The next day Aaliyah woke up and Dre was nowhere to be found. Not that she looked for her, she just knew he wasn't there.
Aaliyah poured some orange juice in her cup and drunk it down. She never been so thirsty waking up. She wanted to shower but realized she didn't have any or her things.
She grabbed her phone from upstairs and her keys and put her slides on and headed to her apartment. As she drove there, she started to remember the fact that her mom just died last night. Her emotions wanted her to be sad but she wouldn't let herself be. She felt like she did enough crying. It wasn't going to change the fact that she was actually gone for good.
—————————————————-
Aaliyah got to her apartment door but saw that the door knob was broke. Her heart dropped because she didn't know who or where these people were. She looked around then walked away. She got downstairs and saw a guy with tattoos who just looked like he was up to now good. She quickly hid so he couldn't see her and he sat down.
"Damn it", she said thought to herself.
She say the back door to the building and took a deep breath. She walked in to the door making sure he didn't notice her. Well hoping he didn't notice her and she walked out of the building.
"Hey girl, let me talk to you for a minute", a deep voice called.
Aaliyah looked to the side and he was walking to her as he pulled his gun out.
"Oh shit", she said as she ran bending over to dodge the bullets and kicking off her slides.
She ran to the side of the building and climbed over a fence. She fell to the ground and hit her back. She quickly on all fours and crawled behind some bushes.
She laid there there for like ten minutes. She peak up to make sure the coast was clear and he was. She got up touching her back because it hurt.
"Damn it. I knew I shouldn't have did this shit", she said to herself as she got in the car. She started the car and then she drove off as she put her her shades on.
——————————————-
Aaliyah went to the store and brought her enough outfits to last her about at least a couple weeks. She drove back to Dre's house and she knocked on the door.
Dre opened it. "You know you left my door unlocked right??", he asked.
"I was coming right back", she said.
"I been here for like three hours", he said.
Aaliyah moves him out the way and walked in with her bags.
"You left my door unlocked to go shopping?", he asked.
Aaliyah put her bags down.
"You know what Dre. I am starting to regret ever doing this job with you", she said.
Dre makes a face.
"I went to get some clothes from my house and guess what??", Aaliyah said. "They were there and I got shot at"
Dre looks at her body. "And you didn't get shot?", he asked.
"No. Actually not the first time I got shot at but still back then I wasn't the target", Aaliyah said.
"I'll handle that for you don't worry... just don't go nowhere else", he said.
"So you want me to stay cooped up in the house?", Aaliyah asked. "No"
"You wanna die?", he asked.
"I wouldn't have to think about dying if you hadn't ask me to do this shit", she said with a fake smile.
Dre rolled his eyes. "You agreed to it", Dre said.
Aaliyah sighed. "Fuck you and fuck that", she said. "If imma be up in the house, I wanna at least be rolling around naked in 500,000 dollars", she said.
"I'll get your money when I can", he said.
Aaliyah makes a face. "No sir, I need my money neow", she said said
"I said I'll get your money when I can", he reassured but this time with a more mean tone.
Aaliyah folded her arms. "I have a wedding to go to that I can't miss", she said.
"...well... I guess you can go to that but that's it", he said.
"Whatever", she said.
"And remind me to make you a key", he said.
"Sorry about leaving your door unlocked. That was my fault", she said.
"Mhm", he said. "Now I got stuff to do iight?"
"If I'm a target. Don't that make you one too?", she asked
"Nah", he said. "You were the last person he was with so they think it's yo people who did it including you", Dre said.
"So you knew this?", she asked.
"Yea but in my defense. They not gone waste their time on you. You're a female so they will think you skipped down while you lay low here", he said. "Versus me.. well they know I ain't going to where and they know where I be"
Aaliyah shook her head. "So wrong", she said.
"Which is why I said I'll protect you", Dre said. "We'll make sure you protect"
It was a knock at the door.
Dre looks through the peak hole and it was Jay. Dre opened the door and Jay walked in.
"Well Jay well make sure you good while I'm gone for the day", Dre said.
"I'm not 12. I don't need a babysitter", she said.
"You gone do yo brother like that?", he asked.
Aaliyah looked at him. "Just because we have the same dad, doesn't mean I need to welcome you with open arms"
"Good luck with that", Dre said before he walked out and shut the door.
Jay sat down on the other couch that Aaliyah wasn't sitting on.
"So.. I take it that you know him", Aaliyah said. "I mean like since you know what my mom looks like"
Jay nods. "Yes", he said.
"Must be good", she said.
"...you do know he didn't run out of your life right?", he said. "He wanted to be in it"
"So what stopped him?"
"Your mom. She kept avoiding him", Jay said.
"...she pretty good at that", she said.
Jay looks down.
"So... what does he look like? I was always curious", she said.
Jay went in his phone and found a picture and handed it to her.
"You look just like him", Aaliyah said,
"So I've been told", he said.
Aaliyah gave him his phone back. "How did you find out I was your sister?", he asked.
"Your last name", he said. "And I remembered dad talking about you when I was younger. About how I had a sister named Aaliyah"
Aaliyah was quiet. "He talked about me?", she asked.
"Yea. All the time", Jay said.
"But he didn't even know me", Aaliyah said.
"He don't have to know. You're his daughter he loved you no matter what", Jay said.
Aaliyah smiled a little.
"I didn't know that the girl he talked to much about grew up to be .. like this", he said.
Aaliyah stopped smiling. "Like what?", she asked.
"Like.. getting herself into shit like this. Fucking around right the wrong dude", Jay said.
Aaliyah made a face.
"Yea. I know you fucking Dre", Jay said.
"That's not any of your business", Aaliyah said. "You might be my brother but you barely know me"
"I don't have to know you to care about you. You my sister regardless", he said. "Imma look out for you just at the two other sisters I've known for years"
"...two others?", Aaliyah asked.
"Yea. Your sisters too", he said.
Aaliyah looks down.
"Why you doing this anyway?", he asked.
"Long story short. My life wasn't good. I had to grow up fast", she said. "So I guess I went down a certain path"
Jay didn't say anything.
"What's wrong with Dre?", she asked.
"Dude is dangerous honestly. And if you falling for him stop because he ain't gone do nothing but break your heart. Trust me I've seen it", he said.
"Me and him are just friends", she said.
"Oh please. He ain't want me to come here and look after you just because I was your brother but because I ain't gonna try nothing with you because I'm your brother", he said. "One thing about Dre is that he's territorial over things he wants to himself but he's not going to commit"
Aaliyah sat back and turned the T.V. on and changed the subject. "What do you wanna watch?", she asked.
"I don't care", he said as he sat back.
Aaliyah scrolled through the shows until she saw something she thought was interesting.
Her and Jay watched T.V. up until the evening.
TO BE CONTINUED....