Page 38 of The Prodigy 2: Rise of a Queen

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Jakari

Iwasheadedhomefrom the barbershop when my phone rang. It was Bo, my other security. Will was with me, driving.

“What’s good, Bo?”

“I got a question for you, boss.”

“What’s up?”

“Am I supposed to listen to what Malika says? Like, am I working for her, too?”

“Why, what happened?”

“She called me up and told me she needs a guy Friday night. I guess she’s going out or something.”

Going out, huh? That had Jaz’s dizzy little fingerprints all over it.

“Yeah. It’s cool. If it’s coming from her, it’s coming from me.”

He sighed with relief. I guess he thought he was overstepping. “Alright, boss.”

“Yeah.”

Being back at the shop was strange after what happened. I’d been in plenty of fights before, and I’d shot two people and been shot at, but that was my first time getting hit. Will drove me around the back where nobody could see me, but it still felt eerie being there. The gravity of realizing I could have died that day, right in that place, was a lot to deal with. But I played it cool. Chopped it up with Tay and the other guys. Acted like nothing was wrong. Pretended like everything was great.

But the truth was that everything was all fucked up.

You know what wasn’t fucked up no more, though? My motherfuckin’ hairline. Tay hooked me up. Had a nigga lookin’ right again.

I chuckled when Will pulled into Eris’ driveway. There was Jaz’s Mercedes, right in my spot. Cool. I needed to holler at her ass anyway.

I walked in and found my siblings at the kitchen table eating. I walked up on Jaz and went to pop her in the head, but she dodged me.

“Don’t touch my head today, Kari. I ain’t in the mood.”

“What’s wrong with you?”

She looked from me to Eris, then back to me. “Everything is going wrong.”

That didn’t sound like her. Jaz didn’t really give a fuck about things…life, society, other peoples’ feelings. She was a butterfly, floating to and fro, looking pretty, doing nothing.

“Terio got hit with new charges.” Her eyes filled with tears. “He might not be coming home like I thought.”

Me and Eris exchanged a look. None of us had any love for that nigga at all, but Jaz loved his trifling ass.

I don’t know why she liked that hood shit. I mean, I guess you could say we were hood, but I would describe us more as street. Like, we wereinthe streets but notofthe streets. We kept our shit quiet as possible. Terio? That nigga wasalwaysin some shit. Fighting, drugs, hoes, beefs, legal drama…it was always something. And Jaz was always right there enjoying that shit. It’s like it gave her purpose or something.

“Well, listen, maybe it’s a sign for you to move on.” I sat across from her and leaned forward so that I had her full attention. “You can do better than him, for real. I might clown you, but you’re my little sister. I wanna see you with somebody that’s doing right by you.”

I also didn't wanna see her get caught up in some bullshit. Jaz mighta been a pretty butterfly, but she could turn into a fucking scorpion when she felt slighted.

Eris nodded. “Ain’t nothin’ wrong with bein’ single. You’re young. Just have a hot girls summer or whatever the fuck y’all be sayin’. It’s plenty of time for niggas.”

She sniffed. “I love him.”

Me and E rolled our eyes at the same time. “He fucked a stripper, Jaz.”

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