March 21, 1993
Ranae woke up squinting her eyes to the light and turned the pillow over to the cooler side. She was extremely hot for some reason and it wasn't even summer yet. She turned on her right side and seeing Devante standing near the door instantly made her heart race.
She shot up holding her chest with furrowed brows "Whats wrong with you?" She croaked out breathing heavy and watched as he looked at her with a straight face.
"What's wrong with me...?" He chuckled sinisterly "Nah what's wrong with you baby girl? You ain't say one word to me when you got back, I didn't even know you were here. I had to come check the rooms."
She laid back down and faced the ceiling "That was the point."
"Care to explain why then?"
"Nope." She said popping the p. Donald's blood was starting to boil at how nonchalant she was being. It was too early in the morning for this but he needed answers.
"What the fuck is your deal kid, why the attitude?" He asked stepping into the room all the way. Ranae snapped her neck at him not knowing if she should be mad at him for swearing at her or calling her kid but he didn't even care.
"Why do you think I have an attitude De? You were constantly paging me last night and it was getting on my nerves. I already told you I would come in when I was ready, I wasn't out with strangers Donald, I was with my friends."
"Aight I understand that, I just didn't want you staying out that late. Anything could've happened, it's crazy out there."
"No you just hate the fact that I actually have friends to hang with, I don't need to stay up under you all day Donald, were not joined by the hip. I still like to go out with my girls and not stay locked up in your house all day until you have somewhere to go." She told him straight up but he didn't like her response.
"I never said you had to follow me around like a lost puppy—"
"You didn't but we both know you want me too." She cut him off and he quickly licked his lips. He doesn't know where the old Ranae went but she needs to come back out quickly, whoever he was talking to now seemed to be too much for him.
He was growing tired of all the lip she's been giving.
Devante sighed and rubbed his hands down his face "Whatever, I'll let you think that." He shook his head and turned to leave the room, leaving it at that. He couldn't admit that she was right though, he indeed wanted Ranae to follow him around. He craved her attention and ever since yesterday she's been acting real different towards him.
"I'm going out again today." She announced with a sly smirk on her face just to tick him off. She knew Devante was in denial about wanting her around every second of the day.
He glanced over his shoulder with the same smirk "I want you to." He told her and left the room completely. Ranae wasn't no fool, just by the way he said that let her know he was gonna pull something.
He had a trick up his sleeve anyway that would really make little Ranae wanna curse him out. She wanted to whine about this and that like a stuck up kid, then that's exactly how she's about to get treated.
................................................................
It was going on four in the afternoon and Ranae finally pranced down the stairs towards the living area. She had plans to ride out to the city with her friends being that she hasn't been in the neighborhood since January.
When she got back from California she didn't have a reason to go back to the Brooklyn area, she wasn't speaking to her parents and she sure they wouldn't allow her coming to the apartment anyway. Her friends were here for spring break though, she could just go out to kick it at their cribs though.
She wanted so bad to just leave out since her friends were out in the front waiting, but the least she could do was tell Devante that she was leaving. If she didn't that would've been another unnecessary argument just waiting to happen, she think De is becoming a bit sensitive these days.
She got down to the living room and seen that he was chillin and talking with some unknown man. She cleared her throat "I'm heading out, i'll be back later." She told him and leaped off the last step.
"Aight we'll let me introduce you to Marvin first, your new bodyguard." He said with a evil smirk and Ranae stopped dead in her tracks.
"Bodyguard?" She asked, confusion written all over her face.
"Yeah, since you wanna go out and stay out late as hell I thought you would need a bodyguard at least. For your safety." He smiled but it wasn't a nice one, Ranae knew exactly what he was doing and she didn't like it.
"I don't need a bodyguard Donald, I have enough friends around me for safety." She quoted with her fingers.
"They can't do for you what he can though, he's a professional." He patted his back and Ranae kept her gaze on Donald, getting more annoyed by the second "I think it's best if he heads out with you for now on."
"For now on? This isn't going to be an everyday thing. I don't need a babysitter De, why do you have a problem with me going out all of the sudden? I don't need one of your guys watching me every second of the day when I leave the house, reporting everything back to you."
"We not about to go over this again, whenever you leave out without me then Marvin gone be there. I'm trying to look out for you and you just don't give a fuck."
Marvin just stood there awkwardly with his hands behind his back not wanting to interfere. He does have to take Donald's side though because he was paying him for this, he has to do his job.
"This is not what looking out for someone means, your going too far."
"Maybe I am." He shrugged nonchalantly, just like she was behaving earlier "But Marvin's going with you, if not then I think you just need to stay in."
Ranae scoffed and folded her arms "This is crazy, I would've been better off going back home with my actual parents if this is how your gonna treat me. I can't believe your doing this right now."
"You made me do this." He pointed at Ranae and the mug was still clearly on her face "Coming in past ten without telling me a damn thing, I don't know what you was out there doing and anything could've happened to you."
"What does it matter what I was out there doing, I was with my friends!" She semi yelled getting agitated at this point.
While their sparking up a argument inside the house, Ranae friends all waited for her outside in Tarika's car "Damn, whats taking her so long?" Kiara looked over her shoulder towards the front door once again.
"I don't know, she said she was coming down." Crystal said with a sigh.
Jarvis rubbed his hands down his face, also growing impatient "Y'all want me to go knock and see what's up?" He suggested and now all eyes were on him. Everyone else was completely clueless but Monique and crystal already knew Mr.Swing would not like Jarvis coming up to his door, especially for Ranae.
Jarvis was oblivious to this though, he himself didn't know that Donald wasn't too fond of him. Why though? By the looks of it Donald seemed to have Ranae wrapped around his finger, she's said multiple times that she and Jarvis would remain friends so there really wasn't a reason for Devante to dislike him.
"Nah you stay here sweet pea, I'm sure she'll be out in a minute." Monique patted his shoulder and he sat back anyway.
Just as she said that, Ranae came out the front door with Marvin right behind her. She was clearly pissed, it was written all over her face but she wasn't going to stay in that house going back and forth with Donald for another minute. He was trying so hard to ruin her day but she wasn't going to let him.
She didn't like the fact that he sent her out with a bodyguard but she wasn't going to sit under the same roof with him after he just made her mad. Maybe seeing her friends would calm her down.
Marvin split from Ranae to make it to the all black truck that was parked right behind Tarika's, neither of them seemed to notice until now. The crew watched him like a hawk with confused expressions on their face, wondering who the hell he was.
Once Ranae opened the backdoor, she was met with all of their eyes "You alright girl?" Tarika asked as soon as she got in.
"I'm fine." Ranae simply said with a shrug, she didn't feel like bringing up the pointless argument her and devante just had, she didn't think it was anyone's business anyway. Though it was extremely petty, she didn't want to open her mouth.
"Whose the dude following you?" Crystal asked while pointing over her shoulder.
Ranae sighed while raking her fingers through her hair, she was just agitated "Marvin, my new so called bodyguard."
"Bodyguard?" They all repeated in unison "Why the hell do you have a bodyguard Ranae? Devante think you some type of celebrity now?" Kiara picked with her.
"He said it's for my safety since I came in late last night, he was worried and thinks I should go out with a bodyguard whenever he's not around."
Jarvis shook his head, that sounded extremely controlling to him but he wasn't going to speak on whatever they had going on. It ain't his business and at this point Ranae doesn't wanna tell them anyway.
"Alrighty then." Tarika slowly said and started the car up anyway "I hope he's ready to watch us sit on the porch all day." She joked and everybody cackled except for Ranae, she didn't like it at all.
She was starting to pick up on Devante's strange behavior.
▇ ▇ ▇
As soon as Ranae left with her little friends, Donald didn't waste anytime inviting the guys and some girls over. If Ranae thought her only problem was getting sent out with a bodyguard today, she's going to be in for a rude awakening when she returns.
Devante knew exactly what he was doing too, he wanted to get a rise out of Ranae. Why? Her sudden attitude and back talk was rubbing him the wrong way, he liked it better when she just went along with everything he said, no questions asked.
The fact that she's slipping from under his thumb irks his soul.
"You need to order some food up in this bitch, fridge running on empty." Kci shook his head stepping back into the studio.
"I wonder why, I ain't the one dogging the shit up." Donald said and continued to smoke the joint between his fingers while some chick rubbed up and down his chest.
They had about five half naked women roaming around the studio just kicking it, usually Donald would like to be left alone while working but he had other plans tonight. He didn't mind their company this time.
"How you gone get rid of all these girls when ya lil lady show up?" Joel asked.
He chuckled and licked his lips "That's what I'm waiting on." He simply said and the guys all glanced at him "I want her to come in here and see this shit." He proudly admitted.
Dalvin twisted his face up "Why though? You already know how the outcome gone be, the hell you trying to set her off for?"
"Because she been testing me lately and I don't like it. She picked the right nigga to play games with though, cause imma join in and play with her." He have a sinister smirk and they all shook his head at him "Why everybody eyeing me like I'm the bad guy? Y'all niggas over here chilling with half naked women while Mary and Tionne somewhere clueless." He looked directly at Kci and Dalvin.
Kci waved him off because he was also guilty but Dalvin continued to speak "First off it's not official with me and Tionne, we coolin it. Aren't you in a actual relationship with Nae?"
"Something like that." He said lowly and begin to rub and down the woman's leg, enjoying every second of this.
There was no denying that Devante felt something for Ranae but he never came out and said they were in a relationship. He never even introduced her to anyone as his girlfriend, they just always see her with him.
Ranae feels that their in a relationship because every other day their up under each other, not only living under the same roof but also sleeping together. To her that's exactly what a relationship is, so what else would this be that they having going on?
The front door upstairs opened and in came Ranae while Marvin stood on the porch. Now that she was inside the house, he didn't need to look after her, he had his own family to go home to. The smell of marijuana hit her right in the face though the company were downstairs and she shook her head.
She could easily do what she did the other night and not even tell De that she was her but she decided to be the bigger person and just speak to him. She was somewhat still upset with him because of their disagreement earlier but she was tired of the petty games. While walking to the basement door she glanced at the clock in the kitchen and it was only a quarter pass nine, she came in much earlier than she did yesterday night.
Opening the door she walked down the stairs as the music blared through the speakers in the studio. Like any other day Devante would down here blasting music all along but she figured the guys were over since she's been out all day.
Boy was she wrong.
As she pushed the door open to the studio she seen some random chick rubbing all on Devante while whispering in his ear. Their were multiple women in here drinking and smoking but what really set her off was the one rubbing down her man as if he was all hers.
Donald glanced at Ranae and smirked at the mug on her face because this is what he wanted, it was expected "Wassup kid." De purposely wanted to get under her skin.
She slowly licked her lips trying to calm herself down before she flew off the henges, Ranae wasn't a fan of having all eyes on her, especially in a situation like this. She knew Devante wanted her to make a scene by the Look he was giving her, he did this on purpose.
She walked right over to chair, towering over both of them "Who is this?" She asked pointing directly at the chick who found that extremely rude but Ranae didn't care.
"A friend." He simply answered, lying through his teeth. He didn't know this chick from a can of paint.
"Who are you?" The girl boldly asked Ranae with a stank face.
She brought her hand up to her face "Don't worry about who I am, that's none of your business." She said seriously and Donald sighed turning the music down "All you need to know is Devante here..." She aggressively nudged his temple with her index finger "Isn't single."
He broke away from the girl and quickly stood up "Chill out lil one." He looked down at her, clearly bothered by her nudging him but she couldn't care less.
Kci sat by the couch with his fist over his mouth, trying not to laugh at what was about to go down. He removed the girl from his lap and everything.
"I'm not gone chill out De, I'm giving you exactly what you wanted. You wanted this reaction out of me." She looked him up and down "You got some nerve not trusting me around a certain someone but wanna sit in the studio while a groupie whisper god knows what in ya ear." She scolded and both knew she was referring to Jarvis "I'm not with it, but if you wanna play like that i'll gladly tap in. I know just how to make you upset Donald, you really wanna do this?"
He continued to look down at her but that smirk he kept for most of the day vanished. He was serious now because Ranae was really testing him. The reaction he was expecting was for her to come in, say a few words and run upstairs crying or some shit.
She was really putting on a show now though, and deep down De was losing it at what she seemed to have up her sleeve for pulling this bullshit.
He quickly licked his lips "You bugging out, you act like I had her bent over raw dogging or some shit."
Ranae looked at him as if he was crazy cause he surely sounded like it "It doesn't matter! She was still all over you, rubbing you down and you were letting her!"
"Oh boo boo!" The chick flipped her hair over shoulder, clearly annoyed with Ranae's whining "Your doing all that for what? He clearly doesn't care enough about you if he's inviting us girls over while your gone."
"Aye stay out of this." Donald told her.
"Yeah stay out of his this hoe." Ranae told her and everyone else gasped while some cackled at how this was unfolding.
The girl quickly stood up behind Devante "Lil mama you don't know me like that, don't be calling me no hoe!" She yelled.
Ranae purposely threw her head back and laugh "I know you not upset with me calling you what you are..." She said pissing the girl off even more.
"Aight Ranae lets go." Devante started pulling her out the room before her and the girl had the chance to get physical. He was not in the mood to break up a fight, mainly because he would be the cause of it "Y'all blowing my high." He mumbled.
Once they got out the room Ranae snatched away from Donald "I'm not blowing anything!" She yelled and Donald furrowed his brows "You knew exactly what you were doing."
He looked away and sighed because she was right, he wanted to piss her off for giving him all that lip earlier. Ranae shook her head and walked off completely irritated about all of this "The hell you going?" He asked but didn't get a answer, she really didn't want to speak to him no more tonight.
She stomped up the basement steps and slammed the door shut, rolling her eyes while at it. She really couldn't believe the mess Donald pulled tonight, he was extremely childish for this and she knew it was because she had to scold him earlier today.
"Oh I got something for him" She said in her head.
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SMH, thoughts?