It's Above Me Now.

28: What A Twist

"So now that we know you're going to be okay, can you tell us what the fuck happened?" Mario pressed. "I got a weird call from Drew saying that something's going down at Troupe. On my way there I texted Dylan in case I needed some back up, and then I find you lying lifeless in your office chair. Explain please. Where the hell is Drew anyways?"

Shaking my head, I huffed with irritation. All of my motor movements were officially back in action, and I was thanking God by the second that the effects from those pills weren't long lasting. Drew was really on one with this foolishness he tried to pull, but finding out that he had a saving strategy for me was leaving me in all sorts of limbo. I'll never forgive him for shooting me, and we probably won't ever be cool again. However, I could respect and appreciate his decision on leading Mario to Troupe to save my life.

I breathed heavily, and rubbed gently on the patched gunshot wound on my stomach. "Drew found out that I used to sell drugs to his father. That didn't sit well with him so he orchestrated the whole Shawn blowup. When that didn't work, he came by Troupe and shot me."

Dylan's and Mario's eyes widen, and they looked utterly shook. I could completely understand their reaction, because this was not the Andrew we knew at all. Drew didn't have an ounce of street in him, he really wasn't about that life. He was one of the few friends I had that was squeaky clean, and I hate that this situation turned him into someone he's not.

"This is so fucked up." Dylan said. "When I see him again, I'm putting a bullet in his head."

"And what good will that do?" I quickly returned. "Bro, Drew is not the real problem here. He's a pawn. I can stomach what he did because I know I shared some faults in our situation. Going after him won't solve anything. Look at the bigger picture."

"Oh, shut the fuck up!" Dylan snapped. "Don't you dare tell me you're gonna let this go! I ain't tryna hear that shit. You could be dead right now Chance! You should have seen those doctors rushing around, trying to save your life. You should have heard your mother's cracked voice and cries when I called to tell her and Ruben what's up. And now you wanna give this motherfucker a pass because y'all used to be boys?! Is them IV drips fucking up your thought process or something?"

The hospital room turned dead silent after Dylan's harsh statements. Sighing in frustration, I glanced over at Mario who was pacing the room slowly. He looked like he was itching to say something, but didn't know if he should. Dylan didn't peep what I saw because he was too busy in his phone, probably trying to find Drew's whereabouts so he could do some damage.

"Chance is right, Dylan." Mario finally said. "Karin has and will always be the real problem. She's more than likely the one who persuaded Shawn to tell his son about his dealings with Chance. Karin knew Andrew would be filled with anger after hearing all of this, so she put a battery in Dew's back and used him as her little puppet to get at Chance. I just don't understand why she started a feud with Chance now that he's met his parents. Shit's weird."

Dylan swiftly turned to face Mario. "Yes the fuck you do know. If anyone knows what goes on in that unhinged woman's head, it's you. And you better get to talking before my anger unleashes on you. Why does your mama have such a problem with Chance? What's the reason for the beef? Speak before you end up in one of these hospital beds."

Mario gave Dylan an amusingly appalled stare. "You know I don't do well with threats, but shots from you is straight laughable. You can't tussle with me, so I'll ignore your disrespect because I know you're upset about Chance. Like I said before, I don't know what's going on with her. She cut me off when she found out Chance hired me to work at Troupe. She said I was switching sides and I was now bad for business. Since that conversation, I ain't looked back. Shit, life been better without her. I been wanting to get away from her crazy ass."

"Yeah, you wanted to get away so you could go shack up with Chance's ex. We get it." Dylan sarcastically responded. "But now we need to end this shit. Once and for all. Who's to say she won't come after me next? Who's to say she won't double back and try to do some foul shit to you, Mario? Or even your little brother Micah? Have you given that any thought? We need to get to her before she gets to us."

I shifted uncomfortably in the bed, growing tired of this situation. I wish I could sit Karin down and ask her what was the meaning behind all of this bullshit. But I knew whenever we did cross paths, it wouldn't be no kumbaya's and reconciliations. She was coming for blood, and it's such a damn shame that the woman who had me under her care for majority of my life was trying to put me in the ground.

"For once Dylan, I'm with you." Mario replied. "Something needs to be done about Karin. Chance, I know you don't care to hear it but I apologize for all the ill things I've done to you in the past. For years, Karin has been painting you out to be this horrible, bad guy. And wanting to please her, I believed it and treated you as such. I am truly sorry. But messing with Chanel wasn't to deliberately hurt you. It looks really shady and fucked up, but there's a true connection between us and I'm happy with my little family. I'm becoming a father soon, and that's changing my way of thinking and how I want to move. I want better for my son, and I can't keep looking over my shoulder for whenever Karin decides to snap. So whatever we decide to do about Karin, I'll learn to be okay with."

I nodded, and reached out for a dap from Mario. This is the sincerest I've ever seen him, and I could always respect someone who kept it real with themselves and me. I could tell Dylan wasn't moved by what Mario said, and he even made a face when Mario and I embraced. But he'll work out his grievances on his own, for I already buried the hatchet between Karin's eldest and I.

"So now that that's settle...what are we gonna do about Mama Karin?" Dylan asked. "Nah, better question. How are we gonna kill her?"

Mario and I both gave Dylan a disappointed and annoyed look. Dylan was honestly the king of insensitivity, and the fact that he sometimes didn't care what came out of his mouth was very troubling. If push came to shove and we had to take Mama Karin out, then so be it. But that wasn't meant to be the first option. Secluding her and vocally taunting her was the route I wanted to take, and I knew Mario would second that idea. Karin has done a lot of shit to us, some shit that would've probably had us in therapy until we died. But something within me wouldn't allow myself to do her how she did me. I just couldn't.

As I was about to open my mouth to respond, I heard a mass of commotion which interrupted my train of thought. For a second I thought my parents were here, because their presence alone caused a buzz. But from what I could see people were moving back and forth quickly, and I figured it had to be a more pressing issue. I glanced at my brother and Mario questionably, and Mario moved from where he was positioned to open the door so we could get a better view of what was going on outside. Mario pulled open the door, and he, my brother, and I watched hospital personnel push three people on stretchers pass my hospital room. I jumped up at the sight of the last person on the stretcher, for I managed to catch a glimpse of their face. The person was a bloody, unconscious Mama Karin.

The hospital quickly quieted down after that huge rush, and things regained some sort of normality. However, Dylan, Mario and I were still stunned, for this new development with Karin was unexpected and outrageous. Mario sat in one of my hospital room's chairs, and he looked like he was experiencing a plethora of emotions. Karin after all was still his mother, and there was no way he could be completely numb towards her. I've been against Karin for some time now, and even I didn't know how to feel about any of this shit.

"Damn it!" Dylan whined. "Looks like someone got to her before us."