Fire & Desire // 21 Savage

XIII

M E R C E D E S

Anthony led us up to his apartment after he and I had an intense argument, he wanted them to take me home but I refused, and I threatened to call his mom, which I was not scared to do, Mrs. Jones and I were in fact still close as ever. That statement caused him to go into a Cursing rampage and then he eventually calmed down, he and I knew that the wrath of Mrs. Jones had no age limit

"Damn Aug, why did you bring her?!" He asked as we walked up the stairs to his apartment

"I didn't" August stated "But she's my sister, she's cool people"

"Not when she's your ex girlfriend" Anthony replied as he unlocked the front door and opening it. Anthony and I were dating for about almost two years before things started crashing down, yeah he was always a hustler and a thug but, it was maintainable, but after Cheyanne died it got crazier, I mean I guess that's the way he dealt with his baby sisters death, but I would've chose a different path, long story short, nobody could tell him nothing, he just became more deadly and madman, he killed a few people as I heard, but to me he was always Anthony Dayveon Jones, the class clown I fell in love with when I was in the ninth and he was in the eleventh, the one who saw the positive in every situation. My first love and who I gave my virginity to. He just got misguided and led down the wrong path, by the wrong people. This month made it 8 months since we broke up, I didn't know how much I missed him until I saw him, but it was too late now, I mean I will always have love for him, but I could never be with him in that way again.

As the door opened the strong scent of marijuana reeked through the door, immediately paralyzing me, I for one don't smoke, so this affected me way more than I did the others "It's one thing to smoke weed, but it's a whole nother level to be a pothead!" I yelled "Does it always smell like this?" I asked him

"Smell like what?" He asked, putting his keys on the key rack by the door and turning the lights on "I don't smell anything" He shrugged

"....Of course you don't" I said as I followed them into the house, closing and locking the door behind me.

"Goddamn!" Anthony yelled looking at August's face clearly in the light, his face told it all August for sure looks horrible, he started examining it for a couple seconds "Damn nigga, how you let them do you like that? Look like you just laid there and let them niggas fuck you up" he said going into the kitchen

"I didn't have a choice" August stated "it was seven of em"

"Damn" Anthony said with a hint of pity. "I told you about running these streets alone" he told him as he turned to look at Kodak and Yachty, getting a better look at them "Who these funny lookin niggas?" He asked pointing at them

"Oh shit" I mumbled

"Who you talkin bout homeboy?" Kodak said walking up to Anthony, sizing him up, even though he's much shorter than him, being that Anthony was 6'6

"Hol' up, who you think you is? Don't get shit twisted my nigga" Anthony said back to him as Kodak reached in his back pocket, for I don't know what.

I jumped up and got in between the two "That came out wrong" I said, knowing what both of these men were capable of, it was just best if they were on each other's good side. "Just walk away" I told Kodak, as he was still looking up at Anthony, he soon nodded and walked back to the stool he was sitting in

"That's Kodak" August said "Don't worry about him, he's cool"

Anthony gave Kodak one more dissatisfying look and turned around and went into his refrigerator "Why did they jump you?" He asked August as he pulled out a case of beer and throwing it on the counter, making it land with a huge 'thud' noise, grabbing everyone's attention in the room. This was not how Mrs. Jones raised her kids, I have no idea where Anthony got this behavior from, but it was heart breaking to see. I looked over at Kodak to see him looking highly annoyed and at Yachty to see him looking uncomfortable, I would too if I went into a home that reeked of weed and occupied by a grown man that called me a "funny lookin nigga" I got up and walked over to sit in between Yachty and Kodak, I laid my head on Yachty's shoulder, just to make him feel at home.

"Man I told you over the phone" August said, readjusting himself in his seat

Anthony made his way from the kitchen and back over to where we were, "Nigga I was high as hell" he stated taking a seat and using the edge of the counter to open the bottle top to his beer "Tell me again"

"Remember that money you gave me?" He asked "For that loud"

Anthony nodded as he took a sip of his drink

"Well, I gave it to Man Man and he gave me the weed, I was gonna wait later this week to give it to you but I thought today would be better, Damn" August explained, Anger building in his voice "Man Man's boys saw me and jumped me"

"Are you sure it was Man's boys!" Anthony asked

"Yeah" August said "I noticed one from the party, what's his name... Treyvon, after we had that meeting he kept trying to talk me into givin him that loud"

"Ight" Anthony said in a threatening tone, he sat his beer down on the counter and walked into the back

"What his he doing!?" I asked August, quickly lifting my head off Yachty's shoulder

He shrugged "I don't know" he said, absent minded, he just stared at the wall ahead of him

Anthony just then came back "Ready to go?" He asked August, adjusting his clothes, I didn't hear the toilet flush or the sink run, so why did he go back there?

"Go where?" I quickly intervened

August stood up from his seat to go follow Anthony, I quickly put the pieces together and stood up running after them, there was no way I'd let either one of them go out there and get hurt and more importantly killed, Walter and Mrs. Jones didn't deserve that. Especially Mrs. Jones, One of her Children already was already gone to the streets, i was not about to let her one and only child left living go out and do the same, it wouldn't be fair to her. And after all the shit I heard about Anthony I wouldn't put anything past him, as much as I wanted to not believe what was said and to believe that he was still that sweet,deep dimpled, funny comedian boy that I've known since I was five, and fell in love with when I was fourteen, but it wasn't like that anymore, Anthony Jones was a stone cold thug.

I stood in front of the door, blocking it "Go where?" I insisted more harshly

"Mercedes, move" Anthony commanded as I folded my arms, looking up at him with attitude

"Come on, Cedes" August said tiredly

I still stood there, knowing I was physically able to be thrown over either one of their shoulders and moved out of the way, but I still stood my ground.

"No! I'm not about to move so y'all can go out there and get yourselves killed, Ant, why are you doing this!?" I asked Anthony, this was the first time I'd let him see me get emotional, I was hoping it was enough for him to turn around. His face softened. "This isn't the life you have to live, look I'm sorry if I wasn't the best encouraging girlfriend that you wanted but I'm telling you what I should have a long time ago, you need to stop, take a breather and calm down, think about your mother, she only had two kids, and one of them is dead" I said as his face turned back mad "I'm pretty sure she wouldn't want her only living child gone to the streets too, I mean what would your sister think?" I asked

He sucked his teeth and looked down at me "Are you done?" He asked "Look, Cheyanne ain't here no more" he replied as he pushed past me

August started to pass me too until I grabbed his arm "Be smart, Aug" I told him as he looked at me

"Look babygirl, being smart stopped being a option a long time ago" August said as he walked out the door.

____________________________________

Things just got real, what do you think is gonna happen?

Thoughts on Anthony

Thoughts on August getting jumped