Tasha grabbed Arnessa gently by the elbow. “Do you need me to come with you?” she asked with great concern for her friend.

“Yes.”

Arnessa was heartbroken once she arrived at the hospital and learned of Butta’s life-threatening condition. She sat in the waiting room between Kisa and Tasha with her head buried in her lap, sobbing uncontrollably. Inside, Arnessa ached horribly. She couldn’t grasp why so much was happening to her.

Sincere sat across the room; next to him sat Shawn, who was trying to explain what he knew. Shawn blamed himself. “If I had been on point, Mannie wouldn’t be dead, and Butta wouldn’t be in there shot the fuck up!”

“You don’t know that,” Sincere said. “If you had been, then you might be dead just like Mannie.” Sincere was furious. Mannie was one of his closest friends, and Butta … Butta was his brother. Sincere’s mother Lena had raised Butta since he was nine years old. “Y’all been playing with this nigga far too long,” he told Shawn in a stern but low voice. “The games is over. When I see that nigga, I’ma lay his faggot ass down.”

“Fuck,” Shawn said, looking at the entrance of the waiting room. Sincere followed Shawn’s gaze and saw Nichelle entering the room. They both glanced over in Arnessa’s direction; her head was still down.

Sincere leaped from the chair in an effort to get her out of the room before Arnessa caught wind of who she was. Part of Nichelle’s purpose for going to the hospital was so Arnessa would find out about her. She knew exactly why Sincere was moving in her direction. To ensure she accomplished her mission, Nichelle kicked her performance into high gear immediately. She dropped to her knees and began to wail loudly, “Where’s my Butta? Did they kill my Butta? Somebody please tell me he’s okay.”

“He’s alive, Nichelle,” Sincere said as he helped her up.

For a moment Nichelle was stuck. How the fuck did he survive all them shots. The other purpose of Nichelle’s visit was so that no one would suspect her involvement. She didn’t know what to do now, but for the moment she had to play it off. “So my baby’s going to be okay?”

Sincere noticed Kisa was standing next to him. Here we go, Sincere thought.

Kisa was extremely disgusted by Nichelle. She was one person whom Kisa had never cared for. “You need to raise up outta here with all those theatrics. Butta’s girl, Ar-nes-sa, is going through enough right now. She don’t need to hear ya wack ass up crying over what is not yours.”

“Butta’s girl? You must be done fell and bumped ya head ’cause I’m Butta’s girl, and I been his girl for years,” Nichelle said with emphasis. She looked Kisa up and down, trying to contain her envy. Kisa was radiant in a winter-white silk balloon-sleeve blouse, matching wool high-waist trousers, and gray leather boots. Outwardly, Nichelle loathed Kisa. Inwardly, she wanted to be her.