"Yeah pops I'ma be back up there tomorrow. I just got back home." Amari held his phone between his ear and his shoulder while carrying grocery bags in both of his hands.

"Alright then, I love you. You stay up, you hear?"

"I hear you. I love you more. Get some sleep, aight?" Amari and his grandfather talked for a few seconds longer before ending the call, and he dropped all of the bags on the kitchen floor with a heavy breath pushing through his lips. Carrying sixteen bags up the stairs was not for the weak.

He went to go sit on the couch to catch his breath and pulled out his phone again to occupy his mind. The first thing he checked was his Bank of America app to see if the deposit he put in last night had finally updated, and he was glad to see that the balance was just what he thought it would be.

Over the last few days, Amari made a lot more money than he expected by going out of his normal perimeters. He now had enough to go put a down payment on a car but he wouldn't go do that until tomorrow. It was already seven in the evening so all the lots were closed and plus, he had a party to get ready for.

The block party taking place in O Block tonight had been the talk on the streets since it was spontaneously planned a couple of days ago. When everybody came together and acted like they had some sense, south Chicago could throw the best parties. It was always good food, good music, and sometimes even a few celebrities from the city would pop out.

People were already gathering outside since it was supposed to start in a couple of minutes but Amari wouldn't be going out until the sun went down in an hour; cons of having gang relations. He was always uncomfortable if he could he easily spotted in a crowd of people, so night time was the best time for him to come out.

He yawned to himself as he finally began to put the groceries up, stocking up the empty kitchen. He didn't know what his mother had been eating since he'd been locked up but it couldn't be much. There was literally no food in here. She had to be frequently eating out or something.

Amari didn't really know how to grocery shop so he mostly got a bunch of snacks for himself because not only did he have a sweet tooth, but those after-high munchies got to him at least twice a day. Hell, he was high and hungry right now.

While a Totino's combination pizza cooked in the oven, Amari swiped down on his notifications bars after being notified that Trinity posted on her instagram account. Yes he had her post notifications on, no he didn't care if that was weird. This was the only way he could keep up with her since she refused to text or call him back.



trinityymonaee

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trinityymonaee I be staying low but you know what the vibes is 🖤
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He stared at the picture for a while before double tapping it and swiping out of the app. He hadn't texted her in over a day because he got the feeling that she didn't want to talk to him and he hated feeling like he was bothering people. He missed her though, as crazy as that was.

She was so easy to talk to when they were sitting in the hallway at the hospital. She gave great advice, too, regardless of if it was what Amari wanted to hear or not. In the moment, he felt like he could tell her anything and that was so rare to come by—especially for him. He missed the sound of her voice and the way she constantly cut her eyes at him when he was clearly annoying her.

It made him upset that she didn't want to talk to him but his grandfather told him to just give her space and to never pester a woman and make them uncomfortable. He hoped he hadn't made her uncomfortable; that was the last thing he was trying to do.

After going back and analyzing his actions, he realized he may have been coming off a bit strong and maybe that's why she hadn't really responded to him. He didn't understand why she wouldn't just tell him that if that was the case so that he'd know better for future reference.

Being ignored really hurt his feelings because he'd been ignored all his life by people who claimed to love him. It brought back unpleasant memories and he hated that.

He hadn't been sad in a long time, but when he watched one of the nurses whisper something to receptionist the day that he brought Trinity food, he was so sad that he probably looked like a lost puppy. He was really looking forward to seeing her that day and he knew that she wasn't as busy as she claimed to be because his grandfather told him that she'd stopped by and talked to him just minutes prior.

Amari was trying to take a step back but he just couldn't. He wanted her so badly. She was driving him crazy.

Trying to distract himself from thinking about her, Amari finally headed outside where hundreds of people were now lingering around the apartment complex, taking up all the space in the breezeways and common areas. He had to push a few people around to even make it down the steps.

Maybe he should've stayed inside.

It didn't take him long to find a small group of men that he was familiar with, and he sat down near them to engage in the next round of dice rolling. He pulled a blunt from his pocket while he waited, making small talk with a man who was a few years older than him to pass the time.

He was already bored.

"Hey Von," A girl waved at him as she passed by the breezeway he was in, and all he did was nod in her direction while blowing smoke out of his mouth.

"All these bitches keep speaking to yo' ass and you ain't saying nothin'. For a nigga that's fresh out of jail, you ain't really making no moves to get some pussy." Dewberry sat down next to him after rolling an eleven on the dice for the second time, tired of being cheated out of his money.

"These is hoes. Ion want no holey ass pussy. Could stay celibate for all that." He shrugged.

"Holey? Nigga I ain't never heard no shit like that." Marcus laughed from near the steps, and a few others joined in while he shrugged again with a chuckle.

"Need some tight shit or it ain't worth it. And ion stick my dick in hoes ion know anyway. Worry 'bout y'all own dicks, fuck on." He laughed with them while smoke came through his nose.

Amari's eyes scanned the crowds as the men continued to engage in jokes, and the scent of food made his stomach growl. That little pizza he ate an hour ago didn't do anything for him. He wanted some barbecue straight out the hood and he wanted it now.

Just as he was about to get in one of the lines of people waiting near the grill, God worked specifically in his favor and he spotted Trinity near the food trucks, along with a few more girls who he didn't recognize. There was no way she came to his hood and didn't come find him. She had to know he would be here.

"Trin," One of the girls pointed behind Trinity as he approached, and he looked down at her once she turned around in confusion with a frown on her face. Then, her expression immediately dropped into one he couldn't read.

"I should slap the shit out you ma." Amari leaned down to talk in her ear so that she could hear him over the loud music, and she grabbed both of his arms to pull him closer as well.

"Can we have this conversation another day?! I'm literally so drunk right now!" She yelled to him even though he was right near her mouth, and he almost smiled at her but forgot that he was mad.

"Nah man what the fuck you ignoring me for?" He asked.

"I don't even know! I didn't want to lead you on because I d—shit. I'm trying not to say the wrong thing. I don't want a relationship with you because you hurt my feelings! Oh my god, I feel like I'm so loud." She let his arms go to cover her ears as if that would stop her from hearing herself.

"When? What I do?" He frowned, thinking she meant recently.

"Von I can't hear you!" She said with her ears still covered, and when he smiled at her, she burst out laughing. She loved being drunk so much.

"Don't call me that. My name Amari. Come here." He said after pulling her hands down, and then he pulled her closer by her arm to give her a hug which she surprisingly returned.

"I can't hug you for a long time 'cause I'm getting food right now. I mean—I was. Where's my sist—oh. Bro why he taking so long! I'm fucking hungry!" Trinity turned around in his grip to look at the man in the food truck who was cooking everything fresh and made to order.

"Girl quit all that fuckin' yelling." Her best friend, Miri, laughed at how unnecessarily loud she was being.

"Oops. I keep forgetting. This music so loud, my head hurts. Where my beatbox go? I was not done drinking that!" She frowned again, and Miri pointed to her purse which made Amari look down at the pink lemonade beatbox carton.

"Who that is ma ma?" Amari then looked at Trinity once Miri turned around to see her boyfriend holding out a plate of barbecue for her.

"Oh, that's my best friend, Miri. Why you so nosy?"

"Girl shut yo' ass up." He waved her off, keeping his right arm draped over her shoulders as she laughed. He was so sassy.

"Order 14!" The man in the truck called out, and Amari stopped Trinity from moving and reached up to grab the plate with his free hand so that she wouldn't have to get out of his embrace.

"Yo' people care if I take you wit' me?" He asked.

"I ain't going nowhere with you boy. How drunk you think I am? Hellooooo!" She rolled her neck and he rolled his eyes.

"I'ma just take you to sit down. Right there. It ain't far from them." He pointed to some empty chairs at one of the picnic tables, and Trinity seemingly contemplated her answer before nodding, gesturing for him to lead the way.

"Trinity whe—,"

"I'm fineeee. Keep an eye on me! Don't let him take me no where other than this table!" Trinity cut her sister off before she could start acting like her mom, blowing a kiss in her direction.

"You drunk as hell man. Off only a beatbox?" Amari sat down next to her, watching her laugh as she opened up her box of food.

"I'm gon' off that don, that don don, don, don—juliooooo," She sung the TikTok while pouring green sauce all over her quesabirria and queso street tacos.

"You want some?" She held out a taco for him, and he leaned down to bite it while it was still in her hand.

"It's good?" She asked, clearly unfazed. She would not let that slide if she was sober.

"Yeah. Let me get the rest of that." He reached for the other half of the taco, and Trinity gave it to him before licking the rest of the sauce off of her fingers.

"So, you came over here and ain't come knock on my mama door to see me? Like you ain't know I was gon' be here?" Amari asked her in the midst of eating the taco.

"Yup. 'Cause I was scared."

"Of what, man?"

"You. I ain't tryna get caught up with you."

"Why? You think I would put you in a position where you can get hurt? 'Cause I wouldn't. Ever." He turned his head to look at her, reaching up to wipe sauce from the side of her mouth and onto one of her napkins.

"Stop it. I was gonna lick that." She frowned over in his direction, making him chuckle.

"You hurt my feelings ma ma. I hate being ignored man." He told her, figuring now was the best time to talk to her because she couldn't lie while she was drunk.

"So. You used to hurt my feelings all the time and I had to suck that shit up. That's why ion wanna talk to you." She admitted, picking up her third taco.

"I said I was sorry. Ion know how to fix that shit Trinity. I can't go back and undo it." He stared at her with furrowed brows.

"These tacos are so good." She groaned in satisfaction, dipping the one she held into the container of green sauce.

"Trinity."

"Boy what? I'm drunk man. Ask me about this tomorrow. I can't focus right now and you're ruining my lifeeee." She lifted her hand to wave him off, not bothering to look at him even though she could feel him burning a hole through her face.

He looked away for a few seconds to chuckle, going back to his blunt that he'd ashed. After relighting it, he took a slow pull and let it come through his mouth a few seconds later.

"Tell me the truth. You only want me because I'm not fat anymore and you just wanna fuck me. Right?" Her words made him look at her again, and it was now his turn to frown.

"You just saying shit. Tryna find a reason to make me look bad 'cause of some shit I did when I was a teenager man. I never said none of that shit. I liked you in high school I just never said nothin'. Get out my face with that." It made him upset so quick that he got up to walk away from her, but she grabbed his arm to stop him and pulled him back down.

"I keep telling you I ain't mean that shit folks I was a kid just like you was—I'm sure you made some mistakes back then, too. Ion even know why the fuck I like you. Especially 'cause you clearly don't feel the same way. I'm down for just being cool with you if that's what you want. I ain't never asked you to fuck." He said after taking his arm out of her grip, feeling the top of his ears grow hot.

"Why are you making me have this conversation right nowwww..I am sooo drunk. I want to remember this. I need to record." She tiredly laid her head down on his shoulder, and he rolled his eyes at how she didn't really respond to anything that he'd said but fought a smile that tried growing on his face at the same time.

"I want you to remember too 'cause I meant that. You just slick pissed me off Trinity. And when you sober tomorrow you gon' go back to not wanting to talk to me and I can't do shit about that 'cause you won't let me."

"Wait. Say it again love." She pressed record on her phone but got distracted by her own reflection, posing in the camera. Amari turned his head to look down at her, unintentionally running his tongue over his bottom lip.

"No man. Ion even remember no more." He could barely finish his sentence before she laughed, making his eyes roll again.

"Guys he sa—he said that I pissed him off. And that tomorrow I won't talk to him but I will. 'Cause I'm making this to remember. So tomorrow I'ma text him when I wake up. Only if you get me some more tacos before I leave." She look at him through the camera to watch a small smile grow on his face.

"You gotta FaceTime me then. And I'll get you two boxes so you can have some in the morning." He said, and she nodded to agree. That was a great deal. How could she pass that up?

"How much was they?" He asked.

"$10 a box."

Amari reached down into his pocket and pulled out a wad of bills before passing her a fifty, then he slid the rest back in the same pocket that his gun hovered above.

"Why you ain't just give me a twenty? Tryna stunt?" She tilted her head to the side with a grin.

"Chic Fil A for when you go back to work. You ain't let me bring it to you the other day. You got my flowers?" He turned to look at her again, and her smile slowly faded away. She was getting closer to just being tipsy now, so she was a little move level-headed than before.

"Yes.. they're on my living room table in a vase."

"You ain't even text back after getting 'em. Yo' ass doing me bad ma." He continued to stare at her, finding himself in a competition with her because she had yet to lose eye contact.

"I know. I'm sorry. But I loved them—thank you for thinking of me. They are really pretty."

"You so pretty." He said back, and finally, she looked away and back at her phone, not even trying to hide the closed mouth grin that took over her whole face.

"Welp. That ah' do it!" She leaned forward in her camera with a laugh, and Amari chuckled, shaking his head at her.

"Trin it's time to go. Some niggas over there fighting." Leila and Miri walked up to where they were sitting, making both Trinity and Amari stand up.

"Let me take her to get her tacos real quick. I got ha'. I'll walk ha' to y'all car." He lifted his shirt to show his gun to let them know he wouldn't let anything happen to her, and when both of them looked at Trinity for approval, she nodded her head.

"Her ass ain't stand a chance." Leila said to Miri as they walked off, making her laugh.

"Aye, let me get them off you. I ah' pay double." Amari said to the man in the Mexican food truck, holding up two twenty dollar bills. He didn't want to wait around on him because a shootout could pop off at any moment, and this man was making every order fresh so it was at least a ten minute wait.

"Drink?" The man asked, and Amari looked down at Trinity who was now holding around his torso because she was cold. Attending outside parties in December was crazy. She was freezing.

"A water bottle. Thank you." She said, and the man nodded before beginning to bag the food up.

"Here ma. Let me see." Amari removed his black puffer coat and put it around her, helping her get her arms all the way through it. Then he zipped it up for her while she just watched him.

After taking the bag of food from the truck, Amari draped his arm around her shoulders to let her lead the way to her ride. Thankfully, Leila and Miri were stopped in the middle of the street so that Trinity wouldn't have to walk far.

"You gon' call me tomorrow? For real." Amari rested his hand on the backseat door, hesitating on opening it. He didn't know why he was scared to let her leave in fear that she'd go back to ignoring him tomorrow.

"Yes, as soon as I wake up love. I promise." She looked up at him with a smile, and both of his arms slid around her neck for another hug while hers went around his torso again. The scent of his cologne filled her nose from how he had her head pressed against his chest, and she found herself biting her bottom lip.

"Aight then. Come on. Y'all gotta go." He opened the door for her and helped her inside, sitting her bag of food down in the seat next to her.

"Get home safe." Trinity told him while he put her seatbelt on.

"You too ma ma." He lowered his head to kiss her cheek without thinking about it and didn't realize what he'd done until he closed the door. She let down the window just as her friend began to pull off, and Amari smiled at the sight of her blowing a kiss back at him.











Sometimes I forget that I'm like a public figure on this app so I be having to watch what I say when ppl try to get into it w me on here 😂😂😂😂 but fr tho I don't understand y ppl be so mad when I block them? Making whole posts about me 😭 don't even know me outside this orange app but acting like you can't live without me 😒 Never in life will I dm a bitch and ask why she unfollow/block me. It just never gets that serious idk