Ganja on Fourth Street

Chapter Thirteen

Laken Rivera

After work I headed straight home, still a bit shaken from what happened earlier. Was this what everyone was warning me about? I sensed he had a violent side but never to this extent.

The next morning, or afternoon as I got up, I spent the day inside with Xae, Jojo and Kady. I was skeptical telling them about the whole Denver situation. I didn't want to cause any problems or in other words, snitch.

"Should we order tonight?" Kady asked as she grabbed a dusty Chinese menu from on top the fridge.

"Yeah I'm tired of your foreign ass meals." Jojo said from the couch.

"What's wrong with my cooking? It better than the shit you eat. That is why all you Americans put on so much weight. Always want junk!" She rambled on about how her food was better for us.

In all honesty, her cooking wasn't bad. I just preferred to eat something that I was used to.

"How about you guys come down to Stanley's later and eat? We can all go on my way to work." I suggested.

"I haven't had Stanley's food in a minute. I'm down." Jojo said.

"I don't know...some shit always go down over there." Xae said.

"Oh come on, take Kady out, skate and just hang out for a couple hours."

"Ight I'll come."

"Kady you coming?" I asked her.

"No! I gon' get me some real food. Y'all guhlong."

After a few hours of just chilling at home, we all got ready to go to the rink. We left the apartment and Kady branched off to go her own food. Jojo and Xae stayed with me as they talked about "the word on the street."

As we got to the rink, we noticed a gang of guys outside. Of course, it was Denver and his group of pathetic lowlifes.

"What's up, D?" Xae approached their crowd and dapped up Denver.

"What's good...been a minute since we been here, right?"

"Real talk. Came to get some food and chill for awhile...why you posted out here?" He asked.

"Tell me why Carlo came to my apartment last night all beat up and stabbed?" Markus said.

"Shit, he good?" Jojo asked.

"He gon' be alright. The real question is who the fuck did it?"

"Wouldn't be surprised if it's one of those niggas from the Bronx." Denver said.

They all began to agree with him. My stomach twisted in knots. I wanted to tell them it was EJ, but I didn't want them to hurt him. I didn't want EJ to hurt me.

"Them niggas don't know who they fucking with...I thought they learned they lesson when we pulled up there a couple months ago."  Xae said.

"I'll see y'all inside." I said to Xae and Jojo as I walked inside the rink.

I went over to the skate booth and took over for Shade. Xae and Jojo came in ten minutes later and sat on the stools in front of me.

"What are your sizes?"