Shut Up & Listen - Chapter 38: Chapter 38

July 13
Dame
7:22a
Int'l Audio Call
"Ain't nobody seen or heard from Cole in almost two weeks. I've called everybody, even Oz ain't heard from him. I called the security at his apartment building and they say he hasn't been home since the fourth." I told Cecil, hoping he can help me figure out where else to look.
"Did you call ol girl?"
"Ion got her number, and I don't know where she stay or nothing."
"Nigga, she's famous, how hard can it be? Message her on her socials, see if she answer."
"Nigga I tried that. And I tried to track his phone. But his paranoid ass got his location turned off."
"Damn. You have his manager number? He might know where ol girl staying at."
"No. Ohhh oh I used to talk to ol girl in his band. Lemme see if she know her number."
"No dummy. If something really going on, it's not a good idea to have a whole bunch of extra niggas in his business."
"Ain't nobody worried 'bout that shit."
"Did you ask Cobe?"
"Nah. That nigga off the grid right now. Shiiiid , he back at Oz house and everything. I'm worried bout him too. I just found out about a bunch of shit that happened recently. These fools really be out here wilding when we not around C."
"Damn, like what? Do it have to do with that nigga Cobe told me about?"
"What nigga?"
"He ain't tell me his name. He just said that he broke up but he kept coming around or some shit."
"Must be the same nigga that was shooting at Oz house."
"The fuck?! A shoot out at Oz house? And he ain't kill Cobe? You know he don't play 'bout his house."
"Nah. But Oz and Cobe was fighting tho. Like fist fighting. Like I said... just be wilding as fuck."
"Oh heeellllll nah. I don't believe that shit. The fuck is them rere's on?"
"Them two together is a lot of fucking trouble, C. Speaking of... you know what happened between them? They been acting hella weird since I been back."
"Yo, ain't Cole missing? We s'posed to being tracking his ass down, not gossiping and shit."
"Oh okay.. so you do know what happened."
"I can neither confirm or deny, but the point is.... that shit ain't none of my business. What is my business though, is how we gone find Cole. I heard about that girl he with. She be on that stuff na'mean?"
"I don't believe that shit, dawg. She was cool as hell when I met her at Oz house."
"Shit, Whitney was cool as hell too. I'm just saying."
"Nigga, you stupid as fuck! Oh fuck!" Dame hollered as he was truly tickled by the comparison of Jemaika to Whitney Houston.
"Aye. Imma call Cobe and find out what the hell wrong with him. And I'm sending you Geoffrey's number, right now. Call him, ask him about Jemaika address. Make sure you tell him you're his brother and shit first, aight. He prolly gone ask why, I guess just tell him you looking for Cole. Don't get him all scared and shit though cuz Cole prolly just cooped up with her somewhere. You know how he be when he got a girlfriend." Cecil explained.
"Yeah, aight. Call Cobe. I'll check in after I call."
_________________________________________
8a
Audio Call (Dame & Geoffrey)
"Well, why did you wait until now to find out where he is?" Geoffrey, Cole's manager questioned me in a rather irritating nasally voice.
"I thought he was just mad or something. But then I found out I wasn't the only who hasn't heard from him. So, now I'm worried."
"You think he's in trouble? Missing? Dead?!" The manager questioned with excruciating extraness.
"Woh woah woah mister Geoffrey, don't do that. C'mon man, I'm sure he's just with Jemaika, you know? He's okay..."
"I don't know, Dame....you've got my on the edge of my fucking seat here, brother. Jesus H Christ, where the fuck is that kid? You know, I called the other day just to check in on him and he didn't answer. I didn't think anything of it though. Fucking Jesus, what if the kid is dead? Oh my God the tabloids-"
"Hey, man. Can you just tell me where to find ol girl so I can figure out where Cole is please?" The fuck is wrong with this nigga? White people, I swear.
"Well Dame. I have some bad news. I have bad news... alright? I don't know where she lives. I don't know! But the good news is that I know her personal assistant. So I'm gonna give her a call and I'll get back to you. Can I call you back at this number?"
"Yeah."
"This number is alright?"
"Fuck?" I mumbled under my breath, irritated by the exaggeration of it all. "Yeah man, call me back."
________________________________________
8:43a
Jemaika's assistant, Taryn, opened the door for me and we walked into the house and it was a beautiful house, not too far from where Cole lives. Cole was sitting on the couch in the living room watching Last Chance U on Netflix. He looked up to see us standing there and before anything else registered, the sight of Cobe stirred his spirit, and not in the good way. He turned the tv off and spread his arms across the back of the couch before lifting a finger to point at Cobe asking, " Man, why you bring him over here?"
"Cuz we was worried about you." I explained, furrowing my brows making sure he could see the concern. I nudged Cobe to make him say something. And his bitter ass opens his mouth to say, "Yeah we was, even though we know you ain't worried about none of us." in a monotone nonchalant voice reminding me of the weird energy between him and Cole. I mugged him. "Man what you come for if you was just gone be petty labelle?"
"I'm just saying, he's selfish as fuck. We both know he would never go to this extent for any of us. Why we can't leave just his sorry ass here? He's aight."
"Nigga, take yo negative ass to the car, damn." I shoved the keys to his chest, pointing my hand towards the front door.
"Nah, let em stay! The fuck else you got to say about me baby boy?" Cole chimed in.
"Nun. That was it." Cobe was clearly over Cole's commentary, but I continued to watch their interaction hoping to catch something... Cole always tells on himself, eventually.
"Oh? Are you sure?"
"I'm not doing this witchu."
"Oh so you don't wanna talk about how nobody want me around? You don't wanna tell me I'm a fuck up and I ain't ever gone be shit? I guess you don't wanna tell me about how I come from nothing either, huh? Oh riiiiight. You already said that shit."
"Nigga, fuck you."
"Why you say that shit?" I questioned Cobe, not realizing he would even think that way about Cole, no wonder he thinks everyone hates him.
"Ask him. I'm going home. Drag me out for this ungrateful ass muthafucka." He didn't even defend it...
"Gone head, bitch ass nigga. Dame, let his punk ass leave, man. Fucking up my energy."
"Nah, I drove. Ain't nobody going nowhere til I'm ready." I announced with big man energy. I snatched the keys back from Cobe and he just rolled his eyes.
"I know how to ride the damn bus." Cobe retorted, earning a snarky, "That ain't the only thing you know how to ride." From Cole. I raised my eyebrows really trying not to express the wrong emotion, "Nigga, what?" I asked, hoping I heard him wrong. I mean, I did assume they were fucking... but to know it's true is a different kind of thought. I shivered.
Cobe gave Cole the finger and indignantly exited the living room making his way to the kitchen where he rummaged through the fridge and cabinets, leaving Dame and Cole alone.
"So, you still wanna stand by that 'nothing happened' bullshit?" Cole rolled his eyes and reached his hand for something on the table but stopped when he saw that I was watching him. It wasn't until then that I became aware of the paraphernalia on the table.
"Dame. How the fuck you know where I was at anyway, nigga? Damn."
"You predictable as hell. Dummy." Cole sucked his teeth and squinted his eyes, "See there you go with that shit." he complained while his hand retreated to the back of his head.
"What?"
"I'm not dumb, that's all you niggas think I am."
"The fuck you talkin' 'bout, Cole? We don't."
"Aight, dawg. Whatever." He waved me off picking up a cup from the side table and taking a sip.
"Stop acting like niggas don't care about 'chu. That shit getting old as hell."
"It's not if it's true. And you know that shit is true."
"Nigga we been looking everywhere for yo Black ass! What are you even saying?"
"Why can't y'all just leave me the fuck alone? Ain't you tired always taking care of me and shit? I know you are... so stop." He shrugged his shoulders. I'm not sure if he's just in one of his reclusive spells or if he's really for real mad this time. "I ain't ever gone be tired of yo irkin ass."
"Then why it take you so long to come get me then?"
"You did this shit on purpose?" Cole attempted to stand from the couch in defense of his choices but he lost his balance and fell back onto the couch, moaning in pain. "The fuck is you on nigga? You look dead. You look like a dead fucking zombie, my nigga."
"You sound dumb as hell, bruh. You know my lady is a fucking star? You breaking and entering. She could call the police on you"
"Nigga, please. Where she at anyway? Jemaika! Yo!"
"You can get out of here with all that yelling shit, Dame. It's too damn early for that shit. Let her sleep, damn."
"You smell like hell. Get yo dirty ass up, I'm taking you home." I started walking towards the hallway when he said, "Why? Don't you got other niggas to worry about now?" making me double back to face him.
"Ohhhh so this shit is about Lonnie? Yo, fuck that Cole."
"Whatch mean fuck that?"
"I heard you got a problem with me finding my biological family, I really ain't wanna believe that shit, tho. Why you gotta be like that?"
"Nah. Gone head and bounce Dame. Find somebody else to fuck with." I looked down at the table and saw whatever the fuck Cole was smoking or sniffing or whatever the fuck crackheads do. I picked it up and threw it at him, angrily. "This what the fuck you been doing?!" I picked up his cup from the side table and smelled it, yep, straight nasty ass purp. "You really pissing me off Cole. The fuck is wrong witchu?"
"I'm chillin with my girl, what you mean?"
"This is chillin?!
I walked around the house just to see if I could find anything and these niggas didn't even try to hide nothing. It's shit all over the house... powder... pills... bottles..."Yo Taryn?" She walked to the room I was in. "Huh?"
"She do this a lot?"
"Um... I can't be telling her business." She said looking me up and down, hungrily. I know I'm fine, but damn... this shit is serious.
"I'm standing in her damn house already. I see the shit. DO 👏🏾SHE👏🏾 DO 👏🏾THIS 👏🏾OFTEN?"
"I mean, it's not an everyday thing... but yeah sometimes... she can go weeks alone in her house doing random shit. But then she gets herself together and comes back to work like nothing ever happened. She's not addicted or anything like that." I chuckled at the last part, "Not addicted? Yeah, aight." I know good and goddam well nobody do coke for play play.
"Okay. I don't know what you want me to say. I can't control what she do, you do know that right?"
"Bi-"  I Rubbed my forehead taking it down to my beard before I spoke again. "excuse me... I'm sorry, my bad, I'm really trying not to be disrespectful but I I can't understand how shorty ain't got nobody tryna keep her out of this shit. She young as hell. You can't even look out for her? I'm not tryna hear about another young girl dying from drug overdose! And y'all niggas talkin about you can't contr... fuck control, lil sista just needs help."
"Aye, if you wanna help her... her room is right there." She pointed her hand two doors down and rolled her eyes before walking away from me. Stank ass bitch. I followed her directions and knocked on the door and waited for an answer just to make sure she was decent. She didn't answer so I opened the door a little bit to peek in before entering.
"Yo, shorty." She looked up from where she was laying in the bed with a miserable look on her face.
"You don't know how much it kills those sick ass mother fuckas to know that you made it." I stood in the threshold of the door unsure of how to respond. So I just watched her. "Too bad you cant grow out of memories, right? Doesn't matter how big you get, how old you get, that shit never leaves you alone."
"Whatchu talking about?"
"I don't know."
"You high?"
"No. Why, you hungry? I got a little of this left if you want." She held up a baggie of powder, offering it to me like it was a burger or something.
"How old are you? Nineteen? Twenty?"
"I'm twenty-one. Why? You don't think I can handle a lil coke?"
"That's more than a little. Why do you need it?"
"I don't need anything. I just like to partake sometimes."
"You get high on that shit for fun?"
"Yes. Don't everybody got a hobby?"
"Yeah... usually sumn like art? Running? I don't know... watching tv? Not cocaine and xannies."
"You funny, nigga. You a cool ass nigga ain't chu?"
"I thought you was too."
"You thought? I'm a Goddess, nigga." I looked around the room and she followed my eyes, "Oh is it the drugs? You don't like drugs?"
"Did you give it to Cole?"
"No, he found it while I was asleep last week. I tried to get him to sober up, but he wanted more... I can't control what other people do."
"Is that the fucking motto around this bitch? Shit!"
"I don't get what the problem is. It makes him feel better."
"This nigga is already on some shit. I'm taking him home with me. Im not letting him do this shit witchu no more."
"My nigga can make his own choices. He's a grown ass man."
"You don't even know him."
I walked down the hall but stopped when I heard Cobe and Cole talking in the kitchen. I leaned closer to the entrance to hear. Cobe was talking to Cole is a nicer tone than just a few minutes ago, "But look what she got you doing to yourself. All this drug shit ain't you, that's her."
"Inaudible low talking."
"Okay, but that's life, nigga. Either way, we all still got chu. Fuck what yo mind is telling you. This is not worth trashing your health and your career over."
"It ain't no different from you letting niggas pistol whip you after mad niggas warned you."
"Exactly. So you see what happens when you don't listen to people who just looking out for you, right? Just listen to Dame and let's go."
"Yeah but, inaudible whispering..."
"Okay."
"You promise?"
"I swear."
It was silent for a few moments and I was getting ready to walk in until I heard a soft smacking sound making my own mouth upturn while weird images ran through my mind. Are they kissing?! After a few long ass seconds, the room went silent again.
I was getting ready to walk in when I heard Cobe tell Cole to go get his shit, then Cole walked around the corner seeing me standing there. He passed by me mumbling, "you happy?" and walked into Jemaika's master bedroom to collect his things. I walked into the kitchen and and when Cobes eyes met mine, I raised my brows at him earning no response as if I didn't just hear him and Cole swapping spit. He collected the snacks he found (aka stole) and the three of us walked out of the house piling into my car as soon as Cole returned.
I turned the car on, letting the A/C cool the car in an attempt to mask the smell of Cole's stench, just then, her front door opened and she ran out to the car frantically. "Cole, baby wait! Where you going?" She reached into the open window and they kissed, for a long time, actually. I had to clear my throat to make them stop. Cole responded to her question, saying "I'm going Home, but I'll be back later."
"Nah, actually, he's not gon' be back." Cobe said matter-of-factly from the front seat.
"How you gone tell him what he's gon' do?" She attitudinally rolled her eyes.
"I been doing that shit his whole life. How the fuck you think this nigga still alive?" Cobe boasted.
"Just go in the house, baby. I'll be back soon." Cole said, reaching for her hands.
"When?" She pleaded.
"Probably this weekend. But I'll let you know." He was holding on to her arm with one hand and rubbing her cheek with the other..
"Stop lying to this bitch, man." Cobe mumbled, cutting into their intimate moment. These niggas...
"Don't call her no bitch, nigga."
"Imma fuck yo punk ass up, get out the car!" She yelled through Cole's open window on the drivers side pulling away from him.
"Ain't nobody worried 'bout yo little ass." She ran around to Cobe's side and started banging on the window and jiggling the handle. He just sat there straight faced, unfazed by the attempt to attack him. "Can we go now?" I skrrted , earning some loud yelling from Jemaika who is now standing in the middle of the street. Once we turned the corner, hopping on the interstate to go to my house, I glared at Cole through the rear view, then over at Cobe in the passenger seat, " Y'all got some explaining to do!" I yelled.