Cleanin' Up The Hood

The Meeting

Loving you is complicated

Loving you is complicated

Loving you is complicated

The chorus of "U" by Kendrick Lamar reverberated through the speaker's of Zay's Le'Sabre as he drove back from the meeting down Oceanview Blvd. Like the name suggested, to the right of the lane Zay was in was a view of the shimmering Vespucci beach.

It's where he and the rest of the families were last night. A gaggle of police cars lined the sidewalk beside the beach where police tape marked off any pedestrian from entering the beach.

There was no doubt in Zay's mind that this had to do with the shootout from last night.

A small fading cloud of Vanilla Black N' Mild's loomed in front of him as he stopped at the light contemplating the events of the gang meeting. Zay frowned slightly thinking about Cj's wishes. He didn't want to-

A sound of screeching and a thunderous boom caused him to jerk from his thoughts.

He glanced up to see a candy apple Super GT bumper to bumper with an older model Ignot that was electric bolt colored. A flabby older woman got out the Ignot to pull the younger woman who appeared about twenty-one out of the Super GT and began to drop kick her.

Zay raised the Black n' Mild back to his lip.

"Damn,"he simply said.

He blew out more smoke watching on as people in front of him didn't assist the young woman but instead raised their phones to record. There were no sirens for the ambulance in the distance.

Zay lay back bored in his seat as the cool air blew from his air conditioner to combat the blistering Los Santos summer heat that attacked the citizens. He may be sitting there awhile. His eyelids grew heavier. Zay woke up pretty early to fix the "Princess of the Trap" breakfast, go hit the gym, and still make it to the meeting. He yawned.

He really could use a nap right now.

Zay didn't think he heard Carl Johnson right.

"Huh?" he asked him.

Zay had a rare baffled expression plastered on his face. The rest of the room that consisted of Big Bear, CJ, Mike Mike, and others seemed more surprise at Zay's confusion than what Carl announced.

A thick haze of weed blanketed the darkroom in Big Bear's house. They all sat on the old weathered plaid couch, chairs, or even the floor. Big Bear, who had cut his crack habit years ago stood silent yet stoic at six-three in a nearby corner. He was holding a gun on guard just in case some shit jumped off.

His buff appearance and tamed goatee made many people often forget he was a former crackhead but a crescent-shaped scar under his right eye would always remind him of how he suffered abuse to be someone's "bitch" for crack.

Something he vowed would not happen again. His favorite expression was "I'll never let shit catch me slipping again."

Carl coughed from the thick smoke. "Shit," he mumbled looking at the blunt red-eyed.

He also encouraged a bit of smoking at the meet. "Shit stimulates ya mind. You can probably think of shit you'll neeever think about blazed and half the time its better than the shit you think of sober," he remarked once.

Zay always declined. He preferred to smoke by himself.

Zay shoved his hands in his black Rock Revival Jeans and peered at CJ from beneath his Los Santos cap.

"So you really want me to take Savannah with me when I go get your payment from Vonnie in Idlewood?" Zay asked a bit skeptically.

I don't want her to get caught up or somethin'," he continued.

The task of getting the payment wasn't the difficult part at all. Despite the fact that there was a bit more Baller activity than usual around that edge of Idlewood, He could easily handle a few extra motherfuckers who wanted to get a buck.

The real problem was Savannah running off at the mouth and getting on his nerves trying to tell him what to do or how to do shit.

Of course, he wouldn't tell CJ that.

CJ nodded. "Yeah need to get back in good with the families and the people who down with us. She  been gone awhile," he said taking a sip of his drink. "We don't need the Ballas over here thinking they made us bitch out last em know 'Vee' and you still got this shit on the lock while I'm laying low, he said putting the cup back on the coffee table. He looked back at Zay expectantly.

Zay nodded dutifully.

"Yeah," he replied a bit reluctant sitting across in the red chair from CJ's wheelchair.

"You ain't got to worry about Vee can handle her own. She in school and she has that business and thinking shit on lock. Shits real useful to be book smart and street smart. You can never pull anything over with that one," Cj said sounding proud.

The other members in the room nodded in agreement with choruses of "Damn Rights" and "Hell Yeahs."

"Alright, I'll get on it, "Zay stood up to grab her luggage. Someone sat beside his chair for him to take back to the house with him.

A tap sounded on the outside. A tall African American policeman about his father's age stood next to his window.

"Aight man, we got everything can drive holding up traffic," he chuckled good sun shone against his bronze badge right into Zay's squinted and averted his gaze.

Zay nodded.

"Yeah, thank you, sir."He sat up in his seat and adjusted his cap and then his mirror.

"Aight, now young sure you get to the house and get some sleep it easy and quit working so hard, "The officer laughed and tilted his hat.

Zay thanked him and drove off when the cop stepped back.

Zay could almost guarantee he wouldn't be as nice if he knew what type of work he did and how he we was involved in the crime scene to the right of them.

"My pops called me about an hour ago with this bullshit ass plan and told me you were on the in the fuck were you, "Savannah said meeting him at the door without as much as a hello.

Zay groaned. Her fucking voice was already giving him a headache.

"Well hey to you too."He plopped the remains of her luggage on the living room stared down at her. Her brown eyes blazed into his. His eyes traveled down her sun-kissed skin and down to....his shirt and boxers.

"Aye, why do you have on my clothes," he demanded glaring back at girl really worked his nerves.

"Negro, cause I went in MY room, "Savannah emphasized. "And none of my shit was in there," she shot back frowning at Zay.

"And I'm not about to walk around here ass naked or in the same dirty clothes," she quipped as she began to rummage through her did not even offer as much as a thank you. She pulled out a green Bob Marley T-shirt and a pair of Armani Jeans that were a lighter shade of blue

"Well maybe if you would've looked actually..You would've seen some of your stuff in the guest room closet," Zay retorted sucking in his cheek looking away from the pretty but spoiled girl.

"Mmmhmm, whatever, "Savannah replied bounding up the stairs with her clothes for the day. She left a small mess from when she rummaged through for clothes along with the other untouched suitcases.

Zay stared at the mess and lit up a headed back outside to sit in the car to wait on Savannah.

"Not my fucking problem," he said.