Page 19 of Adonis Gates
I abandoned my task and stalked in their direction. I didn’t mind my brother talking and mingling with the people from our hood because they’d all watched him grow up, but I wasn’t allowing Brock’s grimy ass nowhere near him.
“AP, take that ice to Ms. Alice.” I instructed when I neared them. “Y’all take y’all lil’ asses on too.” I tossed my thumb backas I talked to his homeboys. Brock wasn’t the kind of influence any child needed. He was fuck boy 101.
“Knew big mama wasn’t too far behind.” He smirked and so did I.
“That’s cool because I gotbighands,bigguns withbigbullets, and all that forbigmouth bitches too. But you know that. See you still nursing that broken nose.”
His smile dropped as he hopped down from his trunk. I whipped my pistol from my back quickly, pointing it at him.
“Fireworks ain’t ‘til later, but you know I don’t mind lightin’ yo’ bitch ass up right now if you’re that eager.”
“Adonis!” Jruelle’s fine ass rounded his car with her sister and their friend behind her. I hadn’t even seen her pretty ass. “There are children out here! Put that gun away!”
“Mind yo’ fucking business, Jru!” Brock snapped.
“She is.” I smirked, tucking my gun away but only becausesheasked me to. “What’s up, Jru. Geri, Cam.”
“Hey, Don.” Her sister and friend sang in unison like they always did. It was like they rehearsed the shit.
“You not gon’ speak, Jru?”
“Naw, she not.” Brock’s bitch ass stepped in front of her. “She don’t speak to nobody unless I tell her to.”
“Yeah?” I grinned, tilting my head to the side. “That true, Jruelle?”
“Why you keep speakin’ to her, nigga?” Brock snapped, backing up because he knew better than to take another step toward me.
“Because I can, and because yo’ girl love the sound of my voice.” I grinned using Jru’s words.
I knew she probably felt a way because we were using her as a pawn in a sense, but I’d apologize about the shit later. I was sick of Brock’s bitch ass, and I was done letting him mistreat her. I’d run into them more in the last few weeks than I had in years,and to me that was a sign, so I was acting on it. Jru didn’t belong with a nigga like Brock. He ain’t know that to do with a woman as good as Jruelle, so I was gon’ show the nigga how it was done.
He scoffed. “She don’t think about yo’ ass.”
“Oh, she do more than think.” I grinned.
“Adonis!” Jru screeched. “Derrick, y’all need to stop this!”
“Nigga, you thinkyoucan take my b—my girl?” He quickly caught himself because I was crashing his ass for any disrespect. “Of all people,” he chuckled. “You?”
I allowed my gaze to drop to Jru for a second. She looked both nervous and eager as she waited to see what my response would be. Smirking, I tore my eyes from her and focused my attention on Brock’s goofy ass.
“Take her?” I chuckled a little. “Naw, it ain’t about takin’ her,” I shook my head, focusing my gaze on Jru so she’d know that my words were really meant for her. “It’s about her finally lettin’ herself have what she always wanted. I don’t gotta pull her away from you, my nigga. All I gotta do is show her she deserves better, and she’ll walk to me on her own.” I took the few steps to close the distance between us so I could speak directly to him this time. “And when I do get her, all she gon’ remember in terms ofDerrick, is how fuckin’ easy you made the shit for me.” I stepped back, smiling wider. “Y’all enjoy the festivities and stay the fuck away from my brother.”
I winked at Jru before I turned to leave them there. I could hear Brock talking shit in the distance, but I kept it moving. As long as he didn’t let me witness no disrespect, I was gon’ let his hoe ass make it.
When twelve hit, the party finally started. Everyone was cooking, drinking, playing, and having a good ass time. I let my brother talk me into punishing him and his lil’ homeboys on the court. I had the opportunity to get a full ride scholarship to hoopbefore my mama was killed, but I obviously turned that shit down after she passed because my brother needed me.
Once I whooped the youngin’s on the court, Zig came over wanting to shoot for money. He knew that I was official on the court, and my jump shot was lethal, but if he wanted to lose his money I wasn’t gon’ stop him.
“Hunnid dollars a ball.” I said tossing a bill on the ground.
“Okay nigga,” he laughed, laying his bill on top of mine. “And get yo’ ass back. You too close.”
I was already about five feet from the three-point line, the nigga damn near wanted me at half court, but that was cool because I was gon’ cash out regardless.
I dribbled the ball three times before glancing at the hoop briefly and shooting, easily sinking the three-point shot. Zig playfully bumped me out of the way to take the same shot, only he missed it. I laughed and scooped the bread up. We went back and forth for a minute, me taking his money was as easy as taking candy from a baby. A few others joined in and lost their money too before they asked to switch to a game of 21. I needed a break, so I took a seat and let them run the first game without me.
I peeped Jru and her people watching from the distance, so I grabbed my phone to text her.