Shut Up & Listen

Reality Check

Dame
It's been a pretty chill ride so far. We got about 4 hours left. We rotated drivers twice already. Cobe and Cecil jr are up front now leaving me and Cole in the back to sleep, but Cole isn't sleeping.

"Damn she move on fast" Cole says under his breath with his eyes glued to his phone. I look over to see that he's on Instagram.

"Who?"

"Jill" He says scrolling through his feed way too fast to even see anything. I know this nigga ain't mad. I roll my eyes and suck my teeth.

"Why you mad tho? Yal ain't been together for a while..."

"Yeah but..." he gives me a look reminding me of our conversation earlier. They fucked yesterday.

"Okay and?" I question him. I'm not even gone cap witchu, the conversation I had with CJ is still fresh on my mental. This boy thinks the world revolves around him.

"I'm just saying... that shit was quick right?"

"It ain't a new thing homie... they been kickin it for a good minute now." I say watching him for a response. I know I'm petty for telling him, but he going to have to learn that the world does not start and stop with him.

He sucks his teeth cocking his head sideways at me. "Nigga, how would you know?"

"She be having him on Snap nigga... all the time." I say nonchalantly.

"Ion even be seein her Snaps tho... you think she-"

"Blocked you? Ha, hell yeah nigga. You crazy as hell." I look at him with a smirk on my face. He need to lighten the fuck up. I know he got a lot going on and shit, but damn.... this nigga be on pins and needles 24/7.

"Ha ha fuck you nigga. Lemme see yo phone." He looks at me not smiling at all. He's dead serious.

"Ha ha no. You ain't stalking her on my phone. Grow the fuck up."

"Fuck you Dame. Shit, I'm just trying to see what you talking about." I roll my eyes at his attitude.

"How long they been together?"

"Ion know but she started posting him like a month ago"

"So she cheated on him? With ME?" He says with this goofy ass grin on his face. "Damn, he can't be that good then." He busts out laughing. I laugh with him and dap him up. He childish as hell for that one but this literally the first time that I've heard him laugh since I got here, so imma let him have his moment.

"Shit! I gotta piss and I'm hungry as hell!" He yells to the front. If it was anybody but Cobe driving he would've asked straight forward and politely when the next stop was. But they been bickering and shit since earlier. Ion know what they talked about when they got out the car yesterday, but Cole still pissed about it and he hold grudges like a muh fucka.

"Aye, you can chill all that shit out C. This ain't driving miss Daisy up here nigga. If you got a question for me, ask that shit." Cobe responds in his usual chill ass voice. This nigga don't get heated often, I like that he can keep it cool.

Cole rolls his eyes and goes back to his phone scrolling through his twitter feed. " I'll just wait til we stop to switch out then."

"Aht aht... you ain't getting behind the wheel of MY truck nigga." Everybody stops what they're doing and looks at each other. Cobe is unbothered but Cole is getting heated and me and Cecil make eye contact just confused.

"Ain't you tired bro? Cole the only one who ain't drove yet" Cecil asks him.

"I'm tired as hell but that Nigga ain't bout to fuck my shit up."

"What you talking about man." I ask him, defending Cole. He ain't ever been in no wreck, that I know of.

"OH MY GOD" he drags out. "Why yal actin like this nigga ain't swallow damn near a whole bottle of them shits since we been on the road...." he yells getting irritated.

Cole's mouth is wide open at this point. He's defenseless against Cobe's claims making me believe that it's true. He swipes his hand from his forehead to the back of his head and turns his nose up at Cole. He's heated and Cecil and I are just watching it play out for the time being. He's clenching his jaw to the point where I can hear him grinding his teeth. Yeah, he gotta be on something.

"You know what, fuck you Cobe. I don't want to drive yo shit anyway, damn." He says calmly. Nah, he trying to act like this shit ain't bothering him.

"Aye Cole, let me see yo bag, bruh." I can see Cobe watching us through the rear view mirror. Cole is trying to ignore me by looking out the window. Cobe told me he had a suspicion that he been getting high on pills but he wasn't for sure. He must be sure now for him to put Cole on blast like that. I just hope it ain't true.

"It ain't in his bag, it's in his pocket." I look at Cobe with a face because he riding my bro a little too hard right now. But I reach over a place my hand on Cole pocket. I look at him. When he doesn't move away or push my hand, I accept that as permission to go into his pocket. I feel around and pull out a small baggie with an assortment of pills in it. I look at the bag in disbelief and look back at him to see tears rolling down his cheek. He's still looking out the window. My mind suddenly runs back to what he said earlier, "Getting high off the shit that killed my daddy". It keeps playing over and over in my head. Cobe has given him enough shit for it already, so I just grab his hand and keep quiet.  My boy been begging for help and ain't no of us been hearing him. Shit.

The car is quiet besides the music playing. This Phora joint comes on and it shifts the energy in the atmosphere. It low key breaks my heart.

After about thirty minutes or so, we're exiting the interstate and pulling into a Truck stop. Usually we wouldn't stop at a place like this being that it's the middle of the night, we're black men, and we're in the south, but there was nothing else coming up for at least an hour.

Fake Smiles -Phora