Because Of You

1

| ALPHA AMIRI JOHNSON |

DETROIT, MI

"Ah!" I smiled, watching the basketball fall through the net. The game was over and my team had just won but that wasn't on my mind as I scanned the bleachers, searching for my mother and little brother Kilo. They were nowhere to be found.
"Ain't that about a bitch." I mumbled, still in thought. These were championships and she couldn't even make it.
"Aye, AJ. We about to go celebrate at Ciera shit, you down?" I shook my head, walking towards the locker room.
"Nah, I need to check on my moms nem, I'll catch y'all later." I dapped him up before unlocking my locker. Why she couldn't be normal? Why she had to run after that nigga all the time? I'd never understand why she did that, and she dragging Kilo around with her, I hate it. I grabbed my duffle, and made my way out of the stadium. I wish my life was different, no fuck that, I wish she actually put her kids first. I sighed, walking in direction of my car, the one I worked so hard for.
"Aye!" I frowned, looking in direction of the person yelling. Seemed as if he was talking to me but he wasn't, he wasn't familiar but that's because of his fucking hood. I unzip my duffle, reaching for my gun.
"What you want nigga?" I yell back at him.
"You AJ?"
"Who looking for me?" I say as calm as I could, my momma used to tell me stories about how my dad used to run the streets and since I was his only child when he was murdered, his debt is now mines and I'm not getting caught slipping.
"Nigga it's Pyro!" He pulled his hood off and I sighed in relief.
"Nigga! When you get out?" Pyro been locked up since I was a freshman, we grew up together, he just got introduced to the streets a little earlier then me. I dapped him up before climbing into my car.
"You need a ride nigga?"
"Yeah I heard it's a party tonight, I need a ride to that bitch."
"What party?" I heard him suck his teeth, then pulling my passenger door open.
"Ciera party, pussy."
"I ain't going to that shit, her shit always get shot up." He shut the door as I cranked my car up.
"Yeah, but that's not the reason on why I'm going." It used to be three of us, me, Pyro and King. King was the oldest, biggest and everybody loved that nigga, that's what we thought. Last year we went to one of Cieras kickbacks, King end up getting into it with a nigga over a dice game, which was all jokes and that nigga got to sparking. Shot King in the neck, hit his main artery, he ain't feel a thing. Nigga ended up pleading guilty and being locked up with Pyro. Pyro handled that shit and I handled the shit out here.
"Why you going then, dumbass?" I notice the streetlights were on, in-front of my house but no lights on in it.
"I'm trying to get on Ciera little sister, Keisha. I heard she suck dick like a vacuum cleaner. Shit." I look at him before laughing.
"Get out my shit." I pull up in front of his momma house, I helped take care of his momma while he was locked up and he still be trying to repay me for it.
"You be smooth youngin, love you bro."
"Love you too bitch!" I bust a U and pull up in my driveway, I sighed as I turned the key in the front door. But not before noticing the Eviction notice on the door.
"Ma! You know we got a fucking eviction notice!?" I walk in, trying to flick the lights but the didn't turn on.
"We need some new bulbs." I mumbled.
"Ma!" I heard footsteps, and through the darkness I could see a little silhouette creeping down the stairs. I pull out my phone and turn on my flash. There stood Kilo, rubbing his eyes.
"Where momma?"
"She's gone."
"What you mean?"
"She left with David." I frowned, feeling my heart speed up. She left Kilo by himself?
"Do you know how long ago?"
"After school, I'm hungry AJ."
"Come on, we about to pack our shit." I grab his hand and walked him back upstairs. How could she? I started stuffing his clothes in his duffle then slung it over my shoulder.
"Come on, ima come back tomorrow and grab the rest."
"AJ."
"Huh?" I watch him climb in and buckle up.
"David hurt momma." Kilo is 7, he old enough to know right from wrong.
"What you mean?" I started my car up, in mind I knew he liked McDonalds so that's what I was going for. I was furious in the inside though but I wasn't letting Kilo see it.
"He pushed her into the wall, and was choking her then he punched her. Her nose was bleeding." My heart is pounding at this point, shortness of breath, it's like I'm having one of those anxiety attacks.
"She was crying AJ, she kept saying sorry."
"Kilo, you don't have to continue. I'm gone handle it."
"You gone kill him?"
"What?"
"David said you kill people."
"Don't listen to him, that shit ain't true."
"Okay."

| KAIDYN JOICE DALY |

CHICAGO, IL

"It's just like what we talked about Kai, it ain't hard. Ima push you through the window and you let me in." I nodded, Dae had talked me to death about breaking into this elderly mans house, far out where we had no business being. He worked out here, doing lawn work with a couple other niggas. Dae been scoping him out, even helped the man with shit in his house. Dae knew what we were going in there for and he made sure I knew as well. He said his name was Gregory Johnson Sr. His kids were grown and out of the house, that's what he told Dae. We were parked down the street and around the corner but he already knew how to get to his house from the alleyway. Dressed in all black, we hopped out, glocks drawn. I had never shot a gun before nor held one so my hands been sweaty since he handed this bitch to me. He doesn't have a dog or cameras around the house, so it wasn't supposed to be any surprises.
"His house is right there, with the light on upstairs." We sat down and scoped out the scene once more to make sure no one was up. About five minutes passed before we moved in, making sure not to make too much noise as we climbed over the tall wooden fence that Dae forgot to mention.
"Fuck." I whispered, noticing there were no windows open.
"I know how we can get in."
"How?" I couldn't believe we were sitting here whispering in someone's backyard, our plan has already went left.
"He gotta see your face Kai, but we gotta kill him." I frowned, I can't go to prison for no murder and he can't either.
"No, we ain't doing that Dae." I had started freaking out now, rubbing my head with the nine as if that was going to help me. He noticed what was happening and cupped my face, looking me in my face.
"Kai, it's cool. I got us, I swear." He assured me. Just then headlights beamed through the backyard, someone had just rolled up into the driveway and they could see us. We were just frozen there and without another second, the person got out the car and started firing at us.
"Run!" Dae yelled, before returning fire. I was over the fence in no time. Seconds later Dae comes jumping over the fence. We began to pull off all of our stuff. Our cover was blown but we just kept running. We had kept the car running for a reason, just incase something like this had happened. I had gotten to the car first, and when I looked back that's when I saw him. Dae was laying on the ground, bleeding out. I started running back for him, I couldn't leave him here.
"Go! I love you!" I bit down on my lip, time felt like it had slowed down. They were going to find Dae there and in no time they were going to find me.
"I love you Dae!" I yelled before getting in the car and pulling off. I couldn't stop the tears from falling down, it was unbelievable.

| 2 Years Later |

DETROIT, MI

"Ma, I got it." We had moved just moved out of my Auntie Carlas house and into our own shit. We moved out of our house in Chicago after everything that happened. Dae ended up dying that night and it still haunts me. I picked up the last box of stuff out of the truck and walked it into the house. As I sat it down, I noticed it was the last of Dae's belongings. Everything else Ma had given away or donated because she didn't want to see it anymore. I opened the box as Ma closed to front door. I began going through the box, pulling his shirt out of the box and pulled it close to me. I was never going to get to see him again.
"Kai." I looked up at my mother with teary eyes.
"Ma." My voice cracked as she pulled the shirt away from me and stuffed it back in the box.
"Kai, please. Just help me set the house up." I nodded before getting up and helping her. She was in some support group that helped her cope with Dae's death, she was able to carry on with her life like nothing ever happened. But it was different for me, he sacrificed himself for me and I left him there to die.

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