by Tysha
“That ride is clean as hell. Man, look at the rims on it.” Quincy beamed with interest. He walked around the car as if he were a customer at a car dealership. It took great restraint for him not to run his hand alongside the classic automobile as he admired its detail.
“That joint is a beast.” Prince smiled. “I can see myself pushing this ride.”
“Hey, bro, speaking of rides, what did the shop say about yours?” Jayden looked his brother in the eyes and felt as if he were standing in front of a mirror. They both rocked Caesar haircuts. Their six o’clock shadow beards were outlined and trimmed to perfection. Even those who’d known them their entire lives would have had trouble telling them apart. Their mother, baby sister, and Quincy always knew which twin they were addressing. Even their girlfriends mistook them for one another from time to time.
“I don’t even want to talk about it. That bitch nigga is costing me a lot of money. The engine is shot and basically totaled out. I got my man checkin’ for me something like this joint right here. This Impala is clean as hell.” Prince followed Quincy, admiring the inside of the car. From their vantage point, it was obvious that the white leather was as soft as butter. They both wished the owner would appear and offer them a tour of his weekend toy.
“Have you seen him since that day?” Quincy assumed Raequan was in hiding since Prince hadn’t been arrested for murder.
“Hell no. That bitch is lucky I ain’t seen his ass. I’m a fuck that boy up when I catch up with his ass,” Prince fussed angrily.
Quincy regretted asking the question. When Prince started using bad grammar, he was mad and ready to pop off. Quincy had noticed that his Aunt Shy did the same thing.
“It’s almost ten; let’s get in here or we’ll never get on the court.” Jayden abruptly changed the subject. He heard the anger in his brother’s voice too.
“Cool, I’m ready,” Prince agreed in a calm voice.
They grabbed their gym bags and headed for the front entrance. Prince walked ahead of Jayden and Quincy when the walk sign signaled it was safe to cross the street. His attention was drawn to his phone when a text message came through. Prince assumed it was Monica again and opted to read it later. Quincy lagged behind a few steps Jayden. He had difficulty tearing himself away from the car. Like Prince, his cell alerted him to a new text. The message was cryptic and anonymous. It read: dis my perfect dream cum tru, who gon run to da rescue now? No signature was on the message and the number was blocked. Quincy figured someone sent it to him by accident and paid it no mind. That was a mistake. Even if he had made something of the text message, there was no way he could have prevented what happened next.
Prince reached the sidewalk with Jayden on his heels when the sound of screeching tires came out of nowhere. An old, beat-up dark-colored car flew around the street corner practically on two wheels. The car sped past them, barely missing Quincy. The driver never slowed down and quickly disappeared around the bend.
“What the fuck was that?” Quincy’s heart raced a mile a minute. There’s no doubt he would’ve been killed had the car hit him.
“Who the hell was that?”
Before Jayden could respond to Prince’s question, the same car came back at them from the opposite direction. The passenger’s arm was extended with gun in hand. Both he and the driver wore black masks over their faces. Gunshots rang out, scaring everyone within earshot.
“Get down!” Prince yelled.
Jayden and Quincy hit the ground together. Prince dove on top of them in an attempt to shield their bodies with his own. People were screaming and running for cover. It felt like forever before the shooter emptied his clip in their direction. Once it was over, Prince heard someone scream out in fear and agony.
“Are y’all straight?” Prince asked, out of breath. He stood up and noticed blood on his clothes, sending him into panic mode. “Jay! Q! Are you hit?” Prince’s question was met with silence at first. His heart was about to beat out of his chest.
“I’m straight, man. That was some shit.” Quincy got up from the ground.
Jayden lay at his brother’s feet in a pool of his own blood. He was unconscious and hit bad. Prince stood over his Jayden in shock. His mind told him to move but his body wouldn’t follow orders. Quincy fell to his knees in tears. He checked Jayden for a pulse.
“He’s still breathing. Prince, call 911,” Quincy ordered as he removed his shirt to help stop the blood. “Prince!” Quincy punched Prince in the leg. His attempt to snap Prince out of his daze worked. Prince pulled his cell out and dialed 911. After giving their location, the operator told Prince to apply pressure to the wounds and to cover his brother with a jacket or blanket to prevent him from going into shock. Once it hit him that Jayden had just been shot, Prince kneeled over him and begged God not to take his brother from him.
Quincy’s shirt soaked up the blood of the person he was closest to on earth. He was terrified for Jayden. Just the thought of losing his best friend terrified Quincy. The force behind his eyes pushed a rapid stream of tears down Quincy’s face. He’d never been so terrified in his entire life.
“Come on, cuz, fight, man, fight,” Quincy cried over Jayden.
“Hold on, li’l bro, they coming. We got you, Jay, don’t you let go,” Prince begged through sorrow and fear in his heart. He had been there before. Prince was reliving the entire scene with their father all over again. He was that ten-year-old boy holding his dying hero in his arms. Fear caused his body to seize up on him. “Jayden, I got you, man. I got you.” Prince heard the sirens in the distance minutes after the emergency call was placed. The police station was only three blocks up the street and the hospital was five minutes away. Help reached them quickly.
“Sir, let me get to him please.” The voice came from a female emergency response worker. She gently placed her hand on Quincy’s shoulder when she spoke. “I’ll take care of him, I promise.” Quincy rose to his feet and helped Prince do the same. They held on to each other for dear life, both frightened beyond belief. Prince and Quincy watched as Jayden was loaded into the back of an ambulance with a portable heart monitor, oxygen machine, and IVs attached to his fragile body.
“Excuse me, sir, are you hurt?” An officer directed his question to Quincy. Blood was running down his left arm. Quincy was so focused on Jayden that he hadn’t realized he’d been hit. One of the bullets had gone straight into his bicep. Quincy was in shock, oblivious to the pain. “It looks like you were wounded as well. Why don’t you let them stop the bleeding before we get you to the hospital, okay?”
Prince’s heart dropped when he saw that Quincy had also been shot. How did a morning of haircuts and basketball turn into gunshots and hospitals? Nothing made any sense to Prince. At that moment, all he knew was his cousin needed help and his identical twin brother might die. He felt so alone. Prince knew he had a duty to take care of both his brother and cousin. Being the oldest of the three, it had been his responsibility to look out for them since they were little boys. It was an obligation he took seriously.
“No, I’m fine,” Quincy barked at the officer.
“Q, just let them stop you from bleeding and then we’ll go straight to the hospital. I gotta know that you’re okay, man, please,” Prince said, near tears. He took a deep breath trying to contain himself. If he was strong, Quincy would be too. Prince prayed he had it in him to be strong enough for Quincy. What he felt inside didn’t matter.
“Can I ask you some questions while they get him patched up?” the young police officer requested of Prince.
Prince snarled at the man. He had nothing to say to him or any other cop. Experience had taught him they were not to be trusted. They all carried a license to kill without any accountability. The streets would spit up the shooter’s name soon enough. When it did, Prince would serve his own brand of justice.
“All that’s gonna have to wait. My brother needs me as soon as possible, I can feel him,” Prince said defiantly. “If they’re done with my cousin, we need to go up the hill.
I’m sure you’ll follow us anyway.” Prince walked around the officer toward Quincy. It was taking longer than it should have to stop a flesh wound from bleeding. Another bad feeling washed over Prince. Quincy’s situation was more serious than the emergency workers first thought. There was a bullet still in his arm. He would probably require surgery. Prince took the news in stride. His demeanor seemed robotic, void of any emotion. “Can I drive my cousin to the hospital?”
The EMT started to protest but she could see that Prince was on the verge of losing it. Being an identical twin herself, she understood the bond the brothers shared. She knew the young man before her was doing his best to be resilient in the face of a traumatic event. Her heart went out to both Prince and Quincy.
“That will be fine. My partner and I will meet you at the emergency entrance.”
“Quincy, let’s go see about Jay and get you right,” Prince said gently as he led his little cousin away.
Shy stood in the middle of the walk-in closet agonizing over which pair of jeans to wear with what top. She had under an hour to make her decision and get dressed. Her date was expected at noon and Shy didn’t want to make a bad impression by not being ready when he arrived. Shy owned at least fifty pairs of jeans, some still had price tags, but not one pair seemed right for a simple lunch date.
“Miss Shy, you aren’t dressed yet?” Brianna giggled. She took a seat on the bench in front of the bed.
“I don’t have anything to wear.” Shy sighed.
“What?” Brianna was in disbelief. The closet looked as if it would explode if another piece of clothing was stuffed into it. Shy owned so many shoes that she could’ve opened a shoe store. “Miss Shy, I can’t believe you. Most of this stuff hasn’t been worn, the price tags are still on them.” Brianna looked around and decided to take matters into her own hands. “You have a seat, let me find something cute.”
Shy left the closet feeling flustered. She usually wasn’t so indecisive. Her nervousness was a surprise to her. Shy was always a confident woman and seldom made to feel uncomfortable or insecure. For some reason, it was important that she made a good impression on Karl. She looked forward to spending time with him and wanted to look her best.
“Here you go, Miss Shy. This pair of dark denim 7 jeans will go perfect with this Baby Phat powder-pink tube top and these Jessica Simpson pink heels. I know the shoes are a bolder shade of pink, but trust me, it works,” Brianna explained with confidence in her choice. She held up the clothes for Shy to visualize herself in it. “Or, if you don’t want to show off your curves, you can go with this white linen maxi dress and your royal purple flats from Bakers with the matching hobo bag. What do you think?”
“I think you should’ve been up here dressing me an hour ago.” Shy laughed. Shy picked the maxi dress for comfort. It was hot outside and a lady does not like to perspire, especially in the presence of a man.
“Good pick, now get moving. You got about twenty minutes to get dressed and do your makeup. Good thing your hair is braided up for the summer. Just pull your micros up into a ponytail and you’ll be good to go,” Brianna instructed as she headed for the door. She wanted to give Shy privacy, plus she needed to check on Princess. Brianna was babysitting while Shy went to lunch. Princess was very talkative but never gave Brianna, or Monica, any grief when they sat for her. The twins were like big sisters to Princess.
Brianna found Princess stretched out across her bed watching the Nick Jr. channel. Her brothers and their girlfriends had treated her to Cedar Point Amusement Park the day before and Princess was still tired. She had the time of her life riding rides, eating junk, and running around. It was the five hours they spent at the waterpark that had Princess relaxing the day away.
“Hey, baby girl, you all right?” Brianna asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine, Bri,” Princess answered slowly. Her attention remained on the television show.
“Okay, I’m downstairs if you need me.” Brianna laughed.
Shy was finally dressed and ready for her date. The doorbell chimed as she descended the stairs. “I’ll get it, Bri.” Shy opened the door and was surprised by a bouquet of white lilies. She was impressed. Karl had just proven himself to be a gentleman. “Come on in,” Shy said, welcoming him with a smile. She smelled his Unforgiveable cologne by Sean John when he passed by her. He looked sexy in his crisp white Sean John T-shirt and blue jeans. Shy admired how groomed and put together Karl was.
“These are for you, Miss Lady. What a coincidence, they match that dress you’re wearing so well,” Karl flirted.
“Thank you, Mr. Sexy Chocolate,” Shy flirted back with a wink of the eye and a sweet smile. “Karl, go in and make yourself comfortable while I put these in water. Jayden’s girlfriend Brianna is in there already,” Shy yelled over her shoulder as she went in search of a vase.
Karl watched Shy walk away and enjoyed the site. The way she swayed her hips turned him on. He found Brianna in the family room reading a book.
“Hi, I’m Karl and you must be Brianna.” Karl extended his hand as he walked toward Brianna.
“Yes, nice meeting you, Mr. Karl. Have a seat,” Brianna offered with a smile.
“Thank you. What are you reading?” Karl made small talk.
Before Brianna could answer the question, her cell phone rang. The caller ID read: My Heart.
“Excuse me, please, I have to answer this.”
Karl focused his attention on the television while Brianna took her call. It quickly became obvious that the caller was delivering some bad news. Tears exploded from Brianna’s eyes and her breath became short.
“Oh my God no,” Brianna cried. “I can’t tell her that.”
Karl hoped Brianna would be okay. Whatever it was appeared to be devastating. He called out for Shy. She would know how to help the young woman.
Shy walked into the room full of energy and anticipation. She was amped about spending the afternoon with Karl. Her upbeat demeanor immediately disappeared when she saw the look on Brianna’s face.
“What happened?” Shy asked, concerned. Brianna’s failure to answer gave Shy a bad feeling. “Is it the twins?” Shy held her breath and waited for Brianna to confirm the fear that took over her heart.
Brianna shook her head and continued to cry. Shy quickly grew impatient.
“What is it, Brianna?” Shy demanded.
“Miss Shy that was Prince. They’re at St. Elizabeth’s emergency room,” Brianna cried. She took in a deep breath before continuing. “Both Jayden and Quincy were shot. You have to get to the hospital. Jayden’s being rushed into emergency surgery. Quincy wasn’t hurt as bad.”
Shy couldn’t believe her ears. Brianna had to be joking. Why would anyone play such a horrible game with her? Her body wouldn’t follow her commands to move. Shy didn’t know what to do.
Karl saw Shy was in shock. He didn’t want to startle her and moved slowly toward her. With caution, Karl wrapped his arm around Shy’s waist and guided her to the couch. He sat between Shy and Brianna, holding both their hands for support.
“Shy, Shy, can you hear me?” Karl spoke just above a whisper. “Is your daughter in the house?” The mention of Princess jarred Shy out of her daze.
“Princess is upstairs. I don’t want her at the hospital worried about her brother and cousin. I’m sure Brianna wants to come with us to see about Jayden. Oh, my baby needs me.” Shy sobbed.
“Is there anybody I can call to come pick her up or to sit with her?” Karl suggested.
“Yeah, call Bossy from my phone. Tell her what’s happened and ask her to come get Princess for me. She’ll come right over.” The reality of the situation quickly set in on Shy. She went from shock to borderline panic mode in under a second. Shy jumped to her feet. There was no doubt Bossy would come right over but Shy couldn’t wait. She had to get to her son.
“Bri, baby, listen to me.” Shy kneeled in front of Brianna and wiped her tears away. “I know you love my son and that you’re scared. Please, try to calm do
wn. Jayden needs us both to be strong right now.”
Brianna fought to stop her tears from falling. Her heart felt like it was in her stomach. She loved Jayden with all of her heart and didn’t think she could go on without him in her life. Jayden was her anchor. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for him. Brianna knew Shy was right; she had to be strong. She said a quick prayer and tried to slow her breathing. Her attention was now focused on Shy.
“I’m going to leave for the hospital. You wait here for Bossy. When she gets here, have her drop you off at the hospital. I don’t want you driving like this. So you understand me?”
“Yes, ma’am, I do.” Brianna sniffed. “What about you? You can’t drive, Miss Shy.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to leave her alone. I’ll stay at the hospital with her. Everything will be okay,” Karl promised without reservation.
“Okay, I’m going to run up and kiss Baby Girl before I leave. Whatever you do, Brianna, do not tell her about what happened. I’ll do that myself after I know exactly what’s going on.”
Shy found Princess asleep. She gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek before going back downstairs.
“Karl, I’m ready to go. Take me to my baby.”
Chapter 28
Do unto Others Before They Do It to You
The shot to Quincy’s arm wasn’t as bad as initially thought. The bullet missed hitting any bone and was expected to heal quickly. Quincy was already in the recovery room and would be released into his parents care that night. He’d been stitched up, given antibiotics, and prescribed pain medication to take home. Prince wasn’t physically hurt but emotionally, he was shaken. He sat in the family waiting room, feeling anxious and afraid for Jayden and Quincy. All he knew was that Jayden required an operation that would take hours.
Shy and Karl arrived at the hospital to find Jayden had already been taken to surgery. A small amount of relief washed over Shy when she saw Prince and found out Quincy was going to be fine. That good news was hampered by Jayden’s absence, only confirming Shy’s fear of how bad the situation really was.