Youngblood

Chapter 12

That morning….

Cameron

            I awakened hitting the floor.  I looked up as Rachel sleepily stepped over me and made her way towards the back.  I sat up as I heard Kenny and Traci laughing their heads off.  I looked towards the hallway where they were standing watching me as they laughed.  I shook my head as I got up.

 I went and took a shower and then met everyone in the kitchen for breakfast.  I sat across from Nefertiti as Kenny and Traci giggled away.  “Good morning.”  I said to her as she sleepily ate her waffles.  She stared at me for a moment in annoyance making Kenny and Traci laugh.  “There’s no talking at the table this early in the morning.”  “RACHEL!”  Traci yelled making her look at her.  “What?”  “Be nice.”  “It’s too early to be nice.”  “Really Rachel?  You are tripping again.” 

I sat there a moment watching her and Traci argue.  I couldn’t help but lust for her across the table.  Her messy ponytail and no makeup made her look purely irresistible.  I wanted to lean across the table and kiss her.  Surely if I did, I would probably get my ass kicked.  “Why are you staring at me like that?!”  I looked at Kenny as he burst out laughing and I tried my hardest not to laugh.  I looked back at her as her anger intensified. 

“Look, if you get rid of some of that attitude maybe you would see that I like your angry ass.  Why are you so angry anyways?”  “BECAUSE I DON’T LIKE YOU!  AND YOU KEEP STARING AT ME!  ON TOP OF EVERYTHING IT’S TOO EARLY FOR THIS s**t!”  I smiled at her.  “That’s an easy fix, let’s go back to sleep.”  She looked at me confused.  “You think when I wake up again, I’ll like you?”  “Yes.  Believe it or not when you are sleeping, you’re in love with me.”  She looked at Kenny.  He looked away making her look back at me.  “Why do you think that?” “Because you shut the hell up and let me hold you.  And you were snoring.”  Her mouth dropped open.  “No, that was you snoring and drooling.  That’s what woke me up.”  “That’s a compliment.  It means I was sleeping well.  At least until I woke up on the floor.”

 She looked away trying not to laugh.   I couldn’t help but smile at her.  “You have a beautiful smile.”  I admitted making her look at me.  “My waffles are cold now.”  She got up and walked to the microwave.  I sat there watching her as she stood there watching me.  She watched me as if she were trying to figure me out.  I smiled at her again.  That’s when she walked out the kitchen.  “I like him.”  Traci said smiling at me.  I returned the smile.  “Me too.”  Kenny said eating his waffles as he smiled at me.  “I feel so loved right now.”  We all laughed. 

I spent that day hanging out with Traci and Kenny.  Rachel got dressed and left.  They showed me around Saint Petersburg and Tampa.  By the time we got home it was late. 

We walked into the house just in time to see Rachel come out the kitchen.  I couldn’t help but smile at her as she and Traci hugged.  She stood there talking to Traci making me drool at her exposed thighs under her black jersey.  “I see you didn’t drop him off yet.”  She said annoyed as she looked at me.  I smiled.  “I’m not going anywhere.”  She rolled her eyes as she walked to her room.

 I followed her.  “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”  She asked pushing me into the hallway.  “I was talking to you and you just walked away.”  “Yeah, normally that means the conversation is over.”  “Why, because you walked away?”  “Yes.  And if you wake up my babies, I will kick your ass.”  I stared at her for a moment before looking in her bed at the two sleeping babies.  I looked back at her as she tried to close the door.  I pushed it open. “So, come back out here and talk to me.  I haven’t seen you all day.”  She slammed the door and locked it.  I looked back at Kenny and Traci as they leaned against each other laughing. 

Rachel

            I walked over to my beautiful babies and lay with them cuddling with them.  I stared up at the ceiling as I held my girls letting my mind race back and forth from thought to thought.  I soon found myself back in California.  I stood there on the sidewalk next to Traci and Tiffany watching my two Princes play around with each other.

 “Ryah?  Are you okay?”  Tiffany asked making me look at her.  I smiled at her as I hugged her with my soul. She stood back for a moment staring at me like I had lost my mind.  “Yes, I am okay.”  She and Traci looked at each other before looking back at me.  “You know I am attracted to men, right?”  She asked making Traci laugh.  “Go to hell.”  She laughed as I turned my attention to Robi and Roni who were watching my every move.   

I stepped into them picking them both up as I hugged and kissed them making them laugh.  “Mommy!”  Robi said laughing as I drowned both of them in kisses. 

I closed my eyes and enjoyed them both embracing me back and remembering every last detail.  “I love you Momma.”  Roni said returning the kisses making me melt.  I smiled at him.  “I love you always and forever.”  He smiled at me and rested his head on my shoulder. 

That’s when I caught a glimpse of the black Jaguar creeping towards us. 

NO!  Not again!  I thought putting my boys down as the car turned the corner and sped out of sight.  I held their hands as we all flew down the sidewalk towards the house. 

“MARIO!”  I screamed as the car turned back on the street.  It was coming straight for us.  We all jumped in different directions making the car miss us. It tried to turn around and come back but ended up spinning out of control.

 I looked up to see Traci and Robi running towards the house.  I looked behind me at Tiffany as she picked up Roni.   We attempted to run after Traci as men jumped out of the car and ran after us.  I held onto Tiffany as we both ran for our lives.

 I looked over my shoulder at the car as it sped after us with the men.  It was about a foot behind us when I yanked Tiffany and Roni to my left making us tumble over a parked car uncontrollably.  The car flew past us as one of the men lunged over the parked car with his gun aimed at me. 

Before I could do anything, the gun went off making me curl into a ball screaming.  “RACHEL, GET UP!”  Tiffany yelled pulling me up as she continued firing away.  I pulled my gun out and began shooting at the men as we backed away from the flying bullets. 

Get to the house and everybody lives, I thought as we ducked into the alley.  “RONI!”  I called jogging down the alley looking around for him.  He crawled from in between the dumpster and the wall at the end of the alley.  I snatched him up as we fled the alley with the men and bullets behind us. 

“THIS WAY!”  I called making Tiffany follow me.  “NO, THEY’RE GOING TO SURROUND US!  THIS WAY!”  “WE NEED TO GET TO MARIO!”  I yelled as I yanked her with me.  We cut through the houses and made it to the next street. 

I couldn’t help but feel relieved as I looked three houses down and saw Mario rushing down the driveway towards us with the gang.  They had their weapons out and ready.  Mario made it to the street before aiming his guns at me.  I dropped to the ground over Roni as he fired away.  I couldn’t do anything but lay on top of my child screaming as the gunshots rang over us.  

Silence soon filled the air making the hair on my arms stand up.  I looked around at all of the bodies before looking down at my son.  My heart stopped as he lay there face down unmoving.  I looked at all of the blood that surrounded us.  NO!  I picked him up and turned him over.  That’s when I discovered the gaping gunshot wound reeking from his chest.  I held him close to me as I looked around for Mario.  I spotted him in the middle of the street slumped over another body.  I walked over to him and looked down at the bullet hole in his head pushing blood out his body and flooding the tiny body under him.  That’s when I realized the tiny body was my other prince.  I looked at the bullet hole in his neck that let the blood escape from him.  Not again!  I collapsed beside them with Roni crying my heart out.

“Rachel, please wake up.”  I opened my eyes to see Traci and Kenny standing over me.  I looked around and realized I was back in my room in Saint Petersburg, Fl.  I looked back at Kenny as he wiped my tears away.  “You are okay.”  Traci said hugging me as I cried and cried.  “It was just a dream.  We are okay.” I nodded my head unable to speak.

Eventually I calmed down and was able to lay back down.  I laid there alone reliving the nightmare called life. 

Cameron

            I was lying on the couch staring up at the ceiling.  I wanted to sleep but couldn’t.  Ever since she awakened screaming and crying, I wanted to be near her.  I knew she was hurting, and I wanted her to know I was here for her.  I knew my presence was not welcomed by her right now.  So, I just lay there listening to her sadden heart until the sun came up.

 I sat up at a knock on the front door.  “I got it Cam.”  Kenny said walking to the door.  In walked a woman.  She walked to the back with him as I got up.  I walked into the kitchen and began making breakfast.  I had just finished when Kenny and Traci walked in.  “Oh my God, you cook too?”  She asked sitting down at the pancakes.  I smiled at her.  “You already have a husband that cooks remember?”  Kenny said making her look at him.

 I looked towards the doorway wondering whether or not to take Rachel a plate.  “Is Rachel coming?”  I asked making Traci smile.  She stared at me a moment before shaking her head.  “She won’t get up until Maryah comes back Monday.”  I stared at her for a moment.  “Is that normal?”  I asked looking from her to Kenny.  He nodded his head.  “She just needs sleep.  That’s all.  She can’t sleep if she keeps reliving the death of her kids.”  “That seems like she is to the point she needs help.  Professional help.”  “We do get professional help, at least we did.  She doesn’t talk in her sessions.  She just shuts down.”  Kenny said.  “She doesn’t want anyone to know.  She just wants to get through it on her own.”  Traci added.  “But she’s not getting through it.  It’s just kicking her ass.”  She forced a smile.  “We know.  You can’t help someone unless they want to be helped Cameron.  As a mother she feels like this is what she deserves because she lived, and they didn’t.  Until she realizes that was not her fault she is trapped inside her prison.”  “She wouldn’t try and kill herself, would she?”  They shook their heads.  “There’s no way she would leave her daughter without any parents.  It’s bad enough she lost one parent.”

            Wow, I thought as I turned back to my pancakes and tried to shove my emotions aside.  It seemed as if I spent the day waiting for Rachel to emerge from her room, but she didn’t.  

She was locked inside of her prison of depression and couldn’t escape.  All I wanted to do was see her happy and never again in this state of emotions.  Watching her lay there and die over and over was enough to send me away.  I couldn’t take seeing her like that.  I tried and couldn’t handle it.  Not only that but I had to stand in the background and let her go through that alone?  That was too much. 

About three days later we were back in California.  I picked up some new ammunition and was heading back to my truck.  “Coast looks clear.”  Kenny said pulling beside my truck.  I got in my truck and drove off.  We drove to my house in San Francisco.  I had this house for ten years now.  It was a four-bedroom two bath house.  No one outside of my sister, niece and parents knew of this house.  When I went to prison my other two houses were sold.  I had one in San Bernardino and one right outside of Los Angeles. 

I remember the one time about a month after I had been in prison, my Dad, Randy came to visit me.  He told me he sold my houses, and the money would be waiting for me here.  He told me he loved me and everything he did was for me and he hoped I understood.  The next day he was murdered. 

Kenny and I walked through the house uncovering the furniture.  I made it to my room and went to my mattress and lifted it.  There waiting for me was my three guns.  I smiled as I gently replaced the mattress.  I walked to my walk-in closet and opened it.  I saw all of my clothes and shoes.  I looked to the left in the closet, where there was a dresser with all of my jewelry and colognes and hats.  I pulled the dresser back and opened my hidden safe where my twenty years of drug money was hidden.  I looked at the four duffle bags in the corner on the floor.  I sat down and opened them.  Three of them were money and the last one was jewelry.  The bag with jewelry contained a note.  It read, “Take care son, Randy.”  “Cam?”

  I looked up as Kenny stepped in the closet with me.  His mouth dropped open when he saw all of the money and jewelry.  “You robbed a jewelry store?”  He asked sitting next to me making me laugh.  “Randy.” I said staring at the paper in my hand. 

  “Cam talk to me.”  I looked at him.  I took a deep breath and confessed.  “He knew Marvin was going to kill him that’s why he did all of this.  But why?  They have been partners since before I was born.  What could he have done to make him turn on him?”  I looked at Kenny as he took a deep breath.  “Well, you know Marvin and Shaniyah were smashing right?”  I stared at him surprised.  “Since when?” I asked.  “I don’t know.  I just know they were.  Maybe that had something to do with it.” 

 “So Ryah killed my sister, Marvin killed Mario, and my dad, Ryah killed Marvin?”  I asked as he nodded his head.  “Who killed Ryah?”  He sat there thinking about that for a moment.  “I don’t know. I just know she’s dead.”  I nodded my head.  “You know when I find her there will be nothing you can do to save her.”  He stared at me a moment.  “Cameron, there’s nothing for you to find.”