I Almost Got Away With It ~ Mindless Behavior

Keep Her On The Low

"Hi Sasha." Prodigy said taking her hand. I looked at her suspiciously scanning her entire outfit, posture, and other mannerisms.

A new girl? Besides an older female dancer, I'm the only female here. I'm still new, I thought, I wish she would try to get any where near my boys. They're my friends. Who is this girl anyway?

She looked too skinny to be a dancer and too pretty to be anywhere near my boys. She didn't take her eyes off of me since she walked over here and I knew that she recognized me from earlier.

All eyes fell on me as they waited for me to introduce myself. I looked down at my feet and scratched the back of my neck trying to find an excuse to leave. Princeton squeezed my side, I flashed him a look of anger and then swallowed.

"Hi I'm Imani Gonzales..." I said waving to her. "I'm Keisha's new assistant."

"I saw you at the market earlier!" She shouted. "I thought you didn't speak English?" All eyes fell on me again. I looked around nervously and swallowed again. Princeton squeezed me again. I glared at him and then wriggled out of his grasp.

"Tengo que ir." I said walking away. (I have to go) The guys watched as I walked away with a look of confusion.

I sighed and started towards the hotel. It was a forty-five minute walk, but I was willing to take it. I pulled out my phone and texted Roc that I was walking back to the hotel.

- Princeton

"What just happened?" Prodigy asked.

"I have no idea." Roc replied.

"Where'd she go?" Sasha asked. Roc suddenly looked down at his phone and then huffed.

"She's going home, I have to walk with her." Roc said starting towards the door.

"No I'll go, she's my girl friend." I stated stopping him. He nodded and then I jogged to my dressing room.

I undressed and got into my black sweats and my Nirvana hoodie. I grabbed my hotel key and phone and then jogged out of the studio. I saw her only a block and a half down the street.

I jogged up to her and then wrapped an arm around her. She jumped at first, but when she saw me she released carbon dioxide and then massaged the wrinkles in her forehead.

"Jesus Jacob, you can't be doing that." She snapped.

"Sorry..." I replied furrowing my eye brows. "Why'd you leave?" I asked.

"I'm just tired." She answered sighing. She refused to look me in the eye, her eyes remained on the cobblestone.

"I forgot you knew Spanish... But you and Sasha... Where does she know you from?" I asked hoping to catch her gaze.

"She told you already. I saw her at the market." She replied with a bit of an attitude. We've been dating for only thirty minutes and we're already having problems?

"Do you need space 'cause you seem kinda mad." I questioned removing my arm from around her.

"No I just... Sorry... I'm just really tired." She responded gliding he hands down her face.

"Want me to stay with you the rest of the day?" I asked.

"I'd love that, but don't you have rehearsal today?" She asked.

"Yeah, but I've been practicing since five am, I can take a nap." I answered.

"You won't get in trouble right?" She asked finally looking up at me.

"Yeah, I'll be okay." I replied. She looked back at the ground, folding her arms as we walked. I hated when she got like this. She became introverted and unattached so easily.

--

While we slept, my arms were wrapped around her waist from behind with the covers pulled up to our shoulders. I spent most of our nap time stroking her cheeks and playing with her hair. She was so beautiful, I couldn't imagine someone wanting to hurt her.

When Roc spilled about the past that they shared, I felt a mixture of emotions all at one time. First, pity towards them both. How could they ever seek help when trouble was always at their door.

Then sad, Lord knows how badly that could've screwed her up in the head. She would always be internally and externally scarred from the life she lived in.

Then angry, I lived in LA, why wasn't I there to help?! I lived in the barrio with my mother and other family members, but I went to the same school as them. Why couldn't I do anything to help?!

Lastly, jealous. I desperately wanted to help repair some of the imperfections on her heart. I wanted to be someone that she could lean on, but Roc already had that place. She was always relying on Roc to help her when I was right there.

They were always secretive. Everything was between them. I don't know about Ray, Prod, and Miles but damn I secretly wanted to know what they needed to keep between them. I tried not to think too much of it, but every now and again I could feel it.

"Princeton, your phone is ringing. Get up." She said nudging me in the gut. I rolled over and then laid onto my back. I could feel my iPhone vibrating in my hoodie pocket repetitively. I pulled it out and put it to my ear.

"Hello?" I answered scratching my eyes. Imani laid her head on my chest and played with the strings on my hoodie.

"Boy where you at?" Keisha's voice screeched in my ear and instantly I became exasperated.

"At the hotel." I replied sighing.

"Why?! You have a radio interview in an hour!" She shouted.

"Do you want me to walk back or are y'all picking me up?" I asked.

"Carter's on his way now." She replied sounding just as annoyed as I was, but more poignant.

"Alright." I said hanging up. I looked down at Imani, she was snoring. I combed my fingers through her hair and smiled.

She began to stir. She rolled over and opened her eyes. She yawned and then smiled at me.

"What time is it?" She asked.

"Almost two o'clock." I answered stroking her cheek.

"We slept for two hours." She stated as she stretched.

"Yeah... I have an interview at three o'clock today, so Carter's coming to pick me up. You coming too?" I asked getting out of bed. I pulled my Timberlands on and then checked for my phone and wallet.

"Um... No. I kind of just want to stay in." She answered moving to the edge of the bed.

"That's cool. I'll text you when it's over." I said walking towards the door.

"I'll be looking forward to it." She replied following behind me. I opened the door and then turned on my heels. With one swift movement I pulled her body onto mine and then kissed her lips softly.

"I'll see you later, baby." I whispered against her lips. She pecked my lips one more time with her hand on my chest and then said good bye.

- Imani

That boy could GET IT! I thought to myself. I bit my lip and then shut the door behind him. Just when I was thinking of taking another nap, there was a knock on the door. Okay... Who could that be? I thought.

I checked the peep hole and saw Sasha standing at my door holding two buckets of ice cream. One chocolate the other vanilla. She was wearing Love Pink yoga pants and UGGs with a grey tank top.

"Si?" I asked opening the door.

"I know you speak English." She replied giving me a look. I don't like her.

"So?" I asked giving her a look back. "What do you want?"

"I thought we'd eat some ice cream and watch Burlesque! I got the movie from red box." She said holding the items out to me.

"I just woke up from a nap and I'm still kinda--" I started.

"I thought we started out kind of awkward and on the wrong foot, maybe we should start over. I want to be friends." She said cutting me off. I looked at her up and down suspiciously. Who is this girl?!

"Sure... I guess..." I reposed. She smiled, squealed, and then entered forcefully. She took a spot in the computer chair and then tossed me the chocolate ice cream.

"I could tell that you like chocolate." She stated with a creepy smile. I nodded my head as if I understood how you can "tell" that someone likes chocolate.

I put the movie into the DVD player and then opened the chocolate ice cream. I could tell that this would be a long night.

[ManiiBoii:] Roc, Sasha's in my room... We're watching a movie.

[RoccyPoo:] And you're telling me this because....

[ManiiBoii:] I don't trust this girl, don't you?

[RoccyPoo]: She cool!

[ManiiBoii]: I don't trust her... She's real shady.

[RoccyPoo]: You can trust her.

[ManiiBoii]: How do you know that?

[RoccyPoo]: When have I ever been wrong?

I put my phone down at that point. I knew that he was right. Anyone Roc could trust, I could.

--

- Roc Royal

News about the investigation of the shooting massacre in South Central High School flashed across the screen. Ray Ray and Princeton began to talk junk about whomever was responsible for such a crime while I remained silent; eyes glued to the TV.

"Police just notified us that the murder weapon used by the gunman was found." The reporter spoke. The TV changed to a recorded press conference from the cop I saw in Santa Barbra that day.

"Finger prints from the suspect have been identified. We do not have any other leads, but we are sure of the path the suspect took and believe that he or she is now on the run. They are no longer believed to be armed and dangerous, but we are still looking for them." He said using the bass in his voice. The camera moved back to the reporter. she spoke again.

"In other news Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez have been spotted. Is Jelena back together? We'll be back after these messages." They cut to commercial and I slowly started to get my things together, trying not to start a commotion.

"Where you going?" Princeton asked.

"Get some candy from the vending machine." I lied grabbing my wallet.

"Bring me a kit kat!" Princeton called as I walked out of the door.

I ran to Imani's room down the hall basically kicking the door down. She jumped and instantly started cussing me out. I shut the door and locked it then grabbed her by her arms.

"They've got finger prints." I yelled at her in hushed tones. I was so afraid of what could happen.

"What?! Who has finger prints?!" She shouted. A told her to bring her voice down in a forceful voice. She looked more afraid of me than of the finger prints, so I loosened my grip.

"The cops." I said as my chest heaved up and down.

"What?! How?! Where?!" She whisper yelled.

"You through the gun into the river!! That's how!! I told you to wipe it down first twenty times!!"

"I did... Or at least I think I did."

I paced back and forth cursing her and cursing our luck.

"Look Trey, maybe they're bluffing. Cops do that a lot." She said trying to calm me down.

"Yeah... You're right..." I replied exhaling. "Let's just lay low for a while."

She nodded her head and then went back to doing her hair. Fear was stricken across he face and mine. There was a silence. Conversation is over. I started to leave, but then heard her sniffle.

I whipped around and saw her crying into her hands. I pulled her into a tight hug and allowed her to cry into my shirt.

"I hate this, Trey." She sobbed.

"I know baby girl, I know. It'll be over soon. I promise." I whispered. It saddened me to see her so helpless, just like when we were kids.

"I should've never gotten rid of the gun. It dug me deeper into this hole." She sniffled.

"I'll always protect you, and you know it. Ain't no cop takin' my sister." I said pulling her closer.

"Promise?" She asked.

"Promise." I replied kissing her forehead.

- Princeton

What the fuck was this? What about a gun? What would be over soon? What was going on? Why was he promising that no cops would take her away? What was she involved in? Why was she involved in it? What did Roc have anything to do with it?

I walked away from her hotel door and walked the opposite direction. I was in disbelief about everything I heard. One day, and I was finding dirty secrets one by one.

Something told me that there was something wrong with her. And it had to do with why she was so uneasy around cops, Roc doesn't let her go places alone, she wears colored contacts, dyes her hair only blonde, this crap about a gun, Roc is protecting her from incarceration, and why I'm not allowed to know.

I ran into Sasha just as I reached the elevators. She flashed me a smile that in a way forced me to have a conversation with her. It was demanding, but yet sweet. Almost fake.

"Hey hey Princeton!" She said in her high pitched voice.

"Hi." I greeted her emotionless thinking that would get her to go away. I was wrong.

"You seem kind of sad... What the probz?" She asked. Jesus, her slang was coerced too. Everything came out rather proper when she spoke, it wasn't noticeable at first but she talks so damn much you start to identify it.

"Nothing, I'm just thinking." I replied stepping around her. She moved in front of me, with the same smile.

"What about?" She asked clasping her hands in front of her.

"Stuff." I responded moving to the left. She moved in front I me once again. I glared at her and then stepped right. She stepped right. I faked left, then right, and then tried to step around her but she stopped me yet again. "What do you want?" I asked growing annoyed.

"Is it about the shooting? You know, what you're thinking about?" She asked blinking harshly.

"No, why would it be about that?" I asked cocking my head back.

"See you tomorrow!" She yelled skipping away. What the entire fuck is wrong with that girl, I thought, girls just get weirder and weirder as I get older.

I walked away and then approached the elevator. I pressed Down and then waited for the elevator to come up.

"What's good?" Roc voice rang in my ears. I became frustrated. I didn't want to see or talk to either of them.

"Nothing much." I lied, "What's up with you?"

"Chillin'. I brought you that kit kat you wanted." He said handing me the candy. I wasn't sure if I should tell him what I heard or ask him any questions, but I didn't want them to know I knew anything. I could've heard the wrong part of the conversation for all I know. I only heard the last few sentences.

"Thanks, bro." I replied taking it from him. I ripped it open and broke a piece off and handed it to him. He thanked me and then crunched on his piece with one bite. "Savage." I mumbled.

He sucked his teeth and then punched me in the arm. "Shut the fuck up, Shirley Temple." He retorted.

"Arnold Schwarzenegger!" I shouted punching him back.

"Curly Sue." He shot back pushing me.

"Stop picking on my hair, that's so old." I said glaring at him.

"Fine, you belong in a mariachi band." He replied. I glared at him again and then shook my head.

"You're a dumb ass." I stated blankly. He laughed and then ruffled my hair.