Part 2 of this story will be on that account ]

𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚗𝚃𝚇Houston Adventist Hospital

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I walked back into Eli's room and sighed. I fuckin' hate hospitals and everything about them. Rell and Duck were getting ready to leave and told me to take Mari back home. Ian wanna be a bitch or nun so I said yea. Plus she's been cryin' ever since she held Eli's limp body in the garage. So I wasn't gonna leave ole girl in the hospital alone, even though she pisses me off alot.

I sat on the couch in Eli's room while Duck and Rell said bye to Mari. As soon as they dapped me up and left, she slumped back down on the chair next to Eli. She leaned forward on the bed and held his hand, just watching him. I kinda felt bad for ole girl, I know her worrying also had sum to do with the brother Duck had told me about.

"Eli hurry up and wake the fuck up, you know I hate hospitals.." She said more so to herself, while holding his hand.

"I don't think he gon responded." I said sarcastically.

She scoffed, "I feel like he can hear me.. You think he can hear me?"

"Ion kno, maybe." I shrugged, looking back down at my phone.

How the fuck am I supposed to know?

I would've said sum smart shit but I could already see the dried up tears on her face so I just left it alone. A few minutes later I looked up from my phone and seen her staring at me. When I stared back she broke eye contact and looked at the floor. Ion know why she keeps doing that.

"Watchu on?" I put my phone in my lap.

"Nun. You just always so.. quiet."

"Ian quiet, I just don't talk to people ion

know." I said and she shrugged.

She's always sayin' sum random shit.

"I guess.." She mumbled with an attitude. We sat in an awkward silence for a lil longer while she sat against Eli's bed and I opened my phone when I got a notification.

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Today 12:42

Wyo?

Hospital

Omg! are you okay ??

Yes..

Okay jus makin sure, you comin over later

or na?

I want some dickk

Ain I just say I was at the hospital?

You so fuckin rude bro.

Anyways come over tmrw then

You loved "Anyways come over tmrw then"

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Yonna's one of my lil bops. She slow and talk too damn much but her head game come in handy sometimes so I just keep her around. She know it's

always casual wimmie doe, ion do that relationship shit. Especially after my last one? Fuck no.

About 30 minutes later we were still sitting in the hospital room in complete silence. The only sound you could hear was the nurses in the hallway and all of Eli's machines beeping. I was gettin tired but i'm not finna say nun, she already goin' through it.

"You ready to leave?" Mari asked in a raspy voice, making me bite back my grin.

"Yea." I got up. I took my keys out of my pocket and walked towards the door.

I turned around and seen a tear run down Mari's cheek as she squeezed Eli's hand one more time and kissed his forehead. I opened the door and she walked out in front of me wiping her face. Ian even know what to say to her so I just acted like I didn't notice her crying. I'm not good with consoling people, especially at times like this.

"You hungry?" I asked as I got into the drivers seat of my Hellcat and she got into the passengers seat.

"Not really." She shrugged looking down at her phone, making me suck my teeth.

"I know you hungry, you ain't ate nun in hours.." I said and she just stared at me blankly.

"Finna just stop at McDonalds since ain' shit open right now." I said and she nodded.

We went through the drive thru and I ordered our food, forcing her ass to get sum. I parked in the empty McDonald's parking lot as we ate in a comfortable silence. Once I finished I adjusted my chair back to wait for her to finish. As I was looking at her I seen the bruises on her knuckles. Shorty really hit that big ass girl that hard?

"Yo knuckles still hurt ?" I chuckled to myself.

"Aht aht-" She put her hand up, "If I can't

ask you bout the bruises on your arm, you can't ask me about my knuckle."

"Those ain't even the sam-Ight" I sucked my teeth and Mari rolled her eyes.

"It don't hurt that much anymore." She answered.

"Now you gon tell me about the bruises?"

She too nosy.

Ion like this.

I sucked my teeth and squinted my eyes at her. "Why you wanna know so bad?"

"Just curious."

"Ight Curious George."I looked out the window, contemplating if I should actually tell her or just lie.

I don't even know why I was considering telling her about one of the many things that I shouldn't have experienced as a child. But it's something about Mari that makes you comfortable enough to talk about anything and that alone makes me feel weird.

She so fuckin' curious and for what? Does she not know how suspicious that shit is?

"My cousin's ex boyfriend gave me these bruises." I finally said and out of the corner of my eye, I could see her turn to look at me.

"How?"

"He used to beat on my cousin when I was like 7 or 8. I always tried to be there for her after he would beat her so I would go into her room but he wanted her to suffer alone and shit." I exhaled, not even wanting to finish, "He thought that her seeing me would give her a reason to fight back, and he obviously didn't want her to fight back so everytime I would get near her he would try to stab me wit' some scissors." I explained.

"Oh.." She replied, giving me the same fuckin' face everyone does when they hear about my past. It was obvious that she was pitying me and that's the last thing I want.

"It's all good tho." I cleared my throat and sat up trying to look unfazed, "Nigga dead as fuck

anyway." I mumbled to myself.

"You killed him?"

"Nah, he got in a car accident a few years back." I said and she stared at me as if she didn't believe me. Clearly her ass thought I actually killed the nigga.

Tuh, I wish.

"Im being forreal, 'cause if I woulda killed him, they wouldn't have found the body."

"Tuh. Sick." She shook her head, making a light chuckle escape from me.

"So you got all of those tats to cover the scars?"

"Nah, I got these 'cause I wanted to." I told her truthfully, "Ain' no point in trying to cover up bruises that are gonna be there forever anyway. I might not be able to see them distinctively on my arm anymore, but the memories of what he did are always gonna be there." I said and she nodded slowly.

"What about yo cousin? How's she?" Mari asked, directing her attention towards me again. I paused for a second and looked at her. I wasn't used to people asking so many fuckin' questions, let alone asking 'bout personal ass shit that I barely tell my own people about.

"Yo curiosity gon get you in trouble one day." I said matter-of-factly and she chuckled. "But naw, my cousin lives in Dallas with her husband and son."

"That's nice." She smiled genuinely. "And yo parents..?" She trailed off, being hesitant to bring up the topic. I inhaled a sharp breath and without responding, I sat up, readjusted myself in my seat, and started the car again.

"Oh my bad, ain' me to-"

"Naw you good, don't worry bout it shorty." I quickly said, backing the car out of the parking lot.

We drove in an awkward silence for a lil' while. I know she prolly wondering why i'm actin all stand-offish all of a sudden, but she's asking questions that are way to personal for a girl I don't even know. I guess she think i'm the type of person to confide in any and everyone and i'm most definitely not.

"My dad alive, my momma ain't." I finally decided to say since she was sitting there twiddling her fingers because she thought I was upset. She nodded in response and continued looking out of the window.

Her whole body language was off, and uncomfortable. I know she thinks she said something wrong. But i'm just not used to people asking a whole bunch of personal ass questions 'cause that shit fed as fuck.

After a few more minutes of driving in silence, she turned to look at me like she wanted to say something. "Can I ask you a question?" She tilted her head and I groaned mentally and rolled my eyes.

Not this shit again lord.

Cause the last Q and A went so well right?

"Whatchu want?" I pinched my eyebrows together with a slight attitude evident in my voice. Shorty was pissing me off.

"..."

"..."

"Are you gon spe-"

"How many people have you killed?" I pursed my lips to the side to hold my laugh in. Tuh, if she had an accurate number she would hop right out this mufucka.

"Ion know, a lot I guess."

"What about you?" I chuckled. "How many people you kill?" I asked jokingly as we stopped at a red light. I looked at her and her whole demeanor had changed.

"One." She said casually, staring at the road in front of her. I jerked my head back and furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "Who?"

"The man that killed my brother."

"Damn, I thought that was Eli or Duck's body."

"Naw. They found him for me and then let me kill him." She said, going on her phone and being just as stand-offish as I was.

"So that's how you met Duck and Eli?" I questioned. I don't even know why I'm elongating this conversation, but contrary to my belief her voice is seething and our conversations are easygoing for the most part.

"Naw, I been knew Duck and Eli, since like middle school because our momma's were friends. They were mainly Bri'on's friends though, 'cause I couldn't stand their asses." She chuckled to herself.

"After Bri'on died Duck and Eli started looking after me just like Bri'on used to do basically. But after I killed that man, I couldn't sleep or eat for weeks. I didn't feel like myself. So Eli and Duck spent most nights sleeping in my room next to me on the floor cause it helped me fall asleep, knowing they were around and stuff"

"That's wassup." I nodded. Since the first day I saw Duck and Eli interact with Mari, I knew they connected on a deeper level. It was more than just boy best friends or homeboys, they were genuinely her brothers regardless of blood.

The rest of the car ride was silent again. Mari seemed bothered by the whole conversation so I

just left it alone. A few minutes later we pulled into her apartment parking lot. She got her stuff

together and hoped out, giving me a wave. I nodded my head at her and waited 'till she got in the lobby to drive off.

Considering her sudden mood change after I brought up her brother, I know she wasn't going to be able to get any solid sleep tonight. And on top of that Eli's in the hospital, so it makes sense why she was more emotional than anyone today. But I mean shitt, I wasn't boutta stay with her or nothin'.

Hope she aight I guess.

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