Ruin

38

LUCAS P. O. V.
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Sunday: 6:35 P. M.
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"Wait! A who that? The great Bad Indian?" a familiar voice echoes throughout the relatively empty gym, and causes me to reattach the bar and sit up instantly.

Standing before me with a gigantic grin and a fucking smug expression on his face is someone I least expected to see.

Springing to my feet immediately, I drape the towel around my neck and return an equally smug grin.

A lie yawh bloodclaat tell!

"A who this?" I say loudly, grinning still. "Pop star?"

"A how the dawg a move so scarce!" D'vante says as he bumps my fist and "pops off" my thumb.

"Mi deh 'bout man," I say, returning the gesture, before pulling him in for a brotherly hug.

I don't practice embracing men, but this man right here is my 'G'.

We've been friends from first form to this day. This man was like a brother to me, more than even my brother was at times. We met on orientation day in High-school and instantly clicked. At one point it was just me and him, until Petrad got transferred to our school in third form, then it was the three of us.

Thicker than us you couldn't find.

We ran the school. Were loved the most by the girls we encountered in the streets of Halfway Tree ——at that time bus park was carrying the swing. Even though I didn't need to take the bus, I was always there just for the fun of it——and envied by the boys in that same breath.

Every man wanted to be like us at K.C. or tried to be a part of our team, but as you already know I'm not the type to engage in the "bagga man" thing.

Because of that, many called us hype.

We were popular amongst the girls, plus had the looks and the money to match the hype.

We were the invincible trio.

That's until D'vante migrated once we hit the start of sixth form to complete his studies overseas. Although he left, we never broke the link.

Nothing could fuck that up.

Brothers for life.

And nuttn nah go change that.

"Mi can't see yuh! Affi a wonder how the man lock dung so neat. Is like the man nuh 'memba how road look to rock stone!"

I smirk. "A so it set morewhile man."

Sometimes you have to lay low and let people wonder.

Plus, I was otherwise preoccupied all weekend.

"Anuh that! Mi affi a say to the dawg them say it look like the general turn baby father!"

I shake my head and laugh. "A bare things yuh gwaan wid morewhile eno, dawg!"

Same old DJ.

"The man nawh play. A the same uptown browning from them time deh?" he asks, rolling the cotton strap over his hand. "Love and them thing deh!"

Every year since he left he made it his point of duty to visit yard, but for the past year and half he hadn't been home, until now, so he doesn't know about my situation with Jessica.

Not that there's much to tell.

"Nuttn like that. Mi deh' bout man," I say simply. "By the way, a when yuh touch dung inna the place?"