Diva (Urban)

Hate is a Strong A** Word

Donte's POV

    "Bruh, I can't believe it! Nigga, come here quick!" Boss shouted. We ran over to where Boss was. I was slightly nervous but I had to tuck that fear away and show my boys who was the actual boss.

    There was an Amber alert out for our arrest with my exact licence plate number and description. Except, I wasn't light-skinned and I wasn't "about 5'5'-6'0'".

    I blew out a long shaky breath. I was supposed to have this shit on lock. I was supposed to have everything under control. Bit I sure as hell didn't.

    Instead, we were all stuck in a situation that we couldn't get out of. I had a trunk full of drugs: khat, ganga, almost a little of everything. We had left a bunch of dead niggas at the Trap. And I ain't know who was a witness.

    It was all over. Everything. But I couldn't let Boss and Rich know. I had to keep my cool and tell them that we could do this. That nothing would stop us. Or stop me.

    Shorty's face flashed through my mind, sending a wave of pain and guilt through me. This was it. This was it. I had to set things straight. Or at least try. Lord knew she was probably at that lame nigga's box...I mean apartment or something. We all knew she wasn't going to her momma's house.

    I dialed her number on the hotel phone down the hall, tapping the wall impatiently. I needed her for something. Something that would make or break a nigga.

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Diva's POV

    My eyes bulged as I looked at my cell phone, not even believing what I was seeing. That was Donte's exact license plate number. I shook my head, unable to register the news.

    I don't know why I was so surprised. Donte was technically a criminal. Technically. Sometimes he had a good heart, sometimes he didn't.

    So why was I so upset about a man that I should be forgetting? Or trying to forget since we've had a past together and I can't erase memories no matter how much Xavier meant to me in such a short period of time.

    My hands trembled, trying to find the OFF button on my cellphone. Xavier was drying his shoulder with a towel when I quickly set my phone on the table and managed the best smile I could.

    "Hey, got any non-girly lotion I can use? I ran out."

    "Uh, no. Sorry."

    He did a double take, hand in hair. He looked too beautiful.

    "What's wrong?"

    "What? Nothing." I smiled again. Be believable. Be believable.

    "Damn Diva, keepin' secrets?" He smirked but his look was soon replaced with a worrisome expression once he saw that I wasn't grinning anymore.

    "I'll be back." He muttered. Ten minutes later, Xavier came back in followed by Alia and Heaven. They had on their clothes, both punk outfits that looked cute. But it only pained me a little. My child was dead.

    "Chuck-E-Cheese! Chuck-E-Cheese!" The girls chanted as we drove down the street. I didn't know why Xavier was quiet. But it made me fidget. Maybe he was trying to build up some type of dramatic scene where he pulls me close and asks me what's wrong. Or not.

    The line into the place was long as hell but I could take it. Anything (like the old lady who was eating her boogers right in front of me) to get my mind off of the situation at hand.

    I never truly hated Donte. Ever. I didn't hate him when he cheated on me. I didn't hate him when he wasn't there when I lost my baby. I didn't hate him when we had to bail him out of jail. I didn't hate him.

    But I didn't know that it was ever possible to hate someone as much as I did at that moment. I honestly, true-to-God couldn't stand Donte. Why would he so such a thing?

    Our neighborhood was on the news earlier. Apparently a stray bullet had accidentally shot and killed a three year old who was playing outside. Three. The shootout had everything to do with Donte. Even Jamar was found dead.

    The police had found about two cellars of different kinds of drugs, most of which were illegally shipped from Columbia. They found a room of guns, bodies....

    Lee had called, crying and asking why I didn't tell her anything. I didn't know. She was angry with me; pissed that something as fucked up as that could happen to her fiance. She said she would burn the ring even though I knew she wouldn't. She'd probably sell it for the extra money for her family because that's all that she could do. The family was already half poor.

    I hated Donte. I hated him. He did this. I bet he did.

    Xavier sat down in front of me and held my hand, staring at me in that intense way that he always did.

    "What's wrong?"

    I sighed and slid my phone to him, sick of looking at it. He gazed at the screen and slid it back to me. "That's my ex. He was a part of that shootout downtown."

    His eyebrows scrunched together, clearly thinking and confused. "Are you fuckin' kidding me?" He whispered.

   "I can't believe he'd do–"

    "You're making it sound like he cheated or something. He killed somebody!" Xavier whisper-shouted. I rolled my eyes. All of my fighting energy was sucked out of me. I watched Alia chase Heaven up the play slide and climb onto the rope. They were so innocent. I wondered what their futures were.

    Would they have a best friend like mine? An ex like mine? A boy/friend/I don't even know. What the fuck were we? In a relationship? Friends?

    Just then, my phone started ringing. "Excuse me." I said leaving the table.

    It was Donte.

    "Bae, I need you."

    "You need yo side-chick, you piece of shit. I can't believe you would do such a foolish thing and think the cops wont find out!" I was outside by now, down the sidewalk that led to Bojangles.

    Bojangles had the best wings.

    "Listen, I ain't pay attention good enough. Niggas was comin' up in my shit tryna kill my home boys. I don't play that shit. I need you to do something. I need you–"

    "Donte, I gave up on you so long ago," I said, half true. "What we had is now over. You got yourself into this mess, you can get your ass out."

    "Shorty! Shorty!"

    "It's Diva." I said sternly. I felt powerful. He was not above me or ever above me.

    "What? You always let me call you that." He sounded hurt but I didn't care.

    "Well not anymore."

    "Is this about Marc? Bruh,he ain't even my son, ma!"

    "Hey, I just have to tell you one last thing..." I said.

    "What?" He replied, an irritated tone in his voice.

    "Don't drop the soap."

    And I hung up.

    A new chapter of my life had began. Nothing was going to stop me.