Selfish

18.) Set It Off

Christopher Maurice Brown ◇

My phone rings loudly so I hurry and get to it only to see an incoming call from Sarai. I'm not beat to be spending time with her or even speaking to her right now, but something told me to answer the phone. It took a lot for me to do it, but I did.

I pressed accept and pulled the phone up to my ear hearing heavy breathing from the other end.

"Hello?" I answer.

"Chris?" Sarai asks then she tries to whisper 'he answered,' but she failed terribly. I heard her loud and clear.

"Yeah, it's me. Wassup? You need something?"

"I actually have something to tell you..." She trails off.

I sigh and say, "I don't think I can handle hearing any more news from you right now."

"It's not about you and me, I promise," she responds quickly. "It's actually about Ty."

"Sarai. I just said ion wanna hear anymore news! You making it seem so serious like it's just so necessary for me to hear the news now! What? What is it? Did y'all fuck again?" I say obviously annoyed.

"Chris, no. Nothing like that. I just thought I'd tell you that Ty... H-he put his hands on me."

I instantly get upset and I feel like my blood starts to boil.

"He what!?" I shout into the phone.

"He hit me," she says in a low voice. "He slammed me into the wall and choked me."

I got up immediately to get my keys and without another word I left my house.

****

Reaching Ty's house I don't just knock on the door. I bang on it like I was the damn police.

"Who the fu-" Ty begins but stops once he realizes it's me.

"Wassup bro?" He puts his hand out to give me dap but I just look at it before looking at him in his face again with cold eyes.

"Uh.. okay..." He chuckles in confusion and then tells me to come on in.

I came here with reason, so I might as well confront him about it as soon as possible.

"I think you got some explaining to do," I state.

"Whatchu talking about man?" Ty asks in confusion.

"Oh so you don't remember putting your hands on not just any female, but Sarai? You don't have no memory of that?" I squint at him.

He sucks his teeth and waves his hand in a whatever manner. "That was nothing. But lemme tell you this. My bad for fucking ole girl. I don't remember it happening but I guess it did, so, I'm sorry."

"Fuck allat," I dismiss that conversation. "You put ya hands on her?"

"It may have been wrong, but how you gon let her come in between our friendship? We been boys since before high school and you gon just let some bitch come in between that!?" Ty shouts. "Fuck her."