I'll Ride For You, Homie

t w e n t y - f i v e

December 27, 1999

Arique

"Hey sis," I greet Ericka as I walk in the living room of her house. Right after Darrin got to my crib, Delontae called and tried to let me know everything would be okay. After briefly speaking to me, he asked to speak with his brother since I told him he was over my place. Lord knows I want to throw a fit and just cry. But my need to have him out of jail is stronger.

With my suspicions of him being set up, I know I'm going to have to play loaded until I can talk to him about it. I don't want to alarm anyone of anything until I can see where his head is at. He didn't even know that those bricks were in his trunk.

"I just put them kids to sleep." She laughs. "But what's up, Bubba, what y'all doin' over here so late?" She walks over to give me and Psych a hug.

"What up, Ericka." Psych greets her.

"Delontae got locked up." I tell her, straight to the point.

She busts out laughing like I told a joke or something. "Stop playing. I talked to him a few hours ago." She waves me off sitting down on the couch.

"Okay, but a lot can happen in a few hours." I say with more attitude than I intended to.

"So why hasn't he called me from jail or nothing if it's been a few hours?" She asks sassily.

Because he used his one free call, to call me. "Because they trippin' down at the station, sis."

"Again, how I know that? You could be in cahoots with him trying to play."

"What nigga's you know play like this, Bookie?" I start getting fed up. "The laws got him as he was leavin' my apartments."

"Are you serious?" She asks, slowly catching on to the fact that I'm not playing.

"Wow. Being slow must be a genetic thing." I hear Psych mumble.

"Shut up," Ericka and I grumble at the same time.

"Naw. Y'all slow asses is over dramatizing shit. Smutt is in jail and we need you to unlock the door to the study so we can contact the lawyer he got on retainer." Psych says irritable.

"You ain't have to be mean about it." Ericka says getting up to make her way toward her bedroom. "Dick," she mumbles under her breath.

"Yeah, I did. Yo' teedy was jus' finna bless my shit, but her cock-blockin' ass son called. Then you two decide to join the Special Forces- and by special I mean ed- and be dramatic like we in a movie. Shit simple as fuck, and y'all tryna make it harder than my dick." Psych talks his shit, with his mad ass. "Look at her retarded ass still standin' here."

"Fuck you, Darrin." She laughs him off before continuing to her bedroom.

"Well excuse us because we care about yo' brother and want him out." I tell him rolling my eyes. I decide to ignore the other shit he said.

"Naw, bro." He shakes his head with his hand raised in intercession, "if y'all wanted that man out, y'all wouldn't be sittin' here goin' back and forth over bullshit. First thang her ass shoulda done was hop up and get his lawyer info, so dude can figure out what's going on." I guess he's annoyed for real.

"Darrin don't be mad because we're new to this and you're true to this." Ericka rolls her eyes walking back in the living room with a set of keys.

"Naw, yo ass new to this." He says before jutting a thumb in my direction, "this man done been locked up before and knows how shit go." He says before retracting his statement. "Ne'mind. His sped ass prolly depended on y'all grandparents the whole time."