Streets

19. Plans for the Future

The funeral for Chris was massive. So many people that loved him showed up to pay respects. All went well as could be expected it was however the after party that was thrown to honor him that things went in a different direction.
Dorian didn't know who this guy was but he knew it must have been someone of great importance, however he was here for two things, being supportive to his new love interest, and for a business opportunity to connect with the people of the Grove, despite the circumstances. Looking around he saw all the people who would help him and Derek prove that Mob City does nothing for them. He saw the golden opportunity when he overheard some older men discussing how Mob City charged them twice as much to have Chris at the funeral home. "Seems to me that Grove needs to make their own decisions on things. They need to rise up." One of them men looked at Dorian and made a face of slight irritation, "As if, Mob City would sweep in and take everything. That's all they ever do." Dorian nodded, "Not if you had your own government, own council. People for the people to take care of the needs that are much requested in the Grove. And I'm here to see to that. There is a meeting next week at the city hall. Be there and make it known." The men nodded in agreement and Dorian smiled internally.
Darnell sat outside, drinking a beer as the party went on. He felt no need to be social when he felt like it was his fault his friend was killed. Adina walked out to have a breather from all the crying women and to check on Darnell, "You okay?" He scoffed as he continued drinking his beer, feeling slightly intoxicated, "You was there for me when I needed it, thanks but I don't need it now." She rolled her eyes, "Of course you don't. That's what I get for trying." Darnell stood up and down the rest of the bottle before throwing it, the glass shattering on the concrete, "Trying what? Whatchu been trying? Seems like you been doing too much and not enough. Don't come around acting like you gonna make all the pain go away with a hug and some kind words. You know what you can go to hell." Adina knew she would feel stupid for even thinking of being nice to him, "Nah you can go to hell, here I am being nice to someone who put their hands on me. Yea I can see I was stupid now, you still the same old Darnell..." he interrupts her by kissing her and she immediately tries to pull away but he holds her tight as she fights with him, soon he was forced to pull away as she kicked him in between his legs. He drops to the grown groaning just as people came out to see the commotion, Derek was the first to come to Adina's aide. Just as quick as there was a crowd Adina rushed away, Derek looked down at Darnell, "Negro you just love pushing the buttons don't you?" He walked away as people tried to help Darnell up who was clearly more intoxicated than he wanted to admit.
Tyra was sitting at a table with her friend Lea, Tyra didn't know Chris like that but that was Lea's ex and they were still cool so she came as a support for her friend. However she felt the cold shoulder from the gang members in attendance, "Whenever you ready to go I am." Tyra said and Lea sighed, "Girl they aren't worried about you calm down." However Tyra felt like she was being eyeballed by each member.
Marcus got off the dance floor and walked to the table Benny was seated at, he looked around and saw Lea and Tyra, "Who the fuck invited the gremlin? She think cause she friends with Lea that excuses her from what the fuck she did?" Benny nodded, "But this is for Chris, let's leave the beef for another day. As long as she stays over there." Benny said as he got up and headed outside, he was already still annoyed with her alleged pregnancy. "Word on the street that nigga Travis paralyzed and locked up." Marcus said as they got outside, once outside they saw something strange, a dude that Benny remembered was at the shooting when Darnell was shot and at his feet a yellow bandana. He was talking to Darnell and as they walked closer the conversation could be heard, "When that gang first started it was just us young niggas having a say so over what went down in our part of the grove. Yet they forgot where we come from and sooner or later they began to experiment with the drugs we was selling. They forgot what we stood for." Darnell nodded as he listened and sipped his beer, "Aight, and since I know yo people I'll consider it, but you would start off small, slanging for me for awhile. Giving me some strong information." Marcus chimed in, "Yo what's up?" Lucky who was standing before Darnell looked at Marcus and Benny, he heard these men were ruthless but he also knew if he was moving back to the grove he would need to either stay under the radar or join the ranks of MCG, "Lucky just left the little nigga brigade, he wanna roll with some real niggas while he here, since he moved back down to the south side." Marcus scoffed and smirked, "Oh his hood got fucked up now he wanna jump ship." Lucky rolled his eyes, obviously he gonna have some issues with this man, "I been left since before....they was doing shit that goes against my values." Benny assumed he meant the attack on his mother. "Aight, but just know, I ain't got no problems making another nigga cripple." With that statement Benny and Marcus left and Lucky held back the urge to fight back. In a world like this he has no choice but to submit.
In the car leaving Adina was feeling completely stupid. Not only did she go out her way to show even a small amount of compassion to someone who she loathed, but it blew up in her face. Derek could tell she as upset and he yet has told her about the discovery of his ex wife and his now no longer best friend. "I'll tell you something to take your mind off of what happened back there." She looked at him and he sighed, something about her made it easy for him to be even slightly vulnerable, "So I told you I'm officially divorced, and I told you about my ex wife cheating. Well I discovered on the day we signed the papers that the man she had an affair with was my best friend, Kason." Adina almost chocked on her spit, taken aback at the information disclosed to her, "Kason? As in Mayor Kason Hicks? Isn't he married?" Derek nodded and he instantly felt bad for the woman who had to share a bed with Kason, "And she's pregnant." Adina shook her head in disgust, how can a man cheat on a wife as beautiful as Kason's and on top of that she's pregnant. "Well what are you going to do? That's great information to have." Adina asked and Derek nodded in agreement as he began to continue plotting, "I have a business partner, Dorian Fairchild. He is very well known in Mississippi, hell the whole south. His family comes from a line a rich businessmen and investors, he believes we can take the grove and make it an independent city. With me running as mayor for the grove in the upcoming elections, it'll be easy to say fuck you to Kason when I expose him." Adina liked that plan, and with her being by Derek's side it'll show her estranged father that she will always be better than him. Adina smiled and placed her hand on Derek's thigh, and he looked at her and smirked, "With you by my side, we gonna take over." The plan was set in motion, all that was left was getting more people on bored and Dorian was doing a good job doing that.
Ashawntee was leaving the party with Dorian, she saw Darnell sitting by his car and she felt it necessary to have a conversation with him, "Baby wait for me in the car I'll be there in a second." Dorian winked and walked to the car and Ashawntee walked over to Darnell. She didn't know what to say, they both witnessed Chris take his last breath and she was taking it hard, she could only imagine the thoughts running through Darnell's head, "Why did you break up with Chris?" He broke the ice as he looked up at Ashawntee, she was taken aback by the question but figured he should know, "That wasn't easy for me. Chris was nearly perfect but....he just didn't appreciate the woman that I am. I got tired of being a secret." Darnell nodded, "But you weren't a secret anymore, after everything came out and it's not like the homies would have given him a hard time." She sighed and looked down before looking at Darnell, seeing the pain in his eyes, "He was exposed, he didn't come out and say 'This my girl y'all.' And he wouldn't have if whoever posted those pictures didn't post them. Look I don't expect you to understand but I wanted to make sure you weren't beating yourself up over what happened." Darnell shrugged, "This MCG, dying comes with the territory." Ashawntee frowned at the response but she knew he would put up this tough guy act, "You were like a brother to him, you were the only person he was scared of disappointing." Darnell felt that hurt in his chest, it's sad because he felt like he let Chris down and he had done so much for him and the gang. The countless times Chris saved his life and he felt like he couldn't even save him from this. Ashawntee gave him a quick smile and walked away, she didn't want to see anything or anyone who reminded her of someone who did good in this world and has potential to do even more.