No Way Out

Trey- Road to Redemption (and More Trouble)

Trey woke up in Malik's closet for the third time that week, blinking as thin rays of sunlight slipped through the cracks around the door. His back ached from sleeping on a pile of old clothes, and his mind felt just as cluttered. He groaned, rubbing his face, still weighed down by the fallout of his block party disaster. In just one night, he had managed to destroy his relationships, get kicked out of his mom's house, and end up hiding in his best friend's closet like a washed-up has-been.

He reached for his phone, lying face down on the floor beside him. His screen lit up with notifications—mostly from the group chat and a few missed calls from his mom, who probably wanted nothing more than to drag him home for another lecture. But there were no messages from the people who mattered most right now: Tiana, Jasmine, or Shayla. They were still radio silent.

Trey sighed, letting the phone drop back to the floor as Malik's loud snoring filtered in from the couch outside. Living like this, stuck between the reality of his own mistakes and the silence of three girls he had let down, was starting to feel unbearable.

"This is rock bottom," he muttered to himself, staring up at the dim ceiling. And the worst part? He had no idea how to climb out of it.

By the time Malik stirred awake and stumbled into the tiny kitchen, Trey was still buried under a cloud of guilt and anxiety. Malik yawned loudly, scratching his head as he opened the closet door and peered down at Trey. "You plan on hiding in here all day, or what? We gotta eat."

Trey groaned, pulling himself up. "Eat for what, man? My life's wrecked. No one's talking to me, I got no place to stay, and Tiana's cousins are probably hunting me down right now. Feels like I'm one step away from getting jumped."

Malik, still half-asleep, let out a chuckle. "Yeah, sounds like you're in the doghouse for real, bro. But you can't just camp out in my closet forever. You gotta face it. Hiding ain't gonna fix anything."

Trey rubbed his temples, exasperated. "Easy for you to say, man. You didn't have your whole dating life blow up in your face in front of half the neighborhood."

Malik raised an eyebrow, then smirked. "True, but I did host the saddest mixtape release party in history, so I get the humiliation."

Trey couldn't help but laugh, even though his situation still felt like an open wound. "Alright, you got me there. That was rough."

Malik sat down on the couch, stretching out with a lazy grin. "Look, man. You sent the texts, right? So, give it time. They might not respond right away, but at least you did something. Now you just gotta wait and see if they let you explain."

Trey sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I hope you're right."

Malik stood, grabbing his jacket. "Even if they don't, you still gotta eat. Keisha's coming by with food. Again."

Trey raised an eyebrow. "For real? She's been holding us down a lot lately. Feels like I owe her."

Malik nodded. "She's been your biggest defender since the block party disaster. You better be ready to show some appreciation."

When Keisha arrived, she was all business, as usual, with a couple of takeout bags in her hands and an expression that said she wasn't here to mess around. She dropped the food on the small kitchen table, eyeing Trey like he was a puzzle she was tired of trying to solve.

"You're still hiding out in Malik's closet?" she asked, arching an eyebrow as she sat down.

Trey shrugged, sliding into the chair across from her. "What else am I supposed to do? I'm public enemy number one out here."

Keisha rolled her eyes and unwrapped her food. "You're public enemy number one because you haven't done anything to fix this mess. You think a couple of texts are enough? You broke three girls' hearts in one night. You're lucky I didn't let Tiana's cousins handle you already."

Trey winced, the mention of Tiana's family making his stomach knot. "Yeah, I know. But what else can I do? I texted them. I apologized. I'm trying, Keisha."

Keisha stared at him with a mix of disappointment and frustration. "Trying? Trey, you think sending a couple of weak apologies through text is trying? Nah. You need to man up and face them. This isn't gonna fix itself with you hiding in Malik's closet. You gotta do better."

Malik stayed quiet, munching on his food while Trey felt the full weight of Keisha's words. She wasn't wrong, and he knew it. Hiding wasn't getting him anywhere.

"I just... I don't even know where to start," Trey admitted, running a hand over his face.

Keisha leaned forward, her tone softening slightly. "Start by being real with them, Trey. Face-to-face. Let them see that you actually regret what you did. If Tiana still doesn't forgive you, at least you can say you tried. But if you keep hiding, you're gonna get hit with more than just words."

Trey nodded slowly, staring at his untouched food. He couldn't keep running. He had to face this head-on, no matter how ugly it got. "Alright, I'll do it. I'll go see Tiana and try to make it right."

Keisha nodded, satisfied. "Good. And don't stop there. Shayla and Jasmine deserve real apologies too. Don't wait for them to come to you."

Later that evening, Trey found himself standing outside Tiana's apartment building, his stomach churning. This felt like walking into a lion's den. He hadn't spoken to her since the block party, and now he was about to confront her face-to-face, hoping for a shot at redemption. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

After a moment, Tiana answered, her arms crossed and her expression ice-cold. She didn't say anything at first, just stared at him like she was debating whether he was even worth her time.

"Tiana, I—" Trey started, but she cut him off with a sharp glare.

"What do you want, Trey?" she asked, her voice flat and emotionless.

Trey swallowed hard, his nerves fraying. "I just... I came to apologize. For real this time. I know I messed up—bad. I hurt you, and I don't expect you to just forgive me. But I had to come here and say it to your face. I was stupid, and I let things get out of control."

Tiana didn't move, her eyes scanning him with cool detachment. After what felt like an eternity, she sighed, stepping back and opening the door a little wider.

"Come in," she said quietly.

Trey hesitated, unsure if this was a trap or an olive branch, but he stepped inside, grateful for the chance to make things right. It wasn't going to be easy, and it definitely wasn't going to be quick, but he wasn't hiding anymore.

Later that night, Trey lay on his makeshift bed in Malik's closet, staring up at the ceiling. The conversation with Tiana had been awkward, full of long silences and hesitant words, but it was a start. She hadn't forgiven him, but she hadn't completely shut him out either. That had to count for something.

His phone buzzed on the floor beside him. He reached for it, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw the name: Tiana.

Tiana: I'm not ready to forgive you yet. But thanks for apologizing. It's a start.

Trey let out a long breath, feeling a small weight lift off his shoulders. It wasn't a full victory, but it wasn't a defeat either. It was progress.

He scrolled through his other messages—still nothing from Jasmine or Shayla—but that didn't discourage him as much as it would have before. If he could start with Tiana, maybe there was hope for the others.

With a flicker of optimism, Trey rolled over and closed his eyes. The road ahead was still rocky, but for the first time in a long time, he felt like he had a real shot at fixing things.

One step at a time.