Ganja on Fourth Street

Chapter Six

Emmanuel Jackson

I stood over Ishmail as he nearly bled to death by the beating I gave him. He was breathing hard, blood spilling from his mouth. I leaned on the brick wall and watched him suffer.

"Fuck you, man." He nearly whispered.

I went over to him and kicked him extra hard in the stomach, earning a gutful shriek. He lied still, probably unconscious or dead. Didn't matter to me, though. I wasn't getting my money anyway.

I walked out from the back of the building as inconspicuous as possible. Everyone knew me around here as the plug. I supply the neighborhood drugs right under the feds noses. No one rats me out and if they tried, they knew to expect me.

"Aye EJ!" I heard from afar.

I looked around as the voice continued to call me. I darted my head up and looked at Mr. D yelling at me from his apartment window.

"What you need Mr. D?"

"Shade looking for you at the rink. Hurry up and stop by later, alright?" He pulled his head back inside. Mr. D was an old joint puffer himself and relied on me to keep em' joints fat.

"Alright."

I walked to the rink and opened the door to the empty place. Usually during the daytime, Stanley's was used for lunch or early bird drunkies. I walked over to the bar where Shade was talking to one of the men who lived in our building.

"Mr. D said you was looking for me?"

"Yeah I was. I need you to fill in for Danielle tonight." She told me.

"Shade you know I got business of my own." I shook my head no.

"I think you could use a break from selling drugs. It's only a night, damn."

"What's wrong with Danielle?"

"She and the new girl don't get along and she wants to go to her friends house in the Bronx. Please just cover for her for the night?"

"Wait, she got a problem with Laken?" I asked. 

"Um yeah, they almost had it out last night a few times."

"Danielle always getting in some shit." I said, a bit annoyed that Danielle was trying to get on Laken.

"You know how she is...just don't get too close to that new girl. I heard she mess with Denver and you know he got his little friends to be his spies. Last thing I need is to bust a cap in one of em' lil' boys for touching my nephew." She chuckled along with the neighbor.

"Nah they not stupid. I'll fill in."

"Thank you, baby. Just work, Emmanuel. Don't go looking at that girl." She got up from the bar stool and went behind the bar to fix her and the neighbor another drink.

"I make no promises."

_

Laken Rivera