𝐃𝐎 𝐈𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐆

76

The rest of the night didn't go as I anticipated. And I mean anticipated as me cussing my daddy out, hopping into an Uber and never speaking to him again. I actually got, what's that word, closure?

Yeah. Closure. 

-

"So, baby girl," my daddy pulled up to Jamie house that only had one light on. Her bedroom. 

"There's something else I wanted to pick your brain on."

"Yeah? Wassup?"

"Its bout 'yo friend."

My heart started to race. I don't know what it was about the way he had said friend that made me feel suddenly nauseous but I chose to play my cool anyway.

"Which one, daddy?"

"I think you know, Ana."

"Nah," I lied smooth out my ass. "I don't."

My daddy shook his head and smiled wide. He had that look on his face a parent has when they know they child from a handful of kids.

"Skooby. The one in jail over your mama."

My heart sunk in my lap as I shifted a little further away from my dad. My eyes slowly went to the window, avoiding his gaze as Skooby name was brought up. I can't even lie, I won't say I forgot about him but the distraction of my shit going on did play a part on top of not having a minute alone. Whether it was running errands with Chyna or being up under Cut, it was kinda hard for me to even check in.

Or maybe I just kept trying to push it to the back of my head that Skooby, my first everything, was 'bout to get the chair for some shit I knew he didn't do.

I was going to be 18 soon, 3 weeks actually, and I knew that the agreement I had with the lawyer was about to be null and void. Now, I had to make a decision. 

Stay silent. Or let an innocent man suffer because I want to be balls deep in the game. 

"What about him?" I asked, watching the sprinkler head rotate back and forth outside Jamie lawn. 

"Well, you tell me, baby. I'm just an outside party in all this, but, I did go down and see him."

Oh fuck.

"Yeah?" I tried to even out my tone so I didn't sound as nervous as I felt.

"Yeah, I did. And- I think you should go down and see him."

"Now, da-"

"I already know, shawty. You under contract and shit not to see him.'

How did you-

"But I do know that your birthday in two weeks. And if I know the court system, that agreement gon' be null and void, and you going to be able to choose what you going to do."

"So, what you going to do?"

I swallowed the large lump in my throat. With my eyebrows scrunched together I couldn't look my daddy in the face. I felt like I was standing on a block of ice with a noose round my neck and I was the one who fastened it to be there in the first place.

"I- I don't know daddy."

"Do you want him in there? You feel like he deserve to be in there?"

"Fuck no." I mumbled. My hands were getting clammy and the air was getting harder for me to inhale. 

"Alright then. Then, you gotta do what's right, baby girl. I know I can't step in and be all daddy and shit but as one person to another, you don't want him to stay in jail. Ain't shit in jail but concrete and broken dreams. And that nigga Skooby a good dude."

"Like you?" I teased, flicking imaginary dust off my shirt.

"Sum'n like that. I just know a dude that don't need to be in there. And Skooby don't Need to be in there. Feel me? And, the last time me and young blood rapped he tol' me that his lawyer got confirmation of the shell casings shot at the scene not matching the gun he had registered in his name on his hip."

My daddy pulled out a blunt from his driver side compartment and a lighter from the armrest. 

"It looks good. But it'll look good with a letter from you that he ain't the one who killed them people. And i'll be there with you in court."

Flick. Flick.

"I tol' you shawty. I'm with you in all this shit."

He took a long inhale, cracked the window, and exhaled through his nose. 

"I remember Skooby from round the way and he always was a good kid. I just don't want him getting cased up over some dumb-ass shit your mama got everyone pulled into. Excuse my language."

"Naw..." I sighed, wiping the silent tears off my cheekw ith the back of my hand. "None taken."

There was a long pause between me and my daddy. Truthfully I was the one making it awkward. My daddy was already telling me everything I knew in my heart and if it wasn't for the shit with Cut I would have been decided on what I wanted to do. 

But then, what was going to happen when I snitched? That don't mean me and Skooby going to ride off in the sunset.

Is it?

"And there's something else you should know, baby girl." my daddy flicked the lighter a few more times, taking another long inhale and exhaling out the window with his mouth this time. 

"That dude you messing with. I think Cut is his name, right?"

"Y-yeah." I couldn't lie to my daddy. If he asking me all this that mean either Skooby or the streets done put him up on game. My daddy was always one of them hardcore gangstas in the streets and with his niggas, but he always told me and my brother to keep it 1000x10 with him no matter what. It never made sense to lie to the nigga that would be behind you on enemy lines if shit got hot. 

"Well, I hate to break it to you, baby girl, but the dude that your mama killed was his uncle. And apparently he taught Cut all he know about drugs and pimping women. I ain't going to say you should get a straight and narrow ass nigga but," 

My daddy sucked his teeth, blew out more smoke, and continued.

"If I find out that nigga doing foul shit to you, imma kill him. And imma bring that nigga back and kill him again."

My heart stopped. Was what he said true?

I remember that shit Diamond said in the restaurant and I put together all the bricks and shit that Cut was bringing in and I felt myself getting sick to my stomach.

Oh- fuck.

W-what was I getting myself into?

"I'll do it."

"What?" my daddy looked over to me, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"I said i'll do it. I- i'll write the letter if that means Skooby is free from this shit."

"And what about you?" my daddy quizzed.

What about me?

I bit my lip, shut my eyes and slowly shook my head. I honestly didn't know, but I knew if I could do this one thing by Skooby and free him of this shit, I would do that.

For all he's done for me, I owe him that.

"I'll figure it out."