Lovin' Harlem

Ch. 28

The next day, Nicki woke up before me. She wasn't in the bed and she wasn't in the bathroom. At first I brushed it off but something in the pit of my stomach made me sit down with my hands covering my stomach. Something didn't feel right. I searched under the pillow for my phone and tossed back the covers to find it on the other side of the bed. It was dead. I plugged the charger in quickly and waited for the phone to turn on. While I waited, I paced back and forth feeling sick to my stomach. The feeling in my stomach traveled up to my chest and gave me an overwhelming urge to throw up. But why? What the fuck was goin' on? Almost as soon as the phone turned on, it started ringing. I ran back to the bed and answered it quickly. It was Nicki.

                                "Yo, you good ma? Where you at?"

                                "Terrell baby...I fucked up. I was just goin' to the..." Nicki's voice trailed off as I heard the walkie talkie of what sounded like a police officer. My stomach dropped. I sat with my back straight and eyes trained ahead. What the fuck was going on?

                                "Please turn the car off and step out of the vehicle ma'am." I heard the man say. My hands began shaking and I didn't even bother checking my phone to see who was calling. Nicki was quiet for a few seconds. The lack of air to my lungs was quickly giving me a headache.

                                "Requesting back up,"

                                "Terrell, I'll call you when I get my phone call. Get my sister for me please." Nicki said into the phone quickly. I heard her clear her throat and then she spoke again.

                                "I know I got a way with timin' and you really ain't gotta say it back but I love you Terrell. Get my sister please," the phone call ended before I could tell her I love her too. Nicki was going to jail and I don't even know how. I closed my mouth and looked at the phone blankly. What the fuck just happened?

*****

                To say Marisol flipped out after I told her Nicki got arrested was an understatement. It was like she turned into a completely different person. Even her eyes looked like they changed and they held a more sinister look now. We packed our things up and checked out of the motel a little after noon despite not needing to leave for another two days. That didn't matter, we couldn't stay here anymore. Not with Nicki sitting in jail. It felt like Marisol and I would be waiting forever for Nicki to call.

                                "I'll turn myself in. Nicki didn't kill that cop, I did. I can't let her do that time." Marisol wiped her eyes and stared straight ahead. It was bone chilling scary at how much they looked alike. She was just as gorgeous but her features weren't as soft as Nicki's. As much as they favored one another though, they were so different.

                                "To be honest...I don't even..." I was cut off by Marisol's phone ringing. She answered it right away and squealed with a head nod to confirm it was Nicki. I sighed and closed my eyes. It hadn't really sunk in until now. Nicki really got arrested.

                                "Nicki? What happened? Tell me everything and don't stop until you're finished," Marisol demanded as she put the phone on speaker. Just hearing Nicki's voice made me feel some type of way. My hands shook nervously.

                                "They pulled me over for not stoppin' at a stop sign completely. Searched my bag and found the gun and after that, they ran my name and saw I got a warrant in Winston. So I called Terrell and told him to call you."