ATL Hoe

Chapter 9: The Slumber Party

I rung the doorbell to Derek's apartment a little while later. His apartment wasn't too far from campus and it was night time so the streets weren't as busy. He opened the door and let me in without saying anything. I took my crocs off and grabbed my fuzzy slippers out of the bag I packed. He looked at them funny and shook his head laughing before leading me to the guest bedroom that he had set up for me.

"You know you're supposed to sleep in the same room at slumber parties," I said looking around.

"I didn't think you'd want to sleep in the same room as me after the last night you were over here," he said scratching his head a little.

"I'm straight," I shrugged, sounding like him. He nodded and took my bag from me leading me to his bedroom upstairs. I took a seat on the bed, remembering the last time I had been up there.

"You can scoot closer," he started and I already knew what was coming next.

"You don't bite," I said, laughing. "I know," He laid under the covers and I sat next to him criss cross. "How do you feel about tomorrow, for real?" I asked knowing he was nervous.

"It is what it is," he shrugged like always. "What's been going on with you. I know yo nigga wasn't happy but I ain't think he'd make you ignore me like that," he said and my heart started beating a little faster thinking about Elias.

"Well, the day I left here after you came home from the hospital I went by his dorm and one of my close friends was in his bed," I said, fidgeting with my hands.

"Damn. That's fucked," he said simply. I just nodded my head in response. "Why you ain't answer my calls then?"

"It wasn't personal I just didn't want to talk to anyone,"

"It wasn't personal," he laughed and I looked at him confused. "I've heard that one a few times," he said, explaining himself but not very well.

"Well, since you're going into your surgery tomorrow you have to tell me some real stuff about you. Not that beat around the bush shit you usually do," I said, making him laugh.

"Ion do no beat around the bush shit," he laughed and I looked at him like he was crazy.

"Nigga, you're the KING of beat around the bush," I said pushing him some and he just laughed, knowing it was true.

"Whatchu wanna know?" he asked, feeling his beard some.

"What your life was like in Harlem and why'd you wanna leave," I asked the question that had been burning in my head since our date.

"Damn, um," he said playing with his braids. He twisted in the bed so he was laying on his back and placed both hands behind his head. "I used to fight a lot, I was kinda a hot head when I was a kid. My brother was a punk but he wanted to sell dope cuz we never had a lot of money and I ain't want shit to happen to him. We looked out for each other so I joined him to make sure he was straight and fell deep into it I guess," he said. I nodded my head listening closely. This might be my only chance to learn more about him.

"If you were in deep, how'd you leave to come here?"

"Them niggas knew I was gonna be a college boy. They used to call me that before I even cared about school like that," he paused chuckling some. "I just saved all my shit and put it towards school once I realized I didn't wanna stay there no more,"

"Well, if your brother was a punk how'd he end up staying and not leaving with you?" I asked and he side eyed me a little. I figured that meant he wasn't going to answer but he did after a second.

"The streets changed him. He ain't no kingpin or no shit but he made a name for himself and didn't want to walk away from it," I nodded understanding how he could get caught up in all of that.