Hi you guys. Sorry for the delay...life has been seriously...blah. Can't even explain it. Hope you all had a good Labor Day.

...I want to share that I was about to knock the fuck out of someone at work Tuesday. -sigh- So glad this was a 4 day to the reviews and story, shall we? Oh, and thank you! 100 reviews! Yay!

Music Moon Queen: Ahhh! LOL. Okay. Thank you

YoungKong: Yeah, maybe...and thank you too. 8)

Schweetpea: I know, silly girl. lol

Paige: We already discussed that...once again...they weird. LOL That's so backwards though...I mean...I never thought I'd see that with-never mind, I don't want to sound racist. LMAO!

Disclaimer: Don't own B-Boys.

Chapter 20

"Long days are ahead of me." Nikoali muttered to himself. Slowly, he started packing his things away. He, his friends, Anphorny, and Jazmine were all running away to New York. All he needed was his clothes, and his guitar. He didn't make it too noticeable, because Cassis been barging in on him lately. He made sure to carry out all his packing when he and Richard was sound asleep. Anphorny paid off his spies, so they didn't even follow Nikoali for a long period of time. He pushed his bags under his bed when he heard his door open, it was Richard this time, much to his displeasure.

"Son, I've been thinking…your brother's been putting in work, keeping the name live in the streets, but what all have you done?"

Nikoali didn't like where this was going. "I already said I didn't want any part of this shake down ring you got going on." He shook his head.

"Just like your mother, you just don't understand! It's all about business! Money makes the world go round, I sell these people dreams Nikoali, I sell them the life they could only dream off. Powerful men leave powerful legacies."

"You sell death and lies." He snapped. Richard nodded slowly.

"Some could say that, but…I've been watching you more than you know boy…I know you're up to something." He looked around his son's room. Rock and Hip-Hop posters cluttered his walls, his room was still messy…and yet…it looked…different. Things were there, but not all there.

"Where's your lava lamp?" He continued to eagle eye his youngest sons' room.

"Closet."

"You don't use it anymore?"

"Not when I don't want to use it." He said in a condescending voice, like he was stupid. Nikoali turned his back to him, kneeling on the ground to grab his sunburst Fender guitar from under his bed, he also made sure not to pull his bags out. Richard pursed his dry lips together.

"Fine. Very well." He walked out, only he remained at the corner of the door. He watched as Nikoali pulled a cell phone out from under his bed. Where the hell he get a phone from? Who gave it to him? He watched his son text. His facial expression was serious and urgent. After a while, he put his phone back under his pillow and sat his guitar up against the wall.

He was up to something, he was certain now. He somehow managed to get a phone. He would know what he was doing, one way or another.

o0o

Anphorny cringed in the corner as Bain was torturing , the professor that was to fail Huey Freeman's girlfriend. He owed Richard money for a loan he received to help his mother, and he would have been cleared if he had done his deal with Cassis to fail Sirayah VeTuldo. He was now reaping what he sowed for going back on his word and owing money.

Bain was Richard's brother and his right hand man in crime. He was more of the brawn before the brains. He took care of the bloody work. He enjoyed the thrill of taking lives. You could consider him a psycho with the lust for blood. He'd go after anyone, he didn't care who or whatever the situation was, all that was needed to know was that someone has crossed the Bryars, and the price for doing that could very costly.

"Please…stop. I can pay the money back." Keegan coughed as blood left his mouth. He could feel at least two ribs shattered, as well as his left leg. The metallic taste of his blood was disgusting, making his stomach flip with each swallow. Bain kicked him in the stomach once more.

"You didn't follow orders. You were to fail that bitch, and you didn't? And please, your measly paycheck can't cover the remaining 14,050 you owe on your bill. His mother had cancer, and needed the most high scale treatment. He got the loan off his house and for a while...he was being current. But the medicine became more expensive…and he really needed that money. He knew he shouldn't have dragged a student down in with his problems. It wasn't fair! He has nothing to do with Cassis' gripe with some random student's boyfriend! What shit is that! Bain just laughed as he continued to struggle to talk.

"You and your bitch brother won't get away with it…you'll all be killed if not caught before. I may die, but don't be too comfortable, you'll all be in hell right along with me. Fuck you." That was the last thing he said before having his neck twisted by Bain. Anphorny was mortified. He saw someone get killed. He and Nikoali needed to get out and fast. Bain pulled out a Marlboro and sat on Keegan's corpse as he smoked. After he released a puff a smoke he turned to his nephew.

"Now, on to Huey, but I know the only way to set him off is to get at that pretty little lady of his." He smiled, revealing his yellowed teeth. Anphorny frowned. No! He was done with people getting hurt by these crazy people! It ends now!

"No!" He shouted, Bain frowned.

"What do you mean no?" he stood up from his latest victim.

"I mean you, Dick, and Cassis needs to stop! Killing and hurting all these people just for money and revenge! I'm tired of this crazy ass family! I want out!" Anphorny turned to leave the abandoned building but was slowed by two gunshots to the shoulder.

"Don't you walk out on me boy!" Bain cried as he chased the injured man out the building. Anporny grunted as he clenched his bleeding shoulder. He dashed into an alley, only to dart out onto the opposite side. He ran inside a restaurant nearby, knowing it was a good idea to be surrounded by people. People gasped and gazed at him. A waitress rushed to his side.

"Sir, do, you need an ambulance? Lance! Call 911" she yelled behind her. Anphorny grimaced as his vision kept blacking out. Everything was getting darker and darker.

"…Nikoali…I have to call him!" he cried before blacking out.

o0o

Jazmine took a big inhale. She gripped her jacket as she waited on Sirayah outside PA. She wanted to talk to her, she owed it to apologize. She remembered Riley saying something about her going here…so she thought it'd be worth giving it a shot. She felt butterflies when she saw her walk out with a couple of other people. When she noticed how long she was standing there talking to the other students, Jazmine seized the moment. She was going to apologize to everyone, she picked Sirayah first because…well…she could sense she'd…she didn't know. Something inside told her to go to her first. When she noticed Jazmine approaching her, she kept her sights locked on her.

"Hey…can we talk?" Jazmine said lowly. Her eyes were saying no, but her mouth said something else.

"Sure…whatever." She followed Jazmine down the steps and on the bench. Sirayah was waiting on her to spill already; it was too cold to just sit around. November in Maryland was icey…and in December? Oh…that's when it'd be a real bitch to live in. Sirayah hated cold weather and couldn't wait for spring weather to return.

"I want to say I'm sorry…I…I got some hang-ups and…I shouldn't have done any of that shit." Jazmine stared at her black boots that were overlapping her black skinny jeans. She had all sorts of vile feelings for the woman next to her, and she was done feeling like that. She was tired of being bitter, she was tired of feeling jaded, and she was done with feeling jealous. Maybe she and Huey wasn't meant to be…and she realized that. It was with Nikoali that she belonged. Jazmine knew she couldn't fix all the bridges she managed to burn, but saving a few does count for something.

"I was in a dark place for that time…I just needed to find the light." She continued. Sirayah nodded as she looked up at the sky. They were a stone gray, seems like that's how it'll always look like until the sun returns.

"It's cool. You learned from it right?"

"Of course!" Jazmine yelled, not out of obviousness…but more like urgency. She had learned, she learned late, but she did. She hated she learned late, but she wasn't going to keep count of the mistakes she's made. That's a lie…she counted a good 20 mistakes she's done…but she knows it's no longer healthy to dwell on them. Either she did something about it, or was going to be eaten alive by her angst ridden feelings.

"Well, we're all good then. Have you talked to Cindy?" She asked. Jazmine blinked at her, amazed. She was still envious of her personality…it seems. Returning to reality, she shook her head no.

"Not yet…I'm scared." She admitted.

"If you had the courage to talk to me…surely you can talk to the girl you grew up with."

"…I severed our relationship a long time ago…how do I go about fixing something that was shattered to pieces?" Jazmine asked, wanting this woman's guidance. She could learn a thing or two from her.

"Cindy misses you just as much. You really hurt her though. It's not an overnight fight here…you slept with her boyfriend. You're gonna have to put in some serious work if you're serious about making amends." Sirayah's voice wasn't harsh, but it was firm. Her aura resonated how sure she was of herself and her outlook, and that was empowering. She smiled lightly at her.

"You can do it Jazz!" Jazmine returned the small smile. Yeah….she was way more deserving that she could ever be of Huey. All she could do now is…wish them well in life.

"Thank you Sirayah. I really mean that." After a slight pause…Jazmine wanted to know.

"Can…can we…we be friends?"

"I don't see why not." She got up.

"Sorry girl but uh…it's cold as hell out here. I gots to go." Her cell rang, she answered.

"Hello? Hey baby what's up? I'm at school? No! Hahahaha! No sir, you know you're the only guy for me!" She cheered happily. Jazmine smiled at the scene.

"Yeah, uh-huh…I'm on my way home, bye foo'." She rolled her eyes at her phone.

"Well, my master calls. Haha. Bye Jazz."

"Bye!" Sirayah and Jaz exchanged numbers before she left. When Sirayah arrived home, her Panther was there waiting for her.

"Damn! What took you so long?" he pulled her to his chest as he greeted her with a kiss.

"I was talking to someone." Huey raised an eyebrow.

"Who?"

"A new friend of mine."

"Who?"

"A warm and gentle person indeed." She continued to mess with him, he slapped her ass.'

"Who!" she laughed and walked into the bedroom to put her bags away.

"Well if you must know Sir Owl, it was Jazmine. She came up to school today and apologized to me. It was the cherry to the end of this semester." She nodded. She would be graduating May…just two more semesters and she will be graduating! Huey gave a conflicted look.

"Jazmine?" she nodded. He just stared at her for a while. Did he really want his current girl and his ex to be talking so casual? And…he hasn't talked to her in forever, so for her to show up in his life would be awkward…in all honesty.

"You forgave her…just like that?"

"Yes Huey, I have no grudges to hold against her." She placed her jacket in the closet. She sat on the foot of the bed and removed her boots. Collapsing back on the bed, she sighed.

"You don't like that, do you?"

"I don't know…" he mumbled as he remained at the door. That was his issue with her; she'd be too nice sometimes. Humph, he'd be too mean, while she'd be too nice. If they were to have kids, that'd be chaotic, because all kids would naturally lean to the softer parent. He's been trying to tweak that…but obviously no avail. The pair was silent until Sirayah spoke up again, but she changed the subject.

"You know…I haven't seen Keegan all this week." Huey snorted.

"He's probably hiding from Bitch and Co." she shook her head.

"Oh Huey." She closed her eyes, lashes resting on the top of her cheeks. She felt him climb in the bed and onto her.

"You're about to be screaming that." He whispered as he began kissing her wildly.

o0o

Nikoali was nervous. Anphorny was supposed to be calling him. It was 12 now and he was worried something happened to him. He tapped his foot on his bed, sitting up anxiously for his text or call. When his phone buzzed, he snatched it from under his pillow. Aw! It was Jazmine.

"Hello?"

"Hey, any word from An?"

"No…and it's worrying me. I-" his phone beeped, signaling there was another person on the line.

"Oh! That's probably him, let me call you back hun."

"Okay, bye-bye!" he clicked over.

"Hello?"

"…Nikoali."

"Bro! What's up? What took you so long to call me man?"

"I'm in the hospital, Bain shot me…I tried to leave and he shot me. You need to come here because I have something really important to tell you. Come no later than 8 am. " Nikoali just sat there in his bed…lost.

"Nikoali, there is a big chance your dad already knows…you got to get out of that house now..."

Nikoali didn't have to be told that twice. He grabbed his bag from under his bed and snatched up his guitar. He felt under his mattress as he pulled out the three plane tickets to New York. It would only be until Friday until they would leave. He quietly hopped out his window and ran for dear life into the night…just before hearing his bedroom door being torn open.

He escaped to Jazmine's house, banging on her door.

"What the hell Nikoali-"

"He was going to kill me!"

"Who?" she asked, growing frantic.

"Bain, my dad's crazy right hand man. Anphorny blew his cover and was shot after trying to leave." Jazmine narrowed her eyes at the details in concern. Nikoali told her all of what was happening in his world, and it was getting too close for comfort.

"Is Anphorny still coming with us to New York?"

"I…I don't know. I still have his ticket…I have to see him in the hospital tomorrow in the morning."

"I'll come with you."

"No!" He gripped her shoulders. "This is getting dangerous, stay here!"

"I want to go with you!" Jazmine yelled.

"I don't want you to get killed!" they stared each other down, waiting to see which would back down, when he saw how persistent she was, Nikoali sighed.

"Please Jazmine, let me protect you."

"I'll be fine. Trust me." It was then Nikoali rubbed his chin.

"…I need some fucking fire power."

It was then a smile graced Jazmine's face.

"I know just the person for you."

R&R folks, again sorry for the wait. Hehehe...I'll try to start doing right by you guys lol