Coulda been

11|ta'Eddies

"Melanie stop talking!"
That isn't very nice. I thought to myself as I continued to blabber in Frost's ear,I could tell how angry he was from the way his ears turned red and his knuckles turned white in the steering wheel.
"I demand the meal I was promised before I came out here!"
"Black Jesus!" Tangerine groaned in slow motion,bringing his hands up to cover his ears.
Frost took a sharp turn on the curb,throwing a middle finger at the drivers beeping behind him and he parked the car in the spot nearest to the entrance.

ta'Eddies was full and viby,urban lights and retro diner designs all over the place. Hakeem showed us to our table and almost snarled at me when his eyes met Devon's arm around my shoulders.
"Hi."
"Welcome to ta'Eddies can I take your order?" He wouldn't even glance at me,I guess he was still mad about Kyrie then...
"Hakeem-"
"Please don't, I'm working."
"You know this guy?" Devon asked,staring back and forth between us,"this guy is my brother." Midnight came through just in time with that "huh,you don't say" I was starting to think he was addicted to the word.

After he took everybody's orders,I spotted Hakeem in the back of the restaurant near the restrooms sweeping and cleaning some of the tables back there,I walked over slowly,body freezing when he cast his dark eyes over me,an exasperated sigh leaving his lips as he raised a questioning brow.
"I..I wanted to apologize"
"For what?"
"For making you leave that day-i just- I wanted to see for myself how good he was at lying,I know it was wrong of me to make you leave me right after an anxiety attack and I'm so sorry." He stared at me,and the distaste in his eyes melted into something more-worry and fear,fear of loosing me to a man before he lost me to cancer.
He wrapped his arms around me,his wet hands matting my hair to the sides of my face and I snorted,unexpected tears falling from my eyes.
"I was sooo worried about you,I didn't even know if you were alive since you wouldn't take any of my calls-I thought I'd lost you..."
I know...you almost did.

I walked out of the restroom just in time to watch Kyrie and his friends walk through the door,sitting in the booth behind ours. I thought I was dying,skin itching unbelievably,eyes bloodshot red with a constricting chest. He looked hot! Awooga!I'd eat that. A white graphic tee stuck  neatly to his chest,tight skinny black skinny jeans topped off with black combat boots and a fro for daaaays.
"Aye man you looking fly."
"You know it don't get mo'betta!" He laughed,throwing a peace sign at the waiter before taking the menu from him.

I caught Hakeem's eye from the corner of my eye and waved,moving over to seat between Frost and Devon,they both gave me a once over,then nodded before handing my plate over to me.

We ate in comfortable silence,my high slowly wearing off and the weight of having him sit right behind me raising my nerves slowly but surely. If I knew this nigga as well as I thought I did,he'd seen me and he was finna make his final mark on me at the most unexpected moment. I had a few more cups of punch-and by a few I mean 6.

"Melanie? Lil' mama I'm so happy to see ya,can we step outside and talk?" Just as we made our way to the entrance,Kyrie grabbed my arm as I passed and I swear I almost bit it off. I hissed, tearing my arm from his grasp screeching to a stop at the words he spew while he patted the top of his hair,"don't overreact ma." Devon tried to pull me to him,but I slipped out of his grasp and took the chilli sauce on the table,pointing the mouth at him,"for a ho,you sure are clueless about women.Never.Tell.A.Woman.They're.Overreacting!" I spilled the sauce all over his face,trying to grab onto his collar when everything went white.
It was quite,and I raised my hands in front of my face but I couldn't see.
"What tha- weh mama(lil mama)! Shit burns!" Kyrie's voice was distant,like I'd been jerked right out of my body and into my mind,where everything was so bright,I couldn't fuckin see!

I felt someone carry me out of a vehicle,running into some building that smelled very sterile,the smell of drugs high in the air and a wave of nostalgia hit me-it smelled like my room. But this wasn't it-my room didn't have beeping sounds and crying babies. "Help! she can't see!" Whoever was carrying me yelled,my body being dropped onto what I assumed to be a bed. A bright light was flashed  and a few drops of serum were dropped into my eyes before some drips were stuck into my wrists. "Uhm,guys...I'm gonna need you to give me the contact number of a guardian or parent before you head home." The voice sounded feminine and gentle,her hand stroking my forehead as I drifted to sleep-dang these!
"No!please-dont call my parents...I snuck out and I got drunk and now I'm blind, momma's finna slit my throat and bury me in the backyard if you tell her-please!" I begged,reaching my arms in her general direction and I heard her chuckle but when she let out an "alright,but we're calling them in the morning."
I heard some shuffling,and they all kissed my cheek before leaving. After the light was switched off,I heard Hakeem whisper,"I'm here incase you get nightmares okay?" I nodded,tears slipping from my eyes as I scooted over-him crowding me with the scent of gingerbread cookies and home-a home I once knew.
"Hakeem..."
"Did-is-Kyrie?"
"He's alright,just won't be able to see for a few days...I should've strangled the man whore outta him!" He whispered harshly,settling when I pulled my knees to my chest and held myself there,crying at the thought that once again,we were doing something I'd probably never get to do again.