Youngblood

Chapter 5

Melina-

            I am twenty-four-year-old Melina Johnson.  I lived in San Francisco with my ten-year- old son Malik and two brothers.  I was sitting at the park watching Malik run and play with my husband, twenty-six-year-old Thaddeus Johnson.   We had been married for five years now, after dating for two years. 

 I couldn’t help but notice how much Malik looked like his dad.  I smiled as Thaddeus jogged over to me.  “Hello beautiful.”  I kissed him as he sat next to me.  “I think I’m getting old.”  He said laying his head on my shoulder as we watched our son play on the slide.  “You are.  What made you realize it?”  He stared at me a moment before playfully shoving me.  I laughed.  “I can’t really keep up with him without running out of breath.”  I smiled at him.  “Are you going to Puerto Rico with me tomorrow?”  I nodded my head.   “I need to go shopping for a new outfit.”  His head dropped. 

“Baby, you are killing me.  You know we’ve already spent so much money on Malik’s party.  I’m trying to recoup from that.”  I looked at him.  “So, what does that mean?  You can’t handle being my husband and I need to find you some help?” I watched the anger flood inside as he sat there staring at the ground for a moment.  He then looked over at me.  “Don’t play with me.”  I smiled at him.  “Believe me, I wasn’t.”  I stood up.  “Now, I’m going to the car.  You and my son better be there by the time my seat belt clicks.”  I stood up and walked to his Mercedes Benz and got in.  I looked up just in time to see my husband and Malik getting into the car.  He looked at me as my seat belt clicked.  “Are you going to drive?”  I asked making him crank up the car. 

We drove to the gas station.  I went inside while Thaddeus pumped the gas.  I was grabbing a water bottle when I noticed I was standing next to the love of my life.  I stood there staring at him in disbelief.  “Randy?”  I asked making him look at me.  “I’m Cameron.  Randy’s dead.”  He said as he studied me for a moment.  “I know.  It’s just you look just like him.”  “Who are you?”  He asked facing me.  “Lena.  I’m an old friend of his.”  We both looked at Thaddeus as he stormed over to us.  I bit my bottom lip to keep from laughing.

 “Cam?”  “Hey Thaddeus.  I see you’re still p***y whipped.”  Cameron said gesturing to me.  “f**k you.  When did you get out?”  “Today.”  “For real?  That’s what’s up.  Are you coming back to work?”  He hesitated.  “I don’t know what I want to do, man. But, for right now I’m just trying to make sure my family straight.”  “I feel you man.  We need you back in the game though.  I have to go through Kenny to get stuff and I feel like I will never come up like this.” I watched Cameron take a sip of Gatorade as he listened to Thaddeus vent. 

“HEY CAMERON!  DON’T THINK JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE BLACK ASS JUST GOT OUT OF PRISON YOU DON’T HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT!”  The store clerk yelled making him laugh.  “You just mad because I won’t give you any of this good d**k girl.  Relax, I always pay for my stuff.”  “Not always.”  He turned and walked over to her as we followed him.  “You know what, you are right because not everybody charges me when I come in here.  I pay whenever you are here because I don’t want you to get the wrong idea and think I’m going to f**k your ugly ass.”  She glanced around him to me and Thaddeus.

 We looked away to keep from laughing.  “Here you go.”  He said throwing a hundred-dollar bill at her.  “Keep the change.”   He looked back at us.  “I will catch up with you later.”  “Alright.”  I watched him walk to his truck and drive away I paid for my water and followed his lead.

He was definitely his father’s son. 

Marquan-

            I am sixteen-year-old Marquan Mackenzie.  I was sitting next to my eighteen-year-old brother Kishawn Martin who was driving the car we had just stolen.  We were just out joyriding and trying to make some money. 

            I looked at my brother as he glanced at me.  We smiled at each other.  “How fast can you run?”  He asked turning the corner.  “Huh?”  That’s when he jumped out the car at full speed.  I ducked as the car rolled into a parked car.  I looked up and around and spotted the police car behind me.

 I dived out the car and ran full speed with one of the officers behind me.  I jumped on the fence and scrambled over it as fast as I could.  I saw another police car pull in front of me making me cut through the houses.  I was so scared I didn’t know what to do but keep running.  It felt like I ran forever until I came to a dead end.  I was stuck in an alley and couldn’t go anywhere.  I turned around to face the officer as I tried to catch my breath and think. 

“Put your hands behind your back or I will shoot you.”  The officer growled out of breath.  I looked around for an escape.  That’s when I heard two shots exploding in my ear making me scream and duck.  I felt some one snatch me up and drag me between the buildings and through a window.  I watched Kishawn toss the gun in the corner as he led me out the building and into another car as police cars flew by us.  He calmly drove away. 

I glued myself to the seat and tried to catch my breath and get over the heart attack he had just given me.  I looked at Kishawn as he died laughing.  “What?”  I asked as we pulled into the garage.  “Your ass was scared as hell.”  I smiled at him.  “Yeah, I was.”

 “Blue I told you SUVs!”  Reggie yelled as we got out.  “I’ll get you one tomorrow.”  “You said that yesterday.”  “Look, pay me so we can get the hell on.”  “Blue, I’m not one of your little friends.  Watch yourself.”  “Then stop acting so ungrateful!  It’s a Lexus!  No scratches or dents or anything.  That SUV has a huge dent in the front.  Trust me when I tell you I’ll get you one tomorrow.”  I watched as Reggie pulled a roll of money out. He counted out some money and shoved it into Kishawn.  He counted it.  “Reggie come on, man, I just did a cop too.”  His mouth dropped open.  “Here, now get your crazy ass home.  Don’t let Lena know, what you’ve been up to either.  I don’t want to hear her mouth.”  Kishawn took the money and we left. 

We caught the bus home.  By the time the sun was down we were walking through the front door.  I looked at Melina as she stared at us.  “What did you do?”  She asked as we closed and locked the front door.  “Nothing.”  Kishawn lied pushing me towards our room.  She folded her arms and looked at me.  Kishawn pushed me into our room and closed the door.  We sat on the floor and counted our money.  “Two fifty for you and three for me.”  We looked at Melina as she walked in and sat next to us.  “I got a thousand today.”  She said putting her money in the pile.  “No, Lena, that’s for you.”  I said pushing her money back to her.  “Yeah, keep it.  Go shopping.  Here.”  I watched Kishawn pull more money out his socks.  “I made five hundred while you were in school Quan.”  He handed it to Lena.  “Get your hair done too or buy Malik something.”  She smiled at us.  “I’m good.  I got this money for you two.”  She redevised the money equally and gave it to the both of us.  “I have money for whatever.  You two always trying to make sure I have some money.  I’m good spending Thaddeus’s money.  You two go shopping tomorrow or something and stay out the streets for a while.”  “I’ll go broke.”  Kishawn replied.  “As long as I’m living you will never be broke.”  He smiled at her.  “Come on and eat.  I know you’re hungry.  And wash your hands.”  She walked out the room leaving us sitting there.