𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒 | 𝐊𝐕

VIII.

Chapter Eight.

After Justice dropped Ilani off at home once parent night was over, he headed to Jace's apartment to smoke and chill. He was slowly but surely trying to ween himself off of marijuana, but that was still a work in progress. He'd been smoking since the age of fourteen so it would take him a while to break the habit.

"Man, why you ain't tell me that Lani's teacher is fine as hell?" Justice questioned as he sat across from his low red eyed brother, who had a blunt placed between his fingers.

The living room was full of smoke as the two passed the neatly rolled blunt back and forth. Slowed & reverbed music played lowly in the background from Jace's speaker system as they vibed out.

"Who, Kitana?" Jace raised a brow, taking a hit. He inhaled the smoke, allowing it to penetrate his lungs before exhaling slowly.

"Who?" Justice frowned.

"Ms.Kirkland, that's her first name." Jace stated and passed the blunt to his big brother. "But yeah, she is bad as hell, just not my type. She too prissy and boujee for me. I like ghetto bitches."

"And that's exactly why you got the back tires of yo' last car slashed." Shaking his head, Justice lifted the blunt to his lips.

"Mmcht, whatever." Jace waved him off. "You gone try to holla' at her?"

"I mean...ion know. I want to but that's kinda weird. I mean, that is Lani's teacher and all." Justice pointed out. "Plus, I'm a gangsta. She seems like the type to go for poindexter, nerdy ass niggas."

"Nah, you know what they say," Jace started off, "The good girls usually love hood niggas."

"True." Justice shrugged. "But I don't even know if I'm ready for nothin' serious right now. I'm tryna' get my shit together."

"I feel for you, brudda. Everything will work out for you."

"I 'preciate that."

The pair finished off the blunt and talked amongst themselves, until Jace's phone started buzzing.

He pulled it out of the pocket of his black Nike sweats, looking down at the screen. A shift in his demeanor caught Justice's eye. His face went from relaxed to tense.

"Aye, I'm finna roll out." Jace said, standing from the couch. He then reached under the cushion and pulled out one of his many guns.

"Hold up, where you going?" The older brother furrowed his brow as he now stood up too.

"One of my potnas just got jumped by the corner store. I'm finna slide."

"That ain't got nothing to do with you, Jace. Chill out." Justice told the younger man as he attempted to take the weapon from him.

"Man, I'm not about to let them niggas just jump him and get away with it. That's like my brother at the end of the day." Jace looked at him sideways. "You crazy?"

"Nah, but yo' ass is. You gone get yourself killed one of these days. You need to start thinking smarter, nigga." Justice's voice raised a few octaves. He wasn't the one to yell, but sometimes he had to get loud with his brother to make him listen.

Jace then scoffed. "Oh trust me, somebody gone get killed and it ain't gone be me. Like I said, I'm out. Lock my shit up when you leave." He gave his brother one last look before putting his shoes on and grabbing his car keys.

And with that, he disappeared out of the front door.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Justice stared into space. He had half the mind to follow behind Jace but that would only mean he'd be putting his own self in a compromising situation. He was not trying to get caught up in the streets again. Those days were long gone.