He’d tried hard not to post anything on Rodrick’s profile. But enough was enough. The last straw was when he saw that Wendy clicked Like on the picture Rodrick uploaded of his daughter holding a stack of cash. He told her to stop commenting and Liking all his shit! It was her fault that he blasted him over the internet.
When his phone started ringing, he took his sweet time before answering.
“What the fuck is yo problem?” Wendy hollered.
“You know what my goddamn problem is. Get off Rodrick’s dick. I told yo goofy ass to stay off his fuckin’ profile.”
“I have!”
“I just saw you Liked the picture of his daughter.”
“So what? Everybody Liked it. I haven’t been commenting on his statuses like I used to.”
“I don’t want you Liking his shit either.”
“Who the fuck are you to tell me what to do? Take care of yo son and I
“But I’m not fuckin’ her, though,” Kenneth said.
“I’m not fuckin’ Rodrick!” Wendy snapped.
“You can’t even lie right. I saw yo sister’s status, talking about she just got a bag of that Girl Scout Cookie Kush dropped off and she tagged you in the picture. Everybody knows Rodrick is one of the only niggas that sell that strand of weed in Kansas City. And if I’m not mistaken, yo sister still stays wit’ you. So I know he was over there.”
She sucked her teeth. “Just because somebody drops off some weed don’t mean I let him in. You better delete yo status before he sees it. I know you’re just trying to get attention. But you’re barking up the wrong tree.”
“Bitch, I am the tree.”
Kenneth hung up on her.
Flicking his thumb against his screen, he scrolled down to the newest comments on his post.
Smitty Down4Whatever: LMAO! You a fool, bro!
Mitch tiredofballin Walker: If he didn’t get the picture before, I bet he do now! LOL!
Ed Capone: Don’t trip on that fuck nigga.
Kenneth C.r.e.a.m.: @Ed Capone--> Sometimes you gotta go on these niggas. They think just because they got a name and some money that gives them the right to fuck every bitch. But not mine, pussy muthafucka!
Ed Capone: I heard that. I already know you gone hog him out like you did in high school.
Kenneth C.r.e.a.m.: Nah. I let him off easy then. This time I’ma springboard clothesline his ass.
Ed Capone: LOL!
Kenneth C.r.e.a.m.: R U coming through?
Ed Capone: Yeah, as soon as my momma get back. You at the house, right?
Kenneth C.r.e.a.m.: Where else I’ma be?
Kenneth scanned through his newsfeed while he waited for Ed to show up. He saw Tyesha’s status about stalkers and his eyebrows furrowed.
He hoped she saw his message he posted on Rodrick’s wall. That would surely get her juices going. If everything panned out like he wanted it to, her relationship status would revert back to “single,” and he’d post LMAO’s in Rodrick’s inbox for a week. Even though Kenneth had won Wendy in high school, he had always felt like Rodrick one-upped him by getting Tyesha Fenty pregnant. Tyesha was one of the sexiest—if not
Laying back on the couch and kicking his feet up on the arm rest, he scrolled through Tyesha’s endless photos to see if there were any new ones he hadn’t seen yet.
Until there was a knock at his door.
He looked through the peep hole and was startled by Ed’s fish eye. “Nigga, don’t scare me like that,” he said, as he flung the door open.
Ed suddenly lunged into him involuntarily, as Rodrick gripped him by the collar with a third generation Glock 17 pressed to his head.
“Hands up, neighbor!” Rodrick barked at Kenneth.
But in a state of panic, Kenneth turned and fled through his house, scraping his elbow against the wall as he pushed himself towards the back door. He slammed against it, then yanked it open.
His heart jumped when he saw Gideon standing in his backyard with an M4 Carbine braced expertly against his shoulder, the 14-inch chrome-moly steel barrel aimed dead at Kenneth’s chest. Submitting, Kenneth slowly put his hands behind his head, as Gideon stepped into the house and shoved him back further into the kitchen. He sat Kenneth down at the table where Rodrick had Ed hostage.
“I’m sorry,” Kenneth pleaded. “I’ll delete that shit. I was just talkin’ shit. I didn’t mean no disrespect.”
“I just got here,” Ed moaned pitifully. “I don’t even know what I did.”
They both watched as Rodrick, clad in black open-knuckle gloves, set a brown paper bag on the table that gave off a greasy scent of fast food. He opened up the cabinet and got out several cups and filled them with ice water. Then he pulled out a chair and sat, reaching in the greasy bag and pulling out a few chili dog burgers. He distributed them evenly.
“You eatin’ with us?” he asked Gideon, who held the rifle cocked to the ceiling in standby.
“Nah, I’m good, bro. Do yo thang.”
Rodrick gently reached his hands across the table and held them there, palms up. Kenneth, trembling uncontrollably, glanced at an even more frightened Ed. They both were confused.
“Give me your hands,” Rodrick said.
Hesitantly, Kenneth and Ed placed their hands in Rodrick’s.
“Would any of you two like to say Grace?”
They both shook their heads no.
“Well, bow your heads,” Rodrick said, lowering his chin to his chest and closing his eyes. “Dear Heavenly Father—”
“Close your eyes!” Gideon yelled at them.
They shut them immediately.
“Dear Heavenly Father, I want to thank you for bringing us together without incident or casualty. Please bless Kenneth Murberry and Edward Davis, for they are my enemies. And I ask you to put forgiveness in my heart, oh Lord, and their hearts as well, oh Lord, as we share this meal today. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.”
“Amen,” Kenneth and Ed said in unison.
“Let’s eat,” Rodrick said.
Cautiously, the two unwrapped their burgers. Ed licked chili juice off his finger to taste test it. Kenneth didn’t even do that much. He stared at his burger blankly, before laying his eyes back on Rodrick. He couldn’t figure out how they—
“Pictures,” Rodrick said, reading his expression. “From the pictures you uploaded to The Site, especially the one with your house in it, it was easy to find out where you live. I also know from your posts that you and Ed meet
