Thugs Ain't For Me

49: Rest In Peace Christian

*The Night Before*

Stella

I had just got out of the shower and was heading to bed after another long day at school when I heard Bella screaming in her room. My mama and I both rushed in to see what was wrong.

"Bell what's wrong!?" I yelled tightening my towel around my wet body. She was curled up on the floor beside her bed clutching her phone. She just kept rocking back and forth in her own pool of tears while her face was turning red. "Bella what is wrong!?" I asked again kneeling down beside her, I had a feeling something wasn't right.

"He's gooneee." She sobs. I felt numb and I looked up at my mom who was holding her head and pacing back and forth. "He's gone Stella! NOOO!" She sobs some more.

"Christian....he died?" The tears rushed to my eyes as I hugged my hurting sister.

"Oh-my-God!!!" She buried herself in my arms and I just rocked with her as we both cried, my mom came down to hug us and that's just how we spent our night...crying on the floor.

*Tuesday*

My mama let me stay home today so I could be with Bella while she went off to work. Though I don't see why, Bella hadn't came outta of her room since last night. She didn't stop crying until about 6 this morning, she ain't even get up to feed or change Camden. I couldn't imagine her pain, Christian's death was all over the news and I been hearing her phone blow up all day. I guess the world knew about the two of them. It was going on five in the evening and I was giving Camden his like fourth bottle of the day. He didn't know what was going on just knew that he ain't seen his mama all day. Somebody rung the doorbell and I went to look out the window, I seen Mia's little car parked out front so I buzzed her in.

"How's she doing?" Mia asks as she comes up.

"She ain't been out that room to eat, bathe, or even see him." I held up Camden.

"Gosh my girl is hurting, this some crazy shit." I nod in agreement. Right before I sat down the doorbell rang again and I asked Mia if she could get it because I been up all day and I was tired as shit. "It's your brother." She tells me. I nod so she could buzz him in.

"Where's Bella?" He asked immediately after coming up.

"Her room.....don't even bother she locked the door." I told before he made his way through the hallway. So instead he came to join us in the livingroom.

"I don't believe I lost my right-hand man, bro." He shakes his head. I saw the news woman come back on TV and she was standing outside of the hospital that Christian was in. "Turn it up." Omar insisted.

"Late last night doctors announced the death of Christian Boyle, the twenty-one year old who was shot five times last Thursday at Caliber's Grove along with two others. Doctors hoped that he'll make a full recovery but went into another stroke last night, this one killing him instantly, family members gather and grieve tonight at Central District Hospital where he was being held. Boyle leaves behind two sons and a young wife."

"Bella really convinced them people that she was his wife and that Cam was his baby." Mia smirks.

"Yeah she is really persuasive." I joke. My daddy walked in with Shay right after the news went off and surprised just about everybody. "Hey, what are you doing here?" I asked.

"Your mom called about Bella....how is she?" He asked.

"Bad...she ain't been outta her room all day."

"Are y'all sure she even still alive in there?" Shay had to make the moment more intense.

"Leave it to Shay." I say handing the baby to his grandfather. I went to knock on Bella's door but nothing. "Bella come on say something, Shay got everybody thinking you might of jumped outta the window or something...." Still nothing. I went back into the living room to let everybody know that I couldn't get through to her. My mama got off work early today and was just walking in when I came back to the living room.

"How is she?"

"Same as this morning, locked in her room." I got agitated. All of our attention was turned to the hallway when we heard her bedroom door creak open. We just stared at her red, puffy watery eyes. "Bella?"

"He's really dead ain't he?" Her voiced sounded hoarse and rough when she spoke, like she ain't drank water in decades. We just all nod our heads. "We were suppose to be together for a long time, he was only twenty-one.....he was just so young, why did this have to happen? What am I going to do?" She broke down right in front of everybody again.

"Bella we are all here for you, right here, all of us okay?" My mama tried to reassure her.

"I don't have nothing to say to you at all!" She screams at Omar.

"Bella, Bella slow down I'm just upset as you alright, he was my boy."

"He wouldn't got shot if it wasn't for you! Get out!" She continues.

"If it's anybodies fault it's whatever girl that cheated on Nick with Corey!" He yells back before slamming the door behind him and I felt Bella's gaze land on me.

"Bella now you know it isn't my fault." I say defending myself once again.

"It's nobodies fault! God called him home and that's that, now Bella you gotta be strong....this baby needs his mother and I'm sorry this moment caught you off gaurd like this but that's just how life is going to go, you gotta be ready for any and everything, especially when you're a parent because this baby depends on you and you can't let him down....do you hear me?" My mama lifted Bella's chin.

"Mama, I ain't never hurt like this before what if I can't recover from this....what if I just gotta give up?"

"You got the help of everyone in this room, okay baby girl...we are not going to let you give up never." My daddy knelt down next to her. "You're family is going to be right here for you." I smile and grabbed her hand.

"We promise Bella."