ch14: water under the bridge
song01: alone by burna boy
song02: give it up 2 me by ojerime

<makaveli james>

Friday
June 16
5 PM

[]

𝕱𝖎𝖋𝖙𝖊𝖊𝖓 year old alonso's legs were shaking— being held atop mo's shoulders. his eyes squished shut, watering from the pain of his virgin hole being filled past capacity. the stinging and burning was becoming a more bearable pressure, but it still wasn't feeling right yet.

"Do you want me to stop?" Mohammed asked.

"yeah, but don't take it out." Alonso palmed his face, "i don't know if you'll be able to get it back in."

Mohammed laughed at Lonnie's comment. "do you like it yet?" Mo asked, filling the space's silence. Alonso huffed, making Mohammed laugh a little. he shook his head 'no' saying, "your dick is way bigger than you said."

he winced as Mohammed moved to hover over the younger boy, still inside of him.

"I don't know why having you in me makes me want to kiss you." Alonso joked, knowing when Mohammed agreed to this, his only rule was that he doesn't kiss boys. Alonso was pleasantly surprised when his friend's face grew closer to his. Mo placed his lips atop the younger boy's, kissing him.

"how it feel to kiss a boy?" Lonnie teased. Mohammed's silence made him laugh. "It was that bad?" He continued laying on his back, but looked away from the boy who was over top him.

He used the bed and Lonnie's legs to raise himself up. Alonso felt the pressure again letting out a low groan as Mohammed pulled out. He put the tip up to lonnie's opening, but Lonnie wouldn't look at him.

"Yo." Mo said, warranting his attention, but Lonnie still avoided his face, "just do it."  The younger boy urged. And Mo did, slowly pushing all the way in causing Lonnie to lift his lower half up off of the bed, snatching the sheets beside him. His eyes shot open, looking right into Mohammed's. Mo held Lonnie's hips and pulled out again, finding his insides becoming more welcoming and slick, he only came out halfway before going back in. Alonso let out a whimpering that grew into a moan making Mo bite his lip at the sound. This was his sign that Lonnie was ready.

Mo laid beside Lonnie on the bed.

"I was going to embarrass myself if you said no." Lonnie looked at the ceiling, covering himself up with a pillow. "My friend is not as patient as you. I heard him talk about fucking virgins once. Long story short, he don't."

"Well, what ever dude this is is gone be happy as hell to have you. You was good."

Alonso rolled over on his belly and elbows, looking at his friend, "how good?"

"Good like... i would do it again." He looked at the younger boy, "With you."

"You..." Lonnie blushed, "was good too."

Lonnie stared at the photo of him and Mohammed that he found tucked away in a book in the office at his house. It was the first memory that came to mind when he found the photo. "Damn, Mo." he sighed, closing the book and putting it away onto the shelf when he heard a knock at the door. He was at his house in the suburbs.

Walking to the living room, he looked out the peep hole.

Back in the Mariott hotel, Cole was looking through the peephole and saw Redd standing there. It was way earlier than they were supposed to meet and they were supposed to meet at the recording studio but Cole felt like they needed a debrief about what happened that morning before doing business later on tonight. He unlocked the door and opened it coming face to face with Redd who looked as if he'd be red if he was any lighter skinned. His eyes already were.

He sighed then put his hand on his chest.  "I gotta apologize to you, Cole." He shook his head making his curls move too. "I didn't mean no disrespect. And I saw how you was hurt by my actions, like you was disappointed." He looked away.

Cole invited him into the room. "I was. I am because you just assumed that I was into that shit. You act like you know better than me when I already said fuck that shit."

"Yeah."

"And then you bringing up old shit that got buried for a reason. If I said that shit don't exist then it don't."

"I'm not gone lie, I don't really like how you talking to me right now."

"Okay and? I didn't like how you was talking to me earlier when I was on a job."

"But I already apologized for that and here you are talking to me like you above me or some shit. You think you better than me?" He grimaced, "I don't fucking like that shit. We the same on the same level."

"You on something." Cole turned his nose up at Redd.

"Oh, now you better than me 'cause you don't do drugs no more? You used to do drugs with me incase you forgot." He started laughing, "A little while ago you woulda been higher than I am now. You literally in no place to judge, bro. How it feel anyway?"

"What?"

"Its been like a month right?"

"Two months next week."

"That's what's up." He congratulated him, "How it feel?"

"It feel weird especially when people ask about it."

"Nigga don't nobody ask about it. I know they don't. So, how does it feel? For real?" Cole walked away, further into the suite, avoiding the question. "I know i messed up earlier, but we still friends right?" Redd asked getting a nod from Cole. "So talk to me." He mumbled, "aint that what you called me over to do? Just talk?"

"You just wanna talk?" Lonnie asked in disbelief as two officers stood on the porch of his home whom no one really knows about. "This private property. If you don't have a warrant, you gotta go."

"There is a warrant out for your arrest Mr. James. Open the door."

"How you go from just wanting to talk to having a warrant?"

"Just cooperate or I will be forced to break down the screen door."

"Y'all causing unnecessary attention. This is a nice neighborhood." He said noticing his neighbors trickling out onto their lawns."I didn't do nothing. I'm just in town for a few days. I don't even live here."

"Lying to an officer of the law is a felony."

"Harassing a civilian without a cause is a felony. I know my rights, please leave sir."

"Open the door."

"Show me the warrant."

"You have one more chance to cooperate or i'll be using force. Open the damn door!"

"Just let me make a call first." He reached for the prepaid phone in his pocket and the officers drew their guns. Lonnie put his hands up, dropping the phone. "Fuck."

"Open the door!" They yelled. He unlocked the screen door and stepped out. The officers wrestled him down to the ground with his arms pulled behind him. His face was smashed to the cement of the porch.

Back in New York, Cole's face was smashed to the plush memory foam topped spring King sized bed in his Marriot hotel room. He groaned, bitting the pillow as Redd filled his insides, digging deeper than anybody had before giving Cole a feeling he couldn't yet register. "Come on, let me hear it." Redd purred wanting Cole to stop muffling his sounds with the pillow, but it was moreso the release of pressure he needed it for.

Cole loosed his grip on the pillow just a bit. "You're doing so good, baby boy." Redd exhaled, pulling all the way out and slowly pushing back in until his full length disappeared.

Cole laid on his belly, covered by the blanket with his arms tucked under the pillows, elevating his head on them but staring at the headboard. It was a burgundy and gold paisley pattern. He was deep in thought, wondering why he felt so comfortable in this moment. Laying beside his longtime friend in the nude— in the same bed but having individual moments to themselves in silence. It wasn't awkward but he felt like it should be. He should feel something other than the comfortable nothing he was feeling. It made him nervous. Suddenly, he opened his lips without prior thought and said, "Don't switch up on me after this, Bull."

Redd was laying on his back with one knee up, foot planted flat on the mattress and his arms behind his head. He was staring out of the window mesmerized by the view from the high level they were on. He wasn't as silent minded as Cole in the moment. His inner thoughts were words and melodies running around and stitching themselves together. Still, his half closed eyes moved from the view of the city to his friend laying beside him. He noticed how Cole wasn't looking at him— studying the pattern on the headboard made Redd wonder if he even heard him right. "Why would I switch up on you? I ever did that before?" Bull asked, wanting eye contact. He moved one arm from behind his head and lifted Cole's chin to look toward him. Redd shook his head lightly, "Ain't nun new."

As assuring as he was, Cole was still hesitant. He'd been here before. "It is though."

"So what? You regretting it now?"

Cole shook his head.

"Good. Me either." He said, staring right into Cole's eyes, leaning forward to kiss him on his lips. Pulling back, he looked Cole's face over and smiled, putting his hand back over his own head, playing with his springy curls. Cole watched him and how his whole energy was different than what it was back at the film studio. Less aggressive, more sure.

"So you not gone treat me different?"

"Hell yeah imma treat you different." Bully said, looking over at Cole softly. "I gotta get ready for dinner." He slowly and reluctantly removed the blanket from his naked body after looking at the time noticing he'd been with Cole for three hours. If he didn't leave now, he would be late for dinner with his godmother.

Cole was relieved at the words. It was what he wanted to hear so he could prove to himself that sleeping with friends will always end bad or at least change their relationship. One thing he refused to believe was that him and Cobe grew apart and actually hated one another— having a reason for their demise was better. Blaming sex was easier.

Cobe's death anniversary was coming up. As if Cole wasn't always thinking about it, his friend was on his mind ten times more than usual. The guilt surrounding his untimely death was starting to build again.

"Bull." He called, leaving the room, finding him at the door of the suite, "You got something I can borrow?" Redd just looked at him in disbelief. "I'll send you something. Just, whatever you got on you right now." He pleaded with his eyes. "I'm not better than you by no means."

"Yes you are, nigga." Redd scoffed.

Cole shook his head. "You don't even know what I'm going thru right now. You would be helping me more than you know."

"You don't need this shit no more."

"Fine. I'mma just get it from somebody else then. I'll see you at the stu." Cole left Redd by the door, going into the bathroom to get ready for the rest of his own night. He heard the door close letting him know his friend was gone. When Cole got out of the shower, he found the bed neat and a baggie with two pills on his pillow.

Opening the glass door to the studio, Cole forgot greetings and said, "I don't know that you left me. But that was some weak shit." instead.

"How you feel?" Redd asked him, curious.

"Calm. I guess."

"Then it works. It's ashwagandha. A mood regulator. You don't need that synthetic shit to feel good my baby."

Cole ignored his answer after not hearing what he wanted to hear. He looked around noticing there was no engineer and Redd's usual obnoxious studio crew was missing. "So... where everybody at?"

"It's just us. I had my guy set everything I don't know how to already. I got this song but it's real.... hmm... i just think you would be more comfortable without a whole bunch of niggas around. You got me?"

Cole nodded and Redd queued up a song he'd demo'd for Cole to hear. He got comfortable, removing his jacket and hat. "Sorry I was late getting back. I was trying to find something that was still open." He took his phone from his pocket and plugged it up near the sound table. He took out of his bag a large thermos cup filled with hot tea, a bottle of room temp water and a bear honey, setting them up on the coffee table by the couch. "I ended up just going back to my room and taking a nap." He took his place in a chair beside the one Redd was sitting in. Redd instinctually reached his hand over, patting Cole's knee. If they hadn't related just hours ago, Cole wouldn't have thought anything of it; Redd is touchy. But, it made him feel a way.

"It's all good bro." He mumbled.

"Ayo why you do allat?" Cole asked, scouring just a little bit, not even noticed by the other.

Redd didn't even look up from his laptop asking, "Do all what? What all i do?"

But, by then, Cole had been taken in by the music, distracted from the conversation too much to respond. "What you gonna do on this part?"

"It's what you gonna do. You feeling it? Go ahead." He nodded to the booth and Cole went in with an idea that he felt in his soul. "I'mma run it back and you do you." Redd said over the booth.

"THATS IT." Redd yelled, throwing punches to the air, although Cole couldn't hear him from the booth. He nodded excessively to what he was hearing from his homie. Cole came out of the booth and Redd nearly jumped him from excitement. "I knew you would hear exactly what I was hearing bro. That's why i couldn't give this shit to nobody else." He said, looking Cole in the eye.

"This song is not me, Redd. That's easy for you. That's your typ'a music. It's too out the box for my brand."

"Fuck your brand. The way you just slid on this shit without a second thought? This yo shit, bruh." He complimented him. "Your tone is perfect for it. Once we finish this one. I got one mo'. And outta the two, one of them bitches need to wind up on that album. With what you let me hear, you need to throw in a lil spicy joint like right in the middle."

"I'mma have to sing this shit in front of people."

"Nigga." Redd sat down in the chair beside Cole. "These motherfuckas seen you have sex. That's wild. But, Singing about how fucking make you feel is like... singing about getting drunk or singing about praising the lord for saving your sinner ass. Nigga, its normal, relatable. And most importantly, profitable. Hit them high notes like you do and make all them niggas and them hoes feeeeeel what you be feeling, dawg. That's the business we in." Bull turned back to the table, "And as far as your fans. I'm one of your biggest. So take it from me. Nigga, we all see your sexy ass like that. Embrace that shit."

Cole was quiet, combing over what Bully had told him. He was never aware of people seeing him that way. Yeah, the over-exaggerations of fans at his shows and meet n greets made him laugh, sometimes made him uncomfy, but he never thought much about it after the fact.

"Why you keep talking about this video everybody seen?" He asked, "I told you I never had no video leak. I don't even have no videos."

Redd ignored him.

The two of them listened to the original track a couple times so Cole could get the feel of the rest of the song. Then, out of the blue, Cole said, "I sing about sex all the time."

Bull laughed, "Yeah, but people not doing it to your music, Cole. Your shit's romantic and idealistic. It's pretty, we can kiss to it, maybe even make love to it. Grind to that shi, you know?" He smiled at his own words,  "but the people want that raw dirty shit to fuck to yo." He started playing back What Cole just did. "You know like what your ex just put out. That's that sexy shit."

"Sit on it?" He frowned.

"Hell yeah boy. That freak nasty shit."

"You crazy."

"And i don't give a got damn. Get back in the booth my baby." He said, putting his producer hat back on, turning the song to the beginning.

The door of the booth closed softly as opposed to slam of the door behind Lonnie as he entered a room with a mirrored window and one table and two chairs. His right hand was chained to the table forcing him to sit facing the window where he knew he was being watched from the other side. On the inside, he was heated: angry, nervous, restless— on the outside he was calm. The only indication that he felt anything at all was the bouncing of his leg underneath the table.

"I just don't get it." Makaveli was walking down the long hall with his brother Jah and their pops.  "So y'all saying he just snapped?"

MacArthur's hands were wrapped around the handles of shopping bags from various shoe stores in the shopping center. He exhaled, shaking his head. "He ain't necessarily snap. It's rather he snapped out of whatever it is that keeps him from experiencing reality as truthfully as we do."

"Pop." Mak sighed, "You be talking like a professor or something. What the fuck that mean?"

Jah rolled his eyes, "Black blacks out when he get angry. He go somewhere else mentally. When he cool down, he don't remember shit. But it don't happen every time. Just the traumatic shit. It's like it never happened. But, one day he somehow triggered his memory and now he remember everything. But, we're not sure if he remember everything or just whatever was related to what he was doing when he was triggered. So, sometimes when he does shit like what happened when y'all was in the car the other day, it ain't really him. He was most likely triggered. That's why I had asked you what you said to him." Jah explained.

"I had said something about Mo."

"Yep." Jah chuckled breathily. "Honestly, that's what the fuck you get then."

"What happened in the car?"

"Nothing." They both said in unison, then looked at one another. Makaveli rolled his eyes at his big brother. "So, pop. When we hitting the dealership? I'm tryna get a SRT."

"Hell no." Mac shook his head, "Your bad ass ain't getting nothing flashy. It's like you want people to look at you. That's the opposite of what you should be doing."

"If you got it, flaunt it."

"But you don't got it nigga. I do. So, I'm going to choose the car. And that's not happening no time soon either."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so." He said, shutting his younger son up.

The three men walked through the mall without much conversation after that. MacArthur went into a store while the two sons waited for him at a Aunt Annies nearby. After ordering their drinks, the two sat at the table farthest from the crowded areas. "What you say about Mo that set Black off?" Jah asked. He'd asked Makaveli before, when he came home from the impromptu trip, but he had no basis other than him getting pistol whipped. Now, he knows the topic and he knows very well that it is a sensitive one for his brother.

Makaveli shrugged, "I was calling him out for messing with a Sand Nigga. That's probably why everybody feel how they feel right?"

"Wrong Nigga." Jah twisted his lips at his brother's ignorance.

"Well all I can do is guess since nobody tell me shit."

"First off, nobody outside of us even know about that shit. Maybe a couple Mo friends, but I highly doubt that shit. Secondly, that nigga