GUARDIAN ANGEL » A. SMITH & K. POWERS

xvi.

Footsteps pounded against the carpet covered apartment hall floor as Elijah and Algee made their way towards Woody's place, their faces brighter with the happiness that came from the fun they just had. It was at rare time like these that for once in their lives, problems weren't weighed down on their shoulders. The pressure of trying to act like things was alright were more exhausting than facing the truth sometimes. Still, both men were just glad to have escaped reality for one day, even if they did fall down a few times.

Elijah was the first one to approach Woody's door, his hand on the knob while his face was turned to look over his shoulder at the slightly shorter male that couldn't stop laughing from an inside joke they made up when they were younger.

"And I still busted a nut after her dad walked in. Dude witnessed his daughter get turned into a twinkie." Elijah cackled, his free hand about to knock when the knob twisted under the accidentally turn he did from slapping his knees when laughing. His expression then screwed up in confusion, eyes glancing over towards Algee then back at the white apartment door that was now slightly open.

"You just have no remorse for anybody..." Algee's speech got quieter when he noticed the look of pure confusion written upon E's features. He rose an eyebrow, pointing to the door. "Ain't his door usually locked? Woody don't play that unlocked door shit. Scary ass be paranoid that a ghost in there with him."

"I don't hear any noise." Elijah at this point was nervous to where he didn't even want to walk through the door.

"I told yo' dumbass he probably sleep. Let's just wake him up and tell him that his door was unlocked so he can lock it after we leave."

Elijah reached a hand back, signaling Algee to shut up while slowing opening the door up. Algee stood back from the doorframe, propping himself up on his tiptoes to look over Eli's shoulder and through the small crack he had just made. The sudden quickness that followed after made Algee whip out his phone immediately.

"Wood! Wood, man, you good?!" Elijah was practically screaming at the top of his lungs, hoping his voice would make the unconscious male wake up.

"Slap him a couple of times! It works in the movies." Algee suggested, his attention then being drawn to the operator on the phone.

"How bout you do your job and I'll do mine?" Elijah laid Woody's head on the ground gently before rushing to the bathroom, grabbing a towel and wetting the end.

Algee's heart was racing out of control, his eyes wandering around to keep him from being emotional. There was no real sign of any life-threatening injuries, but when it's a close friend of yours, you're just too in shock to believe something like this would happen. Elijah jogged out the small room and started wiping across Woody's forehead, the back of his hand quickly getting rid of the single tear rolling down his cheek. E was the sensitive one of them, even though he comes off nowhere near it. After Keith's passing, he started blaming himself for not taking the gun from him when he first threatened to hurt Algee. He vowed that he'd try to help his brothers out more to avoid stuff like this.

"Thank you, please hurry." Algee hung up and went over to help E, his free hand rubbing his back to comfort him.

"Who would've did this, man? Out of all us to end up like this... I thought it'd be you, G." Elijah bluntly admitted, sadly laughing.