R U STILL DOWN?|SLUTIVANTE

two.

ROMELO

my hands raised onto my head, my body heated up as strangers watched from the sides of the streets in shock. as my thoughts became unclouded i realized that i knew the guys in the van, they ran along with the same cat that i used to. he goes by the name anthony. he pushes most of the drugs that runs through out the city. as my heart rate slowed down and my thoughts became clearer, i recognized a familiar face amongst the many people watching me.

my feet took off, hitting the pavement. the young woman dropped her bag and started to run. she turned into an alleyway with me right on her tail. she began to squeal as she heard my foot steps getting closer. i snatched her by her arm and flung her into the brick wall. she winced due to the impact and the heat that radiated off of the bricks.

'let me go!' she shouted, trying to yank away from me. i huffed, gripping her tighter.

'hell no!' i shouted. 'chantel, you fucking work for anthony, tell me what the fuck is going on!' i demanded. she looked at me with furrowed eyebrows.

'i don't run for him no more!' she yelled, sweat beads forming onto her forehead. 'i stopped after he choked me out over being twenty dollars short.' she explained.

'i know you were always around him and his boys, now tell me what the fucking deal is!' i shouted once more, making my grip even tighter. she groaned in pain before she began speaking.

'he said that before you got locked up, you stole some money from him. so he said that you owe him.' she started off. 'he's been plotting on you for a couple of months now, that's all i know though because i stopped working with him two months ago. i run with some other people now, montana and his people.'

i finally let her go, she grabbed her arm and rubbed it as she noticed bruises starting to form. she flashed me an angry look before she lunged at me. i jumped back, yelling at her.

'calm your ass down chantel!' she continued to hit me over the head before i grabbed her arms, pushing her away from me.

'stop fucking touching me! help me find my son!' i demanded, her eyes widened and she crossed her arms over her chest. 'me? help you?' she asked sarcastically. 'what's in it for me? huh?' she questioned me.

'anthony said i owe him some money, that i don't fucking have.' i began to explain. 'i have to come up on a hustle and whatever i make to get my son back plus more we split it and you can get out the hood and get out of this life.' she nodded and she listened to me. her eyes darted around the scenery, before she wiped sweat off of her forehead.

'okay, fuck it i'm down.' she said as i looked at her up and down. 'we'll need a car, since you run with montana, take me to where he keeps his cars.' i said, she placed a hand onto her hip before questioning me.

'how do you know about that?' she asks, squinting at me. 'the nigga rides around in a new benz every fucking week chantel, the streets talk.' i answered, grabbing her arm once more. 'now walk.'

CHANTEL

my heels clicked against the pavement as i entered into the three car garage that montana kept for his cars. this week he had a mercedes, low rider and a lexus. i knew he where he kept all of his keys, but i didn't know how to open the drawer to get to them. i began to walk around the garage, jingling some of the drawers that he had on his tool cabinet.

someone opened the door that was connected to his house and lead into the garage. i ducked down behind one of the cars as my heart raced. nobody was home when i came here. i thought, as the foot steps got closer to where i was hiding. someone yanked me upward causing my body to jolt.

it was montana.

'hey baby.' i smiled nervously. 'i dropped one of my earrings and it rolled under the car.' i explained. he started to examine my face, trying to read me. he let go of me and stepped back. i took a breathe and before i knew it, his hand connected with the side of my face. i flew onto the ground, trying to crawl away. he grabbed my ankle and i screamed, trying to kick him.

'bitch, why are you lying to me?!' he shouted, his voice echoing in the garage. 'yo fucking earring is still in your ear, what the fuck you trying to steal ? huh ?' he spat, lifting me from the floor and pushing me onto the car. he grabbed my face roughly as he waited for a response.

before i could muster up the courage to talk someone came from behind him and put him into a chokehold. montana was threw onto the floor and romelo began stomping him out.

'don't you ever put your fucking hands on no female, nigga!' romelo shouted angrily. montana wailed in pain, trying to protect his body by curling up into a ball. once romelo stopped he dug into montana's pockets and grabbed his keys.

'we taking whatever car these keys unlock.' he said, out of breath due to him using his strength to beat up montana. he approached me and placed a hand under my chin. 'you okay?' he questioned, looking over my face. i nodded quickly, as his hand fell.

he clicked the button onto the keys which caused the lexus to beep and unlock. i swapped spit around in my mouth and spit on montana who was still laying on the crowd, shaking in pain. 

once we were finally inside of the car and onto the road, romelo drove around with a look of frustration on his face. 'how old is he?' i asked him, causing him to cut his eyes at me.

'he's 8.' he answered quietly. 'i had him with some neighborhood hood rat.' he spoke. 'i thought i could change her, but all she wanted to do was run the streets so she left me with little melo and it's been only us two ever since..' he explained. i could tell he was still hurt over her leaving him due to the way his grip tightened onto the steering wheel.

'you got any kids?' he asked me, his eyes remaining on the road.

my heart fell to the bottom of my stomach, as i sighed loudly. 'i almost had one.' i began. 'it was about a year ago and it was by some guy who was no good for me. i knew he wasn't right and that he had issues, but something attracted me to him. when we found out that i was expecting, we were so excited.' my voice trembled as my mind began to replay the memories. 'but when i hit three months he started changing. he started hanging out more and stopped seeing me less. then he started picking fights and arguments. he beat my ass so bad i was in the hospital for a week before they told me what he'd done caused me to have a miscarriage.' tears were now falling from my eyes. i quickly wiped them as romelo cleared his throat.

'i'm sorry you went through that, chantel.' he expressed, as we pulled up to an apartment complex.

after i got myself together, we both got out of the car and walked to the apartment that he shared with his childhood best-friend. he slammed the door loudly behind us causing his best-friend to jolt up out of his slumber on the living room couch.

ROMELO

'what the fuck?' dre mumbled, rubbing his eyes. 'them niggas got little melo, dre !' i shouted at him. he sat up quickly, his eyes landed on me and chantel.

'what the fuck, man?' he questioned. 'i thought that anthony let that shit between you and him go?' he asked, standing up and grabbing his jersey from the arm of the couch.

'yeah i thought that shit too, but they kidnapped my fucking son saying that i owe him some shit from years ago.' i explained. 'chantel used to roll with them niggas, she knows shit and she knows how he gets down. you need to put your ears to them fucking streets and get back at me, asap!' i demanded, angrily.

dre nodded quickly while grabbing his pager and wallet, putting them into the pocket of his shorts. 'i got you, you damn near like my fucking brother. we family and we gon' get little melo back, i promise you that.' he assured me. i waved him off as he brushed past me and chantel, leaving out of the apartment.

i just want my son back, that's it....