From Infinite to Kamikaze: A Novel

JUNE 2000 - CASSIE

The front entrance to the venue was packed. I'm talkin' sardines in a tin can. I was SO grateful we didn't have to stand in that shit. We pulled into a different entrance that was gated and had guards policing who was coming in and out. We showed our VIP lanyards that Paul had given Lex and they verified that we were on their list. Afterwards, we pulled in and parked in a much smaller parking lot. Not far, we could see the massive tour buses that would carry Em and the rest of the Up in Smoke crew to the next city.

Inside, we went through the same security check. This time, they also checked our bags and used a metal detector on us. Then a guy wearing a headset led us to Em's dressing room. Before we even approached the door, we could hear N.W.A.'s Alwayz Into Somethin' bangin' through the speakers. The man who had led us there opened the door for us and we walked into a wall of smoke that smelled like the world's finest kush.

"Hey hey hey!" a voice projected through the haze. "If it isn't the two baddest bitches on the mothafuckin' West Cooooast!" Proof opened his arms and folded them around me and Lex, swaying us from side to side. "How my favorite shorties doin'?"

"Wassup Proof," Lex greeted with her usual gorgeous smile and a dap. She continued into the room and greeted the rest of D12 and Royce, the latter of whom I hadn't met yet.

I flashed a grin at Proof. "Hey stranger," I replied.

He looked me up and down momentarily before lowering his voice. "Damn Cass...Cali's been doin' you good girl. How come you ain't come to see me last time you was in town?"

I shrugged. "Didn't know you wanted me to. Ain't you wifed up now anyways?" I asked with my eyebrow cocked. I knew he'd always had a thing for me but nothing had ever come of it cuz I had been with Devin at the time.

He breathed out a light chuckle. "Wifed up or not...we's friends, right? You can't just come see an old friend though?"

"Okay Proof, next time I'm in town I promise to come see you, friend," I teased.

"That's all I'm sayin'. You know? Gotta keep the love in the original circle, nawmean? You, me, Lex, Em...we go way back." I smiled and nodded knowingly at him as he winked and smirked. Still the same clown as he always was.

"Speaking of friends," I asked, changing the subject. "Where's your boy at?"

"Shower."

"Y'all ain't do that shit at the hotel?"

"We did. And then we did a sound check and played like 15 minutes of ball. Ain't no big thing but he a fiend when it comes to showers," Proof rolled his eyes.

I went in and said hi to everyone else. Lex introduced me to Royce who, I had to admit, looked pretty fly. I could see him checking me out but didn't wanna jump into flirting too quickly.

"Sharonda didn't come?" Lex asked, turning back to face Proof.

He shot us a mischievous look before saying, "I guess y'all gonna find out sooner or later but...we just found out a few weeks ago she pregnant and shit."

"What?!" Lex and I yelled at the same time.

"Holy shit Deshaun!" Lex cried. "Congratulations!" We took turns hugging him. The rest of D12 and Royce apparently already knew. I knew he had two other kids, but he didn't see them much because of a complicated custody battle. And this would be his first kid with Sharonda. I was surprised Lex hadn't heard about it from Em.

"This calls for a shot!" I said, rubbing my hands together and looking over a long table that had about 8 different kinds of liquor lined up on it.