Page 208 of The Ninth

Poncho laughed loudly while approaching the car. I could hear his footsteps on the grass, “Ain’t that some shit! Aight, folks!”

The loud clunk of the locks popping up caused both Kenzie and I to jump. Poncho hopped in, immediately starting the car and pulling off all in one motion. Once we got out of the neighborhood, the three of us popped up, sighing and relaxing in our seats.

“What up? Y’all get it?” his stupid ass asked.

“Yup!” Tati nodded.

“Coo. Coo. Ya moms texted and said Doodas still up. She let the lil boy sleep all day for reasons beyond me, G. I’m finna stop and get them something to eat.”

I stared at the left side of his face while leaning against the door. The cold from the glass was cooling me off from feeling anxious and sick. For some reason, I immediately turned my phone on. I tried to swallow the words down, but I needed to ask. I needed to let Kenzie catch my vibe.

“Poncho, why he let you come smoke?”

“What you mean?” he responded immediately.

“I meant what I said, goofy. Why did he let you come smoke? He know Tati your BM and he knows that nigga in the coma said flat out that Tati was there that night. SO AGAIN! Why is he fucking with you?”

“He said that nigga woke up talking bullshit. He even said fuck Kenan. I spoke up and said there’s no way Tati could’ve been there because she was with me and Doodas.”

“Did you forget about all the other bitches being accused, nigga? Or you let us fall on the sword? Because the last time I checked, Tati agreed to go and stripped butt ass naked at the party on her own!” Kenzie yelled.

Poncho looked at Tati as she sat forward, “Fuck you looking at me stupid for?! I told yo ass every single bit of what happened that night, goofy ass nigga. I did that so you could help US. NOT JUST ME! Bitch you fucking played, and we should beat the shit out of you!”

I grabbed the door as he hit the brakes. We went to whip into the late night burger place, but somebody cut his bitch ass off and went first. This nigga got all this mouth for some bitches but ain’t say a word to that nigga! PUSSY!

“Aye folks, I’m not trying to hear all that fucking yelling. Why the fuck would I do that to y’all? Especially when I know Tati be with y’all and people know where she works? If that was the case, I would’ve just spoke for Tati and not helped the three of y’all get the shit back. They would’ve took my word and walked y’all down! They have never brought up any of you. I did say Tati was with me and Doodas, but I also said her homegirls were at The Ninth. Maybe niggas on y’all ass because of the niggas y’all fuck with. Or because Pink found out you went to the gas station, shorty. Everybody just shut the fuck up! WE COO!” Poncho shouted.

I started to punch this nigga in his fucking shit. Tatianna actually did crack the nigga as Kenzie dared him to swing back. The car that cut us off was sitting right before the menu, but not at the menu. I noticed their brake lights were off, meaning they were parked. That’s not all that stopped me cold from doing that nigga in. It was my eyes trailing the brown van pulling in behind us.

“We’re trapped...” I whispered.

“What?” Kenzie asked, confused.

“We’re trapped! The drive thru is closed in, we can’t pull out! They got us boxed!”

It took them ten whole seconds to realize what I meant. Both Kenzie and Poncho pulled they guns out. Poncho beeped on the horn, playing off that he was annoyed the car wouldn’t pull forward. Kenzie watched the van as he watched in front of us.

“I’m calling Kenzo...”

“No!” Poncho shouted. “That nigga gon fucking kill me! We alright. I’ma get us out of this. ALL of us. I swear!”

Anyways, I quickly unblocked him, putting the phone to my ear.

“Kenzie, unlock your door. Get ready to—”

K3: CASSANDRA! WHERE THE FUCK YOU AT! I KNOW YOU NOT HOME, TELL ME RIG—

Me: KENZO! I’M AT THE LATE NIGHT SPOT. THE BURGER PLACE. THE DRIVE THRU IS CLOSED IN AN—

At that moment, the back door to the silver car in front of us opened the same time the van’s driver’s door opened. I heard Kenzo yelling my name, telling me he’s coming. My hand roughly jabbed into Kenzie’s side, shoving her out of the door. It felt as if I was moving through quicksand to get out. As my foot finally touched the concrete of the drive thru, bullets started shredding the car.

“AGHHHHH!” I yelled out, falling to the ground.

Kenzie who had already hopped over the drive thru bricks turned back, dragging me over too. The drive thru sat by a small woodsy area up on a hill. When Kenzie pulled me over, we both began to tumble down into the trees.

I watched behind us the entire time. Poncho was dragging Tati as she screamed. I saw two niggas hop over the brick, running down behind us.

Kenzie smacked into a tree with me landing on her. My phone screen still showed I was on the phone with Kenzo. I gripped it tightly, watching the niggas get closer to us. I started to tell Kenzo I loved him. That I’m sorry. Seeing the gun lying on the ground changed my plans.