𝐋𝐎𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐋𝐔𝐕.

seventeen.

".. My nigga stop fuckin' calling me I'm literally turnin' on your street right now," Karlae snapped over the phone, hanging up in Maverick's face. So he called again just for her to send him to voicemail. He called for another time just to get the same results. Huffing out of frustration, she carefully turned down his street and parked right in front of the second house to her left.

Exhaling heavily, she texted Ermias to let him know she made it since he told her to keep him updated. Stepping out of her truck, she shut the door behind herself and made sure she locked the doors. Maverick's next door neighbors spoke to her,"You better get that pretty truck outta' this hood, these kids ain't scared to fuck with it."

"And I ain't scared to kick they asses either Mr. Johnson," She says back with an innocent smile gracing her face. "how you doing this afternoon?" Karlae began to giggle underneath her breath seeing the shocked look on Mr. Johnson's face. She laughed more realizing he wasn't gonna' respond to her.

Walking up the porch steps, she let herself in and walked inside of Maverick's trap without a care in the world. He, Louie, their brother Mike and their parents Ma'Dear and Emilio sat at the round kitchen table having a discussion. Hearing Karlae's feet hit the floor with each step she took, they all looked up at her simultaneously. Louie sniffled, wiping her tears away as Maverick motioned Karlae to come have a seat,"Come sit down. Where you been at? I called you a thousand times this mornin' why weren't you answering?"

"I was sleep," She says truthfully.

"You was sleep?" Maverick asked in a tone that told her that he didn't believe that, but she didn't know what else to tell him because she wasn't lying.

"Yea Mav .. I was sleep." She chuckled. Now it was time for her to start acting. With slightly furrowed eyebrows, she pulled a chair out and took a seat while looking around the table at everyone's gloomy faces,"Nu'uh, what's the matter with y'all? And where's Co at?"

Hearing his name Louie broke down crying even harder, so bad Mike had to escort her out of the kitchen and outside to get some fresh air. Maverick cleared his throat eyeing Karlae,"You know a few days ago, Co and I got into a real bad argument right?"

"Really?"

Maverick sniffled, nodding his head,"Yea .. about somethin' so petty it doesn't even matter now. You know how he used to get, you piss him off he won't talk to you for a few days 'cause he needs his space. By now he'd usually hit me up so we could talk things out but this time was different Boogie. I hadn't heard from him in four days, his phone was going straight to voicemail and you know that's not like him. Um .. lastnight, I went to his house to check on him an—"

"Oh my God please don't tell me something bad happened to Co," She says adding a hint of concern to her tone so she could sound believable. Seeing how distraught they looked over Co's untimely death encouraged her to keep her act up. Clenching her chest she continued to be dramatic,"oh my G—"

Maverick cut her off,"Lastnight I found him dead in his bedroom, Boogie—" Immediately the fake tears starting flowing and she was leaning over in Emilio's chest with his arms wrapped around Karlae to console her. Maverick wiped his face clean before reaching out to rub her arm soothingly,"I'm so sorry, I know how much you loved him Karlae. But.. you know what this means now right?"

Taking a Kleenex from the box, she cleaned her face while nodding her head,"Yea I know.. we gotta' get whoever killed him back."