Please excuse ANY grammatical errors.

April 15, 1993

~DeVanté's P.O.V~

"Yo ass ain't sleep. I see you breathin' regular." I sat next to her and flicked her ear.

"I'm tired right now. Please leave me alone right now. Both of you." Tia's voice was muffled by the pillow underneath her.

"Don't give me that." I snatched the pillow from on the top of her head.

"Look, I'll leave. I'll go, but I'll be back. I'm just going back to where everybody else at." Yasir spoke to me then Tia.

I turned my head to the side at him. Like, didn't this nigga just complain about wanting to be closer to Tia. Then he leaves? This don't add up, but I mean it's whatever. He left out the room and closed the door, but not before mouthing for me to talk to his sister.

"Tia, something is wrong and I know what. Listen-" I flipped her body over to where she on on her back, but she covered her face with another pillow. "You keep sayin' you need help but you won't accept it when yo brother is lending a hand. I know- WE know- me and yo brother that you just can't from the police station.

It's probably taking a toll on your well-bein' but you gon' be good. Whether them niggas do time or not. Know why? Because you got family and friends like me and the other nigga. I know you had some issues before that but you need to deal with that. You said you was gon' get some therapy, and I say black folks don't get that shit." I laughed.

I grabbed the pillow she had on her face. "But you do what you need to do and don't just say it, do it. You usually are a woman of your words but this has been dragged on for a while now. The more you drag whatever you got goin' on the worse it's gon' be. You gon' say somethin'? I just gave you a whole monologue." I chuckled. "You all red and shit."

"I'm not." She laughed throwing her hands at me.

Cuffing my hands, I yelled, "She laughs and the crowd goes wild!" She smacked her lips. "You starting to look a lot like Christmas. Rudolph came early this year."

"Screw you!" She laughed. "You're right, both of you are, and I should take y'all advice."

"Both of us, who? Yo brother?" I said confused.

"You and Eej. I don't talk you Yasir about these things much." She told me.

"Well, I guess we are right. You do need to talk to him. I'm stubborn but you are way more stubborn than me. At least I acknowledge I'm stubborn." I joked.

"That you are." She eyed me.

"You should talk to yo brother more though. For real. It's only two of y'all, it's easier to bond because there is no other sibling to worry about. As much as he irk me, he care about yo ass. He asking me all these questions that he should know more about. Some stuff he let slide by him, but other stuff y'all could- should talk about."

"Yasir and I have been like this for years. At one point we started getting close but then something happened. I don't know what it was but... yeah...Y'all talked about me?" She lifted up.

"Duhh, you what we got in common. You the reason we even speaking." I answered.

"What'd y'all say?" She asked curiously.

"Just some observations I took notice of. As for yo brother- well, you gotta talk to him about that." I shrugged at her. "You not the only one that pay attention to stuff."

"What observations did YOU take notice of?" Tia raised her eyebrow at me.

I sat back against her headboard. "Like how yo right hand has better treatment than your left. I told you this but I'll say it again, why do you brush off deep ir serious topics. I'm not letting it go this time. Why do you do that shit?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, I don't-"

I cut her sentence off quick as hell. "Don't give me that 'I don't know what you're talking about' bullshit. What is the REAL cause for that? I want an honest answer." I mocked her voice.

"Oh, I DO NOT sound like that." She laughed.

"You do- don't try to change the subject. You not slick." I eyed her, and started biting on my nails.

"I- De..." She trailed off in a whiney tone.

"So I'm De now? What happened to Donald? Stop whining." I frowned. "Go on..." I motioned for her to tell me, because I really want to know.

"You always been De to everyone. I don't want to go back into depth about my life with people that may not be in my life in the future-"

"I been here for the last year and then some. I been around you at yo lowest. How many times do I have to tell you this?" I was a little mad at her.

Tia sat all the way up on the bed, on her knees. "I've heard that same line from people time and time again. Just when I think they're there for good they leave like-" Tia snapped her fingers together, "that. That's just the way it is. OR they become untrustworthy, and I can't have people around that I don't trust." She shrugged and sat her booty flat on the bed.

I looked at her sideways. "Damn, you really do need some type of therapy. You really got some deep rooted issues you ain't dealt with. Everybody ain't out to get you. There are a lot of people that wanna do you harm, but DeVanté ain't one. I'm here for real. You cool people's and I plan on stayin' around. You hear me?"

"I told you that from jump. Why are you so surprised now? Are you trying to call me crazy?" Her eyebrows furrowed. Tia's voice changed to an offended one, and her face contorted.

"I mean, you did tell me that but I ain't know it's THIS bad. I just thought you would have dealt with it by now. No, I ain't sayin' you crazy, I'm just sayin' that you need to speak with a professional or somethin'. You know what I'm sayin'?" I really thought she would have dealt with this, but that just goes to shows you that the rabbit hole is deeper than I imagined. Whatever is going on with her will take YEARS to fix. "What happened at the police station?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "I just had to identify them and they asked me some questions that's all. I was recorded through the whole thing. I just hope that you keep your promise about the long run. Thank you for making it thus far with me." She leaned over and hugged me.

"Thank you. It's a two way streak." I hugged her back and we pulled apart. What'd you think and feel?" That was a dumb ass question to ask her, but I already asked it so...

"I was excited to see them! I haven't seen them in some months!" She said in a jolly tone. "How do you think, Donald?" She eyed me.

"Okay, it was a stupid but I just want to know where your mind is. My bad."

"I just find it HILARIOUS that it took them THIS long to find them when there was bloodshed at the scene. Can't seem wrap my finger around that at. Then the detective told me that they were already suspects for other cases." She told me in deep thought. "Then one smiled. It was the one that got my pants down, the one that I shot. People are just evil." Tia looked up at me during the last sentence.

I nodded in understanding. "That's okay 'cause that nigga gon' meet his match in prison. SOMEBODY GON' GET TO HIM IN THESE ATLANTA PRISONS." I raised my eyebrows at her.

"I hope not."

"You hope not? After what he did? You got a good heart 'cause if somebody did what they did to you to me, I want them to get theirs back. In other words; revenge." I responded to her.

"Donald..." She looked at me in disbelief.

I kind of been eyeing them Jolly Rancher Chews since the middle of our conversation. My mouth is all watery over the though of one, especially a green apple one. So I grabbed the bag and poured me a few in my hand from the bag.

"So it's back to Donald now, huh?" I opened the wrapper to one of the green ones that fell out.

"Sure Donald. Help yourself to some of my candy without asking me first." She smiled sarcastically.

I smirked at her. "Wasn't yo exact words to me when I first came was to make myself at home, so I'm takin' yo advice. What's yours is mine."

"Talking about what's mine is yours. You're making it seem like we're a married couple or something." She said as her stomach grumbled. "Sorry." Tia said shyly with widened eyes.

"You good. You ain't eat shit 'fore you left. Did you at least grab somethin' to eat 'fore you came back home?" I opened another one, and popped it in my mouth.

She nodded her head. "Nahh, but I'm good though. What did you all do while I was gone?"

"You did it again!"

"Did what? I didn't even do anything." Her voice raised.

"You did. I said eat something and you respond with a question about me. That's changing the subject. It ain't deep but it is on the more serious side. You need to eat some food. It's what?" I looked at the clock. "A quarter after one, and you ain't eat. You is hungry, you stomach is tellin' on you this time. Go eat." I pointed to the door and stood up, but not before stuffing my pockets with them Jolly Rancher Chews.

Tia stood up. "Dang, you just takin' all my stuff." She pushed her head back. "I'll go, but only because ye justa nagging. I don't want anything sweet right now, I'll order some food." She went around to my side and grabbed her phone from the top of her dresser. "Y'all are probably wanting to eat too. In the mood for some Papa John's?" She asked me.

"That's cool with me. Just make sure you get supreme; the best kind." I popped another piece of candy in my mouth. I'm not much of a sweets person but this candy is bomb man.

"I know, you LOVE your meat." She smirked. "You over here throwing that candy back like a pill popper. Slow down, that candy ain't goin' nowhere but your throat, just like all that meat." Here she go again about meat and throats.

"C'mon now. Not this again. Talking about mouth and throat pies." I sighed looking at the ceiling. "Maybe you need some meat." I looked back down at her with a smirk.

"DonALD, really!?"

"What? I mean you should eat some meat. You ain't had no good food in a minute. Come to the dark side." I laughed.

"We both know that wasn't what you meant, AND you KNOW dang well I won't take no meat." She closed her eyes then opened them at me. "Wait, that came out wrong man. Don't quote me." She laughed.

"You WON'T take it or you CAN'T?" I looked at her sideways.

"I CANNOT with you right now!" She slightly shoved my shoulder. "Here you order it. I'll bee back." She said walking backwards to her bathroom.

"Okay, but what to order?"

"Thee supremes, two sausages, four pepperoni, and two cheese pizza's. Some- three things of barbeque wings, two mango habanero, and two things of hot wings. Two things of garlic bread sticks, two things of mozzarella sticks. When they ask what drinks, tell them grape, lemon lime, and whatever drink you want." She finished and I gave her a look. "What? Y'all dudes can really eat. There are five men, a child that eats like a man and me, and I'm not in a cooking mood today, so that should be enough for dinner." She was squeezing her legs tightly together and slightly hopping. She acts like a child when she's gotta piss and been holding it.

"That's not why I'm staring at you like this. You gon' be mad as hell when I say this but the last thing I caught was pepperoni. I'm sorry but YOU go piss, you look like you finna bust." I told her, she ran in the bathroom, hopping and slammed the door. I shook my head at her and popped a few more candies in my mouth.

"This shit juicy." I mumbled to myself smacking on the candies. Then I sat her phone back down on her nightstand.

After Tia came out the bathroom she mean mugged me, complaining about me letting her continue to tell me what to order, but not catching what she said in the beginning or whatever. She ordered a bunch of food that would be here in an hour or so.

July 23, 1993

~Dalvin's P.O.V~

"Surprise!" Everybody yelled out to me once Tionne uncovered my eyes.

Birthday horns were being blown. Shit was loud as hell hurting my ears. People came up to me dapping me up and wishing me a happy birthday. Mostly people part of the label. Tionne knows me, I WANT to party on my birthday.

"Thank y'all!" I yelled out to everyone. "Thank yoh baby." I kissed Tionne on the lips. "You got everybody in here. Yo Derek!?" My eyes bulged out of my head. "My brother up in here. What you doin' here?" I walked up to him. We were in the main studio; the big one.

"In the flesh man. You know ion like all this but since I didn't come for your twenty first birthday party, I had to show for this one." Derek said then hugged me.

"Tia!? I know yo ass ain't in here?" I said surprised.

"Yessir, I'm here. Happy twenty second birthday Mr. Dalvin." Tia joked and hugged me.

"I thought you ain't like this type of atmosphere?" I asked her.

"I don't, but Tionne talked me into coming. So... I came." Tia shrugged. I looked around the room and I didn't see De anywhere.

"Where De at though?" I asked Tionne, Tia, Derek, JoJo, and K-Ci.

"He said he was coming. He probably gon' come in a little bit." Tionne answered.

I looked at Tia. "You seen him?" I asked her.

"No, he doesn't even know I'm here. Just got here today." Tia responded then hugged Tionne, then K-Ci and Jojo.

I saw Mary eyed K-Ci when it happened. I'm not going to lie, K-Ci do be doing that slick shit in front of Mary and we all already know what goes down afterwards. I don't think K-Ci would do that shit to Tia though. She basically has "DON'T TOUCH" written across her head due to what De explained to us all. Tia hugged Mary next, and Mary had no problem excepting it.

I turned to Derek. "You talk to him?"

"Duhh, I'm staying with him while I'm here, but you ain't know that." Derek answered.

"So?" I motioned for him to keep talking.

"Oh, I hitched a ride with JoJo. He the one that brought me here. I ain't see him at home." Derek nodded.

"Yeah, after he left yo house earlier that nigga was in the studio." K-Ci said to me.

"Ain't seen him since earlier at yo crib." JoJo told me.

"Oh, well I'm sure he gon' be here in a little bit." I shrugged. "In the mean time, lets crack open these bottles!" I yelled out and grabbed a bottle.

"Aye, pour that shit up nigga." Puffy banged on the table.

"That's what the fuck I'm talkin' about!" I said back to him. Fuck a glass, I'm taking this shit to the head. I'm twenty-two now. I'm more than legal now.

"Happy birthday man. I ain't wanna be all up on you when you came up in the do'. Plus, I couldn't get through." Biggie told me, and dapped me up.

"Course you couldn't get through. Yo ass big ass hell." K-Ci said to Biggie.

Biggie threw his hand at K-Ci. "Ahh, fuck you nigga."

JoJo was fucking up a bottle with a hoochie. Tia was sitting there alone, anti-social ass. Then Derek came and sat next to her and boosted up a conversation. He's probably speaking with her about church, but little does he know... When I looked across the room, I saw HER. HER as in Jaléa, the messy girl that I fucked on a few times. She saw me and began walking my way. Shit! Ion got time for no messy shit on my birthday. She better go on somewhere. I know she work with uptown but who invited her? I know Tionne ain't do thay because she expressed her disdain to the girl.

"Happy birthday Dalvin." Jaléa said and straight up hugged me.

"Thanks Jay." I pulled away and saw the look on Tionne's face. "Jaléa." I corrected myself.

"Hey, Tionne." She smiled at Tionne with open arms. She want a hug.

"Hi, and it's T-Boz. My friends and family call me Tionne." Tionne looked at Jaléa's opened arms, but with an awkward smile. Jaléa eventually took the hint and walked off.

"Who invited her?" Tionne thought aloud.

"You said people he know and the word got around. She know him." Puffy shrugged and poured another drink. He messy as hell for that. Andre Harell was besides Biggie's big ass. He was one of the first people to approach me upon arrival.

"Wow," I shook my head at him and put the rim of the bottle that I was holding up to my lips. I took that shit to the head. It's especially needed at a moment like this. I got a bad feeling something is going to happen today.

"Why she keep staring over here for?" Tionne frown putting her drink down and looking to the side where the girl and her friends sat. All of Jodeci had a piece of them.

"Ion know." I shrugged at her. "Let me call De." I grabbed my cellphone and called him. This nigga ain't answering.

"He ain't answering?" Tionne asked me.

"Nawww." I called him again.

"Well you keep trying, I'm going over here to see what's up." Tionne said referring to Jaléa.

I grabbed her arm. "No, Tionne. Sit right here and have some drinks while I call De some more."

"Okay, since it is your birthday." She sat back down next to me and sipped her drink.

I called De again but there was no answer. "Okay, lemme go holla at all of them. He probably think y'all still tryna surprise me or something." I got up and walked over to Derek interrupting he and Tia's conversation. "Der, call De. I called a few times but no answer. My guess is that he don't know y'all surprised me yet and he tryna avoid speaking to me until he get here." I told him and took a seat.

"A'ight," Derek called De a few times and Tia tried as well.

"He ain't answering. You think somethings wrong?" Tia said standing up. "We should go check on him." Tia told us.

"Let's see of he gon' answer JoJo first. They close and then we leave." I told her and she nodded. Derek got up and followed us to JoJo, who was had a girl in his lap. "Yo, JoJo. Call De and see will he pick up for you." I said once I made it to him.

"Interrupting a nigga, but a'ight." He chuckled and called De. I stood there waiting. "He ain't answering man. Lemme call him again." JoJo did just that.

K-Ci who was having an intense argument with Mary. "Aye, K-Ci." I said breaking up their little discussion/argument.

"What's good?" He turned around.

"We finna go check on De. This nigga ain't answering my calls or nobody else's. I thinks something may be wrong." I said about to walk out but was interrupted by loud arguing.

It was Tionne and Jaléa. They were going back and forth and Tionne looked as if she was about to swing on her. Tionne was outnumbered by Jaléa and her friends. Mary made her way towards Tionne before anybody else. I know Mary would only escalate the situation due to her suspicion of K-Ci and a couple of the girls. The rest of us made our way over there.

"Always some shit!" JoJo yelled following us.

I grabbed Tionne by the waist, preventing her from swinging but Jaléa swung at her, so I let Tionne go and let her have at it. Mr. Dalvin got women fighting over him. I watched Tionne get beat her ass while Mary was wrestling another girl. I snapped back into reality. I need to see what's up with De. So, I grabbed Tionne by her waist again and walled out. K-Ci stayed behind trying to de-escalate everything.

Before I left, I did see other label mates get up. Derek, JoJo, and Tia rode in my car. Everything is probably good with De. This nigga probably sleep and ain't charge his cell, then could have had the house phone volume low. He's done this plenty of times before, but never at the same time. Tionne was being calmed down in the back because I was getting cursed out. Tionne called me every name in and out the book. When we made it to De's house, the door was ajar.

"Y'all see the door." Derek pointed out. "He wasn't here when I left but I know I locked that door."

We all hopped out of the car. "Nahh, y'all stay in the car." JoJo said to the girls and they nodded in understanding.

We walked inside of his house. It was usually noises being made but it was eerily quiet. I stepped on something crunchy. When I looked down there was shattered glass. My heart rate sped up in fear and anticipation.

"DeVanté!" I yelled out but heard nothing.

"Donald!" Derek called out. No response, so we all looked at each other knowingly. JoJo checked downstairs while me and Derek searched ran up the stairs FAST searching for my brother. Each of us searched a room.

"Dalvin, and JoJo!" Derek yelled out frantically.

My heart began to beat even faster. I ran to the room Derek was in, which happens to be De's room. De was laid out on the floor TIED up, blood dripping from his head and mouth. MY BROTHER IS DEAD! What if I got here faster? What if Tionne never fought that girl? I dropped to my knees in shock on the other side of De. Derek started checking De's wrist then neck.

"Y'all!" JoJo yelled up the stairs. "Call the police!" I heard JoJo's voice get closer.

"He still breathing!" Derek yelled out crying. I finally let out the breath that I've been holding. "Donald." He shook him.

JoJo finally made it upstairs and into De's room. "I saw somebody leaving the house. I couldn't catch them because they was t- t- too fast..." JoJo trailed off looking down at DeVanté. "My nigga dead man!" JoJo cried out.

"He still got a pulse. Call the police." Derek said trying to sound calm.

JoJo checked his pockets for his phone. "Fuck, I left it in the car!" He said frustrated.

I was still in shock but quickly snapped back and grabbed my phone from my pocket to call the police. My vision was blurry due to the tears I didn't acknowledge before. JoJo saw my struggle and snatched the phone from me frantically dialing the police number. I wiped my face, then I saw De's eyes flutter open. We heard police sirens before the police answered the phone.

"Man, don't talk." I told De.

"He can't! His mouth is tied up!" Derek unraveled the cloth from De' mouth. He had already got it from around De's wrist. "Get his legs." Derek ordered me and I untied them.

"I'm good y'all." His voice was more raspier than usual and lower. "They took my shit."

"No you not." I said as JoJo yelled out that we were upstairs to the paramedics and police officers. They rushed upstairs and the police officers grabbed me and Derek thinking we were the perpetrators.

The officer bagan to recite the usual. "You have the rights to remain silent. Anything you say-"

"It wasn't them man." JoJo yelled out angrily. "Them his brothers. Leave them alone." They let us go with a push while the paramedics grabbed De and put him on the stretcher.

"Nahh, ion wanna go to no hospital. I'm good y'all." De said trying to sit up as the buckled him down but he couldn't.

"DE, LET THEM DO THEY JOB!" Jojo yelled at De.

"Sir, it is required that concussions this bad to get treatment. You could slip into a coma." One of the paramedics said.

De started yelling and cursing at everybody. He almost kicked a paramedic in his face. They gave him a shot that kicked in quick. It made him relax. De being De, he still mumbled out incoherent words but I knew he was cursing. I went outside, right behind the stretcher. Tionne and Tia were out of the car they both were crying.

"He's dead." Tia cried out holding her chest.

"I'm so sorry baby." Tionne cried to me, trying to hold me.

"Get in the car!" I yelled at them. I was mad at Tionne because if it wasn't for her I probably would have made it in time. Tia jumped at my tone but got in the car. She was shaken up but she sat down in the passenger seat crying.

Tionne was still trying to hug me. "I'm sorry baby." She said still attempting to grab me.

"Get in the FUCKING CAR NOW!" I yelled out and she got in there and JoJo followed. Derek rode in the ambulance with De.

"He ain't dead. He hangin' in there. De is hurt bad though." JoJo finally spoke and rubbed Tia's shoulder in comfort. "He good. He spoke and everything."

I pressed the gas hard, turned on the music and BLASTED it on max. "DALVIN, SLOW DOWN!" JoJo yelled out to me over the music. I pressed the gas harder dodging cars, since the ambulance was further up than us thanks to Tionne AGAIN.

"SLOW DOWN!" Tionne yelled out at me.

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT THE FUCK TO DO! IF YOU WOULD HAVE LISTENED TO ME AND SAT YO ASS DOWN I COULD HAVE GOT HERE QUICK!" I yelled at her at the top of my lungs.

"DALVIN!" JoJo yelled at me, and my vision got burry due to tears coming out. "TIA, GET THE WHEEL!" JoJo yelled out to Tia as I let it go. Tia grabbed the wheel and controlled it. "SLOW DOWN ON THE GAS!" I let go of it and Tionne jumped up and slid down my lap to control the gas. They both pulled over on the side of the highway. "Get in the back man. You ain't stable enough to be driving." JoJo said with a hoarse voice. I opened my door a little and a truck flew down the street honking his horn at me. I closed the door and got in the back with JoJo.

"I'm driving. Tia you get in the back, and Tionne on the passenger side. Dalvin you sit behind me. We ain't got time for the both of y'all." JoJo said talking to me and Tionne. "We gotta make sure De is cool and y'all acting a fool. We could have died." JoJo said breathing hard.

          During the whole things Tia was hyperventilating LOUD. They all managed to switch spots without opening the doors. JoJo started up the car and began driving. The only things you heard in the car was the gas, hiccups, and soft sobs. The sobs were from me and Tia, but she comforted me.

"I'm sorry, baby." Tionne said to me and I just shook my head at her. HER FAULT.

"Tionne, why don't you just shut the fuck up!" JoJo said getting mad at her. "He alive! Ain't no body bags. He's in the ambulance! Did you just hear me!?"

"JoJo." Tia called out for him to calm down.

Authors Note: WHEW! From the date y'all probably knew what would happen, but not everything. I told you that this year would bring a WHOLE LOTTA chaos. AND MANY, MANY MORE...

Word Count: 4,895

Please feel free to like and comment. Feedback gives motivation, and motivation urges me to continue to write.

Thank you all for taking the time out of your day to read another chapter of this story. Thank you for staying despite the slacking.💚🖤❤💜💙💛