The Game: Blood, Sweat, & Tears

Fly High

Ace

We were all hurting right now especially Darwin. Ms. Evelyn was his birth mother. I was hurting also because she raised me most of my life.

The plane just landed in Compton.

"We have landed safely." The pilot said over the speaker.

We all stood up and raced out of the plane.

"Alright we can take the bus-"

"I'm not about to waste my time on a fucking bus to get here!" Darwin yelled and put his hood on his head since it had started raining a little.

"Aye bro the bus will only take a couple minutes-" Tae tried to say.

Darwin turned around and punched the shit out of Tae. "I told yo' stupid ass I'm not waiting on the bus!"

Of course Tae reacted fast and punched Darwin in the mouth. I saw a fight getting ready to happen so I instantly stopped it.

"Aye stop this bullshit right now! Darwin if you want to find another way to the hospital then do it man. We don't have time to be fighting and shit." I yelled at the two of them.

Darwin walked away with blood dripping from his mouth. I shook my head.

Lauren started shivering. I took my jacket off and put it over her. "Thanks." She said.

"Mhm." I said holding onto her as we walked to the bus stop that was not to far from the airport.

Pepper was checking Tae eye to make sure it was good and Lauren was leaning on my shoulder watching the rain.

"You know a month ago Ms. Evelyn called me." She said as her voice cracked.

"Oh yeah? What she say?"

"She asked when the wedding was. A-and she said she'll be there." Lauren said as tears rolled down her cheeks creating a wet spot on my Polo shirt.

"It seems like people are dying left and right." She added wiping her face.

I sighed. The bus then pulled up in front of us.

I put 4 quarters into the machine as we stepped onto the bus paying our way.

We took our seat at the front of the bus. The bus ride to the hospital didn't take long at all. We were then within 10 minutes

We got off the bus and walked inside the hospital. I walked to the front desk.

"Excuse me ma'am." I said getting the lady's attention.

She looked up from her computer. "Can I help you?"

"Yea. Where is Evelyn Walker's room."

"She's in room 505 but you better hurry they are going to be taking her body out of there soon."

I nodded and we got on the elevator. It was silent we were all just looking at each other.

"Yo is my eye swollen?" Tae asked breaking the silence.

"Hell yea. Darwin punched the shit out of you like Craig did DeBo on Friday." Pepper said and they both started laughing.

Me and Lauren didn't. I shook my head and the elevator doors opened.

We rushed into the room and Darwin was already in there crying on his dead mother's chest.

Lauren buried her face into my chest when she saw Ms. Evelyn's cold body laying there.

I rubbed the back of her head trying to soothe her but she cried harder and harder. A tear even escaped my eye.

The doctor came and stood next to us.

He sighed. "So sad."

"How did she pass Doc?" I asked.

"Evelyn has had heart disease for 2 years. She tried and tried fighting until her heart gave out."

"Why didn't she tell us." Lauren said wiping her eyes.

The doctor sighed. "Only she knows that answer." He rubbed her shoulder and walked away.

I tried to look at it on the positive side, she was 87 years old and she lived a good life. I just hate she had to die 3 days before the wedding.

"Ace can we go now? I can't take it in here anymore." Lauren looked up at me.

"Nah we have to wait on Darwin."

"Darwin isn't leaving any time soon. We'll catch up with y'all later." Pepper said.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yea." She nodded.
*

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*
Lauren and I were currently on our way to a hotel.

I was dozing off when I heard Lauren scream.

"Stop the bus!" Lauren yelled at the bus driver.

He slammed on his breaks stopping the bus right in front of Benny's.

Lauren jumped off the bus and ran over to the restaurant. I chased after her.

"Lauren what the hell are you doing!" I asked her.

"We can't just leave it Ace."

"Well baby what do you want me to do? I can't pick up the restaurant and take it to Atlanta with us."

"But we can't leave it here! We have to do something. Ms. Evelyn wouldn't want it to close down."

I sighed scratched the back of my neck not sure what to do or say.

"Lauren it's nothing we can do. We can always come and visit."

She walked closer to me and got in my face. "This is Ms. Evelyn's restaurant. When her husband died she took over the place. Now Ms. Evelyn is dead don't you think we should take over."

"No. Just let it stay here."

She shook her head and rolled her eyes walking back on the bus.
*

*

*

Lauren

After spending one night in a hotel we were ready to go back home. We were currently sitting in the airport waiting for our plane.

Darwin wasn't speaking to anybody.

I cleared my throat. "So um have you planned a funeral?" I asked Darwin.

"She's being cremated." He said dryly.

"Oh." I said just deciding to keep quiet. The situation was already bad enough and I was just making it worse.

"The 10 o'clock plane to Atlanta Georgia is ready to be boarded." Someone came over the speaker and said.

"Let's go home guys."