"One Shot"

|34|

Kalíanna

Javier's ringtone blares through the quiet kitchen. I watch as he takes the phone from his pocket, glancing down at the screen in pure annoyance. He breathes a frustrated sigh, hissing his teeth."One a yuh gyal dem a call yuh?" I asked jokingly.

The phone was still ringing and he was watching it ring.

"Yeah, mi did tell har seh a she next." He smirked, finally putting the phone to his ear before wandering out of the kicthen. I admired his tattooed back as he retreated.

Him swear him funny

I fill the pot I was holding with water before placing it on the stove to boil. I was hungry but I also wasn't in the mood for anything much. These noodles will have to do. I catch sight of the indentations on my wrists for the hundredth time tonight, and like every other time. . .I couldn't help but smile.

Speaking of which, I need to take a trip to the pharmacy. I make a mental note to do it early tomorrow, no later.

Despite my recklessness, I truly had no intention of getting pregnant. Javier know mi will kill him and the pickney. I laugh to myself but it wasn't funny and I wasn't necessarily joking.

Javier returns from his phone call with his laptop in hand. He rests both of the devices on the island before coming over to where I was currently standing.

"Want noodles?" I begin emptying two packs of Ramen into the pot of boiling water before I get distracted by him. It was so easy to abandon what I was doing on his accord.

His hands circled my waist and I relax into his arms. His lips graze my ear as he speaks. "After man just give yuh eh fuck a yuh life, yah offer mi noodles?"
I look up at him, more specifically his neck that was littered with an assortment of hickies.

Even after we were done with our shower, we weren't quite able to keep our hands to ourselves.

"Bold assumption." I teased, trying not to laugh.

"Kalíanna?" My mother's voice called from the hallway followed by the sound of her heels clicking against the tiles. I could tell that she was coming straight for the kicthen. I shrug off Javier's hands, pushing him away to put some space between us.

I busy myself with stirring the pot of noodles.

"I've been calling you for the past hour."  She walks into the kicthen looking between the both of us. Her hair was caught neatly to the back in a tight ponytail that made her piercing brown eyes stand out, it was intimidating.

She gave me a less than impressed look and I almost cower and hide.

She was dressed to go out but I could tell she wasn't going to the office.

"Sorry, I must have been asleep." I lied. I admit it wasn't the most creative answer but it was something atleast.

The water from the pot splashes onto my hand causing me to wince. I withheld the string of cursewords that threatened to leave my mouth.

Like God himself a punish mi fi deh one deh

Javier lets out a low laugh evidently finding my discomfort funny. I throw him glare before turning my attention back to my mother.

"Where are you going?" I ask, changing the topic.

"Banquet, I don't know what time I'll be back. . .are you guys staying here alone?" I could hear the suspicion in her tone. She wouldn't allow it to happen.

"No, he's leaving soon." I confirm.

She asks me to do a number of things before finally heading through the door.

I listen for the click of the front door before allowing myself to breathe again.

"Lie yuh fuck." Javier smiled, glancing up at me.

"Shut up, wah yuh did want mi fi seh?" Truth be told it was much harder to get away with stuff when you're a female.
Everyone is always judging your actions and constantly formulating their own opinions about your character for the same thing males do, except when they do it they don't even bat an eye.

So yes, even if I had resorted to the truth it wouldn't have made a difference.

She was still going to judge me even if she was doing even worst when she was my age.

His silence was an answer enough.

"Exactly."

We returned to my room to watch a movie. Except, he was busy doing something on his computer and I was the only one actually watching the movie. I enjoyed his company nonetheless.

I attempt to take my feet off of his lap and he holds them in place.

Javier

|34|

"Mi ago bawl eno." She expressed while tugging at my shirt. We have been standing in the doorway for the past few minutes. She doesn't want me to leave but I have to. It's a tortious cycle of me attempting to leave and her coming up with an absurd excuse as to why I shouldn't, or she simply just grabs onto my shirt as she was doing now.

I look at her as she tightens her hold on my shirt.

I wish I could stay but I couldn't. I have some important arrangements to finalize. Some of which requires me to be there in person, there was only so much you can monitor through a computer screen.

"Nuh you tell yuh mada seh mi ago leave?" I asked, recalling their conversation earlier. It was amusing to watch her trying to lie her way out of that one.

Her mother wasn't stupid, anyone can tell when Kalíanna was lying. She just chose not to confront her about it.

"Yes, but–" I try to step away again. "Javier, stop nuh. . .mi a try talk to yuh." She wraps her arms around me and I return the favor.

"Mi ave work fi go, Kalíanna." I responded, trying to convince myself as much as I was trying to convince her.

I couldn't slack off it was unlike me, I always made time for my work.

Her warm embrace was all too convincing, she knew what she was doing.

"What if something happen to mi? Yuh really ago leave mi alone." She whined, forcing the tears. I hissed my teeth letting out a humorous laugh. She cya' serious. She knew that I didn't like seeing her cry.

"Yah pussy eno. . .just cool nuh. . ." I paused for a moment. "Mi and yuh can go somewhere tomorrow." I offered, placing a chaste kiss to her cheek.

"Suh yuh seh. . ." She mumbles.

"Swear."

"Good?" I asked, trailing my hand down to her ass giving it a light squeeze.

"Good." The smile that was now etched on her face said it all.

She walked me to the door and this time around she allows me to leave.

• • •

"Wah tek yuh suh long?" I slam the car door shut as Dandre approaches me. I dap him up with a small laugh. "Yah police, youth?" I hissed, ignoring his question.

I went home for a change of clothes after leaving Kalíanna's house.

I throw my hoodie over my head and Dandre passes me a silencer for my gun.

The street was vacant save for a few cars passing by every now and then.
The chill in the night air brought me a sense of ease. I reload the clip and take the gun off saftey. A familar thrill runs through me upon hearing the small click.

Nut'n nuh change

There was something so empowering about being the one holding the gun and not the one in front of it.

One day the script could flip and that thought weighed heavy in my mind.

I hope that one day, the Lord could find it in his heart to forgive me for all the things I've done in this lifetime

Dandre and I have stuck together over the years. He knew that whenever he called I'd be there without a doubt. It didn't matter the situation, it was always shoot first and ask questions later.

Nobody nah violate mi dawg dem and live, yuh mad?

While, we matured and have left petty fights and scuffles in the rear-view. We still stood on our principles of respect.

Once someone proved to be disrespectful or worse. . .disloyal? We had go get rid of them.

Nowadays we didn't have the time to fist fight, not when we could quickly get the job done with a pull of a trigger.

We stood in the dark waiting for the group guys we knew frequented this side of town. They always came to this bar and around the same time every night. They were associated with a gang we weren't fond of and we were going to kill them in their own territory to send a message.

Tonight, it was no different.

I watched as the heavily tinted BMW pulled up on the spot.

The minute they stepped out of the car we simultaneously, stepped out of the shadows. I glance over at Dandre and he gave me a confirming nod.

"One shot."

He didn't have to say anything else.

"Dem battyboy yah mask up fah?" One jeered pointing to us. He tried to use humor to mask his nervousness but I could basically smell it from over here.

One was smart enough to take a step back, not saying that it would increase his chances of survival. . .but applaudable.

The one that was first to speak got a bullet lodged in his mouth.

By the time we had finished it was real bloody ordeal.

Just like old times we stood there together observing our handy work.

Once upon a time, seeing this much blood made me queasy now I stared at the dark pigment not feeling a thing.

They were all executed with a single bullet. It was our signature, they'd know exactly who did it.

Kalíanna

|34|

I have been trying to reach Javier since he left earlier and I still can't get through to him. I was trying to stay calm but there was this scary thought gnawing at my insides that something was wrong.

A number of disheartening images flashed in my mind. Sometimes I hated the fact that I had a vivid imagination. The only thing I could see was him in some fucked up state. I was only hurting myself.

I lay in bed with my phone in hand chewing on my lip.

Please

I try ringing him again and the line goes dead again, voicemail.

This was so frustrating.

Just ansa eh phone

I tried fighting the tears but they were already started flowing. My breathing grew uneven and I felt sick. There wasn't much words I could use to describe the feeling but sick, summed it all up.

I'm going to try Arielle maybe she could get through to Dandre, who can probably get through to him.

"Ari?" My voice came out low and frail.

"A wah happen?" Her voice was filled with concern. I didn't even consider worrying her. "A cry yah cry, wah do yuh?"

For awhile I sat there in silence allowing the tears to overcome me and finally, I find the courage to explain. "Mi nah get Javier, him did deh here and then him seh him affi go work." I repeat the word work with much distaste because I knew that it was much deeper than that. My words painted the reality of the situation. A very harsh reality.

"Mi a try call him and–" My sobs prevent me from elaborating further.

But I think she could understand or atleast decipher what I was trying to say.

"Mi soon call yuh back, mi ago try call Dandre." She ends the call abruptly.

A few minutes passes by before she calls me back.

"Mi nah get him either. . ."

That broke me even more.

A/N

Love you all❤️