Vegas fell to the ground when Zayde punched him back. He spat in his face. "Who the fuck you think you punching on, little nigga?"
He got kicked in the stomach with the red bottom loafers that he had had on his feet. He coughed up blood. Tron pushed Zayde back before he could cause any more damage. Tron quickly came to his friend's aid. "You good, Veg?"
Vegas couldn't breathe. "I-I-"
"Let's get out of here. Yo, Rin!"
Vegas closed his eyes as he felt Tron lift him up on his shoulders.
"I got Raja. Let's get out of here before the cops come."
They all ran out through the back door and it led to the parking lot, thankfully. Rin was crying while she dabbed Raja's eye with a tissue. Tron hopped in the front seat of Vegas' car. He pushed the start button and pulled out the lot. Thankfully, they didn't see any cop cars coming. Vegas sat in the backseat next to them, trying to recollect himself, but his stomach was in pain.
"Do we need to go to a hospital, y'all?" Tron asked. "Cause I really don't do those."
Rin rubbed Tron's back. "You okay, Vegas?"
"I feel like I'm about to die." Vegas groaned as he held his stomach. "Fuck that nigga's shoes felt like they had a knife in 'em."
"We going to the hospital," Rin said. "He could have fucked up a rib or some shit."
"Nah. I know somebody who could give us all some paink-"
"Nigga, no." Rin smacked Tron in the back of his head.
"I will run off the edge of a highway, shawty. Don't hit me like that." Tron looked in the back. "Fuck. We going to the hospital. But, I ain't going in."
"I'll make sure everything's checked in for Raja and your boy," Rin snapped.
"Thank you," Vegas said through the pain. "Look, it's nothing personal. It's just that Tron was there when his mama died."
Tron stayed quiet in the front seat. Vegas recalled how he looked that day. That was the only time he saw Tron cry and that was also the time he stopped going by Jeremiah. He started introducing himself as Tron that day. It was as if he never saw the kid he grew up with since the moment his mother passed. He was still his best friend, but a different man.
"I can get up and move around," Vegas assured Rin. He looked at Raja. "You good, shawty?"
Raja remained quiet as she stared at the lights emptily on the highway. She had a blackened eye and her lip was busted. She just allowed Rin to keep nursing her, ignoring everyone's questions. Vegas respected her silence. He understood that. The pain in her face was all that he needed for an answer.
"You should have ignored his text. You could have had fun with us," Rin cried, her voice shaking. "How could you settle for a low life like him?"
Raja shrugged and played it cool. "I don't need to go to a hospital. All the bitch did was got a couple blows in."
"You need stitches, Raj." Rin glared at her. "I wish I had enough fight in me to yell at you, but I can't. Dammit, Raja. Whatever happened to not fighting for some dumb ass nigga. He was laughing at you while you was getting your ass beat."
Raja shrugged again.
"You're weaker than I thought you were."
Vegas shook his head. "Nah, shawty. You don't need to be fighting for a bitch ass nigga. You deserve better."
"And you think you can give me better?" Raja chuckled. "Fuck all of y'all."
"The fuck did I do to you?" Tron asked.
"You just look like a bitch ass nigga," Raja huffed through her nose.
"You don't need to be taking out your anger on Tron," Rin snapped. "Wrong nigga to be snapping out on."
Raja rolled her eyes. "I'll snap on whoever the fuck I wanna snap on."
"Why you gotta be like that?" Vegas asked. "That nigga really got you that whipped?"
"You don't know me, Mr. Uber Driver," Raja said, putting her middle finger in his face. "And you should have stayed in your lane. Nobody asked you to step up for me. I was fine on my own." She checked her phone and picked up the incoming call. "Yes, baby. I'm okay. I'm on the way to the hospital...oh...yeah, you can pick me up. Rin's going home with that nigga with the fro anyway."
Rin widened her eyes in shock, but kept her mouth shut at her friend's disrespect. She looked at Vegas and then shook her head, staring out the window. Tron pulled up to the hospital's entry way. He opened the door for Rin, Raja and Tron. Even despite the disrespect, Tron held his tongue. Vegas knew it was because he was triggered due to the hospital.
"You alright, bro?" Vegas asked.
Tron nodded. "Call me when you patched up." He looked at Rin. "Take care of my boy, alright?"
Rin nodded. "I got you. Thank you, Tron."
Tron walked back to the driver's seat without a word and just drove off. Rin helped Tron to the front desk. Raja looked annoyed. "Can't believe I'm here on my day off. Ms. Terry, can you get Doctor Robinson for this dude here for me?"
"You work here?" Vegas asked.
Raja mugged him and nodded. "I work the front desk usually, but not today. I'm due for Monday morning."
Vegas smiled at the thought of her working front desk. One of the nurses began talking with her about getting stitches. Rin sighed. "I just can't believe she got all comfortable with that nigga. I don't like him," she said to Vegas. "I'm gonna stay here with you until you get patched up. It's the least I could do for your boy for helping me save her. But...unfortunately-"
"Not everyone wants to be saved," Vegas said. "I get it."
Rin sucked her teeth. "I just wanna know what that nigga did to get into her head. I never seen her like this before."
Vegas shrugged. "Sometimes, certain things happen that change a person. Believe me. I know what things can do to make a person just...wanna stop being themselves."
"She used to be so strong." Rin sat down in the waiting room.
Vegas nodded. "She's still strong. She just needs to figure that out for herself."
"I like that you think that for her."
The doctor came for Vegas and helped him get settled in the exam room. He watched as Raja get stitches in the room across from him. Zayde ended up coming to the room. He felt rage build up in him as he saw her hold her face up and he kissed her forehead. It looked like an act of pity, rather than love.
He heard him say, "you're gorgeous when you fight for me, you know that."
Raja kissed his lips as if she had no choice, love in her eyes. Vegas wondered how could someone who seemed so important, like Rin said, lost her way.
