𝐃𝐎 𝐈𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐆

39

"I told you that shit was a waste of fuckin' time, Jamie!" I hopped in her car with a slam of her jeep door as she nervously shuffled her keys into her hand while she climbed in the driver seat.

"Ana, I ain't-"

"Of course you ain't fuckin' know! Nobody ever fuckin' knows when it come to me and this lady. She would be on her whole ass death bed and be askin' bout this nigga Junior. She ain't even believe that he was dead. But me? Fuck me, right?" the tears was hitting my shirt collar so quick I didn't even see or feel it dropping down.

"Its always been some shit and I don't even know why you even convinced me to come here." my hands was trembling at the thought that even with my mama having IV tubes hooked up in her arm, oxygen going through her nose and the surgical scars from where her kidney used to be, she was still concerned about this fuck nigga Junior.

"Ana-" Jamie started her mouth as if she wanted to say something further but just closed her mouth and started the car. "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean for it to be like this. I- I should've waited."

"Yeah. You should've."

"Ana! Ayo, wait Ana!"

Both me and Jamie looked up from the carseat to see my brother, Za'yir, almost sprinting to catch up to me before Jamie was able to haul ass out of the emergency room parking lot.

"Hold on, Jamie." I signaled her to not pull off as I rolled down the window. "I'm not coming back up there, Za, and you can tell mama that too." I spat.

"Ana, don't take that shit what she said seriously, you know she don't even know what happened at the crime scene."

"But I fucking do! She gonna sit in my face and say Skooby the reason Junior dead when I know for a fact that nigga was dead before Skooby even turned up!"

"Okay, but you know mama ain't never in her right mind-"

"Yeah and while she was out of it I stayed behind and made sure she didn't fucking lose it. Meanwhile she up here blaming Skooby, SKOOBY of some shit someone else fuckin' did. If anything she should thank Skooby for coming in to save her before she pulled that selfish shit to kill herself."

Jamie and Za'yir eyes got big but only Za'yir spoke.

"What you mean, she was about to kill herself. Did you-" he looked around to make sure nobody was around and he leaned into the car "Did you mention any of this in your witness statement?"

"I had to remain neutral in my confession otherwise DCF was gonna put me in the system, Z."

"Aw, man, that's bullshit. You know they trying to pin a triple and attempted homicide on Skooby? He's not about to be under the jail, hes about to be in the ground. You know Florida law? He's gonna get the chair-"

"Enough, Za.-"

"And you good just being the "neutral party"? You good seeing this nigga catch a charge for some shit my mama wanted to possibly do? You starting to be just as selfish as-"

"I said Shut the fuck, Za! You one to talk. You up and hauled ass to california when you got the fuckin' chance! And who stayed behind to make sure mama was straight? Fucking me. Who was the one makin' sure she ain't have the house overrun by drugs and niggas? Fucking ME. So before you hop on another fuckin' 400 dollar flight just to preach remember you left the pulpit a long time ago!"

"But you not her fuckin' mama, Ana. She is! I left because mama didn't give a fuck! She had good men, Two Good men in her life and she threw that away! And for what? For fuckin' what? She knew she always had the fuckin' backup from granma, from my ole boy, from Sweet. Everyone reached out to save her because she always set herself up to be saved! I'm sorry Ana, but look at all this shit your mama chose to fall into. She had a good life lined up, a nigga that loved her, and a chance to get out the hood. And what the fuck she did? Do somersaults back each and every time. Just-" he threw his hands up in the air and ran his hands across his fade before taking a long breath.

"You gonna always be my lil sister. No matter where you end up. You have shit lined up for you the same way mama did. Just don't stick around hoping she gonna save herself. Cause- well, shit. She not. I'm sorry Ana, but she not. And the sooner you let that sink in the sooner you gonna be able to choose to live or linger in the shadow of the hood. But, please, lemme see you before I go back to California. And we talk. Like brother and sister."

Za'yir reached his hand into the truck and held my trembling hand. I looked down at his glazed-caramel hand and counted the veins that scattered across his palm. The faded tattoo that said 'Loyalty' over his knuckles. He rubbed my hand a few times before sucking his teeth and opening the car door to embrace me in a large bear hug. A type of hug I didn't feel since my daddy left us.

And I sobbed.

I couldn't stop sobbing.

And Za kept hugging me like he was telling me it was okay to cry.

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Little filler chapter for everyone. Sorry for the absence, things have just been crazy but I hope everyone is okay and safe ! I have a few exciting announcements in the next chapter! Stay tuned for that!

DISCUSSION TIME

- how do we feel about Ana and Dimitri's relationship? Should she leave to Cali?
- should Ana break her agreement and testify what really happened?
- are we ready to introduce Skooby back into the story? I know I am!
- was ana mom wrong for accusing Skooby?

Don't forget to vote, comment, and share. I love to hear y'all thoughts and they do help get my story around and create a conversation each chapter! Bye for now! ❤️