Too Close To A Thug

Our Budding Friendship

When I woke up it was 1:15. I looked around and Tice wasn't in the room. I got up and went into the kitchen where I immediately smelled bacon.

"Good morning." He said stirring the eggs around in the pan. He had on no shirt and his body was nice as hell. Lord where is Shawn when I need him.

"Morning. What is all this?" I asked looking around at the counter where he had different food layed out.

"I always cook breakfast. You ready to eat?" He asked fixing a plate.

"Sure." I said at the countertop while he fixed my plate.

"Here you go." He said giving me my plate then fixing me some orange juice.

"Thank you." I told him eating then said, "Oh my gosh. This is so good."

"You like it?" He asked fixing his plate and sitting across from me.

"Sweety, like isn't the word. This is amazing. Who taught you how to cook?" I asked still eating.

"My moms taught me when I was little." He said drinking his juice.

"She taught you well. Umhm, I'm taking you with me when I move." I said and he chuckled.

"Won't your boyfriend feel some type of way about that?" He said referring to Shawn.

"Nah. Tab won't care. He already know I ain't checking for no other nigga but him." I said washing my plate.

"He didn't look too thrill last night when you said you was letting me stay with you." He said finishing his food then I took his plate.

"Yeah well that because he know that meant he won't be able to come in my room all times of the night and well you know." I said washing his plate then putting in on the drying rack.

"Yeah okay, I just don't want to start no trouble in paradise." He said finishing his juice.

"Yeah well you won't and go wash. We going to the hospital before we go anywhere else." I told him going into my bathroom and turning on the shower. But I brushed my teeth while I waited for the water to heat up. Then I got in the shower.

When I got out I dried off and went into Joey's room and pulled out some of his Adidas joggers and a matching shirt for Tice to put on. I went back into my room and gave them to him.

"Here, Joey might be a little taller than you but they should fit fine." I told him going into my closet as he went in the bathroom. I put on a white bra and white lace panties. Then I put on a over sized pink long sleeve crop top, white denim skinny jeans, some no show socks and my pink vans. I wand curled my hair and put the top half into a neat donut bun. I put on my silver heart locket with MDL engraved in it, my silver heart studs, and my white gold MK Watch.

"You look good ma." Tice said coming into my room.

"Thanks. You ready to go?" I asked grabbing my keys.

"Yeah let's go." He said and we went outside to my royal blue two door black on black Camaro.

I had to call Shawn and let him know what was up.

*

Shawn- Yo?

Me- Hey bae. What you doing?

Shawn- Just waking up. You in the car?

Me- Yeah I'm going to the hospital to see Joey before I got out to the East.

Shawn- You got that lil nigga with you?

Me- Yeah he right here. Oh I'm going apartment shopping later, I want you to come too.

Shawn- Okay well just text me the address and I'll be there.

Me- Okay Tab. I'm driving so I'll text you when I get to the hospital. Love you.

Shawn- I love you too baby.

*

Knock knock knock

"Come in." I heard my brother say.

It kinda hurt me to see my little brother lying in a hospital bed with that big ass bandage on his neck and a sling on his right arm. Although he was sitting up and responding fine, I still wish he wasn't even in this position.

"Hey lil ugly. How you feeling?" I asked walking in the room with Tice behind me.

"I'm straight man you know no bullet can't hold me down. Who this?" He asked looking at Tice.

"This my homie Tice. Tice this my little brother Jojo." I introduced the two.

"Wassup man." Tice said dapping him up.

"Wassup. Aye Tab know you rolling out with this boy?" He asked reaching for his phone.

"Yeah he knows snitch. Tab ain't my daddy." I told him sitting on the left side of the hospital bed.

"Yeah whatever. So Dougy and Shock was up here earlier." He said texting someone on his phone.

"Really? What them fools up here talking about." I said eating the fruit off of his lunch tray.

"Told me about what went down at the warehouse last night." He laughed.

"Yeah you laughing now. You ain't even said thank you." I said pushing him slightly.

"Thank you Jaycon. Why you did it though?"

"Did what?" I asked confused.

"Handled that the way you did for me?"

"Because you're my little brother. I don't like seeing you hurt. Unless it was me that hurt you." I said kissing his cheek.

"Whatever. What you doing today?" He asked

"Going apartment shopping lil nigga. I gotta get up out mommy house."

"So you just gone leave me there?"

"Aww baby brother. You can come spend the night sometimes. But when my man comes, you gotta be out. And you taking Tice with you." I said giggling.

"Yeah whatever. Ight now get out I'm tired of looking at you." He said laughing but very serious.

"Damn no love there." I said getting up, Tice already at the door.

"Call me later." He said as I left his room and got on the elevator.

When we got in the car, I drove off towards the interstate.

"Your brother cool.

"Yeah he's the best I could ask for."

"Yeah I love y'all relationship. Wish my sister was like that with me."

"What do you mean?"

"My sister only took me in to keep me from going into the system. If my mom was still here, me and her probably wouldn't even be speaking."

"Well that's a little harsh to say about your sister."

"It's the truth. I mean growing up all I ever heard was ' Lanice take Landon with you, Lanice walk Landon to school, Lanice help Landon get dressed.' So I guess with her having to do everything for my when I was little as I got older she didn't want to do anything else for me when I started doing for myself. So when I was 13 I started slanging. And ever since I been on my own." He looked out the window the whole time.

"What happened to your moms?" I rubbed his arm a little and I could tell he was tense.

"She died from cancer when I was 11. My sister was 19 so she was old enough to do as she pleased, but me, it was either she took me in or I went to a foster home in Cover City."

"I'm so sorry. How old was she?"

"35. Can we change the subject please?"

I could tell he was getting upset the way his light skin turned red and his eyes kind of focused on the highway. I just left it alone and we rode in silence all the way to the Eastside Mall.