Streets and Sheets: The B Side

1.Im Trying

Aug. 1, 2019
Deontay

•••

I sat in the car waiting for Jas. Eight o'clock was the normal time that she started packing up. The Greenville community meant the world to Jas as well as the kids who attended her after school program. It was all she talked about especially since she spent A lot of her time there is a teen. While I spent my time slanging dope Jas was doing the exact opposite.

In between our short relationship with Lacey I was able to understand her passion for the hood. On top of that, since moving in together I began feeling like we could work. I was careful not to jump into it because I also thought Lacey and I could work and that went badly. She never brought up Lacey or anything else from my past but she did hate E. She knew that E held a space in my heart as her ex Tyson did in hers. Tyson had been in jail for quite some time but would be out soon. He had all the time in the would to think about Jas while doing someone else's bid. Our first night breaking in the new house she told me all about him as if I didn't already know. She opened up to me just enough to let me know that she had her guard up. But when I realized I was a ready to break down on those walls I knew we could work.

I began to show her in the little ways that she can depend on me. Starting off by dropping her off and picking her up from work. Even though she drove she felt like the bus was better. She knew her way around the city but I'll be damned if she is traveling by herself all times of the night. Sure, she is valid in the streets and people loved her but now that we are together anything was possible.

Time was ticking and as I took a break from scrolling through my various timelines on my phone a call came through. Kev and I have been boys just ask long as Sloane and I were. I already knew it was about some action. Even though we tremendously reduced our roles in the  business we stepped in from time to time. Becoming landlords of the majority of the city's independent apartment buildings paid the bills but there's nothing like moving weight. The money was good but the  adrenaline rush was even better.

"Yo." I picked up, checking my surroundings. The sun set as I watched parents pick up their children and listened to Kev.

"We set for tonight. I know you won't be on the block because of ole girl." I kept Jas out of what Kevin and I did because she was completely against it. To keep things low we slowed down the rate of which our product moved which kept Jas and the feds off my ass. Not to mention, using the basements of some of our buildings was a bit safer. It also cut out how much I had to lie. I could tell Jas I was going to check in on some of the tenants and keep up with the product at the same time.

"Yo ass shouldn't be on the block either. We are done with that. You need a reminder?" The more we frequented our old spots the easier it is for all of our hard work to go to waste. One slip up through word of mouth and we are done.

"We have a quarter of a million coming our way and you wanna be laid up?"

"You just make sure tonight goes well. I'll meet you at the spot." I let his comment slide. I had finally begun growing up but I can't say the same for my friends.

"1 am." He reminded me of the time. He was beginning to remind me of Ice now that we were getting more money. The multiple streams of income was going to his head.

"And don't be late." I reminded him. I knew him too well. He will have fallen in some pussy and thrown everything off. It has happened once before and I was positive it could happen again.