Shut Up & Listen

do not cross

Maurice

I stood in the corner near the kitchen watching Cobe stare at his dinging phone as if he wasn't sitting in the midst of a hurricane. My palms were sweaty, knees weak and arms were heavy, yet the only other person in the room who found issue with the happenings was Dame, and no one was listening to him. All I can think is what have I gotten myself into? My phone started vibrating in my pocket and instantly I knew it was probably my dad so I didn't answer it. He'd probably hear a crack in my voice or someone yelling in the background and then track my location and find out where I am and who I'm with and I don't have time for that. If my father knew what just happened, he'd kill me. Then he'd kill Dame. Then Cobe.... he'd actually kill him first because he respects him.... I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans and stuffed them in my pockets.

"I'm talking to you, Cobe! Fuck!" Dame yelled sweeping the Kleenex box off of the table before turning away from him. I observed from my safe space, timing my jump in. Cobe still hasn't looked up from his phone which was making Dame angrier by the second. I broke the tension with a simple but extremely throat scratching, "um". All eyes were on me and I sank into the crevice of the wall a little bit more. "I was just thinking that we should try to calm down so we can talk" I ended with a question mark so they'd know I wasn't trying to call any shots.

"I just wanna know... why that man threatened to kill me? I don't even know who he is... I didn't do anything." I tried to keep my voice strong and unwavering to not give off any sign of fear, but my eye twitched making me self conscious of the attention that I was now the focus of.

"Ask him." Dame pointed to Cobe who decided that now was the time to finally look up from his phone. He looked at me then at Dame then at Cole?

"This ya coach ain't it?" Dame huffed, walking back and forth eventually deciding to sit in the lazyboy chair near the couch.

Cobe and I started at eachother until he looked away. He stood up from the couch, walking past Cecil and Cole grabbed his arm shaking his head. They seemed to have an argument using just their eyes and Cole won because he didn't go any farther. His eyes found my face and he opened his mouth to speak. Somewhere between his mind and his mouth though, the words got stuck.

"So?" Dame asked, a bit calmer than before but still obviously irritated.

"What you want me to say Dame? What? I'm sorry?" Cobe asked in a nonchalant tone. My eyebrows met eachother in the middle of my forehead, both agreeing that what I just heard was some absolute bullshit. I mean...it's absolute bologna.

"You brought that nigga over here." Dame said in a meter-of-fact tone, putting his hand out for emphasis. I looked to Cobe anticipating another off putting response, but he stayed silent for a few seconds then left the room. I shook my head and raised up from the wall I was holding up.
"I think I'm just going to leave." I said, softly, but surely and completely peed off.

I opened the door and saw a white car coming down the street. My eyes widened and I shut the door, walking backwards into the house. I pulled out my phone and realized that I had four missed calls from my Dad. In his words, "it should never exceed two. When I call, you answer.". The last time I missed his calls he came all the way to Tennessee and excuse my language, but he whooped my ass in front of everybody. Then made me come back to Michigan with him. Mind you, I was with my cousin visiting his college for homecoming and had permission to be there. This, on the other hand, he has no knowledge of. I walked toward the bathroom, knocking on the door. It was locked, but there was no answer from the other side. I rubbed my arm racking my mind for options.