𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗧𝗦 - tayo amusan

𝟱

                                                                            HIS POV

Tayo laidback on the hospital bed, the soft beeping of the machines around him providing a steady rhythm to the otherwise quiet room. He stared at the ceiling, trying to process the events of the previous night. His mind drifted to Amara, her face flashing before him. He wondered what she thought of him now.

The door creaked open, and the familiar voices of his friends filled the room. Skreamer, Tiny, Twosie, and Dots walked in, their faces a mix of concern and relief.

"What you saying? You cool?" Skreamer asked, his tone laced with worry.

Tayo managed a weak smile, lifting his shirt to reveal his wound. "It's light," he said, trying to downplay the pain.

Tiny, sitting next to him, looked guilt-ridden. "Yo, Taze, we just wanna say we're sorry that we left you. There was too many of them."

Tayo shook his head slowly. "It's cool."

Skreamer, clearly frustrated, interjected. "It's not cool, Taze, man. All this to prove what? You're as hard as Krazy?"

Tayo glanced at his friends, then down at his hands, not responding. Skreamer leaned in, a determined look in his eyes. "F*ck it though, man. Whatever, man. Next time, if you're jamming, I'm jamming with you. We die together, you feel me?" He reached out to dab up Tayo, who returned the gesture with a small nod and wincing in pain a little.

Twosie, taken aback by the intensity, pulled his head back and looked at Dots before addressing the group. "You man are on your own with that dying sh*t still." The room filled with chuckles, the tension easing slightly.

Skreamer's expression turned serious again. "Listen though, with Krazy gone, Chucky thinks the Sixers run sh*t now. We're next in line. And all this partying sh*t... I ain't partying again until Chucky and them Sixer pricks are off the board. Yeah?" He looked around, his eyes meeting each of his friends' in turn.

"All right, cool," they said.

"Say nuttin', bro," Twosie echoed, nodding in agreement.

Twosie, always one for jokes, leaned back and glanced at Tayo. "So, who was that girl at the party, Taze? The one you couldn't take your eyes off?" He looked at Tayo with a smirk.

Skreamer shot him a look. "Oi, shut your mouth, Twosie."

But Twosie, undeterred, continued. "Nah, for real though, she's peng. What's her name?"

Tayo glared at Twosie, his silence a clear warning, but Twosie seemed oblivious. "Come on, man. Just a name. She got a friend for me?"

Skreamer stepped in, his voice cold. "That's enough,man. Show some respect."

Twosie raised his hands in mock surrender. "All right, all right. Just saying, she's nice."

Skreamer sighed and turned to Tayo. "We should go. Let you rest."

As they began to leave, Skreamer muttered to Twosie, "So you got jokes, you d*ckhead."

Twosie grinned, following Skreamer out the door. As they stepped into the hallway, Twosie piped up again. "Man, can we get a one food?"

Skreamer rolled his eyes but couldn't suppress a small smile. "Yeah, come then."

The group made their way down the corridor, their footsteps echoing softly. Tayo watched them go, a mix of gratitude and frustration swirling within him. He knew they had his back, but the weight of his choices and the shadow of Krazy loomed large.