Devil

-2-

-Goddess-

"Devil, turn on da news rii quick," Nicotine said as soon as I answered her call. I lazily picked up the remote and turned to the local news station. I was laid back on my bed with pillows propping up my head, and my feet were stretched out from a tiring day at work.

"What I'm sposed to be looking at?" I asked her, the phone cool against my ear. I think I'm catching a fever, but I probably wouldn't be sure until tomorrow. I covered up my cough in my elbow, watching as some woman started talking about two separate shootings in Perry Island.

"You know them fools that been going around stealing kid's toys off the porches on Perry Island Street- that's them same niggas. I ran across them when I was sellin a little sumin," Nico told me. "They shot this old nigga in the neighborhood. The cops say it all started back at this fight at Jack N Box. They don't have any further details."

"What that gotta do wit us? Why you callin me?"

"Nigga always gotta an attitude," Nicotine murmured into the phone. "Cause one of them niggas worked for me."

I was tired and I had been dealing with traitors who had done me and my business wrong all day. "Okay, but what that gotta do wit me?"

"Devil you a motherfuckin asshole. I'm yo best friend and you not even worried about my business. We got an alliance, for Christ's sake-

"Uh, uh. Don't mention dat name over here," I cut in.

"If I go down they're gonna take you down wimme," Nicotine growled. "And we both don't want that."

I sighed, "Okay, so do they have the niggas in custody or what?" I asked her.

"No, but I den sent some dudes after them. We gon nick em befo the cops get to em and kill him somewhere."

"Damn," I mumbled, scratching my cheek. "Well, we could torture them first. We should send them to our Mexico warehouse, or maybe Canada."

"Devil, ion have time to entertain you this time. We gotta move quick," my best friend warned.

"Ight, just let me know how it all goes."

I started to hang up but Nico let out a cry of frustration. "Why are you always like this with me? It's February. We've had an alliance for ten months, and you still haven't changed. All you care about is you and your money. I'm your best friend, I care about you for Chri- for damn's sake!" she yelled.

"I'm sorry, I just tired," I mumbled, cringing inwardly at my apology. "I'm just tired," I corrected myself, stifling a yawn.

"Well wake up, Devil. Before we both end up in prison or worse."

Nicotine hung up abruptly and I calmly finished watching the news.

The next day I woke up covered in sweat, my forehead hot. I rolled out of bed and got myself a glass of water and popped a pill. No, not a damn fun one- one that's gonna make this fever go away. I considered calling Nico to tell her I was gonna sleep in today, but I knew that would only piss her off even more, despite me actually being sick.

I took a long shower, leaving my eggs to boil on the stove before I got in. After I was done cleaning myself up and had on my outfit of the day, I headed into the kitchen wearing some black shorts and a black hoodie. It was gonna be cold as fuck where I was going today, so I wasn't worried about being too hot. I turned off the burners and scratched my head. I had put my hair into a bun for the day, and added a fake lip piercing sheerly out of the fuck of it.