“You’re welcome,” Kennedy rolled the cart over and sat it next to her door. She ran to catch up with Eisani, who was already halfway up the first flight of stairs. As they came upon the second flight, Chaz could be heard angrily yelling obscenities. They rushed through the wide-open door and promptly began trying to get Chaz off Ria. Eisani wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled with all her strength.

Kennedy dropped to her knees next to Chaz. She grabbed his wrist. “Stop it, Chaz! Let go, you’re gonna kill her.”

Yielding to Kennedy’s words, Chaz snapped out of his trance and released Ria. Ria quickly scrambled from beneath Chaz, coughing and gasping for air.

Kennedy glanced over at Ria and saw the pregnancy suit attached to her body, “What the fuck?” she shrieked. This is a new low, Kennedy thought, even for this crazy bitch. Then it dawned on Kennedy that she had had an abortion based on a lie that Ria perpetrated so callously. Rage engulfed Kennedy’s body, causing her to tremble. “Get your trifling ass up,” she said to Ria.

Still reeling from getting choked only seconds earlier, Ria did not respond to Kennedy’s demand.

“I said, get up,” Kennedy screamed. She grabbed Ria by what was left of her shirt, pulled her onto her feet, and threw her against the wall. “Take this shit off.” Kennedy ripped the straps of the pregnancy suit from Ria’s shoulders. The fake belly and breasts fell to her feet.

Ria shoved Kennedy away, “Get off me, bitch.” The last thing Ria was going to allow was someone coming into her home and playing her, especially if that someone was Kennedy Sanchez. Standing in a bright yellow bra and a pair of black 7 maternity jeans, she told Kennedy, “Oh, so you wanna pop off, bitch! Put your hands on me and shit in my house! Well, pop off, bitch. Let’s go. I been wanting to drag ya high-yella ass.”

“You want to, but you can’t. That’s why you ain’t did shit about it,” Kennedy replied, advancing on her.

Ria opened her mouth to spew a quick comeback, but Kennedy stopped her with two hard left jabs. Ria bounced right back with her own left to Kennedy’s jaw. It didn’t pack the same power as what Kennedy threw out, but then again Ria didn’t have the same rage boiling inside. For the first minute of the fight they matched each other punch for punch. It pained Eisani every time Ria landed a punch. She wanted so bad to jump in, but she also knew that Kennedy didn’t want that. Standing next to Eisani, Chaz cheered loudly and boldly against the mother of his daughters. “Beat her ass, K,” he yelled, preparing to jump in if Ria began getting the best of Kennedy.