Part 2 of this story will be on that account ]

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𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻 𝗫𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝘀 | 𝗠𝗶𝗿

𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚗 𝚃𝚇 ; Houston Adventist Hospital

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I woke up before Mari since these hospital couches are uncomfortable as fuck. Ever since my momma died I haven't been able to sleep in hospitals. I used to be laying up under her every night that she was in here.

I shook out of my thoughts and got up off the couch stretching. I glanced over at Mari who was still asleep. Her face was scrunched up so she was obviously in pain 'cause the meds were probably starting to wear off. I checked my phone and realized it was still early so I had time to go home and get myself together before coming back since Duck and Rell dropped off my car last night after everyone left.

I looked back at Mari one more time before leaving her room and heading down the hall to the elevator. The same nurse from yesterday bit her lip and eyed me sensually as I walked passed her. I just ignored her. Don't she got dying patients to tend to?

I got off the elevator and got into my Hellcat. The drive to my house was no more than twenty minutes.

I took a quick shower and changed my clothes before grabbing some swishers off my nightstand and heading back out the house again.

They told me it's all love but I love all

I'm CashApp-in' a couple hundred whenever my brother call

Sometimes I like to scan the ledge, feel like I'm above 'em all

It was a joke when he copped out, now he

wanna jump the wall

"Them niggas always with some goofys gettin' jumped at malls.." All Love by Durk played while I drove back to the hospital. The music lowered and I looked down at my phone to see an iMessage notification from Eli.

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🔌

Today 10:34am

The doctor called and said Mari could

be discharged today so you good to take her back to the apartment?

The rest of us gon meet yall dere

Yea I gotchu, im omw back there rn

🔌 loved, "Yea I gotchu, im omw back

there rn"

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I got to the hospital about fifteen minutes later and parked across the street. I walked right passed the annoying ass nurses at the front desk and made my way to Mari's room on the second floor. When I walked in she was sitting at the edge of the bed wearing some joggers and a hoodie with a black cast wrapped around her left leg.

"Waddup." I said, getting her attention and turned around to look at me. "Hey."

"You good?"

"Nu uh, my leg hurts like a bitch, the drugs are definitely wearing off." She groaned.

"They gave you more to take home?" I asked and she nodded.

A few minutes later another nurse walked in and Mari signed the discharge papers. The doctor

recommended crutches to Mari one last time I before she left the room but Mari's hard headed ass said no. I tried to tell her to take it but she refused so I gave up. If she wants to limp around thats on her.

We walked out of her room and down the elevator to the garage. "You hungry?" I asked as she got situated in the passenger's seat of my Hellcat.

"Yea." She replied, looking down at her phone.

"Whatchu wanna eat?"

"Uh, Chick Fil A."

"It's 11 in the morning and yo ass wants Chick Fil A." I shook my head, starting the car. That's all she fucking eats.

"Sholl do." She smiled.

We pulled up to Chick Fil A a few minutes later and got our food. I parked the car in the parking lot as we sat and ate in comfortable silence. We were both just on our phones the whole time since I didn't feel like holding a conversation. Mari talked my ass off last night anyway.

"Did Duck tell you who shot me?" She asked, putting her phone in the cup holder.

"Naw, he said he's working on it." I replied, making her nod. Which was technically the truth.

As soon as Duck 'nem left, Eli told me that Duck, Rell, and Reece started asking around to figure something out. Even if I did know who shot Mari, I probably still wouldn't tell her. I would leave that up to Duck and Eli.

"Oh." She said before going back on her phone.

"Samiron?"

"Hm?"

"Can I ask you a question?" She looked at me.

"Mmcht, Mari its too early for this shit." I grumbled, looking down at my phone. She asks so many fuckin' questions and she thinks ion know that be doing it on purpose 'cause she knows it pisses me off.

"Pleaseee." She dragged, making me suck my teeth. "Whatchu want?"

"How many relationships you been in?" She asked and I jerked my head back.

"Like a real relationship?" She nodded. "One."

"Oh, when?"

"I was 17, after my momma died."

"Aw wait that's cute." She cooed. I scrunched my face up and looked at her weirdly. "Whats cute shorty?"

"That girl probably helped you through your momma's death.." She said in an obvious tone. I had to chuckle a li' bit cause she had the whole idea fucked up.

'That girl' that she's talking about made me consider joining my momma in heaven.

"Nah, it wasn't like that."

"What was it like?" She said and I rolled my eyes.

"I was kinda using her." I put my phone down, giving her my full attention.

"How so?"

"She was trynna get with me all through high school and I wasn't with it. When my momma died I needed a distraction so I got with her and shit. For the most part she helped me keep my mind off my momma's death— mostly while we were fucking or partying. But she wanted to do other couple shit and I realized that I wasn't down for that." I shrugged.

"She even said she loved me, and at first I didn't say it back cause I didn't wanna lie to ole girl. But the more time I spent around her, the more I felt like I actually started to love her so I said it back. That only made her fall for me harder. One night we got into this big ass argument 'cause I got head from some random hoe. Mid-argument I ended up admitting to her that I only got with her as a distraction from my momma's death and I was just using her."

"Oh."

"Yea, and after we broke up her dumbass was mad and ended up setting me up." I shook my head.

"She set you up? Like you got shot?" Mari retorted, jerking her head back.

"Mhm, one in my chest and two in my shoulder." I said nonchalantly even though according to the paramedics, I was 3 minutes away from dying.

"Damn."

"Tuh, next time a bitch sets me up she better make sure the niggas she got can shoot. Muthafuckas missed my whole head." I chuckled, shaking my head.

"Damn that's crazy. She really set you up 'cause you didn't wanna be with her no more.."

"Nawl I mean I see why she was mad 'cause I played with her ass for a lil' while. But she could've slit my tires or burned my clothes or some other shit like that. She didn't have to set me up, with my own homeboy at that." I said and Mari nodded, looking away.

"So you use to be a player?"

"More like a cheater, but yea I guess." I shrugged.

"You still on that typa time?"

"Shit ion know, I know when it comes to relationships that shit ain't for me. I get bored of people easily." I said bluntly, and it was the truth. I'm so used to being up and out of my life that I expect it from them. No one is permanent in my eyes.

Mari nodded slowly, letting what I said marinate. She started putting all her trash in the bag.

"You ready to go?" I asked and she nodded.

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𝗔𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗶 𝗞𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲 | 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶

𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚗 𝚃𝚇 .

We drove back to my apartment and I was silent for the most part, trying to register what Samiron just told me in my head. In the back of my mind I knew he was a 'aint shit' ass nigga, but THAT 'ain't shit'? I

did not know that.

He really used that girl for sex for over a year. But then again his momma did die. But he could've went about that so many different ways instead of playin' with that girl's feelings like that. Especially since he

knew she wanted him for a while. That's fucked up. But then ole girl turned around and set him up with the help of his own homeboy? That's some lifetime

shit.

We finally got to my apartment and my dumbass limped all the way to the elevator, holding onto the wall at times while Mir walked close behind me to make sure I didn't fall. We got off the elevator and I unlocked the door to see Reece, Destini, Aijah, Duck, Eli, Tasia, and Rell all sitting in the living room.

"Mariiiii." Destini dragged, running up to me and embracing me in a hug. I hugged everyone and sat down on the couch next to Aijah, laying my head on her shoulder.

"How you feel?" Duck asked. "Good, my leg don't hurt like it was earlier 'cause the pills are kicking in again." I said and he nodded.

After checking up on me, everyone broke into their own lil' conversations while I caught up with Aijah and Destini. I looked down at my phone when I got a notification.

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❤️

Today 1:30pm

Waddammm

Heyy

You got discharged?

Yea

I thought Duck nem was at yo crib, how

you get back?

They are

Mir took me

Who?

Bro the nigga that was sitting innat

chair next to my bed yesterday

Ohh, thought that was yo cousin or sum

Gtf dude

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As I was texting Messiah I guess my ass started smiling a lil' too hard and everyone started doing

the most as always. "Who the fuck got you

smiling at yo phone so damn hard Mari?"

Eli tilted his head to the side.

"Well my phone over is there charging so it can't be me." Rell frowned, making me bussed out laughing. "Shut the fuck up bro, im texting Siah.."

"Messiah?" Reece and Destini both said and I told them i'd catch them up later since they didn't know he was back in Houston.

"Perioddd, get that dick!" Aijah cheesed.

"Girl. It ain't even like that. He's just checkin' up on me." I shrugged. That was the truth. I had no intentions of getting back with Messiah.

He might've been my first everything, but that ship been sailed. But then again, there's nun wrong with a lil' flirting here and there. If he's in Houston I might as well take the opportunity to get close with him again.

"You must think we're stupid huh." Duck said and I rolled my eyes.

Even though Duck and Eli have their own unresolved tension with Messiah, they never let it get in the way of me and Messiah's relationship all through high school. Bri'on on the other hand? That was a whole different story. He was definitely VERY vocal when it came to how he felt about Messiah and to this day I still don't know exactly why he hated him.

I glanced over at Mir and he was just on his phone not engaging in the conversation as usual. Maybe it's 'cause he doesn't know Messiah like the rest of us do. Then again, Destini or Reece don't know him like that either.

We sat there and talked about random shit for a lil' longer and I was reminded how good it felt to be out of the hospital and back at home surrounded by people who never hesitate to keep a smile on my face.

Aijah offered to stay with me for a few days while I recovered but I declined her offer since most of the group be over my crib a few times a week anyway. And knowing Duck and Eli's overprotective asses, they're gonna be here way more often no matter what I do to convince them that i'm okay.

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- 𝚎𝚡𝚌𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚜 -