ch08: the beast is loose

<kalis>

Tuesday
June 13
9am

𝔗𝔲𝔢𝔰𝔡𝔞𝔶 morning Kalis was on the west side, bordering Dearborn. She knocked on the door of her newest client who'd found her on social media. He'd seen that she was a stylist to the stars including Cole who was the main person who put her on the map.

After waiting a few minutes, a man came to the door wearing large, dark sunglasses. His hair was long and blowed out, something she mentioned as a requirement for braids on her booking site— she smiled at him.

"Hi, I'm Kalis." She put her hand out.

"Mo." He said with a half smile, "Nice to meet you. Come on in." He opened the door wider. "Let me help you with that." He reached a hand out to grab her suitcase.

"Thank you." She said, walking in past him.

"I got us set up in the kitchen." He offered to her, "That's the best light." He came into the room after locking the door, "But, my ma is gonna be home soon and she's gonna be cooking. That aight witchu?"

She nodded. "Whatever is most comfortable."

"Thank you. I really appreciate you coming through. I don't really go out much no more but I can't keep walking around with my hair on top'a my head. My family keep roasting my ass."

She smiled politely, "It's what I love to do. So, it's no problem at all."

"You nervous?" he asked, noticing how she avoided looking him in the face.

"Nah, I'm okay." She started setting up her products. "I never been in this neighborhood before though. I thought it was mostly middle eastern people over here." She noted.

He chuckled, sighing loudly as he took a seat in the chair in front of her. "It's alright to call us Arab. As long as you don't make that A long."

"Oh." She was taken aback. "But, I thought they hated Black people." Her eyes grew at her own words. "Fuck, that sounded so ignorant. I'm sorry. Ignore ignore ignore."

"Nah, most of them do. But, you know there are Black people from over there, right? The middle east is in Africa."

She popped her own head, "Duh. I feel dumb as hell."

"You shouldn't." It was quiet from there. "But, it's a whole community of us so called Black Arabs. I don't really know my ancestry though. Don't really care either. I'm Black. Don't tell my ma I said that. She gone try to beat me over the head." He laughed to be interrupted by the sound  of the garage opening shortly followed by an older woman singing from the back of the house, "Mohammed! Please, I need your help!"

"That's her. You mind?" He asked before getting up.

She shook her head, "No, go ahead."

She set up her tripod and extra light while he went to help his mother. She heard the woman scolding him for wearing the sunglasses indoors and him telling her he doesn't want to answer any questions about his scars. The woman told him he'd have time to get comfortable with his new look and she entered the room with the sunglasses neatly folded between her finger tips. She sat the glasses on the counter and walked towards Kalis to greet her with a hug.

"I'm glad he's finally doing something with that rats nest on his head. I wish he wouldn't just cut it off already." She scoffed.

Kalis entertained the conversation but she was more interested in the one she'd overheard, making her anxious to see Mohammed's naked face.

"He's probably not going to let you record him. He hasn't taken a photo in years. Were you planning to put it on the internet?"

She nodded, "Yeah, on social media."

"Nope!" She replied, "He's still too shy. But, hey." She threw her hands up. "Maybe he will try something new today. What is taking him so long?" She left the room hopping back to the garage.

"Can you turn around?" Mo asked standing behind the door to the kitchen.

"Um, sure?" Kalis obliged, turning towards the window as Mohammed entered the room and took his seat facing away from her. "Are you good?" She asked before turning to stand behind him without a response. "Did you have a photo of how you want your hair braided?"

He took his phone out of his pocket while she started breaking down her tripod and camera. He stopped her, "Nah, you don't have to do that."

"But I thought—" she trailed off as he finally turned to her. She smiled and started laughing. He scrunched his face, standing, making her step back. "No. No no no—" she kept repeating, unable to contain her smile which she hid behind a manicured hand, "No,"

"Why you laughing?"

"Because what the—" she started laughing again, "You're fine. What the fuck?"

He jerked his neck, offended.

"I'm so serious. Why were you hiding your face?" She slapped her leg, looking up into his eyes.

"You don't see this shit?"

"Yeah, I see it."

"So why are you lying? I'm ugly."

"Whatever. Sit back down so we can start." She tried ignoring his self-loathing comment.

"No, I'm not in the mood no more." He pouted, grabbing his phone and sitting in the seat anyway.

"What happened?" She asked as she began pretending to put her things away. She was just picking up combs and clips, holding them in her hands. "If you don't mind me asking."

"An old friend tried to kill me and missed." he mumbled.

"That's good. You're still alive."

"But I can only see out one fucking eye and half my face is dead." He said.

"So what?"

He turned to her, hiking up the one side of his lip he still had muscle control over. "The fuck you mean so what?"

"You gonna do something about it? You just gonna keep feeling sorry for yourself? You're fine as hell, which means you had to already drop dead gorgeous before. You letting this 'old friend' take alot more from you than death would have. Don't give them that satisfaction."

He stared at her, trying to see if she was lying.

"I really do mean it. You should not be hiding."

He kept trying to decide and settled on she might not be, but still skeptical, he sat down in the chair, pouting. He mumbled, "Thank you."

"You shouldn't be afraid to go outside. People might stare, of course. But, in my opinion, you still cute or whatever." She said with a smile in her voice. He laughed at her last sentence.

Putting her hand on his shoulder, "You still want your hair done?" she asked softly.

"See, I knew you was just saying that shit to get my money." He rolled his eyes, shrugging her hand off of his shoulder.

She huffed, "You know what? To prove I really mean it, i'll do it for free with one condition."

"What?" He bit his nails, staring at the floor.

"I can put your results on social media."

"I don't like that shit." he complained.

"You're saying that now, until all the girls are commenting with heart eyes and asking for your @."

"You— alright, deal."

"Cool."

"I want you to freestyle." He told her, feeling her hands finally touch his head.

"Two conditions." She grinned. "You want to come to a little get together i'm throwing tonight?"

He shook his head, "Nah, not really. I'on really fuck with people no more."

"I wouldn't either." She concurred.

Later on, around 6 in the evening Sade whispered over the red recliner in the theater. "Cole, you got the candy? Gimme the twizzlers for Georgie." She asked, not taking her eyes off of the film. While Cole's eyes were glued to the big screen, he rummaged through the pink sparkly unicorn backpack beside him, finding the flattest package in the bag and passing it to Sade who opened it with her teeth and passed a single red sugary licorice stick to the three year old.

Georgie couldn't have been any less interested in the film her mother and uncle were watching. She was busy eating snacks and watching videos on her tablet.

This was a routine for the three every Tuesday if Cole was in town. They'd go and see whatever film looked the most interesting based on the posters on the wall in the vestibule of the theater. Sometimes it'd be the worst film they'd ever seen, other times it would blow their minds— either way, it'd give them something to talk about over dinner afterwards. The tradition started on a random Tuesday after Sade reached out to Cole after not seeing or hearing from him in over six months.

"The movie was great." Sade started, looking at the menu, "But I couldn't care less about that shit right now. You know what I really wanna talk about."

"But we should talk about the movie." Cole diverted.

"I know why you was lying about being in town last week."

"No, I really was on business."

She pursed her lips. "If you're not ready to talk about it that's cool. We can talk about the movie." She said with an attitude towards his coyness.

"I'm serious. I was filming for a music video and stuff. You know my tour is coming up."

"Oh, right." She took a sip of her water. "How is that going?"

"It's good. It could be better. It would be better if I wasn't so distracted."

"Lonnie?" She raised her eyebrows, hope filling her eyes as she was finally going to get the tea she'd been waiting for only to be let down.

"No. Dame."

She sighed. "What the fuck Dame doing?"

"For one, he was fighting on my lawn. The police were called and everything. He call himself apologizing because he didn't know me and Lonnie was so cool but then when Lonnie show up, he start beating that nigga head in unprovoked."

"Dame was fighting?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I never even seen him mad enough—"

"Exactly, that's why I can't just throw it out my mind. I don't know if it should make me look at him different or if I should look at Lonnie differently because what the hell type of bullshit he do that made Dame flip like that?"

"That part."

"He seem normal to you recently?"

"I guess so, just quiet. Quieter than usual. He been in the studio more too. Barely ever at the house and when he is at home, he's in the damn basement in his home studio!"

"He still with that girl?"

Sade shrugged. "He keeps dodging every time I bring her up. I'm feeling like he might've broken up with her or something."

"What you about to get?" He asked her, noticing the waiter heading their way. "I'm kinda not even hungry."

"Well I am." She raised her brows, "I'm about to get me a burger and some wings and imma just let Geo (pronounced Joe, short for Georgie) eat off'a my plate."

"Which burger?"

"This one." She pointed to the menu, showing Cole a burger with cheese, onions, tomatoes, pickles, lettuce, and avocado. "I'm probably gonna add that one sauce they got. I don't see it on the menu, but i'm sure this waiter man gone know what i'm talking about. And if you know something I don't you better tell me." She added, letting him know that she knew he was changing the subject purposefully. He stared at her, biting the side of his top lip. She slightly squints before turning her attention to her three year old who was calling her name.

"Why? That's not your man no more. Plus, we don't talk. So, there's no way i'd know more than you."

"Well one of us is gonna have to be the one to figure out what's going on with him."

Cole rolled his eyes, "How did one secret turn into us being partners in crime?"

"We're not." She rolled her eyes. "You buy me food and take me out whenever you're not busy. That don't mean we're friends, nigga."

"Then what are we? Because you know more about me than anybody else alive."

"Fine. We can be friends. On one account."

"What?"

"Tell me about you and light skin."

"No."

"Guess we're not friends then." She sighed.

"I guess not." He laughed. "How does Damon feel about us hanging out?"

She shrugged. "Does he know?"

"I've never mentioned it."

"Me either."

"Hmm? We could use that to our advantage." He put his finger up to his mouth.

"Nigga, imma ask one last time before I get mad."

"What do you wanna know?"

"I wanna know if y'all have spoken at all."

"A little bit, but not really."

"Luke motherfucking James, my baby what's good?" He heard a familiar voice greeting him from out of his sight. He turned to see someone he'd managed to dodge for almost two years now. He looked at the man donning a black uniform and gold name tag.

"Schaffer? You—"

"It's only temporary." He shrugged, "I'll be waiting on you tonight." He said with a smile, exposing both his pretty teeth and deep set dimples.

"What happened to the guy with the blonde hair?" He looked in the direction where he saw the man heading from just two minutes ago.

"Dave's shift ended." He told Cole, staring right into his eyes. "But, I'm happy to serve you." He walked to the head of the table and introduced himself to Sade, taking their drink orders and quietly returning to the kitchen.

"You know him from where?"

"He and um we— he toured with me a few years ago. On the first tour. Before I met you I think? I think we may have met when I came back."

"I think it was right before." She nodded to him.

"Yeah", he mumbled.

"So is that his first name? Schaffer? Like the street."

"Um, mhm." He looked around, avoiding eye contact. "Sometimes he goes by just schae." He added, "But yeah, whatever."

"Ohhh." She prolonged the sound softly. "That can't be the nigga that had you disabled on our fucking couch."

Cole shook his head but such action was a failure as the man soon approached their table earning a chuckle from Sade as she watched the story unfold before her eyes. Cole's discomfort in the seat across from her brought her much glee. Cole had known Schae was close enough to hear her asking if they'd fucked.

"Schae schae. Can I call you that?" She asked with a smile, being mimicked by her three year old who repeated the name over and over.

He nodded, "Of course." He agreed pleasantly.

"Are you and Cole acquaintances?"

He shrugged only one shoulder, coyly. "Colleagues. Borderline friends." He inhaled, "Old friends." He added, letting Cole in on how he felt about being ghosted.

Sade nodded, not catching the tension at all. "You busy tonight?" She asked, "After your shift."

He inhaled a slight uncomfortable giggle.

"I was supposed to go with Cole to a party but something came up and I hate to leave him to go solo."

"Oh," he looked at Cole for approval. But, when he got no reaction, he agreed, "Well, I guess so." He looked his former colleague over, staying particularly stuck between his eyes and his lips.

Cole shrugged.

"Great. You guys ready to order?"

Almost two hours later, Cole was standing over the island in the kitchen of Kalis' house in West Bloomfield. She was watching him eat a chicken leg from a full plate which he ate quickly as if he hadn't just left dinner with Sade. She sighed. "Would you ever go out with someone who is like gang affiliated?"

Cole turned his head to the side, looking at Kalis as if he hadn't already tried it. "Hell no."

"Oh." She responded softly.

He pursed his lips. "Who the fuck you tryna bag?"

"This guy I met today. Bro, like fine ain't the word. But why not? Because it's dangerous or..."

"Duh Kalis." He took a sip of his drink after cleaning his hands of barbecue sauce. "And it's a fucking trap. They're good people in bad situations. You gonna get caught up. Might end up like Cobe because you can't walk away."

"So that's what happened?"

"Yes. And he was warned so many times. So, just take my advice. Whoever this nigga is—no."

She rubbed the back of her neck.

"Anyway, when are you gonna introduce me to your friend?"

Cole looked across the yard. "If that was my friend, we'd be eating together like me and you are right now. I got tricked into bringing that nigga."

"By who?"

"My brother's baby moms." He shook his head, "I do not fuck with that man."

She side eyed him. "The fuck he do to you?"

"What didn't he do? That might be a shorter list."

She nodded, wanting to know more but knowing she wasn't gonna get more. At least not right now.

"Well, regardless— I need to know who all in my house and whatnot so lead the way Cole." She headed towards the living room, waiting for him to follow.

The two of them walked over to the bar where Schae was standing, alone. He smiled at the arrival of the two. "Hey, how you liking the party?"

"Nice!" He awarded, "Really nice. It's been a minute since I seen some of the people here."

"You know more than just Cole here?"

"Yeah, quite a few of them. We just not cool no more. Honestly if I knew it would be this type of crowd I wouldn't have invited myself."

"You didn't invite yourself. Sadè invited you."

"Yeah, but you didn't. And I knew you ain't want me to come so I should've told her no and kept it pushing. But I didn't and now i'm the has-been trying to play cool." He shrugged. "I think it's time for me to leave."

"Nah, I —"

"Cole, no. I— I'm sorry I overstepped." He looked into Cole's eyes, "Again." He apologized.

Kalis stood, confused, hurt, offended, sad, bewildered and intrigued. But, all the while, stayed silent.

"I'll leave too then. You were my guest." Cole offered. "I'll see you tomorrow, K." He hugged Kalis and took a glance at Schae who began walking, leading the way to the door of the home.

"I can't believe you nigga. You fucking embarrassing yo." Cole grilled him as soon as they were far enough away from the house. Cole lives only four blocks from Kalis so Schae parked at Cole's house and the two of them walked. "This was your chance to get back in but you fucking whining and shit about how nobody fucks with you. Grow up."

"So you're still mad."

"Fuck no. I been got over that shit."

"I gave you a std. How you get over something like that?"

"With meds nigga. And abstinence. I hope you been doing the same shit."

"I'm sorry." He looked away, "I was different back then. I still can't believe the shit I was doing. I'm embarrassed of me too."

Cole smacked his lips.

"I know. I fucked up my own career. I should've never had sex with my boss. I shouldn't have been so careless with the powder and shit. Just fucking reckless." He complained in disgust of his past.

"Shut up. You good now?"

"Good?"

"I mean— clean."

"Yeah. Why?"

Cole shrugged. "That's good."

Schae nodded.

"I'm not going to lie to you Schae. I really didn't ever want to see you again and tonight didn't change that at all for me." He started. "You're embarrassed of who you were— I'm embarrassed by this wallowing shit. It's not you. And I don't know what you need to do to make it happen, but you need to drop this bitch ass mentality if you wanna get back up. Nobody cares about what you did. All them niggas is doing that shit. They all fucking bro. They all get high and do dumb shit.  It doesn't matter. It's just the way you handled it that was bad."

"And that's why you stopped talking to me."

"No. I stopped talking to you because it was too good and I was working