𝑾𝑰𝑪𝑲𝑬𝑫 𝓖𝓪𝓶𝓮𝓼

PAPERCUT BLISS/ LNLY STAR.

Sept 22. Friday, 9am.

Banging woke me up from my deep trance at sleep. The Tv had been still blaring from last night and the stale taste of liquor lingered in my mouth. Trembling with an ache in my head, I rose up from the couch and went to grab the door still wiping the crust from my eyes. "Hello?" I squint waiting on my eyes to adjust to the bright outside.

The woman flashed something which is what I assumed to be a badge. "Black Empire. Looks like we meet again after all. I need you to come with me." Behind her sat the same black vehicle. I wonder what it is this time.

"Let me just throw something on." I attempted to close the door but she thrusted her foot right in the frame.

"Make it quick," she snapped.

I run in my room and throw on a different shirt with some black pants I have a million pairs of. trying not to disturb Lisa who was still sound asleep in bed with her wild hair I slipped right back out of the room before I could get in my head about it all.

The woman stood at the bottom step constantly checking her Apple watch. Picking up the pace I came out, closing the door behind me.

"Trouble must follow you." She shook her head walking me down to the car. As we rolled off our street I kept noticing her take notes and check the time on her watch. I went back to my nap and was woken right when we arrived back at the same building I was at last time.

***

The cold quiet room I sat in for an hour before being helped seemed to keep me more company than my own brother. The more I sat enclosed in these four walls the more at home I felt. Two knocks stirred the silence, then the door opened and Willow poked her head in.

'Good morning Tesfaye. I'm sure you know Hannah Bellerose very, very well." She took a seat before me with a manilla folder that had my government name printed at the notch in the top. She peeled back the thick papers and took out photos, some with both sisters, some with Hannah alone. "Who did you move here with?"

My stomach did several loops about to make rounds up my throat. My words seemed to just slip off the tip of my tongue unwillingly. "Couple friends and um. . . my brother."

"Antonio White, right?" I nod to confirm. "Why'd you move here without your girlfriend?" her thick drawn on eyebrows curved as she leaned in for my answer.

"She didn't want to come." After a long stream of head tilting and well why is that. She began questioning me about Hannah. The only person who truly knows what happened besides me is Toni. The goal was to keep it that way.

"Where is she now? Don't bullshit me." My heart began to thud inside my skull, overcoming the silence. It was almost so loud it was painful, she could probably hear it herself.

"She should be in California. The last place I left her was at the airport." After a couple more hard swallows, chest aches, and wiping my sweaty palms on my pants as discreetly as possible. She left with her files after a guy called her out of the room. The door was left cracked and I had to take a piss. I knew I'd be there for another hour or so. I took my chances and slipped out of the room.

The long, quiet hallways seemed to take me to a dead end. I was careful that my hightops weren't dragging or my stepping wasn't loud. As I was about to turn around a conversation grabbed my ear. I always knew better than to ear hustle, but you don't just mind your business when you hear loud thuds.

"This little bitch is getting way too smart."
"She's only nineteen. We've got bigger problems," a raspy voice replied.
" code 11.9. 12.2. The 28th It'll be Thursday."

"11.9 12.2..." I repeat to myself hoping to remember.

The same red headed lady poked her head around the corner startling me. "Bonjour!" she said as if it were a surprise to see me. "Tu va perdu?" Her head leaned to the side.

Technically I was lost, but there's no point anymore. I needed to write down that number before I forgot. "Uh, no. puis-je avoirs papier et stylo, s'il vous plait?" I gestured at the clipboard she nestled between her arm.

"Oui." She didn't hesitate to hand it over and let me jot something down really quickly. I scribbled down the numbers and ripped the sheet to stuff in my pocket.

"Merci, Merci," I thanked her before she escorted me out of the building. I wasn't supposed to be wandering the halls and it was policy. At least she was nice to me, I wasn't there for another hour, and I'd be back at the crib soon. On my way out Evelyn sat in the lobby grinning from ear to ear. That mother-

~~~

Sept 23. Sat 9am.

I didn't get much sleep, but that was fine with me. I've been up since dawn working on a sound for my new mixtape. So far I decided on naming one of my songs Montreal. I wanted this to be built around my experience here just like the others. I replay the vocals over and over again getting more pumped each listen.

Toni finally woke up with his dreads all over his head. "Toni, come check this shit out!" I take my headphones off waiting for him to suddenly perk up and rush over, but that never happened. He shot a look towards me and went back to fixing his cup of Folgers. "You good?" I close my computer down. The room went completely still and I ain't even thrilled anymore.

"You're a complete liar Abel." He leaned against the counter and a deep sigh immediately left my mouth. "You think I wouldn't find out about you and you're multiple girls? Even after I asked you not to do that to anyone else?"

"Toni that was before you even knew."

"You said it was just Lisa. The fuck are you lying for? This just a one man show huh? Abel runs everything on his own now. Since when?"

"Toni you left and I just wanted to help out. We ain't have shit. I made us some bread and now you're mad? Since when? You used to get a go-getter, what happened to flipping something from free-ninety-nine into a quick hunnid."

"Abel family ain't free. You out of all people should know that. You can flip anything you want in life, but unlike the materialistic you'll never be able to pay back that emotional damage."

"You can chill. Cause that shit right there was unnecessary. I know that I ain't got nobody, but you ain't have to say that." I know Toni is mad, but who gives a fuck. I wouldn't disrespect him like that.

"You got it." He set his mug to the side and went back to slam his room door.