gone. - DISCONTINUED.

{7}

The morning after that went as usual, but it was strange. Absolutely no one talked about it, nothing changed at all. I guessed to all of them, it was routine usual. I was still a bit shook up from the encounter, but I eventually came out of my room, trying my hardest to avoid Rakim. The other guys were out selling the whole day and Laylani and Ferg were out on an all day date. So as far as I was concerned, it was just me inside of the house.

I was sitting in the kitchen, making myself a sandwich when I heard a knocking at the door. I put the mayo covered knife down on a napkin, wiping my hands as I walked to the front door, looking through the peephole. My eyes widened at who it was and I ducked, contemplating what I should do. I remember being told that if someone was at the door for Rakim, either get him or one of the girls if he was out. And I didn't know any of the other girls, just Lay. I chewed my lip, deciding to let it go just this once. I stood back up, opening the door only as wide as the chain would let me. "Yea?" I said through the crack and Cheyenne mustered up a smile. "Is Ra in?" she asked somberly. She looked as if she'd been up all night crying, her eyes were bloodshot and red, but she still found the time to do her makeup to perfection.

"No, he hasn't been in all day." I answered honestly and she pursed her lips together, nodding. "Well..if you see him at all, by any chance...when he comes back, ask him to call me?" She said, slipping a piece of paper through the door. I nodded, taking it in my hands as she stepped back. "Thank you, Haze.." She murmured uncomfortable as she headed down the hallway towards the elevator. I pushed the door closed, fixing the lock as I looked at the slip of paper, seeing a variety of digits written on the paper. I sighed, leaving it on the counter as I walked back into the kitchen, finishing making my meal and sitting down on the couch to eat. I crossed my legs, finishing through about half of the sandwich when the door swung open. I wiped my mouth off, hopping off the couch and to the table before whoever walked in saw me.

I looked up and saw it was Rakim and a few other people, and groaned internally. I had did a pretty good job at staying out of his way up until this point. "You had a visitor." I said, finishing off the rest of my sandwich. "Oh really? Who?" He asked, walking to the kitchen and getting himself a beer from the fridge. I swallowed my last bite dryly, waiting until the room was empty except for the both of us. "Cheyenne..." I said slowly, and he paused, chuckling some as he closed the door to the fridge, popping open the beer and taking a sip. "You let her in?" He asked, and it was hard to answer because of the way he stared expectantly, like he was waiting for me to say the wrong thing. "N-No, she wasn't inside, but she uh, left something for you..." I stammered, pointing to the slip of paper still on the counter. Leaning against it, he looked at it, opening it up and glaring some before ripping it to shreds. I watched quietly as he did so, feeling the same panic from last night arise.

He walked over, setting the beer down and leaning across the table to look at me, anger briefly in his eyes as I backed away from him slightly, keeping my eyes between my hands and his. "I'mma make myself clear once more, especially for this." He spoke in a serious tone, and I pulled my lips in. "If she comes by here, and you alone, you ain't answering shit. I don't give a fuck what circumstances or excuses you got, you don't answer the fucking door for nobody we don't fuck with. Understood?" He pointed his finger in my face and I lowered my head, nodding quickly. "I'm sorry, I didn't know.." I said in a soft tone.

I heard him lean off the table, sighing the same way I figured he did last night. "Can't boss you around without hurting your damn feelings, huh." He muttered, pulling a rolled blunt out his pocket and lighting it. "I'm sorry." I whispered again, fiddling with my thumbs. It went quiet for a moment, and I felt my panic die down some, feeling less worried that he was going to lash out and hit me like he did to Cheyenne. Instead, I felt a pair of arms wrap around me and I flinched, gasping slightly. "Still too soft for my liking." He let go, grabbing his beer off the table and leaving the room.

I stayed put, watching the doorway he left out of with mixed feelings.