AMIR

DONT FORGET TO VOTE🖤

"Im sorry about Sierra." Rico turns to Darrel who hasn't said a word since we picked him up.

It was currently 4am and all three of us were in a car together, the last time we were in a car someone else was in the trunk.

"We know who shot her?" I ask Rico and he nods.

"Them new niggas up on the block, it was some drive-by gone wrong shit." Rico informs.

"Fuck!" I shout, slamming my fists onto the steering wheel.

"We gonna find them." Rico says but I don't wanna hear that shit right now. I hate to admit that he was right. When I had the chance I could've resolved this, with him.

"Give me a gun." Darrel says.

"Darrel you on parole man-

"Im a grown ass fucking man, get me a gun." He shouts.

"Darrel if I give you a gun, that's your responsibility." Rico turns to him.

"You know where I stay, get me the gun." He remarks before getting out of the car.

"Man where he going?" Rico turns to me and I shrug. I couldn't care less about what he was saying right now.

"Where them niggas stay at?" I ask Rico and he starts smirking.

Just for Sierra.

KEHLANI

"Let's go." He says as we pull away from the hug. He steps inside the house slightly before looking back down to me.

He's checked up on me a few times since last night but that's really it. Still, I decided to give him space, it would be insensitive if I didn't.

"Where are we going?" I ask him and he shrugs.

"Just drive and talk with me?" He asks and I smile. I was grateful he wasn't shutting me out even though we both knew he was hurting.

"I need to change first." I say as we both look down to my peculiar outfit.

He walks over into the living room without warning and sits on the couch. In 15 minutes i'm downstairs in a cute outfit and I find my seat next to his.

"1 found dead, 2 in critical condition..." The news reporter explains as the screen flicks through the whereabouts of the crime.

"Why are you watching the news?" I ask him, knowing damn well the TV was off before he came.

"Got tired of waiting for you," He replies before taking in my outfit. "Fuck you look so good in anything for?"

His hands find their way up my revealed thighs. I move them away from me even though my body disagrees. But with the state he's in right now, I couldn't.

"Let's go." I chuckle before looking back to the TV.

"Sugarhill shooting..." The news reporter continues to drone off about the incident.

"Isn't that where Sierra...?" I ask him and he turns to me with low eyes.

"Yeah, that's where we grew up and where she was shot." He replies nonchalantly.

"I'm really sorry Amir. I tell him truthfully. He gives me a small smile before we walk out of the house.

AMIR

"My older brother, he taught me how to swim in this beach." I tell her, breaking the relaxed silence.

I didn't know how to explain my thoughts and I figured the same beach would be the best place to take her to talk about anything.

"I thought your older brother was in Nigeria?" She asks. She's been listening.

"I had another one, Ajani. He was stabbed 8 times and died." I expressed to her. Her eyes travel to the tattoos my arm again and she smiles once she notices.

"That's what the numbers are for?" Her smart ass asks and I nod.

"His name translation and his date of birth." I reply.

"What does his name mean?"

"He who wins the struggle." I explain. She looks as if she wants to ask questions, but she doesn't. "What's wrong baby?"

"Ive never lost anyone so close to me and you have. I don't know how to comfort you and I should."

"You being here with me, letting me talk to you is enough for me." I tell her genuinely.

"I think Ajani would be proud of you- I know he would be." She says causing me to smile.

"I hope so."

"Why did you take me here, on our first date?"

"Your name, do you know what it means?" I ask her and she furrows her eyebrows in confusion before shaking her head.

"When you do, you will understand." I chuckle softly.

"Why can't you tell me?" She asks but I don't answer. "This morning...

"I was just with Darrel and Rico, making sure he's good." I reply to her question before she asks it.

"Rico? Babe isn't that the same one-

"He was our childhood friend, of course he's going to pay his respects. You know I wouldn't put myself in a situation that will affect me." I reply genuinely.

"I'm just saying, i'm not dumb Amir..."

"The fuck you think i'm gonna do? Go and kill whoever killed Sierra?" I ask calmly. Regardless of my tone, I still see that i'm scaring her.

"You're the one that said 'Whatever to protect me and mines.' Amir."

"Well I didn't do a really good job at protecting her." I take my eyes off of her as I feel tears prick my eyes.

"Baby- I- I didn't mean it like that." She says with sympathy in her voice.

"I know."

"Can you be honest with me? Amir? Look at me." She turns my face towards her and I nod.

"The shit that was on the news..."

"It's Harlem, niggas die everyday that's just what was on the news. I didn't do that, alright?" I reassure and she nods. I hated lying to her, I never lied to her anyway which made this feeling worse.

"I'm sorry." She looks up to me from the sand.

"What you sorry for ma?"

"For everything." She replies and I nod.

Me too.

RICO

"Here's your gun." I throw him a brown paper bag and he catches it before nodding. People who didn't say thank you was my biggest pet peeve but I let this shit slide.

"You know who did it?" He asks. I turn to him with sympathetic eyes. I've lost my niggas from the streets but they weren't ever innocent, it was coming to them.

But Sierra, that was a fucking child.

I felt for Darrel more than anything.

"I know but we just shot up that house down on 9th. We do anymore damage we gonna start a war and that's only gonna bring heat from the cops and stop my business."

"Anything to avenge my daughter man..." He trails off, staring into whatever is in the air right now.

"Look dawg, I know you hurtin', we all-

"You? Nigga you met my daughter like once at a fucking cookout you ain't doing shit," He stands up with furrowed eyebrows. "I want the nigga that shot my daughter dead."

"And he will be, just give me time. You want money right? We all do. We can't afford that type of money loss right now." I sigh.

"We?"

"Yeah..we." I smirk inwardly.