No Heroes Here.

8. Set Up

Stephanie POV

Why the fuck did he have to invite him? I think to myself as I glare at the back of Andrew's head. We just walked in the mall and the first thing we see is Andrew. After 5 seconds of me and the girls cursing, Daniel finally said that he invited Andrew to come with us.

"This was a set up, you know damn well we wouldn't have came if you told us he was coming." I snap, rolling my eyes. He nods, "Like you said, I know. That's why I didn't tell you." He chuckles at the end as I swat at his arms, landing hard hits. He just laughs at me and take them. Once he'd gotten enough of me hitting him, his long arms circle my waist and he picks me up off the ground and swings me around. I scream and put my face in his chest to keep from getting dizzy.

After a few seconds, he puts me down and we just laugh at each other. I look around and spot Tee talking to Andrew, all teeth. I screw my face up and begin walking over when Daniel snatchs me up, "Nope, no cock blocking." He says still laughing. I suck my teeth and call Kara name, making her look up from her phone.

I point over to the laughing duet and her face mimicks my own. She puts her phone in her bag and starts walking over, sliding between them, putting her hand in Andrew's face. I can tell by the way Andrew looks, he's getting annoyed. "Man, fuck out the way." He mutters before shoving Kara out the way to get to Tee.

"Hold the hell up--"

"Man, Andrew what you doing?" Daniel asks, putting me behind him before he starts walking towards Andrew who's getting cussed out by Kara. I walk to her and grab her wrist to keep her from running up. Daniel stands infront of us as he talks, "What you shovin' her for?" He asks, his tone a notch above nuetral. "Man, I was just tryna talk to her and then Steph wanna be sending her goonie over to interrupt shit--"

"She ain't my goonie, she a real friend, but I guess you wouldn't know nothing about real friend--"

"Be quiet." Daniel snaps.

"Right, we was just talking, it's not that serious!" Tee says, slappig her hands on her thighs. "You two are going to have to get it together. We too damn old for this shit, man!" Daniel fusses. "Lets go out side." He commands.

---

Five minutes later, we're leaning against a random persons car, me and Kara glaring at Andrew while he looks at the ground. "Talk." Daniel demands.

I simply continue to glare at Andrew while he glares at the floor. "Now ain't nobody got nothing to say?!" Daniel shouts, making me jump at how loud he is. "I ain't got shit to say to him!" I yell.

"Man, you being childish! Holding onto shit that happened two years ago!" Andrew shouts. I smack my lips, "How's yo' fiancee, did you marry that skank?" I ask, my voice calm. He falls silent. I chuckle, "Oh, 'yeen got nothing to say now? Come on, talk!" I urge. "You had a lot to say that day about a bitch that was cheating on you! You had a lot to say then!" I shout, my voice becoming raw.

My anger boils up, I feel my hands begin to shake. "You know that I couldn't remember what happened after I ran." My voice is low but my mind is screaming with memories. "And I finally remembered, and I tried to tell you, and you didn't believe me. You didn't fucking believe me!" I go from low to high pitch in seconds. Tears well in my eyes as I relive the entire day, the day I ran from Christopher. "Why the fuck would I lie about something like that?!"

"You wouldn't." Andrew mutters, looking away from me and to the ground. "You damn right I wouldn't! I had been trying to figure out what happened that day and once I did, you tell me I'm lying! All for a bitch that you already had supsicions about! And then you disrespected me!"

"I know." 

"You know?! Do you know what the fuck that did to me?! How angry I was?! He," I point to Daniel, "tried to fucking comfort me, but I blew up on him on some shit that wasn't even that damn serious!"

"Glad you recognize that." Daniel mutters. I shoot him a look and he raises his hands in surrender. I look back to Andrew, wiping the stray tear that fell away quickly. "So where is she? Where is this girl that was worth disrespecting me over?" I ask, taking a step back, leaning against the car again.

He shakes his head, "She's dead, Steph. She died in a car accident with her side piece." He says looking directly at me. I raise my eyebrow, "Oh." Thats all I say.

What you expect me to take everything I said back and ask for his forgiveness? No, thats not how shit works.

After a moment of silence, he starts talking. "Look Steph, I'm sorry. I was ignorant and blind and dumb and alot of other shit that Kara could probably finish naming off for me--"

"Would you like me to? I can say you forgot dumb ass, jack ass, stupid ass, black ass--" Tee places her hand over Kara's mouth, making her stop talking.

"The point is, I'm sorry. I know that it will take a while for things to get back right but I am sorry."

I stare at him, my arms newly crossed, my face still in a scowl. I look to Daniel, "Can we go back in the mall now?"

---

"There was a reason why we used to order clothes online." Tee mutters as she looks at a rack of clothes. I shake my head, "Maybe we should dress as nuns, ya' know? Hide our entire body." I suggest. We all laugh. I walk over to Daniel whose looking at shoes, "Hey, how would you feel about me dressing like a nun?" I ask, joking.

"It would be better than having all these niggas staring at you. Kara and Tee would have to dress like that too. I don't appreciate how they looking at them either." He says looking around. I smirk, " I didn't think you would notice, you been staring at these shoes for like 5 minutes." I say, taking the shoe off their shelf.

He side eyes me, "I just got out of prison, of course I'm looking around. Especially when I got my lady near me." He ends with a smirk. I smile and give him a quick kiss on the cheek making him turn red.  I laugh and turn to walk back to the girls. 

I walk to a different rack instead and look at a pair of pants. I was looking at the tag when a shadow covered me and the pants. "Daniel--" I start.

"My names Darwin, but I'll be anyone you want me to be if you go out with me." A voice says making me freeze. My eyes narrow and my muscles stiffen.

Skir, what?

I turn around and look up to find a complete stranger standing behind me. He's lighter than Daniel with a high top fade, a section of it dyed a light brown. I put a mug on my face, "No, thank you." I say as kindly as possible.

I turn back to the pants, ignoring his presence, looking at the size of the pants now. "Come on, atleast tell me your na--"

"She said no thank you." I hear and I turn around immediately.  I find Daniel holding the boys out stretched wrist. 

Was he about to touch me?

"Now fuck off." Daniel finishes, his voice deadly. He doesn't even look like himself. The annoyane and slight anger on his face makes him look like a totally different person. The man, Darwin, sucks his teeth and snatches his wrist back, walking away and out the store.

Daniel glares at him until he's out of sight. "You might just have to go get them nun outfits."