Aulani Mitchell, a 22-year-old woman weighed down by family responsibilities and a toxic home life, crosses paths with Knowledge, a wealthy yet troubled man who hides his pain behind a carefree façade. As they navigate their complicated pasts and bu...
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Atlanta, GA
August 31st
My phone buzzed on the seat next to me, the screen lighting up with messages, people looking to re-up, girls trying to catch my attention, and a few notifications from Instagram and TikTok. But I wasn't paying attention to any of it.
I pulled up to one of my usual spots, a quiet block on the south side where I handled most of my business. I had a few regulars out here, and today was just another routine drop-off. I parked the car and leaned back, checking the time before sending a quick text to one of my clients.
"Yo, I'm here. Come through."
I grabbed a Styrofoam cup from the cupholder and took a sip, the taste of lean familiar and comforting. It dulled the edges of my thoughts and made everything a little easier to deal with. My mind kept wandering to the usual places; money, girls, and that ever-present feeling that something was missing. But I didn't have time to dwell on that right now.
A few minutes later, a lanky dude named Marcus walked up to the car. He was one of my regulars, always reliable when it came to payment. He leaned in through the open window, dapping me up before getting straight to business.
"What's good, KJ? You got what I need?"
"Always," I replied, reaching into the glove compartment and pulling out a small bag of weed. "Same as last time?"
"Yeah, man. You know how it is," Marcus said, handing me a stack of cash. "Appreciate you, bro."
"Stay up," I said, watching as he walked off, disappearing down the block.
I pocketed the cash, took another sip of lean, and let out a long breath. This was my life, moving weight, stacking money, and keeping everything under control. It was easy to get lost in the rhythm of it all, to let the routine drown out the noise in my head. But lately, that noise was getting louder, and harder to ignore.
I leaned back in the seat, closing my eyes for a moment. The cup was still in my hand, and I took another sip, feeling the warmth spread through my chest. The lean had a way of slowing everything down, making it easier to just exist without thinking too much. But even that was starting to lose its edge.
My phone buzzed again, and this time I glanced at the screen. A message from one of the girls I'd been messing with—Keisha. She was always down for a good time, with no strings attached, and no expectations. Just the way I liked it.
"You tryna come through later?"
I stared at the message for a moment, my thumb hovering over the screen. It would've been so easy to just hit her up, go through the motions, and forget about everything else. But something in me hesitated. I wasn't sure why, but I didn't have the energy for it today. I tossed the phone back onto the seat, deciding to deal with it later.
