Please excuse ANY grammatical errors.

February 21, 1994

~DeVanté's P.O.V~

I knocked on Pac' door waiting for him to answer. Tia is back in New York and wanted to speak to me, right along with Pac. I'm just here to see what's up. I ain't seen her since last summer, but I speak to her often. Pac FINALLY answered the door.

"Damn, nigga what took yo ass so long!?" I said walking past him, entering his condo. "Lucky I ain't have to stand outside in that cold ass weather. God damn!" I said rubbing my hands together trying to warm up.

"Who you to be comin' up in my shit like that? Did I say you can enter yet? Nahh, ain't think so NIGGA!" He slammed his door shut.

"Who gives a fuck? You was gon' let my ass in regardless, bald head ass nigga." I said to him taking off my stuff.

"Y'all curse too damn much. Shut the hell up!" Tia said coming from the back.

I looked at her and busted out laughing, Pac and I both. "Now, how you gon' say that and you over here cussin' yo damn self?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Right! Sit yo ass down somewhere." Pac agreed with me. "Ain't ever heard yo ass curse and you 'on't sound right doing it."

"That was the point of me saying it. Duhhh, DONALD and BULLET HEAD. Get the joke? HaHA." She said sarcastically.

"Shut yo lil ass up and sit down like he told you." I laughed.

"I'm sorry, I must have missed where I announced that I was an obedient child." Her head turned to the side at us. "Exactly." She said to both of us.

"Ain't seen you in a while and you can't give me a hug or nothin'?" I asked her.

Tia smirked. "I was going to until y'all decided to speak to me like a trained dog."

"RUFF-RUFF." Pac barked at her, and she rolled her eyes at him.

She walked closer to me like she was about to hug me then did a 360 and sat down on the couch. "Psych ye mind, make ye booty shine!" Tia stuck her tongue out at me.

I put my arms down ready being reading for a hug and all. "A'ight..." I clicked my tongue while shaking my head at her. When I walked to her, I threw her over my shoulder and started jumping up and down.

Tia began to hit me on my back. "I just ate! Put me do-down before I throw up!"

I quickly put her down because I ain't trying to go home covered in undigested food. When I put her down, I fell back on the floor. My body is feeling a little weird, but I'll be good. Luckily I didn't hit nothing.

"Y'all need to get a room, just make sure it ain't at my fuckin' crib." Pac sat down on the couch. "You high on sone shit, ain't you?"

"Hush boy." Tia said to him in a southern accent, sounding like a slaveowner. "You okay?" Tia turned to me.

"I'm good, I'm good." I reassured her and got up off the floor with the help of Tia.

"Doesn't look like it." She eyed me intensely.

"I promise, I'm good."

"No you ain't nigga. Get yo'self checked into a facility or some shit. You gettin' WAYY out of hand." Pac pointed at me while shaking his head in disapproval.

"Ion need shit, a'ight?" I sat back and took off my shades. "You need to turn on some fuckin' lights in this dim ass house."

Pac got up, turned on the ceiling light, and turned off the lamp. "You need keep them dark ass shades off yo face and maybe you 'a see betta." He plopped back on the couch.

I looked at Tia, and I mean took a GOOD look at her. "You look... DIFFERENT."

"I feel different too. You like it?" She asked touching her head.

"Like wha- OH SHIT! You cut- you chopped yo hair off!" I said surprised.

"I did." She smiled.

"Why would you wanna do somethin' lik-" I was cut of by Pac throwing something at my chest HARD. He gestured for me to stop doing something. I'm not aware of what I'm even doing.

"NIGGA! Fuck is yo problem? Throwin' shit at me fuhh?" I said in an agitated tone while rubbing my chest. I threw whatever it was he threw at me back at him twice as hard.

He yelped and rubbed his shoulder because that's where it had hit him, even though I aimed for his chest. "Now, like I was sayin' before a rude nigga interrupted, why would you wanna cutt your hair? I mean, you told me you did but I thought you was bullshittin' me. You for real did it, huh?"

"You see the proof on me, right? Then that means that I did it." She said in a duhh tone.

"Okay, smart ass lil girl." I chuckled a bit.

"Ain't nothing over here about me little. You should look down at yourself and see what IS little." She shot back at me.

"HOH SHIT!" Pac laughed, losing his breath. "Now, Tia-" he was still laughing hard. "yo-you know that's fowl as hell!"

I looked away from Pac's hysterical state then at Tia. "That's a'ight, she know what it is. She felt it." I eyed her.

The room went quiet and Pac looked between the two of us. "Damn, I mentioned y'all gettin' a room earlier and it seems like y'all already did that." He said cracking up some more.

"I ain't sleep with this fool. Don't plant that in his head Donald." She said throwing her hand at me. "That's not what he mean. It was a moment when we were playing and-"

"Ion wanna hear it." Pac threw his hand as if dismissing her.

I finally cracked and started laughing. "Nahh- nahh- naahhh s-see it ain't even like that." I said between laughter. "We ain't ever sleep together, BUT she did feel it-" I stopped to get my laughter out. "She felt it with her hand in a NONSEXUAL way." I reassured his tainted thoughts. "I ain't plant shit in his head, I said one thing and this nigga took it and ran with it."

"Well, when you say something, you have to elaborate SO people won't assume things." She wide eyed me.

"I'm not gonna let you have the satisfaction of being right." I pointed at her.

"BUT, I am right. Correct?" She held up a finger, pointing it to the sky, with raised eyebrows.

"Right." Pac agreed with her.

"So, what's goin' on? What y'all call me over for? Most importantly, why you ain't tell me you was in town?" I asked her.

"I did. Did I not speak with you earlier?" Tia asked.

"Yes, but-"

"Case closed." She cheesed. "We-" She pointed to Pac and herself. "-called you over here because- I'm tired of talking. Pac, you wanna tell him?" She motioned for him to tell me with a deep exhale.

"A'ight, so bam, we think you should do the soundtrack for this new movie. She producing and co-directing and I'm starring in it. We all cool and you a dope ass producer and we though yo big eared ass should do it." Pac explained to me.

I nodded and took a few minuted to digest this information. "What is it about? Ion wanna just put my name on some of anything."

Tia gasped and put her hand on her chest shocked. "I'll have you know that NOTHING Tia~Nakia puts her name on is JUST some of anything. We got something in common there."

"I know, a'ight. What's it about though?" I asked her again.

"The overall theme is basketball. There's his character who is street and angry at his brother whom he looked up to. There's Duane Martin who's character comes from a home without a father and the star student on his high school team. Leon, who's character is going through it mentally, not knowing how to grieve death, and also Tupacs character older brother. Bernie Mac, and Marlon Wayan will be on it as well." She finished explaining. "Well... Do you want to or no?" Tia asked me.

"No." I shook my head at them and they looked at each other.

"No?" She frowned.

"Nahh, I'm bullshittin'. I'll do it." I laughed and I heard her exhale.

"Good. You play too dang on much!" She sneered.

"I know, and that serves you. You been at me since I got here." I told her smirking.

"Me? YOU'RE the one who-"

Pac cut her off. "Y'all asses was at each other. That's why y'all need a room. Hella tension between y'all. Argue like a married couple or some shit."

"Tension, nigga this just how we be." I pointed between me and her.

"We just playful like that." Tia told him. "No tension between the two of us." She pointed between us.

"Who you tryna convince, me or yourselves?" Pac asked us and lit a blunt.

"You're being like Dalvin. He already does this, not you too!" Tia exasperated.

"Anyways what y'all got goin' on between the sheets ain't got shit to do with me. That's y'all business, but that's all we wanted to tell you. She wanted to call you over here. I just said she should tell you over the phone, but nahhh. Tia wanted to waste time and gas money to tell you 'bout it." Pac said to me.

"Waste time? I wanted to see my dude too. Haven't seen him since last summer." She pointed at me.

"Well then act like it!" I told her and she looked at me like I was crazy.

She frowned at me confused. "What? We always act like this."

"When you ain't seen nobody in a while you hug on them TIGHT. You ain't touched me since I been here. Hell, you ain't even say hey." I told her.

"See, y'all may as well make that shit official with legal documents. Married couple..." Pac butted in then took a hit of his blunt.

Tia sucked her teeth. "Donald, hey is for horses and you just wanna feel my titties. Talm 'bout some TIGHT." Tia rolled her eyes at me.

"A'ight, maybe. In my defence, I ain't feel them in a long time. That's one of the few things that make yo hugs different." I shrugged.

"That part is true. Most people with big titties like to give out them church lady hugs, unless they fans." Pac pointed.

Tia crossed her left leg over the right one, and her arms folded underneath her breast, squeezing them together. "Hello Donald. It's nice to see you. How have you been?" She smiled sarcastically. "Hello?" She snapped her fingers. "Eye's on mines, Donald. There may be two of them but they aren't my eyes. You know, ion like that junk." She glowered at me.

"My bad, damn. I just ain't seen you in a minute. What was the question?" My hands went up in defense mode.

"How are you doing?" She emphasized every syllable in each word.

"I'm good and yourself?" I decided played her little game. She know how what's up.

"Just chipper!" Her pitch rose a few octaves.

"Who you supposed to be, Michel'le?" I raised my eyebrow at her.

"I actually love her voice. Who're you impersonating? Dumbo? Oops, my bad, it looks like you been doing that all your life." She shot back smirking.

"I'll fling yo lil ass with a rubber band, keep playin' with me Tia." I eyed her.

"Try me." She sang James Brown song. "I'm joking, you did something you KNOW I hate and I retaliated. I like your ears, they fit your head."

Pac started laughing again. "She tryna say yo head bug as hell."

"We all know his head is big. Mines is too. Shoo, all three of us got some whoppers!" She exclaimed. "Except yours remind me of a crystal ball." Tia said to Pac.

"Sholl do!" I got up. "Can you tell me my future magical crystal ball?" I said looking at my reflection in his head.

Pac pushed me away. "Fuck boffa y'all big head asses." He said laughing.

"A'ight, I'm finna use yo bathroom, I gotta take a massive piss." I said walking to the back.

"You know, you didn't have to announce what you would do exactly!" Tia yelled out to me.

I ignored her and went on to the bathroom. I closed the door, washed my hands, then took a piss. Bladder full as fuck, been drink ling on that gin and juice. I shook myself and wiped my tip, ain't no pissy draws on this nigga. You 'a never find no piss at the crotch of my draws. Then I tucked myself in amd zipped my pants back up.

I washed my hands then dug into my pocket for my pills that was wrapped up in tissue. Throwing one into my mouth, I cuffed my hand under the faucet to get some water and drank it. Then I popped another and did the same thing. I looked around for something to dry my hands off with and nothing. This nigga ain't got shit to dry for me to dry my hand off with. I shook my hands and dried them off on my pants. When I walked out the bathroom, I was met with Sekenya.

"Wassup Sekenya." I said walking past her.

"Hi DeVanté." She waved and went to what I assume is her room. Before she closed the door she said something else. "How many time do I have to tell you that my name is SEKYIWA!? Suh-key-WAHH! GET IT RIGHT!" She yelled out the last part and slammed the door.

"My bad then..." I mumbled and continued to walk back to where I was. "This nigga passed his temper to his lil sister. That's crazy." I mumbled to myself.

"Got her name wrong again. She even gave yo ass a nickname to call her." Pac shook his head while puffing on a blunt.

"She got a afrocentric name and Kenya in Africa so I get mixed up. Two plus two equalling five, and that shit don't add up to me." I took a seat on the couch.

"What are you even saying? Do you hear yourself? I understood the first part but you're making no type of sense with the second portion. What you on?" She said laughing.

"He on somethin', a'ight." Pac shook his head laughing. "He on that shit."

"The same shit you on. Pass me that blunt." I held out my fingers.

"Hell nahh, nigga you already been trippin' lately off that other shit you take. Back up nigga." He exhaled towards the ceiling.

I felt it kicking in. Sometimes it kicks in faster than other times "Trippin' off what shit?"

"Why are you talking like that?" Tia asked me.

"Like what? How's school?" I asked her.

"School is school. You're talking in slow motion. What's gotten into you? You were acting a bit different when you came but now it's more different than that." Tia sat up, her frown more prominent.

"I'm cool." My head was resting on the backrest of the couch as I looked at the ceiling.

"Your word against your actions. Yeah, I believe you." She said sarcastically.

"Then don't." My tone was very nonchalant, I hope.

"Tupac?" She called out to him.

"Huh?" Pac said, he wasn't really paying attention.

"What's he on? You said he's on that stuff."

"He on that stuff. Didn't you hear what I said?"

"Donald, you smokin' crack?" Tia asked me and I ignored her. At first it was fun and games, now she just pissing me off. "Donald?" She was now visible through my peripheral vision.

"Shut the fuck up! Pissin' me off. You know damn well I ain't on no fuckin' crack." I finally looked at her and she was right in front of me.

"Fuck is wrong with you nigga!? You 'on't disrespect no woman. She just tryna see what's up with yo high ass to help you! I ain't lettin' that shit ride in my house and around me period!" Pac sat up and looked at me. "Apologize." He motioned towards Tia.

"Nigga, you high too!" I sat my body up.

"Not off the shit you takin'! Me and plenty of other motha'fuckas been tryna tell you bout that shit for a while now. If you wanna be a fiend that's you, but you not finna talk to her like that. Gon' 'head and apologize nigga or you can go." He pointed to the door. "You my nigga but that disrespectful shit gotta go man."

"You right, my ba- I'm sorry Tia, a'ight?" I said to her.

Her eyes were closed but her mouth formed a small O that she slowly inhaled and exhaled out of. Hurt, shock, anger and many different emotions was evident on her face with one look when she opened her eyes. Her stance was the same too, standing with her arms folded.

"A'ight?" I stood up. Well, attempted to anyways because I fell back down when I stood back on my feet.

"Look at you. A mess! What did you do when you went into that bathroom?" She asked me.

I stood back up, gravity trying to pull me back down. "I said that I was sorry, you heard me?" I said and hugged her, only she didn't hug back. Then I felt her hands feeling on my pockets then dig in. "What you doin'!?" I pulled back and looked at her. She had the pills that were wrapped in tissue in her hand.

"What's this? Huh?" She opened the tissue and my pills fell to the floor.

"Yo, what the fuck you doin'?" I looked down at her then at the floor. I fell to the floor involuntarily, but while I was down there I felt around for my pills. My vision isn't clear at the moment.

Tia bent down and picked them up. "What has gotten into you?" I saw her walked to the back.

"You tryna flush my shit down the toilet?" My voice held hostility.

"Yo, you gotta go man. My sister in there and my mama livin' here. My mama was a crack fiend and ion need her leavin' one addiction to the next. Not tryna trigger shit. Shit, ion even smoke around my mama no more. I'm sorry, but you gotta go." He pointed to the door.

"Wha-what?" I looked up at him from the floor.

"You my boy and all but you gotta go." He told me.

"Tupac, you can't just do that. He's high, and ain't right. He's in no condition to drive." Tia fussed at him.

"I ain't no idiot. I was gon' call a cab or somethin'." He told her.

"You know who he is. They'll take advantage of his condition, take his money, and display it in the media. I'll drive him home. Think!" She said to him pointing to her head. "DeVanté, get up." I stood up from the floor and fell back on the couch.

"Put your coat on." Tia handed it to me. It took me a while to put my arm in since it kept falling back down to the couch. Then I had to put  on my shoes.

"Pac, please help me get this man to the car." Tia pleaded.

"A'ight, I got him." He lifted me from the couch.

"You know, I can walk right?" I told Pac and he let me go. I almost falling to the floor the second he let me go.

"That's what I thought nigga." He told me, catching me before I fell.

"Fuck I take? This a different feelin'." I mumbled. Oh yeah, I forgot I took two at the same time this time. Maybe, I shouldn't have done that.

After a while of walking, I felt the Canadian wind hit my face and exposed neck. I shivered at the feeling. When I was inside the car, all I heard was Tia yapping at me. She was criticized me the whole way to my house. Finally, we made it to my house. Tia got out the car and went to my front door. El came out and helped me out the car.

I was aware of who was who and what was what. It was just blurry and it felt like my body wasn't mine. An outer body experience is what some call it. I was helped to my room by Tim and El. My body was happy to rest in best after all the walking I did.

"What the hells wrong with you, DeVanté?" Tia sighed out. My eyes closed and I fell into a deep slumber.

February 22, 1994

~Tia's P.O.V~

Donald had security that I know at the front today. Last night the same security who didn't let me in last summer were there last night. They only let me in because he was in the car with me. I pulled up to Donald's house, bright and early. Early as in a quarter to nine, so maybe not so early. I'm on a mission. Had I been thinking clearly, I would be completing this mission while he was high and/or asleep. I'm still trying to wrap my mind on why the hell he's doing this and when did it start? I could have had these answers last night too. Ugghhh, but my mind was everywhere.

"Lemme call Dalvin or should I call JoJo?" I mumbled to myself. "Imma just call Tupac 'cause he seemed to know about it." I picked my phone up and found his contact.

"Wassup? Why you callin' so early for?" He asked me.

"I wanted to ask you about Donald. I know I should have done this the other night but I'm coming to you now. When did you notice him doing this?" I asked him.

"September, why?" He asked.

"Because I can see that he ain't right. Does he do it often?"

"Everytime I'm around that nigga he high on that shit. Now, I get high too but not from no damn pills. Ion get high off nothing white, my blunt get the job done and is all I need. I never saw him fall over like that but his speech be slurred and he be speakin' in slow motion. I understand that he was hit in his head but this nigga fakin' his pain. No nigga in pain gon' mix that shit with weed and liquor." He explained to me.

"Okay, umm- thank you. I'll talk to you later. I love you." I told him.

"Love you too. A'ight bye." He exhaled. "You gon' hang up?"

"I was waitin' on you!" I said laughing. "It feels like I'm hanging up in peoples face when I hang up first."

He started cracking up too. "Hang up! We already said bye."

"Alright, bye." I hung up, laughing.

I turned off my car, then got out. My body was well covered but I felt the wintry weather hit my face. I'm used to the weather though, growing up in Gary and all. The thing is the height that the snow reaches. I can't deal with that which is why I'll never permanently live here. It was the only thing uncovered. Elgin opened the front door.

"Hello, how's he doing?" I asked him.

"The same as always. This ain't nothing new with us. Same shit, different day." He said closing the door behind me.

"Right..." I trailed off. "Well, can I go up?"

"Yeah, he know you here. Go right ahead."

I nodded and took off my boots and other winter gear. Then I made my way up the stairs and to his room. I knocked on the door. "Tia, if you 'on't bring yo lil ass in here..." I heard from the other side of the door. I opened the door and entered. He was shirtless, drying off his back with a dry towel.

"Good morning. You just got out the shower?" I asked him.

"Yeah. My bad for last night, I was speaking from an angry place."

"Smells good. You're fine just don't do that junk again." I pointed at him. "Your sheet clean right?"

"Of course, why?"

"Because I'm tired and trying to sit my black behind down." I said and took a seat on his bed.

"You actin' weird. You good?" He frowned and got up from his chair and sat down on the bed next to me.

"I'm fine. I should be asking you the same thing. What the hells wrong with you?" I shifted my eyes away from the floor and looked up at him.

"I'm good. I told you that the other day. You the one actin' all weird and shit. Why you cut yo hair off?" He asked me looking at my head.

"Because I wanted to, and it was time to shed a lot of that baggage I carried and that included my hair. Besides, it'll grow back- it is growing back. I cut this bald and look how long it is now." I explained to him. "What's going on with you? You tryna pull a me out on me. Changing the subject."

"Ain't nothin' goin' on with me. You keep asking me the same shit." Donald shook his head at me. "Thank you for driving me home too. I wasn't exactly in the best condition to drive so I thank you for that. Pac was talm bout callin' a cab and shit. You actually thought about it. Your hair looks good like that by the way. Got it slicked down and shit. I could get used to it. When you cut it?"

"Don't get used to my hair like this because I'm growing it out. I chopped it off in October, remember when I told you? Thank you for the compliment and you're welcome. He was joking by the way, he knew I'd take you. You know Tupac ain't like that. He probably would have taken you himself if I wasn't there." I told him.

"Shit, never know with him." He laughed shaking his head.

"I'm serious. He knows the risks of that type of stuff. Why are you getting high?" I turned my whole body towards him.

"I ain't, I just be having these headaches and shit. Almost unbearable."

"Then you should see a doctor about it. Was it from the accident?" I asked him.

"Don't you think I did that? They the ones that prescribed it to me in the first place. Yes, it was from gettin' hit in my fuckin' head." He pointed to his head with his hand.

"Then you aren't taking the proper amount or ask them to lower your dosage." I knew he was taking more than prescribed, but I'll play dumb for time being. "What'd they prescribe you?"

"You know I can't do that." There he goes making an excuse. "Percs."

I nodded at him. "Okay." I nodded at him.

"You ain't mad, are you?" He asked me.

"Not at you. In all honesty, I'm angry at the situation and your decisions of doing this to yourself. However, I won't hold it against you. You talk to me reckless again and that's your adams apple, ye hear me?" I laughed.

"A'ight, I got you." He laughed. "You owe me two hugs now. Bring that shit in."

I got on my knees, on the bed and jumped on him causing him to fall back on the bed. We were hugging each other tight. "I missed yo head." I said laughing.

"I never gave you no head." He said looking me in the eye.

"Boy... You know that ain't what I meant." I said as he flipped me over. We were at the top of the bed, my head on one of his pillows.

"De, why the fuck you ain't answer yo goddamned pho-" I looked over Donald and saw Dalvin coming in the room. "Tia!?"

"Oh my goodness... Here he go." I sat up then pushed Donald off me. Donald was laughing his ass off while I was embarrassed because it always seems like we're doing something we aren't when Dalvin's around.

"Everytime I see y'all, y'all be in these compromising positions. What you doin' on top of her, between her legs? What you even doin' here in New York?" He asked me.

"Business, Dalvin." I responded to him, sitting completely up on the bed.

"So De yo business now, huh? Nigga, put a shirt on, and some lotion." Dalvin said laughing.

"You are ashy." I looked at Donald.

"You made me forget to put some lotion on." Donald said to me. "And fuck you Dalvin." He rose to his feet.

"That's what it look like y'all was finna do before I rudely interrupted.  My bad y'all. Imma go take my ass downstairs. Don't be up here too long now." Dalvin told us and walked out.

Donald and I looked at each other and bursted out laughing. "Everytime, shit neva fails!" Donald said to me.

"I know. It's like this man know when we in some weird position." I shook my head. "I got it! Dalvin has psychic abilities that he's hiding from us!" I held up a finger.

"Really?" Donald looked at me in disappointment. He went and grabbed his shirt.

"Yes, and don't forget to lotion up." I laughed.

He threw his hand at me. "I can be ashy around the house. Imma be good. Let's go downstairs 'fore this nigga really think we fuckin'." He said to me.

"Okay, but I REALLY have to got to the bathroom." I jumped from the bed.

"It's right there, we gon' be downstairs." Donald said walking out the room.

"Okay." I went to the bathroom.

This is all I wanted to do from jump. I did have to urinate but also wanted to complete my mission. I went to the cabinet and saw pill bottles labeled with Percocet in the cabinet. I also saw Oxy's in the cabinet as well. I grabbed each bottle and poured them into the toilet and flushed them. I put the bottles into my bag, so he won't be able to refill them.

After I finished flushing them, I squatted and did my business. Tia~Nakia doesn't sit on people's toilets unless she clean the seat first, especially knowing that he sleep around. I don't have time to clean the seat because I've been in here long enough and I don't want him to get suspicious or think I was taking a dunk. Afterwards, I washed my hands, dried them, and made my way dow stairs.

"Hello, again." Dalvin greeted me once I saw him.

"Hello." I replied.

"Ain't you in college?" Dalvin asked me.

"I am." I nodded.

"Then how you down here?" He asked confused.

"It's called the internet. My schedule is so busy so now I do online school and go in to do exams and sometimes group projects." I answered.

"Oh, okay. You still in the same field, right?"

"Yes, and I'm staying in my field." I told him.

"Okay, that's good. Smart move. Anyways, did y'all use protection?" Dalvin said looking at us.

Author's Note: My behind done rewrote this chapter TOO many times.🤦🏽🤦🏽🤦🏽 I kept going back on if I wanted this to happen or some other stuff. I just decided on keeping this chapter more chill. Please be safe, and take precaution. Things are getting even more hectic in these SKREETS.

Word Count: 5,345

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 my slacking.💚🖤❤💜💙💛