Four minutes into the fight, both girls were exhausted, and it showed in their movements. Kennedy, who seemed to have a little more energy due to her anger-fueled adrenaline, was ready to finish her opponent off. She got her chance when Ria swung at her with a sloppy right. Kennedy ducked, scooped Ria up by her thighs, and slammed her onto the floor. She straddled Ria’s body, pinning her to the floor. Kennedy unloaded a flurry of punches directly to Ria’s face.

“NYPD!” a middle-aged white officer announced vociferously as he rushed into the apartment, followed by his partner, a younger black female. They bumped past Chaz and Eisani to get to the altercation.

“Break it up,” the female officer barked, pulling Kennedy from atop Ria.

The male officer knelt down to check on Ria, her face covered in a mixture of blood, mucus, and tears. “Ma’am, are you okay?”

Disoriented, she nodded yes.

“I need a bus,” the officer said into his small shoulder radio. He proceeded to help Ria off the floor and onto the couch.

Standing in the middle of the floor, his partner began assessing the situation. “Who lives here?” she asked.

“I do,” Ria replied groggily, holding her rapidly swelling face.

“Do any of them live here?” she asked, with a wave of a hand in the direction of Kennedy, Chaz, and Eisani.

“No.”

“Did you invite them?”

“The only person I invited in was my daughter’s father. We were arguing, when she”—Ria pointed at Kennedy— “came in and attacked me.”

“Would you like to press charges?”

“Yes,” Ria replied solemnly, while beaming on the inside.

The officer turned her attention to Kennedy. “You are considered a trespasser on these premises; therefore, I have to place you under arrest for assault and battery.”

Kennedy viewed one minute in jail as being in there too long. When her bond was posted a few hours after her arrival, she wasted no time moving quickly to collect her property. After receiving her things, Kennedy was shocked to find Chaz sitting on a bench waiting for her. “What are you doing here?” she asked with a slight frown.

“I bailed you out,” Chaz replied, rising from his seat. “That’s what I’m doing here.”

“Where’s Eisani?”

“She said something about going to meet Kane. I told her to go ahead. I can handle getting my wife out of the bing.”

Silence.

Neither knew what to say, an incredibly awkward moment for the couple.

“Thanks for bonding me out,” Kennedy said, breaking the silence. “I guess I’ll see you … later.” She walked past him toward the exit.

“You want a ride?”

“Nah, I’m straight,” she replied over her shoulder.

Chaz caught up to her. “I didn’t ask you if were straight.”

“My man, I’m good. I still know how to catch a cab.”