Tales of the Hood by T K Williams-Nelson Page B

was my day and I was going to enjoy it. I stared out the window and smiled to myself also.
    ***
    When we arrived at the hall there were so many people already there. Myah came out the car first to clear a path for me to walk through. It was then that I recognised the true scale of the amount of people I knew. As I stepped out I heard cheers and clapping. I felt like I was a movie star. I waved to everyone that came then walked into the hall. The music was blazing as Jason put his hand up to greet me. There were people dancing in every corner and Crime Scene were harassing the pretty girls as usual. It was all going the way I wanted it to. Many people complimented me on my suit and how the party was going. I went to the front and took the mike off the decks. “I just want to thank everyone for coming to celebrate my birthday with me today. I hope you all enjoy yourself but please let’s just have good vibes because this is meant to be a happy night. Thanks again.”
    I eventually found Myah and asked her for a dance. “Ready to buss a move with your boy?” I grinned.
    â€œCourse, anytime, anywhere,” she grinned back. She stood in front of me and wined up her waistline. She looked so sensual; I couldn’t help but touch her. She bent over and we started grinding to the beat. I didn’t know how she did it but it felt good. After a while I went to get us something to eat from the kitchen. The party was at its peak and I must admit I was glad I had decided to do it. I turned back and Myah looked so twitchy. She’d been acting like that for the last couple days but I left it unsaid because I thought it was excitement about the party, but even now she was here she wasn’t anymore relaxed. As I walked out with two plates in my hand I heard screaming near the door area. I dropped the food and ran to see what was going on. I forcefully pushed through the crowds to see a group of boys dressed in black staring directly at me.
    â€œSo you’re the birthday boy? Guess the surprise is for you then,” the leading man at the front said. When he took of his ski mask I realised it was the same man from south side that drove off and came back; the same ma that shot Donny in front of us.
    â€œWhat the fuck is going on?” I yelled baffled.
    Before I got an answer the guys made a dash for me. They got me to the ground and stomped on me repeatedly. Every footstep was like a boulder, crushing me a little bit more. I saw Jason and Jose run and start pulling guys off me. Rico and Joel were fighting to get me out but nothing seemed to work. There were so many I couldn’t understand how this was happening, how they knew I was going to be here. I felt feet plummet on my face and punches pierce through my stomach. I was coughing up blood and desperately trying to break free of the torture I was enduring. I looked up helplessly to see Myah kick off her shoes and run towards the biggest of the gang.
    â€œLeave him alone! It wasn’t meant to be this bad!” she cried angrily.
    The man turned to her and struck her across her face so hard that she fell to the ground. “You’re the one that wanted this to happen so sit back and don’t fucking get involved” he roared at her.
    I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. He was trying to say that Myah - my Myah – had set me up on my own birthday. I refused to believe it as I tensed, taking every blow. She sat on the floor shaking and crying; watching my eyes swell slowly. It was then I realised that it was down to her. This was all down to her. I could see it in her face; the guilt and the shame; the regret and the pain. My thoughts were abruptly stopped by a penetrating pain rapidly going through my thigh and my shoulder. They had stabbed me. Crime Scene got most of the guys off me whilst I saw the others run off as I lay there exhausted; throbbing all over.
    Jason crawled up to me, “Jayden! Jayden are you cool” he