Diva (Urban)

Greasy Burgers

Diva's POV

    Halloween came around and I felt that I wanted to do something nice for the children in the neighborhood.

    I spent lots of money on props for the small hunted house hosted in Helen's home. We removed the furniture and replaced it with skeletons, brains, and mummies.

    We used strobe lights to illuminate the outside of the house and even Donte chipped in and carved a few pumpkins (they came out looking like someone stomped on them multiple times).

    I noticed that Donte wasn't his usual trash-talking self. But I just dismissed it as tension from before.

    The house was finished and we were just waiting to cue the music. The sun was setting; only little children were out trick or treating.

    No, we were waiting for the older ones. They could handle it. They'd go through the front and out the back. Past clowns, fake dead people, decapitated limbs dripping fake blood, and more. It all looked scary. A silhouette of an evil surgeon shook with laughter behind a bloody plastic curtain.

    Jamar had decided to be that surgeon. We both were making a big sacrifice by being here instead of with Lee. But I know Lee would have wanted this.

    By the time the syn completely fell, Michael Myers music was playing and the lights were on outside and I could hear laughter and the opening and closing of doors.

    Helen stood at the back door ready to give candy to the ones who were brave enough to get through. Donte was in a coffin, pale makeup in his face.

    And I was in the front yard on my knees in rags, begging people to head to the hunted house like one of those sad ghosts.

    A few adults went in. Teenagers and kids too.

    I could hear the screams and shouts. Donte had gotten some of his guys to pitch in and even ma was there scaring the living shit out of folks.

    I wondered what Xavier was doing as I leaned on the gate and gestured toward the house dramatically. They laughed and obeyed.

    Halloween went well. It was the highlight of everything to see all of the people who participated, anxious to go back in again. And some didn't because they were so freaked the hell out.

    I wanted to go back with Donte so after cleaning most of the props up and replacing them with the previous furniture so Helen could sleep, me and Donte headed out to a fast food joint.

    We ordered a greasy burger and fries and sat in the truck in the parking lot.

    "Thanks for helping out tonight." I said gratefully. He nodded, his lips glossy from the grease.

    I had a decision to make. We were here, this was the moment.

    "What's wrong?" I demanded.

    Donte shook his head and stared at the dashboard.

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Donte's POV

    I sure as hell wasn't ready to tell Shorty about my kid. That was out of the question.

    But after feeling that heavy weight called "guilt" tugging at me lately, it'd been hard to keep my mouth shut. Me and her was cool all day so I didn't wanna drop it on my bae that she wasn't the only one.

    Plus, I'd been craving her juices lately. Haha.

    "Yo, I just got a headache."

    "You a damn lie. Tell me." She prodded. I closed my eyes. Now or never.

    The words spilled out of my mouth. How I'd been screwing Deadra on the low, how we had Marc but Marc was not actually my son–he was Patrick's–, how I had a DNA test done, how Deadra was a psycho bitch, how they both moved away.

    And Deadra was, in fact, a psycho bitch.

    After we had made it official then she was going through my phone, installing cameras in the living rooms. That's why she had to move the hell out and I found Shorty I told her how Deadra started out as a prostitute and how even when I was with Shorty, I was still messing with Deadra.

    I stared at her, my eyes willing her to say something. Anything.

    She could slap me and I'd be a'ight.

    But instead, she smiled. She looked me dead in the face and giggled.

    Anger washed over me. What the fuck?

    "Whatchu laughin' fo'?" I snapped.

    "You. You wasn't never worth it and I'm happy that you told me. It only gives me another reason to move on to the next." Hatred covered her face. She wasn't smiling no more.

    I didn't like this side of her. I'd rather have seen her flip and cuss me out.

    If a woman is ever calm when you admit your infidelity, y'all men betta get to fucking packing and looking for the passport.

    "The fuck? You ain't leaving." This was the truth. I was the top dog. She left if I told her to.

    "Yep, I am. I am not gonna stay with Helen or yo' STD-having ass."

    "I ain't got no STD and you sho'll ain't gon' be with Celia." I knew that for a fact!

    "So what? It's cool. I'm not running anymore. This time, I'm surrendering. It ain't worth my pain or my heart. I'm gonna be with someone I truly love who won't hurt me."

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Diva's POV

    Damn, I felt strong. I felt like I could do anything.

    "It was only a one-time thing!" Donte said.

    "Oh, so what about the mail lady? And the stripper from downtown, and Lee's sister, oh, and the life insurance agent? Only hoes can roll with you cause you too worthless to care about somebody!"

    Donte's hand drew back ready to slap me. And I stood (er, sat) my ground. I was ready to claw his eyes out.

    He sighed and stared past me.

    "That's what I thought."

    And I exited his car, not once looking back at what was now the past.