CHAPTER ONE
"So" Ronny pondered, "Are we going to the mall or the gun store first" Ronny asked, packing his own materials into the duffle bag I supplied him with as I carefully counted all of the supplies we would need.
I huffed at him "I don't know vro, what do y'all wanna do?" I mumbled before glancing at our group. Most of us were packed, we were just going over the plan for the next day.
Scar chuckled, pouring the contents of goldfish crackers into the palm of his hand "This nigga said he don't know as if he ain't the leader,"
I bucked at him in a playful manner and as he flinched, I smacked the bag of goldfish crackers off his lap making a mess on the floor. "Ole flinching ass nigga man," I chuckled, picking up the bag of crackers and handing it back to him, ignoring that he snatched it.
Stokeley shook his head "So if we're robbing a bank and them jewelry stores in the mall, we probably gonna need weapons and shit first in case we gotta put the motherfucker to use," Ski added as we all nodded in agreement liking the sound of that. Me and him have been doing this shit together forever, ever since we met we've been inseparable
"Yo bet, there's a gun store not far from the mall, we can just stop there. Did we decide who's driving yet," Ronny asked as he leaned back into the couch with his arm resting on the headrest and legs sprawled open, looking down at his phone.
"Coolie, don't you got a van of some sort and did you take care of those fake license plates?" I asked, looking up at him from my spot on the floor.
Coolie nodded. "Yeah? Alright we can use that. Let's load in our bags and shit now so we're ready" He offered as we nodded at the idea and I started zipping up my bag.
"Ight so we got the food and water, we got our weapons, but we finna stop by the store first. We got two empty bags available to place what we steal, anything else we need?" I read over the list we had as the guys looked deep in thought and I looked across each of their faces especially Scar with them crumbs on his face.
"Nah, I don't think so. Let's review who's in charge of bringing what" Ski said, taking out his own list that he had been making.
"So me and Jah are going to be the ones to get the shit out of the safe, Tank and Kin$oul will be the guards looking out for anyone trying to interrupt what the fuck we got going on, Craig can help us break into places and shit, Scar can be our weapons guy" He started reading the list as the guys listened and watched Ski intently.
"That bobby pin using ass nigga," Scar snorted with laugher and immediately stared coughing and choking.
"He about to die eating his favorite snack talking hella shit," Trunks said shaking his head.
"Tank and Kin$oul will do good as bodyguards so I wouldn't even care if they had to fight too, Bhris and Trunks can help carry the supplies along with the rest of the gang and the food and water. One of y'all can drive too," Ski finished reading off the list. They all nodded as Bhris stood up from the couch and stretched with a yawn, picking up the duffle bags with supplies near him.
Slowly the group began disassembling to their private rooms of my house until it was just me and Ski in the living room. I stood up and plopped onto the couch stifling a yawn.
"So we just finna steal a bunch of shit and go back home?" Ski's tired voice brought me back to reality. I opened my eyes and sat up as I glanced around the room I was in.
"Mm what" I mumbled, not having heard what he said as I was too tired to clearly think. I was just ready to get my share of the money and expensive shit
"Nigga I know you ain't over there nodding off and shit. Wake your ass up and listen to me for just a sec. I'm talking about the Purge vro," He answered aggravated at my reaction and that I wasn't listening as I leaned my head back onto the smooth black leather of the couch. I internally rolled my eyes, just wanting to get some well-needed rest before tomorrow.
"What yo bum ass want" I responded, not moving a single muscle as I stayed relaxed, draped across the couch.
"We gotta make sure this all goes right," Stoke responded as I opened my eyes to see him scribbling more notes across his notepad. I rolled my eyes at his cautiousness, but that's what made us a great pair, he was a thinker and the safe one, I was the fighter who made quick decisions without enough pondering. Together we got shit done and the right way because of our different perspectives.
"Vruh, don't you know what the Purge is?" I questioned him. "Everything is legal for 24 hours so sit your ass down and chill," I grumbled as he ignored me and continued writing.
"Vro you not listening" Stokeley explained. "We need to think of all the what ifs, like what if someone gets there before us and they steal shit, or what if there isn't enough, we need like a back up bank to go to incase this one backfires and is already ransacked," He argued as I rubbed my temples in thought.
"Do you have a place in mind?" I prompted as he eagerly flipped over to the next page, already having an entire list. Like I said the thinker of the group.
"Yes, there's another bank down two blocks and around the corner from the mall and one about a few miles from the gun store we're going to." He read off of his list, always prepared. Another reason he was the one I trusted the most out of the group, he always had his shit together and was prepared when a plan was needed.
"Ok, but I think we should stick to the original plan and those will be back ups okay?" I responded as Ski wrote it down and put the notebook down, closing it carefully. He glanced over at me and walked over to me, plopped down next to me on the couch.
"What you thinking of little vro?" He questioned me, knowing the look that I had displayed across my face. He knew me too well I thought with a sigh as I thought of how to word my concerns.
"How do you know me so well?" I asked with a smile and a light punch to his arm as he rubbed his shoulder and smiled back.
"It's Geneva again, I know it's been awhile but I can't control it. Sometimes she just comes into my mind and brings back memories, sometimes it's something that triggers it." I explained quietly, not wanting the other guys to hear. To them I was more of a leader figure, with Ski I could be myself, he's known me through everything. "And Stoke that girl left me miserable enough to be vulnerable it really fucking sucks vro thinking about her when she probably ain't thinking about me and how I feel," I uttered, dropping my head, zoning out thinking about her. That girl left me feeling raw as a winter storm. It was agonizing to me. I spent most of my time journaling trying so bad to reciprocate my heart.
"I know, it's hard. You just gotta get through those times and surround yourself with positivity like our group. You know we got you no matter what bro" He gently responded, giving me a light slap on my shoulder. I nodded at his support and closed my eyes as my head spun with thoughts of her and how she was a hearteater. She surely ate mine alive.
We didn't even really need the money, we just wanted to go out and have fun and shit during the purge. The group originally got together for music, we all had a similar style and view on the world, and as we recorded more and more together, and spent time together we found we had a lot more in common.
These guys are my brothers now, we do so much together and rely on each other for a lot. Since we made music we definitely had enough money, but for us this was just an extra bit of fun together. And of course, who wouldn't like some more money, I thought to myself as Geneva slipped in and out of my mind.
She fucked me up badly, I hated to admit to myself that she had that big of an effect on me. I brought myself out of my thoughts, reaching over for my own notebook as I reviewed the checklist one last time, making sure I didn't miss anything. I knew I hadn't, I had the best group for this job in the world, the way we worked together, but I needed a distraction from the pain of my memories.
Geneva's words and the images of her floated up through my mind. Her smile, her laugh. Her tear stained face throughout our arguments. Her voice and her touch, the connection we had before it broke and shattered with her accusations.
Geneva who was extremely difficult at times. She was never an open book. She reminded me of a diary with a locket attached to her heart. Very closed- off. She only allowed what she wanted you to view and see her as. It was difficult trying to love someone so broken and you couldn't do anything to knock down the emotional barriers.
I shook my head, trying to clear my mind as I got up and trudged upstairs to see what the others were doing. As I neared the door I heard laughter and conversation float from the room, a warm vibe pulsating from the group.
I cracked the door open and stepped inside, seeing them gathered on the soft carpeted floor between the couches and beds around a phone.
"What y'all doing, weren't you supposed to be packing and shit" I interrupted their conversations as their heads whipped around to stare at me.
"Come look at this vruh, it's hilarious" Coolie exclaimed, smiling as he stretched out his phone towards me. I walked over and plopped down next to the guys as they turned the phone for me to see and I burst out laughing along with them.
It was a stupid edit of some hentai but that shit was hilarious, it had some of us as the characters and we all died laughing at the creativity of our fans. As everyone laughed and enjoyed themselves, I looked around. These were my brothers, we came together through hard times and gained such a bond and connection that could never break.
Time seemed to slow as I took myself out of the situation, observing from afar. Each one meant so much, it was crazy to think we all ended up together and so reliant on each other.
"....aye x.....X man.....you good?" I heard distant voices call to me as I shook my head and snapped myself out of my moment.
"Yeah what you want" I answered as they stared at me and I made a goofy ass face towards then, scrunching up my nose and they all burst out in laughter again.
"I'm good don't worry" I joked as they nodded and conversations flitted around the room. "I just came up here to check that you're all ready and packed" I continued as they reverted their attention back to me, nodding at my statement.
"Ight then get some sleep we need rest and all that shit" I clapped my hands and pushed myself off the floor, heading towards the door as they started disassembling and picking up their backpacks and other belongings.
As I headed up to my own room my feet pounded on the quiet stairs before rounding the corner. I breathed out as I entered the safety and peacefulness of my room, leaning back against my door as I closed my eyes.
My thoughts were spinning inside my head uncontrollably, threatening to come out onto the surface as I focused on breathing correctly and clenched my fists tight to keep control over myself. I hate when this happens I thought before the different thoughts and voices grew louder and more prominent inside my brain.
"Fuck fuck fuck" I lowly groaned out, feeling dizzy and nauseous as I slumped against the door and slid down to rest at the base, holding my head as I tried to drown out my demons and hauntings.
I pulled out my phone and set some music that could heal me and understand me as I rocked with the lyrics. My shallow breaths and waxing heart pounded inside my head as my room started twisting and blurring, filling my mind with doubt and paranoia. I was fucked up, so fucked up I repeated in my head over and over as I tried to rid myself of the negativity.
My greatest enemy was myself, no amount of money or fame could fix that, I thought as I reasoned why we were even purging tomorrow. It was just a distraction, another day of my life spent drowning away myself instead of trying to overcome it.
The days I tried to overcome myself ended with fatigue and pain, sometimes more than I started with. It was useless, sometimes it just all felt so worthless I thought to myself, feeling trapped in my own self.
I spent hours sitting there, calming my breathing and trying to normalize myself. I was so messed up I thought to myself as my heart finally calmed and I felt in control and free again.
I glanced down at my phone in my shaky hand, the music long gone as the moonlight shone in through the long windows. The time read 2:39 am, I sighed to myself. I got up against the white door frame and staggered over to my bed, exhausted from what I had experienced.
It always tired me out I thought as I yanked the sheets around me, not bothering to change out of my clothes. I twisted and turned in a fitful sleep, trying to focus on the excitement of the day to come.