A Losing Game

"Thriller"

            Roderick entered The Bottoms with a duffle bag of money on his shoulder and his pistol hidden under his Dracula costume. He passed by groups of men hanging out and mothers taking their children trick-or-treating throughout the housing project. Outside of building D, a girl dressed as a zombie cheerleader and her boyfriend were arguing. Roderick made his way around them and into the building. He headed up to apartment D515 and did the special knock on the door. Escobar opened the door and let him inside.

            "On time with my money," he said to Roderick. "I see you haven't changed a bit."

            "Nice costume, nigga," Don Don said while eating chicken wings and fries from Cassandra's.

            "Can you count my share quick?" Roderick asked Escobar. "I got somewhere to be."

            "Yeah, I got you, youngin'." He loaded some money into his electronic money counter before asking, "Everything still good with the Dominicans?"

            "Yep." He looked over at Don Don before looking back at Escobar and asking, "Yo, you and Fat Moe still beefin'?"

            "Fuck that too legit to quit punk ass nigga," Escobar replied angrily. "The fuck you askin' me about that nigga for?"

            "I had heard some shit in the streets but it ain't nothin'. It's probably just people talkin' shit." He looked at Don Don and asked, "Ain't that right, bruh?"

            "Yeah," Don Don replied while wiping his mouth with a napkin. He then stood up and told Escobar, "I'ma step outside for a second, boss."

            "A'ight," Escobar said back. After Don Don left, he turned to Roderick and asked, "What the fuck is goin' on between you and him? It seems like ever since you've been back—"

            "I been fell out with that nigga. He the one that changed up on me after he found out how I get down. I've already proved myself so fuck that nigga."

            "You know both of y'all are like my sons. I don't like this Cain and Abel shit y'all got goin' on."

            "That ain't my brother. I only got one brother."

            "Damn, so how you feel about me?" He finished counting Roderick's share of the money and handed it to him before asking, "I thought we was like blood, youngin'?"

            "There was a time when I felt like that but somebody that's family wouldn't pull me back into the game over fifty stacks I supposedly owed him."

            "Yo, I thought we were gonna be good after all that shit? We shook on it and gave each other our word, Rod."

            "Like you said, this shit is business. Outside of that, it'll never be like how it was. You threw everything away the moment you threatened Jacory and my brother."

            "Boy, you need to learn how to let shit go. I had to do what needed to be done to get you workin' with me again."

            "Just remember, this is to pay off my debt. Once that's paid, I'm out for good. And if you wanna go back on your word, then I'll go back on mine."

            "What's that supposed to mean?"

            "Whatever it has to mean. Like I said to you before, you know what I'm like when I don't have shit to live for. I'm always gonna be that lil' skinny nigga that broke into your truck that night. Now, I want you to think about what would've happened if I had the gun and you didn't."