ATL Hoe

Chapter 19: Plottin' and Schemin'

"When I get there I want y'all on every corner. Get there five minutes apart, I'll show up last," Derek explained to Bash, Gelo, and Mario. They were planning out the details of Derek's meet up with Clyde in my dorm room. Jai, Devyn, and I sat there quietly listening. Derek didn't want to include anyone extra from the crew, especially Rodney. And Mia was still in the hospital. She got out tomorrow but still wasn't talking to me. Devyn finally got her to admit why she was mad at me. She felt like I was to blame for her getting shot which I believed too but it broke my heart that she was mad. Devyn and Jaiya told her over and over how I didn't know it was going to happen but we'd both have to accept the situation because we couldn't change it. Until then, I stopped visiting the hospital because she didn't want to see me. I still made her two baskets full of all over her favorite things and wrote her a few letters. Even Derek had been up there to talk to her and make sure she was ok. She'd see everyone but me.

"Mor, you hear me?" Derek asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Sorry, what'd you say?" I asked.

"We're taking Mia to Bianca's tomorrow before we head to the police station," he informed me. I nodded my head slowly, not knowing what to say exactly. "Anyways, y'all know not to say shit to Bianca or anyone else about this shit with Clyde right?" We all rolled our eyes. Of course we knew.

"Yes," we all said in unison. Mario, Bash, and Gelo left and Jaiya went over to Devyn's room, leaving Derek and I alone.

"You feel ok about tomorrow?" I asked for the hundredth time. I'm sure his answer hadn't changed but if he had any weird feelings I wanted him to be honest and trust his gut.

"I'll be good. How you feel about the whole situation with Mia?"

"We'll be good," I said, mocking him. He mushed my head which lead to us wrestling, playfully.

The Next Day

I rolled over in Derek's bed, reaching for his body that wasn't there. I looked around the room and found him in his chair with a mug in his hands.

"Tea?" I asked. He nodded, taking a sip then continued staring off into space. I knew from the look on his face alone there was something wrong but seeing that he had tea verified my feelings. I got out the bed, using the bathroom and brushing my teeth real quick before walking over and sitting in his lap. "What's wrong?" I asked, playing with his beard.

"I'm straight. I know I can hold my own. I'm just tryna figure out what could this man want to say. He shot Mia. What the fuck do you have to say after that?" he asked and I could tell what happened to Mia was really affecting him.

"That's why you're going to see. As long as you're safe I'm ok with it," I laid on his chest. "You really care about Mia, huh?"

"I can't help but to care about her irritating ass. You wanna bring them around every damn day, they like lil sisters to me now. I'm not just looking out for you, I gotta look out for all of y'all," he explained. I smiled sadly. I loved that he felt like that but it was sad we were in this position at all. I know it came with the territory, though.

"I love you," I whispered. He held me tightly, kissing my head.

"I love you, too,"

A few hours later I went with him to get Mia. I knew she didn't want to see me but I didn't care. If she didn't want to talk that was ok but I was going to be there for her no matter what. Bash helped her into the car and she didn't say anything when she saw me. She looked the best I'd seen her since everything that happened. The two of us rode in silence in the back as Derek and Bash held their own conversation up front. I listened to them discuss their meeting with Clyde.