“Five-oh!” Isa announced, letting Messiah know the police had been called. Messiah pulled away and grabbed her hand, as she was rushed out of the field house. He spotted her car and tucked her safely inside it. “Go home,” he said, closing her driver side door and patting the roof of the car, before she drove off.

Messiah rushed to his bike, threw on his helmet and rode off with Isa and his crew. When his built-in Bluetooth rang in his ear, he spoke, “Answer.” The call connected.

As he hit 80 mph down the city street, Ethic’s voice streamed through his helmet. “You never responded to my text, did you handle that?” he asked.

Messiah’s phone had been in his gym bag all day. He had been balling all day and hadn’t checked his messages yet. “Nah, big homie, I been at Berston. What’s good? You need me, just say the word,” he said.

“Nah, it’s alright, I can handle it,” Ethic replied.

“I need to pull up on you about something tomorrow,” Messiah said.

“Come by the house in the morning,” Ethic instructed.

“Bet,” Messiah finished. He knew a conversation about Morgan was long overdue. He wasn’t with the sneaking around; and if he was going to be running up on niggas in the street over her, she had to be his to defend. It was time for him to sit down with Ethic and lay out his cards like a man.

15

Alani checked her watch. “Where are you?” she whispered, as she stood inside the lobby of the English department, her eyes constantly fretting over to the pick-up lane outside. Ethic was over an hour late and she had already missed the last bus. Her phone was dead, and she was beginning to wonder how she was supposed to make it home. He didn’t seem like the type to flake, but as the two-hour mark approached and the sun began to set, she wondered if she should just start the long walk home. Anxiety filled her, as she tried to occupy her time. When she, finally, saw the head lights to his Range pull into the parking lot, she sighed in relief, but her impatience was, instantly, transformed into anger.

She marched out of the building on fire.

“You’re incredible, you know that? I’ve been waiting here for you for two hours!” she exclaimed, as she stormed toward his car. When she saw the passenger door open and Bella hop out, she paused dead in her tracks.

“I got held up. My apologies, Alani,” he said.

“No,” she corrected. “You and I are back on Lenika status,” she said, as she climbed inside the car. She turned toward the backseat where Bella had moved to. “Hi. Bella, right?” she asked. “It’s really nice to see you again,” she said, with a smile.

“Nice to see you too, Alani,” Bella returned.