“Looking for you, kid.” Don B. took the seat beside him. “Ain’t nobody heard from you in like three days. What da deal?”

True shrugged. “I’ve been here, man. Writing.” True nodded at a stack of papers in the corner. He must’ve written about fifty songs sitting up in the studio. “Thinking and trying to make sense of it all.”

“Looks like you’ve been letting yourself slip.” Don B snatched the bottle away from him. “True, what the hell are you trying to do to yourself?”

“I ain’t trying to do nothing to myself that God ain’t already done to me, Don,” True slurred. “The whole click is gone, my nigga, our team!”

“True, I’m fucked up about this shit, too, but I ain’t letting myself fall to pieces over it. Business still gotta be handled.”

“How’re we supposed to go on like this?” True sobbed. “Don B., we only half a unit.”

Don B. put his arm around the weeping man and spoke softly. “True, we were strong as a unit, but our strength came from our individual gifts. Our niggaz is gone, but that don’t mean we gotta forget them. We’re gonna honor their memories and still push forward with this music thing.”

True laughed insanely. “Dawg, Lah, and Jynx ain’t no fucking rappers, they two candy-ass niggaz you snatched on some marketing shit. Me, Pain, and Lex was the fire behind it. How the hell are we gonna honor their memories?”

“By you shaking this shit off and stepping up!” Don B. smashed the bottle against the ground. “True, now is the time for you to be the leader I always knew you would, and carry the torch.”

“Don B., that’s a heavy load to carry.”

Don B. chuckled. “Little brother, you were always the heart of the group. Since day one, people have always looked at you as the front man, so just continuing doing what you do best.” He patted True on the back and smiled broadly. “Shine, my nigga, shine.”

By the time Yoshi had finally dropped off to sleep, Billy was almost out on hers. For the last few days, she had been up almost constantly, either worrying about Yoshi or making sure she was comfortable. Her job let her take the take time off, but she had to do it without pay. The loss hurt her, but she sucked it up. Her friend’s well-being was worth more than the few dollars she would lose.