The Queen's Game

Chapter 4: The Warning

Soleil’s POV

I looked around at the bustling streets of Oakland, trying to take it all in. The city was different from LA, quieter in some places, yet there was a certain energy about it. The neighborhood was nothing like the pristine suburbs I was used to. People didn’t move as fast here; they had a rhythm. A rhythm I was still trying to figure out.

Tiana walked beside me, her sneakers scuffing against the cracked pavement. She was showing me around, giving me the lowdown on what I should expect and who I should stay away from. She was my first real friend here, and I could tell that she was trying her best to look out for me.

“Look, Soleil,” she said, her voice lowering as she shot a quick glance around the street. “I’m just gonna say this once, and I need you to really hear me. You gotta stay away from Kehlani. You hear me?”

I raised an eyebrow, glancing over at her. “Kehlani? Who’s that?” I had heard the name a few times around school, but I had no idea who she was or why Tiana was sounding so serious.

Tiana stopped walking, turning to face me fully, her face all hard edges and sharp warnings. “Don’t act like you don’t know. You hear people talk about her, you see her crew around. You might not know her name, but you’ll feel her presence soon enough. That woman—Kehlani Parrish—she runs this city. And I’m telling you, stay the hell away from her.”

I frowned. “What do you mean, ‘runs the city’? Who is she, like, a politician or something?”

Tiana shook her head, her expression hardening. “Nah, nothing like that. She’s… well, she’s something you don’t wanna get involved with. Trust me on this, Soleil. Just stay out of her way. Don’t even mention her name if you can help it.”

I stared at Tiana for a moment, trying to process what she was saying. “But what if I do see her? What if we bump into her or something?”

Tiana stepped closer, her voice dropping even lower. “You don’t wanna bump into her, trust me. And if you do, you better be respectful. She doesn’t take kindly to people who don’t know their place, especially new girls like you who think they can walk around and ask questions.” She paused, looking me over like she was assessing whether I was really getting it. “If you wanna keep your head on your shoulders, you need to stay in your lane.”

Her tone was serious, and for the first time, I felt a shiver run down my spine. Tiana wasn’t joking. There was something about the way she said it, the fear behind her words, that made me start to believe that maybe I didn’t want to know too much about this woman.

---

Later that day, I was back at the house, the smell of dinner in the air. Mom was in the kitchen, as usual, perfecting her latest hairstyle on one of her clients, a woman named Janice from down the block. Dad was in the living room, going over his football playbook for the upcoming season at school.

“Yo, Soleil! You back already?” Dad called out from the couch as I walked in. He always had that easygoing smile on his face, like everything was always under control.

“Yeah,” I said, slipping off my shoes and walking into the kitchen. “I was just out with Tiana. She was showing me around Oakland.”

Mom looked up from the mirror, giving me a quick smile. “How’d it go, baby? Get a good feel for the city?”

I leaned against the counter, grabbing an apple. “Yeah, I mean, it’s... different. Definitely not like LA. Some of the people here are a little more... um, streetwise, I guess?” I said, not quite sure how to explain everything Tiana had shared with me.

Dad raised an eyebrow. “Streetwise? You mean rough around the edges?”

“Something like that,” I said, trying to keep the tone light. I wasn’t sure how much I should share with them. I mean, they didn’t know about the things Tiana had warned me about, not yet anyway.

Ivy, Azalea, and Dahlia came running in from outside, laughing and tossing a ball back and forth. Typical triplet behavior. They were loud, energetic, and full of questions about my day. The twins—Orion and River—weren’t far behind, each of them carrying a basketball or a football as they came inside, bickering about which sport was better.

“Mom, I’m starving!” Dahlia said, pulling open the fridge and grabbing some juice.

“Did you get anything done with the homework?” Mom called out from the kitchen, not missing a beat.

“Ughhh, Mom, we’re on break!” Ivy said, throwing her hands up in exaggerated frustration.

“Yeah, we’re just chilling!” Azalea added, flopping down onto the couch.

Orion and River were deep in some kind of debate about who was faster on the field—Orion with football or River with basketball. They’d been competing with each other since birth, and that sibling rivalry didn’t look like it was going anywhere soon.

Dad chuckled, shaking his head. “Alright, alright. You guys are getting ready for school, so focus. We’ll talk about your plans after dinner.”

I sat down on one of the chairs, peeling the apple, trying to figure out how to word what I’d learned today. I didn’t want to worry anyone, but something about Tiana’s warning made me uneasy. I mean, who was this Kehlani person, really? Was she a criminal? A gang leader? Was I supposed to be scared of her?

Mom looked up from her client’s hair, catching my thoughtful expression. “What’s on your mind, Soleil?”

I hesitated for a second, unsure how to bring it up. “I don’t know... Tiana was telling me some stuff about someone named Kehlani.”

Dad immediately tensed. “Kehlani Parrish?” he asked, the tone in his voice sharp.

“You know her?” I asked, surprised.

“Everybody knows her,” he muttered, his eyes narrowing a little. “You should stay away from her, Soleil. She’s not someone you want to get involved with.”

Mom looked confused. “Who is she, though? What’s the big deal?”

“She’s someone who controls a lot of the stuff around here,” Dad explained. “I don’t know all the details, but she’s not someone you wanna cross. People fear her.”

I blinked, feeling a knot tighten in my stomach. This Kehlani person wasn’t just some figure in the background. She was someone who commanded power—and I was learning quickly that this wasn’t a place where people just “got by.” You either played the game or got played.

Mom glanced at Dad, then back at me. “Well, we’ll keep our heads down, then. Just remember, Soleil, don’t get involved in anything you don’t understand. Oakland’s not like what you’re used to.”

I nodded slowly, taking another bite of the apple, letting the conversation settle in. I wasn’t sure if I was more curious about Kehlani now or more scared. Maybe both.

As the evening passed, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Tiana’s warning wasn’t just about staying away from one person—it felt like it was about staying away from an entire way of life. A life that I wasn’t sure I was ready to face.

But one thing was for sure: Oakland wasn’t the quiet, safe city I had imagined. It was a city built on power, respect, and fear—and I was just starting to understand the rules.

And somewhere in the middle of it all was Kehlani.

I just hoped I never had to cross paths with her.

1282 words