. He had come out of the denial stage of the grieving process, and now he was in the anger phase. He got mad over the simplest things and was liable to snap on someone at any random moment. If he wasn’t mad at one of us, then he was mad at himself. We’ve all told him that this wasn’t his fault, but he still feels somewhat guilty. He fails to realize that Mel being shot was completely out of his hands.
“It’s hard to believe. It don’t even seem real,” I mumbled, laying my head on his shoulder. As the days went on, I began to question whether or not this was real. I know I’m most likely just in denial, but I couldn’t help but wonder if it was possible that Mel had faked his death just like Rodney. The only thing throwing me off was the fact that Denzel and Jamal had seen the body. It would be hard, but not impossible, for him to find a look alike. I don’t know what would be harder to accept, him faking his death and causing his family so much pain, or him actually being dead.
"I don’t know how people can lose a sibling, or anybody close to 'em, and still go on," August said slowly.
"It's hard. I know it seems impossible to move on now, but it gets a little bit easier every day," I spoke from experience. I cried every night the first month after my brother died. I didn't ever think that the emotional pain I felt would go away.
"I thought he was invincible. Couldn't nobody take out my big brother. I would've sworn he was the hardest thing out in New Orleans," August said as the pallbearers came in to put the casket in the hearse. I felt him tense up and I knew he was trying his best to not cry again. This was a heartbreaking sight to witness. Once they made it passed us with the casket, August stood, pulling me up with him in the process. He grabbed my hand and slowly walked out the church.
When we stepped into the crowded parking lot, I scanned the area for Denzel. My eyes landed on him standing not too far from us. He had Kimberly in one arm and Kiara stood directly beside him. August and I must have noticed him at the same time because only a few seconds after spotted him, August started walking in that direction. We were stopped a few times by people wanting to give their condolences to August, but eventually we made it to them.
“So are you telling me that Santa really doesn’t exist?” Kiara asked Denzel.
“You should know by now that Santa Clause aint real,” Denzel told her.
“Santa is real. He’s just too scared to come to the hood ‘cause somebody might steal Rudolph,” Kimberly stated. Last Christmas, my mom used the money she was supposed to buy presents with on drugs. She came home high and when Kimberly asked why she didn’t get any gifts, my mom told her that Santa didn’t come to the hood. My mom ruined the Christmas traditions for her at an early age, but Kimberly didn’t seem to care.
“What about the tooth fairy? Is she real,” Kiara questioned.
“Yeah, the tooth fairy is real,” Denzel answered. I wonder how they even ended up on this topic. August and I remained quiet, waiting to see what she would say next.
“Well how come I only got money if my tooth fell out around the first of the month,” Kiara asked.
“She had to wait for Peter Pan to pay his child support for their 6 kids. The only time he gave her a check was at the beginning of the month,” Denzel explained. I have never met anyone as childish as these two.
“So is the Easter bunny real?” she asked with a hopeful look in her eyes. She looked as if she was searching for at least one thing that was true from her childhood. She is too old to still believe in all these childhood holiday idols.
“The Easter bunny was real but a group of bloods shot and killed him ‘cause they thought he was crip walkin’ down the street. It turns out, he had been stabbed in the leg earlier that day, so he was walking with a limp, but it looked like crip walking,” Denzel lied, making up the story as he went.
“You just ruined my childhod. My whole life is a lie,” Kiara declared. She sighed in defeat and leaned back against the car she was in front of. I couldn’t do anything but shake my head. She was being overly dramatic.
“Are you riding with us to the cemetery?” August’s brother, Travis, asked walking over to us.
“Nah, y’all go now and I’ll meet y’all there,” August answered. Travis nodded and headed back in the direction he had come from.
“Who’s driving, you or me?” Denzel inquired. We had all rode here together.
“That depends on whether or not you fixed your problem yet? Can you drive right now? If it’s gonna be like last time then I aint takin’ no chances,” August responded. The last time Denzel drove was horrible. One minute he’d be speeding, and the next he’d be driving under the speed limit. I figured it was just a one-time thing with him that day, but he’s still been acting strange. One minute he’s normal and then the next he’s acting all crazy and depressed.
“I asked yo’ ass a simple question, all I needed was a one word answer. You didn’t have to give no damn speech. I know what im doing and I don’t have a problem,” Denzel snapped. This was the perfect example of his weird mood swings. My guess would be that he’s under a lot of stress right now. I would hate to think that Denzel was doing drugs. I held August's hand tighter in an attempt to keep him calm. Him and Denzel had been arguing a lot these past few days, and not wasn't the time or place for them to start fighting.
“Imma drive,” Kiara stated. We all shifted our attention towards her. Let Denzel tell it, she couldn’t drive to save her life.
“It aint gon’ be no worse than that nigga tryna drive,” August said with a shrug. He dug in his pocket and pulled out his keys. He reached out to hand them to her and she skeptically took them. She probably didn’t think they would actually let her drive.
“I aint even trippin’. It aint my car. When she wreck yo’ shit don’t say I aint warn you,” Denzel mumbled. August shook his head and began walking in the direction of his car. As I followed behind, I saw Rodney standing not too far from us. I stopped and stared for a moment. It’s like he’s asking to be caught. He doesn’t even try to hide. He doesn’t act like someone who faked their own death. I continued walking, silently hoping that the rest of this day would go by drama free.
Kiara pulled off once we were all in and followed behind all the other cars headed to the cemetery. She was driving a little over the speed limit but aside from that, she seemed to be doing good.
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After the short service was over at the cemetery, we all stood around watching the people slowly leave. Most of the people had already left, but there were a few still here. Im glad the servie is done. The hardest part is over now.
"Kiara you still got my keys?" August suddenly asked. I looked up at him and saw that he was staring off into the distance. I tried to follow his gaze, but he was looking towards a group of people making their way to their cars.
"I gotta go somewhere right quick," August said quickly. He took the keys from Kiara and ran over to his car.
"I can't believe this nigga left us," Denzel said watching August drive away. I don't know what's wrong with him. Here lately, he's been up and leaving without any explanation as to where he's going. He's starting to act suspicious. I can't think of any place he would go where he couldn't tell anybody.
I was pulled out of my thoughts when Kimberly came running up to me. She had been playing with some other little girls that were sitting by August’s mom, Mama Shiela.
"YaYa I got a baby," she said excitedly. I frowned in confusion.
"Kim what are you talking about?" I questioned. I had no clue what she was talking about.
"Imma show you," she said, grabbing my hand. I walked behind her and Denzel and Kiara followed. We walked over to a lady that was standing by Mama Shiela. She had a baby in her arms and there were 2 more little girls standing beside her.
"Mya and Chay gave me the baby 'cause she cries too much. Can I keep her?" Kimberly asked. When I looked at the girls, the first thing I noticed was the strong resemblance to Mel. They were the spitting image of him.
"Keyanna, I was just looking for you. I wanted you to meet Chandra," Mama Shiela said, introducing me to the woman holding the baby.
"Hey," she said nicely. I shook her outstretched hand with a smile.
"Can I hold her," I asked. This was one of the prettiest babies I've ever seen. She nodded and handed the baby over. After I got a closer look at the baby, I noticed that she looked a lot like August. Her small features looked very similar to his.
"Somebody's got some explaining to do," Denzel exclaimed after taking one look at the baby. Kiara nodded her head in agreement. I'm lost. Where did these kids come from and why do they look so much like Melvin and August?
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*August*
I kept my eyes focused on the road ahead of me as I followed behind the car I saw Rodney get in. The first few times, I could convince myself that my mind was playing tricks on me, but after today I know something aint right. It's time I get to the bottom of this. I don't know what the hell is going on. Rodney is supposed to be dead, I carried his casket.
When the car I was following pulled up in front of a house I parked across the street and waited for him to get out. When he opened his door, I opened mine and quickly walked across the street. I caught up to him just as he opened the front door of the house. He stepped inside and turned to close the door but stopped when he noticed me. I came face to face with Rodney. I can't believe that he faked his own death.
"Aug man, let me explain," he pleaded. I could sense the nervousness in his voice and see the fear in his eyes. I don't know if I'm more confused or mad. I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. There might be some good explanation. I pushed him back, causing him to stumble and made my way inside.
"What the fuck is goin' on?" I questioned. I would've said that Rodney was one of my closet friends. He was one of the few niggas I actually trusted, but he's been lyin' to me this whole time. I thought he was dead.
"I'm not Rodney. I'm his long lost twin brother," Rodney lies. He couldn't have thought that I was gon' believe that. He probably could've convinced Denzel that he was a twin, but I aint fallin' for it. I swung and connected my fist with his jaw. I was tryin' to stay calm and hear his explanation, but it was getting harder every second. The longer I sat here, the more eager I became. I was ready to release all the pent up anger inside me. Rodney just so happened to be my unlucky victim. I wasn't going to shoot him. I was going to make him take the punches for everyone I've ever been mad at.
"Shit! Why you hit me nigga?" Rodney asked, grabbing his jaw in pain.
"Imma give you one last chance to come up with an explanation. Why did you do this?" I questioned. I raised my hand to rub my chin and Rodney flinched, causing me to chuckle. Scary ass nigga.
"I was in it for the money. I was gonna make more money with Ace than you can even imagine. You would’ve done the same thing if you were in my position. You gotta look at things from our point of view,” Rodney stammered. I looked at him in confusion.
“What you mean “our”? Denzel is in on this shit too?” I inquired. I don’t know who to trust now. I would’ve never thought that these niggas would do some shit like this.
“Nah man, it was Mel. This was all…,” he began to explain. As soon as I heard my brother’s name I lost it. Rodney should’ve known I wasn’t gonna believe this. I repeatedly punched him, aiming solely for his face. After he got over the initial shock he made an attempt to fight me back. He got in a few good hits but that did nothing to stop me. I knew Mel would never do that. If the money was that important, he and I could’ve both teamed up with Ace. There was no need for him to go behind my back.
“You didn’t really think I was gon’ believe that right,” I said, more as a statement than a question. I stopped my hits and took a step back, waiting for his response.
“None of this was my idea. Mel was working with Ace for a while before I even found out about it. I swear to God that’s the truth,” Rodney defended. There was nothing he could say to convince me that he was telling the truth. The only way I would believe this is if Mel came back from the dead and said it himself, and even then I’d be skeptical. That just doesn’t add up. It would make no sense for Mel to hide all this from me. I never really had a problem with Ace until I thought he killed Rodney. Mel could’ve told me straight up that he wanted to work with him.
I had no more words to say to him. He was doin’ some fake ass shit behind our backs and then he tried to lie on Mel. As far as im concerned, Rodney’s been dead since that funeral. Loyalty don’t mean shit to some niggas these days. I begin throwing punches again, more than ready to release the anger inside me. I threw punches for all the people I had been mad at today. I started with Denzel. I don’t know why he started trippin’ again. He knows what happened last time, but it seems like he doesn’t care. He’s making things more complicated than they have to be. Next was Mel. I didn’t think he would go out so soon. When you grow up in places like this, it’s set in your mind that it’s a miracle if you make it past 18. I guess deep down I was expecting something like this to happen, but I still wasn’t prepared.
The speed of my hits doubled when I looked down and saw the blood covering my fist. There was something exhilarating about being able to make him feel the physical pain that I was feeling emotionally. I guess I must’ve blacked out because I hadn’t even noticed that Rodney stopped fighting back. I don't really remember him falling down either. He was slowly drifting in and out of consciousness, but I couldn’t stop. When I thought about how mad I had been at myself these past few days the power of each blow intensified. I couldn’t help but feel like there was something I could’ve done. I blame myself for Mel’s death even though I know I had nothing to do with it.
I don't know what it was but after a few minutes something finally snapped me out of the trance I was in. I stood back and looked down at Rodney lying motionless on the floor. His face was disfigured and covered in blood. I figured he was on the brink of death seeing as how he was barely breathing. Each breath he took was slow and painful. That nigga deserved to get his ass beat, but I didn't think I would kill him. Oh well, it is what it is. I found a place to wash the blood off my hands before I walked out the house, not feeling an ounce of regret. I actually felt better than I did walking in.
When I got in my car I sat there for a few minutes trying to decide what my next move would be. I didn't want to go home yet, so I decided to just drive around for a while. I needed time to clear my mind before I went back. I know they're all gonna have questions that I don't feel like answering right now.
After about 30 minutes of aimless wandering, I found myself at the park. I don't know why I ended up here of all places. I got out and made my to one of the benches in the middle of the park. It was practically enpty. There were maybe 5 people here including me. I put my head on the table, grateful for the silence. I needed this time to myself to deal with what's been going on.
"Hey, do you mind if I sit here?" A voice asked, pulling me out of my thoughts. I was ready to shoot somebody for disturbing my peace. I looked up, prepared to cuss somebody out, but stopped when I saw the girl standing in front of me. Her looks had me caught off gaurd. There were only a handful of pretty girls around town, and I thought I had seen them all.
"You better be lucky you cute, 'cause I was 'bout to shoot you," I told her truthfully. She took that as her invitation to sit down. She glanced at me briefly before looking away.
"You ain't from around here are you?" I questioned trying to start a conversation. Any chance of me having alone time is gone now, so I might as well talk to the girl.
"No, I'm from Mississippi. I moved here a few days ago," she answered shyly.
"What's your name beautiful?" I asked with a smile. I probably shouldn't be flirting with this girl, it's only gonna cause problems in the future. I don't know what it is, but something about her intrigued me. I wanted to get to know her.
"Aaliyah," she stated, smiling back. When she blushed she seemed so innocent, just like Keyanna.
"I'm August. So how do you like it down here?" I inquired.
"It's different. It's definitely gonna take some getting used to. There's so much crime around this area. I thought I was gonna get shot when I was walking here and I live right across the street," she responded. I let out a small chuckle.
"It aint safe for you to be walking these streets alone. Somebody will come rob yo' ass and not think twice about it," I told her. A girl like her should not be walking around here by their self.
"I wanted to get out. I got lonely sitting in the house by myself all day," she said.
"Why are you all alone. None of your family stays with you?" I asked.
"No, it's just me. My parents sent me here to stay with my aunt, but she's never at home. I only see her late at night or early in the morning," she answered slowly.
"Why did your parents send you down here?" I asked wondering if she had done something bad back where she came from.
"Uh, I think I should leave now. It's getting late and it looks like it might rain," she shot back quickly. The speed behind her answer seemed a little strange to me. I knew she was hiding something but that's none of my business. If she wanted me to know, she would've told me.
"I'll drive you," I suggested. I would hate for her to end up getting hurt while she was walking home.
"Thanks, but that's not necessary. I literally live right across the street, " she answered, pointing to a house that was across from the park. I stood up preparing to leave when I felt raindrops slowly start to fall. I don't really want to go home, but there's no where else to go.
"Is that blood on your shirt?" Aaliyah asking coming closer to me. I looked at the spot she pointed to and saw some small blood stains.
"Yeah," I answered simply. I pulled my shirt off, leaving me in just a wife beater. I hadn't realized that some of Rodney's blood was on my shirt until she pointed it out. I smirked when I saw her staring at the tattoos that covered my arms.
"You're kinda tall. Will you come change the light bulb in my room?" she asked, looking me up and down. I stared at her for a few moments before answering.
"Uh yeah I guess," I answered skeptically. Something tells me I'm gonna be doing more than just changing a light bulb.
She smiled again revealing the dimples I hadn't noticed before. She headed in the direction of her house and I followed close behind. When we got inside she led me to her room. I reached up and took out the old light bulb while she went to find a new one. She came back and I quickly put in the new light.
"Is that all you needed me to do?" I asked, turning to look at her as she sat on her bed. She bit her lip and looked up at me. The lustful look in her eyes answered my question. I hesitantly took a seat next to her. I know what I'm about to do is wrong. Keyanna doesn't deserve this. She needs somebody better than me.
"This is gonna be our little secret. I'm new here and I don't want these people thinkin' I'm a hoe," Aaliyah said quietly. She moved to sit on my lap and stared into my eyes waiting for confirmation. I see she's one of them undercover hoes. The whole shy, innocent thing was an act.
"I'm not tellin' if you ain't," I responded. She leaned down to kiss me and my hands naturally found their way to her waist. I know I'm gonna feel guilty about this later on, but it's too late to turn back now.
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What's something you wanna see happen in the sequel??
How do you think Aug will react when he finds out about Mel's daughters?
Do you think Aug is gonna be truthful about Aaliyah?
**C/O 2015 turn up!!!
** What y'all think of the No Love video??
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Excuse the mistakes. Please VOTE & COMMENT to let me know what you thought of the chapter!!!