The Publicist

Strike

Jazmine POV-

"Yo boy going through it?" Trey came in and laid on the end of my bed scrolling through his phone.

"What you mean?" I put the files down I was working on for Trey.

"I'm convinced this nigga on something." Trey chuckled. "Oooooo man he wildin.'"

"What did he do?" I shouldn't be anxious to hear but I was.

"You sure you want to hear? I thought you was on your independent thang."

I straight faced him. I couldn't stand in a good way Trey's personality. He was so sarcastic and silly. Like that obnoxious older brother.

"Yes I want to know fool."

"Hey don't talk to a man like that."

I sucked my teeth and rolled my eyes at him.

"He made like 20 videos with his shirt off, talking about why he quitting music."

"August likes attention that's all that is." I shook my head.

"He sounded serious to me. Listen to this." Trey played one of the videos.

August looked a mess in the video. He looked drunk. Like he hadn't showered for days. His hair started to look matted. And he had huge bags under his eyes.

"I first want to say to my fans I love Alsina Nation with all my heart and I appreciate y'all support but the music business is evil. It tears apart families..." The video cut off.

What family? You and yo baby mama? We weren't a family.

He played a other one.

"The music business made me lose my wife...."

"His wife." Trey teased.

"Why does he keep saying that?"
I asked.

"And when that happened, I knew this shit wasn't for me. So if you see a nigga selling Candy on the street, support cause that's what im doing now ." August panned the camera to wholesale boxes of candy covering his entire bed like they were Girl Scout cookies he was selling.

😒😒😒😒😒

Who stops music to sell candy unless they absolutely have no choice.

Trey let out an ugly cackle.

I took Trey's phone and played the other videos.

"And imma sell candy everyday until my bum come back. I rather do that than sell my soul to this evil business that took my spine from me. "

I clicked another video.

"I called all the radio stations, record stores, my label and management and told them I'm done singing until Jazmine Elise Palmer comes back to me. This is a picture for y'all who don't know." He held up a picture of us together from the Island.

"See that's me. That's my baby. If y'all see her, if you talk to her, tell her to come home. I miss her. Baby you my everything." He broke down and the camera cut off.

Trey was on the carpeted floor now still laughing.

"Trey this is not funny. He's acting irrational."

"I know that Nigga off that white." He got up.

"You think he on drugs for real?"

"Nah he probably just drunk. Although the nigga is looking crackish."

"He just got over a kidney problem he doesn't need to be drinking like that."

"Don't tell me you want to go home?" Trey sighed.

"No. But I don't care how on the outs we are, I still care about his well being. And why????" I yelled slightly falling back on the bed.

"I have to call T." I got my phone."can you excuse me for a bit." I asked Trey.

"Aight. Imma go see what typa candy Yung selling." He laughed and closed the door.

I dialed T's number.

"Hello." He answered unsure of my new number.

"Hey T it's Jazmine."

"Hey queen what's up?"

"What's wrong with August? He seems to be acting irrational."

He sighed. "I quit. So I don't know."

"You quit!?"

"Yeah he's getting out of control. But don't you worry about it, he want to self destruct let him."

"T I need to know what's going on?"

"Jazmine. Stop it. You were more than great to him. He is no longer your responsibility."

I heard T but I still felt it was sorta my job.

"Jazmine I'm serious. Let it go. When he wants to man up and take responsibility he will. Enjoy where you're at. Don't call no more." T hung up.

I looked at August number in my phone and no matter what T said, I felt some type of guilt. Like if something happened to him it would be my fault because if I would've stayed he'd be ok.

I called his number, but it just rang.

Terrance aka T POV -

I rushed over to Aug's house. Opened the door. I walked in not seeing him. I saw his phone ringing on the kitchen counter with the number Jazmine just called me from.

I went upstairs and saw Aug laid on out on the hallway floor. I picked him up, put him in the tub and turned the cold shower on him.

He woke up coughing.

"What you doing man?" He tried to stand up but couldn't.

I grabbed him by the collar and held him by the throat against the wall.

"You trying to ruin every thing you worked for? Them girls counting on you man. Mel counting on you. Did you forget why you started this shit? Wake the hell up!" I screamed to the top of my lungs. "And cut this shit out! Pack yo bags you coming with me."
I let him go.

No matter how much I wanted to let him self destruct I couldn't. I had been there from the beginning and I wasn't going to let him lose it all to drugs, to alcohol, to acting a fool.

On top of that I had to put my ego aside (cause wasn't no nigga supposed to slap me and get away with it) so Jazmine could have some peace of mind so she could make the decision that was right for her without guilt attached to it. Whatever that situation may be.

Seeing her break down like that at the show, she deserved that much.

Jazmine POV-

"Hello Aug?" I said into the phone. I finally got an answer.

"Jazz it's me. I got him. You trust me?" T said on the other end.

"Yeah."

"Then Please don't call no more. Stop sacrificing yourself like it's some heroic action it's not. The real heroism is in self care and self love. Cause why you kill yourself to take care of him, he's going to be alive . You do it again I'm getting our numbers changed." He sorta scolded me.

"Okay."

"Goodbye and I love you." T said then hung up.

I kept replaying in my mind T's words.

Stop sacrificing yourself like it's some heroic action it's not. The real heroism is in self care and self love. Cause while you killing yourself to take care of him, he's going to be alice.

That's what I did our entire relationship --- sacrifice. I didn't partake in self care or self love. I oddly found those things in Aug. And ask women we do exactly what T says. Kill ourselves to take care of others and in the end while we're six feet under, there still living.

I needed to hear that. And I needed to focus on me.

Now what I was confused about was T's final words. It was nothing right? He meant love like a friend love right? 😳