𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞.

chapter xxxiv

CHRISTMAS EVE
|RONNIE|

Since Quincy and Raq want me to go somewhere late tonight, I head to Shantell's to give her my gift to her. I knock on the door, and she appears, somewhat hiding herself behind the door.

"What's happening baby?" I say. I tried to catch a glimpse of inside.

"H-H-Heyyy!!! What are doing here so early? I thought you were coming tonight?"

"Yeah, but I wanted to surprise my girl today. You can open if you like..or wait till tomorrow."

"Aww, wh-why thank you baby! I love you so much!" she says, still behind the door.

" Whatchu doing right now? Anyone home?"

She stays quiet for a moment, until I hear someone tell her to hurry up.

" Is that your Dad or something?" I ask.

" Yes! Him and I ar-are cleaning up in the back. Look I see you later baby! Bye!!"

Before I could say anything, she shuts the door. I stand there for a minute thinking of what it could be, but I know Shantell ain't gone play me like that. She better know not to also. I head to Crenshaw for one more practice before our little break. Today is just an hour practice, so I'll still have time to deliver one more gift to one more person.

Once again, Jason doesn't show up to another practice. At this point, I don't even know if he has a spot here. I think about, but I don't dwell on it too much. I head out before everybody else, so I can deliver my gift. To my surprise, I see the person I was suppose to deliver the gift to waiting in her car. I look to my sure no one's in sight, and run up the car.

"Hey!! Open up!!" I say. She looks up and then rolls her eyes at my presence.

" Cmon, it's Christmas and you acting like this?! We're friends!!!"

" I'm did not come here to be bothered by you!!" Anasyia says after she rolls down her window.

"I ain't come to bother you! Look.....Here." I say giving her the neatly wrapped box. She looks at it and then back at me.

" Ronnie, I don't want yo-"

" Listen, just know that the gift inside that lays within your heart. You've woke me up Anasyia. I've lost something good because I took advantage of it...and that won't happen again..EVER."

With that I walk away to my car. I see her face as I pull off. She's trying to understand what all I just said. It's just the way I want her to be. Right now, it's 7 pm. I get a call from Q and he tells me to come home right now. I wonder what we're gonna do. I figure we'd go out and give back to the community or something, like Quincy and Raq said.

~ANASYIA~

I drop Jace off at his house. I don't know if I'll see him tomorrow because he'll be in Oakland with his family. When I get upstairs at home, I open up what Ronnie gave me earlier. I think it's like a necklace or something like that since that's what he's always buying anyway. But to my surprise, the box is empty. There's nothing in there. I sit in confusion for a moment, but think back to what he said.

" Listen, just know that the gift inside lays within
your heart..."

I realize that the gift is love. And the love lays within my heart. I'm struck on Ronnie's thought process. Like, how did he put all of this together. It's so simple, yet so powerful. This gift upholds a lot of value to me. I slowly start to feel something inside of me kind of tinkle. It's like butterflies in my stomach. It's the same feeling I had when Ronnie and I started to be intimate with each other. I mean, despite me curving him a dozen times, he still manages to pop up. Memories from summer pop up in my mind, and I began and reminisce on those times. Those feelings from all those experiences creep up on me, but I snap myself out of it. I go to the bathroom and rinse my face with water. I'm tryna doing all I can to get rid of these feelings. I can't fall for Ronnie again.

|RONNIE|

It's 9:45 p.m. I'm in the car with Quincy, Raq, and a couple other dudes. We are coming from Sacramento. We were in a casino for I don't know how long. I was getting kind of sleepy, so I doze off for a bit. I wake up to loud music booking through the speakers of the car.

" Man, what's with the music?" I yell. Raq turns around and smiles. His eyes are a glossy red color and veins pop out from his neck.

" It's time to handle business partna!!!"

" Yes sir!! This war is about to end!" one dude in the far back seat says. I look at Q, whose face seems focused and stern.

" Don't sweat Q, he's just got his game face on.." Raq says. The car whips into the driveway of the crib. Raq hurries off I to the house to get something.

" Aye W, this may take longer than what I thought!" he says through the front door. We get out the car and enter the house.

Quincy and the other guys are stuffing money into 3 duffle bags. I shake my head and head up to my room.

" Aye lil bro, I might need you."

" For what?"

" I got a surprise for ya. My gift to you."

I grin and walk toward Quincy. Suddenly there are gunshots coming from all angles of the house. One of Q's guys fall down, with blood dripping from his head.
Q tackles me down and tells me to stay that way.

"RAQ!?!! YOU STILL THERE!" Quincy yells reloading his gun.

" ALWAYS BROTHA!! LIGHT EM UP!" Raq responds. I lay on the ground as I watch Quincy and Raq, plus another dude shoot at all the other gunmen. The shootout goes outside more, and all I can see is bodies dropping, one by one. Bullets rain out and they come near my way. I squirm though the back, trying not to get caught. I'm not packing so I gotta play it safe. Everything in my mind is pacing super fast. As I creep past one of the fences in Q's backyard, I feel a gun being pointed on my head. I freeze, not saying one thing.

" Turn around motherfucka.." the voice says. I turn to see Orlando pointing the gun my way. Sweat leaves my forehead and rolls down my cheek and toward my neck.

" Hey, look J, it's the bitch nigga that switched up.." Orlando says. Jason looks down at the ground.

" Whatchu got to say for yourself big guy?" Orlando says, cocking the gun to my head. I don't say anything because I don't want to the wrong thing. Orlando smirks and turns to Jason.

" J, come lay this nigga out..." Orlando says to him. He looks up as Orlando passes him the gun. He doesn't point it at me, but I watch as he reloads it. I look at him with pleading eyes.

" Jason.........cmon man..... we don't gotta do this...we're brothers. We're gonna go through hardships..it's ap-apart of brotherhood."

" Ronnie, you a traitor."

" I ain't never switched up on you dawg. I love you bro."

Jason looks up at me and tears fill his eyes. Orlando becomes irritated and takes the gun out of Jason's hand.

" Look, if you don't wanna lay this nigga, then I will!" he says. I brace myself and hold my breath.

BOOM! BOOOMMMM!

I open my eyes and struggle to breath. I see Raq on me, telling me to calm down. I look over to see Orlando layed out on the ground. Right next to him is Jason. I run to Jason and check his pulse.

" TAKE HIM TO THE ER!!!!" I scream out.

"Wh-"

" CMON!!! HE CANT DIE!!!" I say. Raq and I take him to the ER while Q stays at the crib.