Blood Diamonds [URBAN Y.A.]

Chapter 9: Street Life

Brandi

I couldn't even respond to Nico on the phone. It felt like the breath left my lungs.

"B, you good?" he suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

"Uh, yeah-yeah, Nico. I'm fine."

"Why did you ask about Carter, Brandi?"

"He told me that he's been working for you after school to make some extra money."

The silence took over the conversation again. I could literally read Nico's mind at this point. He's probably thinking the same thing I'm thinking now: Drug Dealing.

Living in such a hard city like Crenshaw can make you expect the worse out of the young boys who grew up here, but I worked my ass off to try instilling other values into my sons. The thought of Carter being out in these streets trying to make money crushed me. I damn near could have fallen out right there.

"Yo' you know where Carter is?" he asked with slight concern in his voice.

I thought of my next response.

"Um, yeah. I'm sure he's probably at home," I lied to him.

"Ay, call me when you see him, B," he said.

"Okay, Neek, thanks," I said calling him by his nickname 'Neek' which is short for Nico.

I hung up the phone after that and immediately clocked out of work early.

This was officially an emergency!

When I got home, the thought of everything suddenly flooded my mind. My eyebrows wrinkled in anger. Carter lied to me.

I exhaled deeply with my eyes tightly shut as I leaned all of my body weight against the closed front door.

"Marcus!" I yelled.

"Wassup?" I heard his voice call from the back.

He walked out to the front room with a look of confusion. His eyes were slightly red from the minor head cold he had been coming down with.

"Ma, why you home so early?" he asked.

"Where is Carter?" I asked sternly.

"He's at Nico's barbershop down the street. Nothin' serious."

"Nothin' serious?" I repeated. "Boy, you betta stop lyin' to me! I just called Nico and he told me Carter ain't been workin' in the shop. He ain't seen him all day!"

At this point I was getting extremely pissed.

His eye contact with me faded as he started looking around the entire room. First clue to let me know that he was searching for a lie.

"Uh, he prolly ran to one of his homeboy's cribs for a bit."

"Well, whatever the hell he did, his ass ain't answerin' my phone calls and lyin' to me! I ain't feelin' this shit and when he get his ass in this house, I'ma sure let him know," I said with raised eyebrows and slightly puckered lips to show my attitude.

I saw Marcus' eyebrows rise as he turned and began speed walking back into their bedroom. I took a seat on the couch to make sure I greet Carter as soon as he opens that door. I got a few words for him.

Marcus

I quickly walked back into our bedroom and grabbed my cell phone. I tried calling Carter myself.

It went straight to voicemail.

"Damn, nigga! Pick up," I said to myself as I tried to dial again.