ʀɪᴅᴇ ᴏʀ ᴅɪᴇ // ʀᴏᴅᴅʏ ʀɪᴄᴄʜ

[10] Options

A few days after they arrived back in New York, they hadn't started their search yet because they didn't know where to search.

The only place they knew was the gang's base, but as it stood, it didn't look like they had a garage.

Lani had been thinking if anything she knew was of use. Of course, there was still a chance Marlen was lying which she was, but it didn't necessarily mean Cuba had anything to do with it.

Lani had actually written down a few notes, which is unlike her. That's how you know she was really focused. It was about time.

Grabbing her phone, Lani remembered that she had placed a GPS tracker on a gang member a while back, but she doubted that it was still on him. That wouldn't be possible.

Despite doubting, she checked the app on her phone when Karin walked into her room.

"Hey, are you alright?" Karin had this warm reassuring smile on her face that encouraged her a little more. "What do you have there?" She chirped. Karin was clearly in a good mood.

Though Lani didn't understand why, she loved the cheerful vibe she was giving out. There was no need to question.

"Oh, I'm just thinking a few things through." Lani shrugged, smiling. "What about you? Anything new today?"

"Nothing, I'm just thinking about becoming a lil artist. Not as a career, just for fun. For now." She gestured for Lani to wait, and she left the room and came back with an abstract piece of art.

"That's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!" Lani stared at the painting in admiration. "I love it so much! I had no idea you had so much talent!"

"You think so? I think I've gone real rusty. Art became my passion when I was fourteen, fifteen. I spent a lot of time practicing in my room. But after I ended up on streets..." She sighed. "I don't know. It just felt wrong that I barely got any practice."

Lani shook her head laughing and Karin had no idea what she was laughing at. "Karin. I don't think you see just how beautiful this is. Even if you don't see it how I see it, consider how much time you put into it. I can see it just by looking... Practice doesn't fade away, I can see that it didn't for you, anyway."

Lani stood up smiling from ear to ear. "You should open an art gallery in the future."

"Aw, Lani..." Karin hugged her, looking down at the painting laid on the bed from over Lani's shoulder.

"Oh, and one thing." Lani sat back down on her bed, as she picked up her phone from the nightstand. "Wassup?" Karin sat down as well, moving her painting to a nearby table.

"...I saw this." She opened the tracking app and showed Karin. "This nigga just did the impossible. And I'm talking about me and him!"

Yes. The dumb guy was wearing the same clothes, coincidently? And he somehow did not see the GPS tracker. "What do you mean? Who is 'him'?"

"The one I put a GPS tracker on when we were looking for you. You wouldn't know that, but that's how we found you. We followed him." When Lani looked back at her phone, she was shocked.

"Uh, Karin. I hope you're fucking ready. We getting out shit." She grinned, standing to her feet. "What chu talking bout?"

"Je suppose que nous allons à Paris!" Lani smiled. She was born there so she knew a lot of French. But when she was eleven, she moved to Arizona. Her French was quite fluent but she did forget a few things here and there, nothing special.

"...We're going to Paris in France? I know a more French than Spanish, that's fasho." Karin was overjoyed as she'd never even before, though her mama promised when she was nine. That never happened.

"We sure are. I miss Paris! A lot. It's been years and now I finally have the opportunity." She picked up her pencil that she was previously writing notes with, and she tapped the corner of her lip. "...Before we even think bout leaving, we need to get you some clothes. You already know me! We tryna get you a nigga, you know?"

"Really?" Karin chuckled, thinking about Roddy and then Tysheem. "Hey... I completely forgot about Tysheem."

"Uh, don't worry about him, girl. There's plenty fish in the sea... And he's defo not one." Karin fell back on the bed laughing.

"What did the nigga even do?" Karin asked but Lani just shrugged. "He ain't the one for you, Karin. Do not ask why."

"Okay... I don't mind too much anyway." Karin stood up, followed by Lani and they changed and left to go shopping.

••••

"Nah... It's too dull. We need bright... Flamboyant... Red. You a royal bitch, don't you know that?" Lani smirked at her and Karin pinched the bridge of her nose trying to hold in a laugh. "Fasho. Oh, I like this! And it matches your description."

"Try it on!" Lani clapped in excitement. "Okay give me a moment."

"Yes. Yes, yes, yes! Girl, I'ma give the whole of Paris to you. You looking fire as hell for the city of love." Lani winked and Karin rolled her eyes, a small smile appearing on her face.

"Okay, it's your turn now. We done picking clothes for me." Karin pushed her playfully and changed back, taking the dress with her.

••••

"And yeah. We may have to go to Paris, then!" Karin looked at Lani and she nodded.

"Wow. We lucky as fuck." Moe tried holding in his excitement. "Yea, we are. Getting back our stuff is our fate." Donnell nodded.

Karin yawned, a smile on her face. "I'ma go outside for a while. It's a lil windy and dark out there, but i like it like that."

"Aight, we'll see you later." Roddy smiled at her. "Why do y'all always go out for?" Lani sighed.

••••

Karin had been walking around for a few minutes when a nearby wood caught her attention. It didn't look dangerous or any of what you'd hear in a horror movie. Non of that.

Walking in brought her a sense of refreshment. Not too far in, she noticed something. Something... Hanging. Someone... Hanging. There was someone hanging from a tree. And the scariest thing was, it was one of the members of that gang.

"Holy shit."

•🏙•