Show Me You Care (8 page)

“My bad, Shy. What’s up?”

“Trey is in the hospital barely hanging on. Where the hell are you?”

“My plane just landed not too long ago. I know he’s in the hospital. I’m on my way there now. How is he?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t go up to see him but Jordyn is there and she’s taking it bad. You know she loves him, right?” I could hear him suck his teeth in my ear before he hung up. I looked down at my phone like he was crazy before jumping in my car. As soon as I went to start my car a car came in blocked me in. Jayden hopped out. I rolled my eyes as he tapped on my window. I didn’t know what it was but Jayden always had my heart since we were kids. He hopped in the car, running his hands over his waves before giving me a kiss on my cheek. I shook my head and stared at him.

“How can I help you?” I asked with a fake attitude.

“You could stop playing and be my girl.” I sucked my teeth. Here we go.

“Only if you could stop being my best friend’s older brother.” He sucked his teeth and got out the car waiting for me to get out too. I let out a deep sigh and followed suit.

Jayden:

It was like no matter what I could never have Shy. When we were younger it was because of age. Now it was because she was Jordyn’s best friend. I would never understand that. It was okay for Jordyn to date Trey but my head would be on a platter if I dated Shy. My sister and her bad ass double standards. I pushed those thoughts to the side as I headed to Trey’s room. My heart broke into a billion pieces at the site in front of me. Jordyn stood in the corner whispering in her phone, making little to no eye contact with me. For the first time I saw the killer in my sister coming out as she asked me to stay with him. I didn’t hesitate to, but her journey was cut short when she saw our father approaching the door. I had left them in Barbados but I guess they followed suit and left.

“Jordyn, leave it for the big boys!” my father said as Jordyn sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes. It pained her to watch the love of her life fight for his life. She walked out the room and didn’t return for another hour. When she returned she had on fresh clothes and her hair in a messy bun.

“Jordyn, what did you do?” she didn’t look at me. She just closed her eyes and laid her head back on the chair. Not pushing the subject, I gave her space. When she was ready to talk about it we would know what happened.

TaKiera:

I sat in my room feeling like shit. All I was trying to do was get my mother’s love and be happy, but everything I did seemed to fail. She says fight Jordyn, I fight Jordyn and get my ass whipped. I haven’t seen my mother since I was one and it was all due to me being the side nigga’s daughter. The moment shit got right with her husband I was a picture in the past and left for my grandmother to raise me. I can’t believe that I fucked up that bad and shot the only man that showed an ounce of care for me. My father was in informant for the feds and told them all about Big Jay’s operation and it landed his right hand in jail. After the sentence was given to Jay’s right hand, my father was deep in the river somewhere being shark food. But people always judged me. The only people who never judged me were my son and Trey. Trey wasn’t Tremaine’s father but I wanted him to be so bad. It was the only way I could look him and the face and not see my brother’s best friend. Too bad Tremaine’s father Larry and my brother never were seen after I sent them to rob Trey.
Damn, I just keep messing up
, I said to myself as the tears fell freely.

I woke up at 6:00 a.m. and got little Trey ready for school. I went and looked in my grandmother’s room and she still hadn’t returned home. Maybe grandma was getting her groove back. I walked to the front door with my son holding onto my hand where I saw an envelope with a letter. I slowly opened the letter, which read:
A bullet for a bullet, a life for a life.
I let out a gasp. “Oh my goodness!” I screamed out loud and held onto Trey as a black van drove past the house. I examined the envelope and saw the five bullets fall out. At that moment I knew I had fucked up royally.

Chapter 13:

It had been a month since Trey got shot and he was slowly making progress. He started breathing on his own. He just hadn’t awakened yet; it was like he was deep in thought all the time. I missed him. His mom stopped coming two weeks ago, thinking that he was gone forever. I held her that day as she cried about losing her child to the street. I got up from my seat and saw his hands move. I walked over to him and stared at him. His eyes fluttered as he attempted to open them. He finally opened them, and by the time he did the nurse was already in the room. The doctors checked him out and made sure he was okay. They looked at him as if he was a miracle. Once the doctors left I pulled up my chair and looked at him.

“When was the last time my mother came?” I looked away, scared to give him the answer knowing that the truth would hurt. “She ain’t come in a while, has she?”

“She was here just last week but she couldn’t bear to see you like that. She kept saying she couldn’t do this again,” I said as a lone tear feel from his eye.

“She thought I was gone because I lost my older brother the same way. He was out in these streets heavy. The only difference is they killed him over a game of dice. I almost lost my life because I got with you. I was in your crib when this shit happened. They weren’t gunning for me. They were gunning for you. This shit is your fault. I don’t know how many people you and your crack head ass momma pissed off, but I ain’t willing to die for neither. I can’t fuck with you until this shit blows over. I’m sorry, Jordyn. I truly am.” I smirked and shook my head. As I got up and left him lying in his hospital bed, I damn near ran to my car. Once I got in I turned on the radio and all my tears started flowing freely. I killed to protect him and little did he know I already knew who was behind that shit but he wasn’t trying to hear me out. I sat in the parking lot for a minute before pulling off and going to my safe haven. I just need space away from everyone.

Trey:

It had been two weeks since I last saw Jordyn and graduation was right around the corner. She had been by my side the whole time and I let some dumb shit make me lose someone loyal to me. That month in a coma made me look at life differently. I was trying so hard to make things right with us but she changed her number on me. I was being released today and I wished she was here to see me but she wasn’t. My mother even said she hadn’t spoken to her. I was getting more hurt the more people told me she was isolating herself from everyone. I messed up. She probably thinks I got what I wanted and I needed to a reason to live. I missed my girl so much it was hard to live without her. Jayden had picked me up from the hospital so I could go visit everyone at Big Jay’s crib. No one had told Jordyn I was coming over so I hoped like hell she wasn’t going to be mad at them.

We pulled up to the house and she was taking bags in the house with Shyla. She was laughing as if she wasn’t hurt at all. She was singing aloud to Toni Romiti’s “Nothing On Me.” It looked as though they had gone shopping for graduation stuff. They were attending the same college. I knew at one point Jordyn wanted to do hair but she changed her mind and was headed to Barry University. I was sick when Jayden told me she had finally made up her mind. Shaking those thoughts out of my head, I got out of the car and walked to the front door. She looked at me then went back to what she was doing. I was just a thought in her past.

Shyla:

I could see the hurt look wash over Trey’s face when Jordyn didn’t acknowledge his presence. She was going through something and he let her down the moment he woke up and blamed her for everything. I was pissed when she told me. She was by his side for the whole entire thing and that’s how he thanked her. Graduation was in three days and we all knew once Jordyn left she wasn’t looking back. We were going to be in Miami living that college life. I walked inside, handing Jayden some bags, I went and got my purse out of Jordyn’s car and walked inside with her on my tail. Ms. Star was cooking a big dinner but Jordyn didn’t trust her enough to eat from her. It was as if she knew something that nobody else did. We sat in the family room with everyone else but it was so awkward, like she wanted to say something but didn’t. Star turned to the news as they started showing a story on a woman in her early sixties being shot five times. All the bullets were removed from her body and the killer didn’t leave behind any kind of evidence. Star turned up the news. “
The woman, police say, was found floating in the river for almost two months before the body surfaced to shore. There are no suspects at this time but police have definitely ruled it a homicide.”
Everyone sat in silence and looked down at the screen. Jordyn and I both knew what happen to this elderly lady but that wasn’t everyone’s business. It was getting around that time and Star was screaming for everyone to come eat. I looked at Jordyn as she continued to pack up her clothes. We were announcing or move to Miami to everyone, we were set to leave a day after graduation. Then we only had a month before our summer semesters started. I was attending for business management and Jordyn was going for athletic training. She was too much. First she wanted to do hair, then it was clothing design, and now it was athletic training.
Hopefully she sticks with it
, I said to myself as I watched her pack.

Chapter 14:
I pranced around my room, getting ready for graduation. It had finally arrived. I looked in my closet and put on my cheetah print body-con dress with my black spiked red bottoms. I had gotten my hair pressed out yesterday. I put on my cap and gown and walked down the stairs. I looked up and saw Trey standing with my dad in deep conversation. Shyla ran over to me, jumping in my arms.
"Nigga, we made it!" Everyone laughed at the remark. We all walked out and piled into the limo Pops had rented. Everyone got in and unfortunately I was stuck sitting next to Trey.
"Are you nervous?" I just blinked and looked out the window.
"Nah, are you?" Not waiting to hear his answer, I put my earplugs in and let my music takes over my thoughts. As we all got out of the car it became real. After graduation I was moving to Miami with my best friend. I had made plans to open my store out here but decided to move it to Miami since that's where I would be. I grabbed Shy's hand and we walked inside of the school. We sat patiently as we listened to everyon
e speak. Our valedictorian was some Asian girl named Monique. Her speech lasted ten minutes and then they started calling people up.

“Shyla Brook!” I screamed and cheered for my best friend. “Jordyn Brown!” Everyone clapped and cheered me on as I bust my nae-nae on the stage. I was too hype.

I sat in my room and admired my diploma. The house was empty and it was completely silent, just how I liked it. I read my diary for the first time. It was weird since it detailed everything from freshmen year to now. I heard the front door open; in a panic I grabbed my gun from under my pillow and readied myself for whatever. My door opened and there stood Trey in the doorway looking at me as if I was crazy for thinking about shooting him.

“You were going to shoot me?” My iHome was playing “Song Cry” by Jay-Z. I looked over at Trey. The last time we were alone I became a woman. Tonight was just going to be my last goodbye to him.

It was 4:00 a.m. and I had to get Jayden up to drive me to the airport, I had sent everything over the day before. I looked at a sleeping Trey and knew that staying here with him would just be the death of the both of us. I snuck out of my room and went and got Jayden. Shyla had stayed the night with him and was leaving with me. They were meeting me at the steps. It was official. I was leaving Atlanta until farther notice.