Plummet: Act IV

The story of Chris Winslow continues. Find out what happens at the party, and how it affects everyone afterwards.

Plummet: Act IV

 Chris walks down to Craig’s house. He rings the doorbell and Craig opens the door.

           

“What up,” Craig says, shaking hands with him. “Okay Chris look at you! I see you, movin’ up in the world! Lookin’ all clean and what not!”

            

“Thanks for the clothes,” Chris says.

            

“Anytime man,” Craig says. “Come in.”

            

“Where’s Cole at?” Chris asks.

            

“He’s already there,” Craig says. “There is something I’ve gotta show you though.”

            

The both of them go upstairs to Craig’s bedroom. Chris looks around the room, there are 2Pac posters littered all across the wall. There is a nightstand on the right side of Craig’s bed, he opens one of the drawers and pulls out his pistol.

            

“Is that the one D-Nick gave you?” Chris asks.

            

“Yea,” Craig says. “It’s cool ain’t it?”

            

“You don’t plan on using that do you?”

            

“Not unless I have to,” Craig replies, “And it looks like I might have to. That is, if Mike’s b--ch a*s acts up at this party.”

            

“It shouldn’t get that far.”

            

“I hope it doesn’t,” Craig says. “I don’t even think I got it in me to kill someone.”

            

“Really?”

            

“Naw man,” Craig replies. “I mean I handle my business however, but killing is something completely different. Once you do it, there’s no going back. That’s it.”

            

He continues, “I never understood how guys like D-Nick and Brick do it with no problems.”

            

“Neither can I,” Chris says. “It’s like guys like that have to strip themselves of their humanity. So what are you doing after the party?”

            

“Probably goin’ home,” Craig says. “Why?”

            

“Can I stay over your place?”
            

“For what?”

            

“My Dad is a drunk,” Chris says. “He hasn’t been home for a few days. Not that I’m worried about him, I just need to get out of the house. I’m tired of dealing with his crap.”

            

“Yea yo,” Craig says. “I know how that feels, my mom is never home either. She’s always workin’. She ain’t got time for me, and then she wonders why I’m in the streets all the time.”

            

“Wow,” Chris says. “I had no idea.”

            

“Don’t even worry about it man,” Craig says. “You ready for this party yo?”

            

“Yea.”

            

The two of them walk down to the house where the party was at. As the sound of loud rap music would tell, it was already live by the time they got there. A drunken girl stumbles out of the house as her friends drag her to their car, beer bottles litter the porch; anyone could tell there was a party going on. The party was in the basement. As soon as they walk in Craig says hello to a few people he knows, Chris doesn’t really know anybody yet so he just remains quiet. Finally they see Cole with about ten other boys.

            

“Yo!” Cole shouts.

            

“Yo!” Craig shouts back.

            

Chris and Craig walk over to Cole and slap hands with him.

            

“What’s up yo,” Craig says.

            

“Nothin’ much,” Cole says. “Yo, why don’t ya’ll go talk to some females!”

            

Suddenly, Tatianna walks up to them.

            

“Hey guys,” she says, “How ya’ll doin?”

            

“What’s up Tata,” Chris says.

            

“Hey Chris!” She replies, giving him a hug. “Ya’ll look dumb just posted up here, get on the floor! Two-step, dance, do something!”

            

“Naw,” Craig says, “We chillin for real.”

            

“Alright,” she replies. “Well, don’t be all awkward!”

            

“Whatever,” Craig says.

            

Once Tatianna walks away the subject changes, someone within the crew had gotten word that Mike and his gang were on their way.

            

“Yea yo,” Cole says. “Real talk, Mike and his gang is supposed to be here! Yo we deep as hell out here man, let’s give these lames the business!”  

            

“Let’s just wait for them to do something,” Chris says.

            

“Yea,” Craig says, “Chris is right. Remember the ratchet I got from D?”

            

“Yea,” Cole replies.

            

“Son,” Craig says, showing him the gun, “If anything happens this s--t is goin’ off! I don’t wanna take it there, but if it does I’m bustin’, which is why we gotta wait for them to pop off.”

            

“Yo,” someone within the crew says, “There they go!”

Mike and his crew have walked in. The tension was so thick it was hard to breathe. Aside from some mean looks, Mike and his crew went about their business of partying. Chris, Craig, Cole, and the rest of the gang stayed posted up in the corner; waiting for something to happen. Craig kept his hands on the pistol, and everyone else in the crew remained on their guard. As Tatianna is dancing, Mike approaches her and attempts to steal a dance from her. He grabs her by the waist and tries to force her to dance with him.

“Get away from me Mike!” She shouts, pushing him.

“Come on,” Mike says, “Why you bluffin? Let me get a dance.”

“No!”

Watching this, Chris becomes filled up with rage. As do Craig, Cole, and everyone else. This was the breaking point for them. Mike becomes more aggressive, grabbing her and trying to force himself on her as his friends watch and laugh.

“Yo,” Craig says, “That’s your girl. You just gonna let him get away with that? Not only that, all those times he’s messed wit’ you? You might not get this chance again, if you hit him we gonna follow up.”

By this point, Chris had seen enough. He looks at Craig and the rest of the crew, and they look back at him with looks of assurance.

“Do it,” Craig says.

Chris walks towards Mike, pulls him by the shoulder, and punches him across the jaw; sending him to the floor. The music stops and people look onwards.

“What you wanna fight?” Mike says, as he swings at Chris.

Chris ducks and sends him to the floor again with another punch. He begins pounding Mike’s face in, and at this point Mike’s crew gangs up on Chris. Craig and the rest of his crew jump in, it’s complete pandemonium. Craig’s crew, who vastly outnumbered Mike’s crew, viciously beat them up. Chris isolates Mike and brutally stomps him out, while the rest of Mike’s gang is assailed by Craig and everyone else. People egg the fight on as blows are thrown, and the sounds of liquor bottles breaking fill the air.

“Where’s my knife?” One of Mike’s friends asks.

Upon hearing this, Craig pulled out his pistol and fired it at the ceiling. The crowds of partygoers rush out of the house. Mike’s gang runs out of the house, while Chris and the gang give chase; leaving Mike a bloody mess. Craig, pistol in hand, goes after the remainder of Mike’s gang. Chris, Cole, and everyone else had already caught up with the remainder of Mike’s gang before Craig could and continue the beat down; deep down, Craig was glad he didn’t have to kill anyone tonight. Mike’s entire gang is robbed of their jewelry and shoes.

“Yo,” Cole says, “It’s the boys!”

The police had arrived to the scene, everyone runs away. Chris, Cole, Craig, and the rest of the gang return to Park Crescent. In order to discuss what had just happened.

“We beat the s�"t outta them fools!” Cole says.

“Hell yea,” Craig says. “That’ll teach ‘em, hey Chris you good?”

“No,” Chris says, “I’m great.”

“My man!” Craig says, shaking Chris’ hand. “So what ya’ll tryin’ to do now?”

“We already whooped some a*s man,” Cole says. “That’s enough for one night!”

“You ain’t never lie,” Craig says. “Alright ya’ll, good night.”

“Alright bruh,” Cole says, shaking both Chris and Craig’s hands.

Chris had finally gained the respect from his peers he had always wanted. Once Cole and everyone else leave, Chris and Craig head back to Craig’s house; Chris asks Craig again if he could stay over.

“Yo Craig,” Chris says, “Remember what we talked about?”

“Oh yea,” Craig says, “Yea you can stay tonight.”

They go inside. Craig pulls out his pistol and hands it to Chris, he can’t have that on him; his mom might find it.

“I’m kinda glad nobody died tonight,” Craig says. “But I need you to take this wit’ you when you leave. I can’t have this on me.”

“You want me to have it?” Chris asks.

“Yea.”

“Umm,” Chris says, “Ok.”

“You’re gonna have to sleep on the floor kid,” Craig says. “I don’t share beds with dudes, you get what I’m saying?”

“Yea.”

They both go to bed. The following morning they wake up, it’s a Saturday. Craig’s mom has come back from work and is preparing to go to her second job; when Chris and Craig come downstairs.

“Hey mom,” Craig says. “This is my friend Chris.”

“Hey Chris,” Craig’s mom says. “Alright ya’ll, I’m going to work. Don’t get into any trouble, okay?”

“Mom,” Craig says, “Why you always workin’? Don’t you need a break?”

“Somebody’s gotta pay the rent here,” she replies. “I’ll see you when I come back.”

As soon as she leaves, Craig and Chris go outside and sit on the porch. Cole and some other kids come outside and say hello. They all start talking and hanging out.

“Yo Craig,” Cole says.

“What up Cole?” Craig replies.

“You already know bruh,” Cole says. “Yo I’m still laughin’ about last night. Ha, we gave them lames the business!”

“Hell yea,” Chris replies.

“Yea,” Cole replies, “What you doin’ here Chris?”

“I didn’t feel like going home.”

“Oh ard,” Cole says. “Well, we just rolled up a blunt if ya’ll tryin to smoke?”

“Shoot,” Craig says, “Spark that s�"t!”

Cole lights the blunt and passes it to Chris. Chris inhales and as the boys are smoking, Miss Applegate stops her car and rolls down the window. Chris, obviously startled, passes the blunt to his left and greets her.

“Hey Miss Applegate!” He says.

Miss Applegate simply shakes her head and continues driving. She was disappointed in him and as far as she was concerned, he was “one of them”. Chris kind of felt depressed once he came to this realization.

            

    “Man forget her,” Cole says. “She tried to get me kicked out yo!”

            

    

    “For real?” Chris asks.

            

    “Yea yo,” Cole says, “Cuz I tried to get a teacher’s phone number. The teacher told Miss Applegate and I almost got kicked out.”

            

      “You really did that?” Chris asks.

            

    “Yea man!”

            

    “Cole you a fool!” Craig replies.

            

    “That was like ninth grade year though,” Cole says.

            

    The conversation changes once a drug addict walks by. The boys were in the mood to play some “knockout”.

            

    “Yo,” Cole says, “I dare one of ya’ll to steal on that fiend.”

            

    “I’ll do it,” Chris replies.

            

    “You won’t!” Cole says.

            

    “Watch  me,” Chris says, walking towards the man.

            

    Chris walks up to the man from behind and punches him in the temple, knocking him out. Afterwards he runs back to where the rest of the boys were.

            

    “Hey yo,” Cole says, “You crazy!”

            

    “I told you I was gonna do it!” Chris replies.

            

    “Come on ya’ll,” Craig says. “Let’s get out of here.”

            

    Chris is beginning to gain the respect from his peers that he has always wanted. He finally feels accepted, wanted. However, how far will he go to gain respect? Are the decisions he’s making the right ones? Only time will tell.

            

    They all go back to Craig’s house to hang out. They are sitting around listening to music and smoking blunts. The new Rick Ross album blares through Craig’s speakers. Suddenly Mike’s name comes up; some rumors about him had been going around and his gang.

            

    “Yo,” Cole says, “Tell me why somebody that knows Mike and them told me that they wanted to squash the beef.”

            

    “For real?” Chris asks.

            

    “Man,” Craig says, “I heard Mike’s mom pulled him out of Edgewood High and he goes to night school now.”

            

    “Looks like we don’t have to worry about them anymore,” Chris says.

            

    “Naw,” Cole says.

            

    “Forget them,” Craig says.

            

    After a few hours Cole and everyone else has to go home. With everyone else gone, Chris decides to go home too. Craig takes Chris upstairs to his room in order to give him the gun, entrusting him with its safety.

            

    “Yo,” Craig says. “You gotta take this with you. You can have it.”

            

    “For real?” Chris asks.

            

    “Yea,” Craig says. “But don’t be a dumbass with it. Don’t ever use it unless you have to, once you pull that trigger you can’t bring that bullet back. You understand?”

            

    “Yea man,” Chris says.

            

    “Alright bro,” Craig says.

            

            Chris leaves Craig’s house and heads home, leaving Park Crescent and walking through the city. On his way home, he runs into Tatianna, who was walking home from work. Chris doesn’t expect to see her, so he is startled.

            

    “Chris!” she shouts, as Chris approaches her.

            

    “Oh,” Chris says, “Hey.”

            

    “Thanks for last night.”

            

    “No problem,” he replies. “I couldn’t stand to see him messing with you like that.”

            

    “You finally stood up for yourself,” she says, “And for me. That was really sweet.”

            

     “Yea,” Chris says, “Thanks, so where you goin?”

            

     “Home,” Tatianna replies. “I just got off work. Can you walk me home?”

            

     “Sure.”

            

     The both of them walk to Tatianna’s house. Her mother isn’t home so the two of them go inside. She sits him down on the sofa, while she goes to her room to change out of her uniform into something more comfortable. Chris waits for her until finally she comes out and they begin talking.

            

     “So,” Tatianna says, “What you tryin’ to do?”

            

     “I don’t know,” Chris says. “It’s whatever you want.”

            

     As they’re talking Chris scoots closer to Tatianna. They’re starting to become a little more intimate and Chris puts his arm around Tatianna. This is probably the closest Chris has ever gotten to a girl, but it was what he saw in the movies so why not?  Tatianna kisses him on the cheek and the two of them begin making out on the couch. After they make out they start talking.

            

   “There’s something I’ve always wanted to tell you,” Chris says.

            

   “What is it?” Tatianna asks.

            

    “I like you Tatianna,” he says. “I always have, I just…”

            

    “You just, what?”

            

    “I just never knew how to tell you,” Chris says.

            

    “Wow,” Tatianna replies. “That’s funny because I never knew how to tell you I liked you either.”

            

    “For real?”

            

    “Yea,” she replies, “And when you stood up for me at that party it just, it just�"“

            

    She grabs Chris and the two start making out again. It was getting late and Chris had to head home. He kisses Tatianna goodnight, telling her that he will see her on Monday at school. Chris continues his walk home, and upon getting home he sees his father, who had finally come home. He’s just sitting on his couch, drinking his Everclear. Chris does not greet him nor vice versa, they simply stare at each other as Chris goes to his room and goes to sleep.

The next Monday Chris wakes up. His father is still asleep, so he just eats a Big Texas and heads out of the house. Once he reaches the bus stop, to his surprise, he does not see Mike nor anyone in his gang. Thus, confirming the rumors that they were pulled out of Edgewood High.

“Those lames must have really transferred,” Chris thinks to himself.

Once the bus comes he gets on and takes a seat. Upon sitting down, he finds that everyone is staring at him. Once the bus pulls up to the school, and Chris gets off the bus, he walks in and is met by Miss Applegate.

“Chris!” she shouts.

Chris tries to ignore her, but as she keeps calling his name, he can’t find himself to.

“Yes ma’am?” Chris says.

“I’d like to speak with you in my office.”

“It’s about last weekend right?” Chris asks. “Listen, I…”

“Come to my office,” she says, “Now!”

Chris follows her to her office and takes a seat. She appears to be very angry and this makes Chris very uneasy. Though he puts up a front, acting as if he doesn’t care if she’s angry or not.

“Chris,” Miss Applegate says, “What are you doing?”

“What do you mean?” Chris asks.

“Why have you been acting up lately?” she asks. “I couldn’t believe what I saw you doing last weekend!”

“What do you want me to say?” Chris asks. “Sorry?”

“You told me there was trouble at home,” she says. “I want to have a conference with you and your father.”

“What?”

“I don’t like this path you’re going down,” Miss Applegate says, “And I want to have some sort of intervention.”

“Look,” Chris says, “I’m not even tryin’ to do any of that. Bringing him into the situation is only gonna make things worse.”

“Well it’s the only option!”

“Alright,” Chris says. “In that case I’m out.”

“Chris,” she says, “Are you walking out on me?”

Chris doesn’t answer her and goes his way, before she brings up the fight at the party.

“I heard that Mike and some of his friends were assaulted at that party last Friday,” Miss Applegate says. “They’ve all been pulled out of the school, and there is an investigation going on.”

She continues, “If I find out you had something to do with this, you will be expelled.”

“Whatever.”

Chris begins walking through the hallway, where he sees Tatianna at her locker. Wanting to surprise her, he stands behind the locker door. Tatianna takes her books out and as soon as she closes the door, Chris is right there.

“Hey you,” Tatianna says, kissing him.

“Were you trying to skip school?” Chris asks.

“Sure,” she says, “Where were you trying to go?”

As the two of them are talking someone greets Chris.

“Yo Chris what up!” the kid says.

“What’s good,” Chris replies.

Chris reputation in the school had gone up as a result of his association with Craig and previous Friday’s fight. All of a sudden, people who had no idea who he was before know who he is.

“What was that all about?” Tatianna asks.

“I don’t know,” Chris replies. “But I’ll see you later alright?”

“Alright,” Tatianna says. “Bye baby.”

The two embrace each other and share a kiss. Chris heads to the cafeteria, where he sees Craig, Cole, and a bunch of other kids. A bunch of other kids get up to shake Chris’ hand.

“The man I wanted to see!” one kid says.

“Yo Chris you punished that fool Mike!” another kid says.

“Man,” Chris says, “It was nothing. The bully got checked, and everyone found out who really runs Edgewood High.”

He continues, “Right Craig?”

“Yea yo,” Craig says.

“Yo Cole,” Chris says. “What’s good?”

“S�"t,” Cole says, “Just survivin’ bruh.”

“That’s all we can do,” Chris says. “Anyway, I’m goin’ to homeroom.”

As Chris is getting ready to leave Craig calls him back. Craig walks over to him and they start talking.

“Yo Chris,” Craig says. “You tryin to skip class and blow down?”

“Yea sure,” Chris says.

“Alright yo,” Craig says.

Just then, the homeroom bell rings and everyone heads to homeroom. Chris comes into homeroom and takes a seat. The kid next to him begins talking to him.

“You beat up Mike at that party?” the kid asks.

“Yea,” Chris says, “But don’t speak on it too much. There’s an investigation going on, and I might get expelled if the principal finds out about it.”

“Alright,” the kid says. “I didn’t think you would, I guess Mike really is a bi--ch.”

“Yea.”

“I would watch out for Craig if I were you,” the kid says. “He’s bad news.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s from Park Crescent,” the kid replies, “Nothing but scumbags and junkies in that hood and he’s no different.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Just watch your back around him.”

As the conversation gets louder, everyone in the room turns to the back to see what was going on. Chris stands up and gets in the kids face, as if he was about to fight him.

“Every day you say some slick s�"t out of your mouth,” Chris says, “And I’m tired of it!”

“Whoa man,” the kid says. “Chill!”

“That’s what I thought,” Chris says. “I dare you to say something dumb again!”

The kid remains silent, frozen solid with fear, as the teacher asks Chris to sit down and behave himself. All the kids in the homeroom begin to anticipate a fight, but both Chris and the other boy simply remain quiet. Then, the bell rings and Chris heads out to look for Tatianna. He finally finds her and gives her a hug.

“Were you trying to chill with Craig and them?” Chris asks.

“Sure,” she says, “What were ya’ll tryin’ to do?”

“We’re probably gonna smoke,” he says. “Anyway, tell me why I was about to beat some fool up in homeroom.”

“What happened?”

“He said something disrespectful about the homies,” Chris says. “He runs his mouth all the time.”

“You should’ve beat his a*s.”

“Naw,” Chris says. “He wasn’t worth it.”

The two of them look for Craig, Cole, and the rest of the gang. They walk through the hallways until they find them, once they find them, everyone goes outside to the woods.

“We finally have rellos!” Craig says, pulling two cigarillos out from his back pocket.

“I thought we were about to smoke out of that tinny again,” Chris says.

“Hell naw,” Craig says.

Craig rolls the marijuana into a blunt, lights it, and passes it to the guy on the left.

“Yo Chris,” one kid says, “You run Edgewood now man!”

“Naw yo,” Chris says, “Chill.”

“Naw you do,” the kid says, “For real!”

“Bruh,” Cole says, “Pass the blunt! The f�"k you talkin’ about?”

“My bad yo,” the kid says, before he passes it to his left.

“Chris,” Tatianna says, “I want to leave.”

“You not tryna smoke?” Chris asks.

“No.”

As Chris gets ready to leave, he takes one last puff. Afterwards, he shakes everyone’s hand and heads back to the school with Tatianna. The rest of the kids follow him back to the school, leaving just Craig and Cole. The blunt reaches Cole, who is mad about something and no longer wants to smoke; so he passes it to Craig.

“Yo Craig,” Cole asks.

“Yea man?” Craig replies.

“Who does Chris think he is?” Cole asks. “Dude walks around like he runs Edgewood!” Cole says. “Like we don’t run s�"t out here!”

“It ain’t even like that,” Craig says, “Let the kid have his fun.”

“Naw man,” Cole says, “He’s tryin’ to take your spot, and if we don’t do something, he’s going to!”

Craig thinks about what Cole just said. He begins fearing for his status: That he will become second fiddle to Chris, and he simply cannot let that happen. He has to do something fast.

“You’re right,” Craig says. “Dude has been actin’ like he’s the man lately, if you ask me, he got lucky with Mike.”

He continues, “I taught that kid everything he knows, and now he’s tryin’ to take my spot? So what you want me to do? Fight him? Beat him up? What?”

“We’ve gotta isolate his a*s,” Cole says. “We’ve got to cut him off, and then turn everybody against him: His girl, them little groupie boys he got around him. We can’t let him get bigger than us!”

“Good idea,” Craig says. “That’s even worse than beatin’ him up! I’ll pretend like I’m still cool wit’ him though, just so he won’t know what’s goin’ on.”

“I never messed wit’ him like that so I ain’t even gonna pretend!” Cole says. “Forget his clown a*s!”

Continued on Act V...