Part II: Broken Wings
-3 days later-
In the garage of his home, JuJu punches a punching bag as his fists are wrapped in bandages so he won't cut himself. He's wearing a black compression long-sleeve shirt, black basketball shorts, and his white, scuffed sneakers. Each punch he throws makes some drops of sweat hit the floor. After some time, with heavy breaths, he sits in a chair and puts a small towel behind his neck as he sips a bottle of water.
"JuJu!" yells Lynn as she runs toward him.
He jumps up, wiping his face in sweat, alarmed by the urgency in her voice.
"Lynn?" He says. "What's wrong?"
"Emmanuel just went into shock!"
JuJu's face tightens with worry as he listens to Lynn's urgent words. Without hesitation, he sets the water bottle aside and rushes to follow her out of the garage and into the house. They speed through the familiar halls, reaching the infirmary in record time.
Inside, Emmanuel is lying on the hospital bed, his face pallid, and his breathing shallow. Marcus stands at his side, looking deeply concerned as Dr. White and Haley work to stabilize their friend.
"Emmanuel!" JuJu calls out, his voice quivering with concern.
Marcus glances up, his eyes filled with a mix of relief and worry. "J, he just started seizing, man. They're trying to get it under control."
JuJu moves closer to Emmanuel's bedside, his heart pounding. He reaches out, placing a hand on his friend's forehead, his face etched with anxiety.
"Come on, Em," he whispers, his voice filled with a mix of desperation and determination. "You can pull through this. I can't lose anyone else."
Lynn puts her hand on JuJu's shoulder to comfort him as Dr. White does what he can to stabilize his friend. Marcus is right beside his cousin, holding his hand while holding back tears.
"Why did you have to do this Em? Always letting your ego get in the way!"
"We're gonna need you all to leave the room," says Haley.
The three nod as they exit the room and wait outside the corridor. Marcus sits against the wall with his head in between his legs, hiding his emotions as JuJu and Lynn rub his back to calm him down.
As time passes, Dr. White exits the room and faces the three.
"Is he gonna be okay?" asks Marcus, in a broken voice.
"I'm sorry Marcus," replies Dr. White. "We… Did all we could, but it wasn't enough. He lost too much blood, he's gone. I'm really sorry."
The words hit Marcus like a truck as tears well up in his eyes. JuJu drops his head down in sadness, knowing he lost another person in his life un such a short span of time.
Lynn turns and hugs JuJu.
"I'm sorry you guys had to deal with this," she says.
Grief hung heavy in the air as the news settled in. Emmanuel, their close friend and companion, was gone. JuJu clenched his fists, the same fists that had been pounding the punching bag just moments ago, now useless in the face of this loss. Lynn held him tighter, her silent presence offering comfort in this moment of heartache.
Marcus, devastated by the sudden turn of events, couldn't hold back his tears any longer. He let them flow freely, his shoulders shaking as he wept for his cousin. Dr. White and Haley exchanged somber glances, understanding the profound impact this loss had on the young group before giving them a moment alone.
After a moment, JuJu gently broke away from Lynn's embrace and walked over to Marcus, placing a hand on his trembling shoulder. "We're here for you, Marcus," he said softly, his voice filled with sympathy. "We'll get through this together. The same way with Byron."
Marcus looked up at JuJu, his tear-stained face revealing the depth of his pain. "I know, J. But it just hurts so damn much. He was like a brother to me."
Lynn knelt down beside them, offering her support as well. "We'll remember him, Marcus. We'll keep his memory alive inside us."
As they consoled each other in the hallway, JuJu's mind raced with memories of Emmanuel. Playing on the same basketball team as little kids and the competitive nature they shared.
After a while, they decided to return to the garage, the place where they had been just moments before, where JuJu had been releasing his frustrations on the punching bag. Now, it seemed like an eternity ago, and the garage felt like a different world entirely.
They sat in somber silence, each lost in their thoughts. Marcus walks inside the house, wanting to be alone as Lynn and JuJu are once again alone together. She looks at JuJu's body shaking and his leg bouncing eagerly as he takes out his hair tie. His dreadlocks drape over his head in front of his eyes as if they would hide the pain.
Lynn reached out and gently tugged at JuJu's arm, prompting him to look at her. His eyes, once filled with determination in the garage, were now clouded with sorrow and exhaustion. She could see the weight of grief pressing down on him, threatening to overwhelm him completely.
"JuJu," she said softly as she moved some of his dreadlocks away from his face to look at him in the eyes, "it's okay to let it out. You don't have to hold it in."
He met her gaze, his vulnerability exposed. Lynn's presence had always been a source of strength for him, and now, in this moment of profound loss, it was no different.
Tears welled up in JuJu's eyes, and he finally allowed himself to break down. He sobbed uncontrollably, his shoulders shaking with the weight of his grief. Lynn wrapped her arms around him, holding him close as he let out all the pain and sadness that had been building up inside.
In that moment, in the dimly lit garage, the two friends clung to each other, finding solace in their shared sorrow. Time seemed to stand still as they grieved not only for Emmanuel but also for the unfairness of life's twists and turns.
As JuJu's sobs gradually subsided, he pulled away from Lynn, wiping his tears with the back of his hand. He took a deep, shuddering breath, his emotions still raw but somewhat more manageable.
"Lynn, I want you to promise me one thing," JuJu asks as he moves his hair from his face behind his head.
"What is it?"
"Please don't tell anyone I cried. I hate it when I do."
Lynn smiled gently, her eyes filled with understanding. "JuJu," she said softly, "your strength doesn't decline because you shed tears. It takes some serious balls to let your emotions out, especially in times like this. You don't always have to be the strong one, you know."
JuJu nodded, his expression a mix of gratitude and vulnerability. "I know. My dad taught me to never show weakness, you know? But right now, I guess... I needed to let it out."
"I get it," Lynn replied, her voice warm and reassuring. "And I promise, your secret's safe with me. But remember, it's okay to lean on others too, especially when you're hurting."
They sat in silence for a while longer, the weight of their loss still heavy in the air. But they also felt a glimmer of hope, a reminder that even in the darkest moments, the bonds of friendship and the support of loved ones could help carry them through.
To break the silence again, Lynn looks at JuJu looking at the ground.
"Hey, before I go…" she says before giving him a kiss on the cheek.
JuJu's eyes light up and puts a hand on his cheek where Lynn's lips were. He's left at a loss of words before smiling.
She smiles back at him as she blushes before replying.
"Take care, JuJu," Lynn said, her smile filled with warmth and a hint of playfulness. "And remember, I'll always be here for you, no matter what."
With that, she turned and walked towards the door, leaving JuJu in the dimly lit garage, his heart aching but also feeling a glimmer of gratitude for the friend who had been there to comfort him in his darkest hour.
As Lynn disappeared into the distance, JuJu knew that the road ahead would be difficult, filled with grief and challenges, but he also understood that he didn't have to face it alone. He had his friends, his memories of Emmanuel, and the unwavering support of those who cared about him.
JuJu then stood up and unwrapped the bandages from his hand with a smile still stuck on his face. As he walks up to the garage door to close it, he looks at Lynn in the distance one more time before closing it and heading inside the house to comfort Marcus.
"Yo, M!" JuJu calls out. "Where you at?"
He doesn't get an answer and he decides to walk around the house. He checked Marcus's room and he wasn't in there. He goes back down the stairs until he smells something he hasn't smelled in a long time.
"That can't be what I'm thinking."
He walks toward the backyard and sees his friend sitting alone outside by the sliding door with smoke coming out in front of him.
"Marcus?"
Marcus turns around quickly and hides what he has in his hand before holding in his coughs.
"Bruh, are you smoking?"
He continues to hold in his coughs before speaking.
"Uh, no?"
"I know weed when I smell it. How the fuck did you even get some?"
"It was in Em's bag in his room."
"Of course it was."
"I couldn't handle losing him like this, he and I used to always smoke together when he came to Georgia. It's like the only thing I got to remember him."
JuJu sat down beside Marcus, taking in the pungent scent of the makeshift joint. He understood the pain that Marcus was going through. Grief has a way of pushing people to find comfort in familiar vices, even in the midst of the cruel world they're living in.
"I get it, bro," JuJu said softly, his voice filled with empathy. "Losing Em hit us all hard. But you know this stuff won't make the pain go away. It'll just numb it for a while, and when it wears off, the pain will be waiting right there."
Marcus nodded, his eyes red and weary. "I know, J. But for a moment, it helps me forget."
JuJu placed a reassuring hand on Marcus's shoulder. "We're all hurting, Marcus, but we can't lose ourselves in the process. Em wouldn't want that for us. Especially you, it looked like you were his favorite cousin."
"Yeah, we always hung out when we had the chance at cookouts and shit. Have you smoked before?"
"Nah, never wanted to. A lot of my cousins did, but I didn't want to be part of that crowd. Also 'cause of all the sports I played, I didn't wanna risk it."
Marcus took another drag from the joint, the orange ember glowing in the dim evening light. He exhaled slowly, the smoke swirling into the air.
"It's not for everyone," Marcus said, passing the joint to JuJu, who politely declined with a shake of his head. "I get why you never wanted to try it, especially with your dedication to sports. But right now, it feels like one of the few things that can take the edge off."
"I feel you, bro, just don't start going paranoid on me."
"I won't. Trust."
-Next Day-
JuJu, Marcus, Lynn, and a couple of the others meet in the backyard of JuJu's home for the burial of Emmanuel. The Sun hung low in the sky casting a warm, golden glow over the small gathering in the backyard. They all stood around a freshly dug grave, a makeshift wooden cross, made by Lana, marking the spot where Emmanuel's body would be laid to rest.
As his body is being put in the hole, JuJu crouches down next to Marcus and puts an arm around him. Marcus tries to keep his composure as he balls up his fist, puts it over his mouth, and grips his cross chain with his other hand.
After the ceremony, JuJu was the last one left, standing in front of the grave.
"Man," He says as his eyes start to glisten in the sunlight. "I remember the first time we met, you got the steal and lobbed it down court to me on the fastbreak. That made us win the game."
His smile then fades into a frown.
"Sorry for whatever happened to make us fight and become rivals as we got older bro. I wish things could've been different. Rest in peace Em."
As the wind blew, it caught JuJu's hair as some of his locks floated in the direction of the breeze.
He turns around and walks into the house, sniffling. The house was dark and empty as he looked around. He goes up the stairs and peeks into Marcus's room to see him snoring in his bed. JuJu lets out a soft sigh of relief seeing Marcus resting, knowing that his friend needed the sleep after the emotional rollercoaster of the past few days. He quietly closes the door and heads to his own room. The weight of Emmanuel's loss still lingers in his heart, but he also knows that life must go on.
As he sits on the edge of his bed, he reflects on the events that have unfolded. The loss of two close friends in such a short span of time had shaken their group to its core. But amidst the grief and pain, JuJu also felt a renewed sense of determination.
He knew that he had to be there for Marcus, just as he had been for Byron and now Emmanuel. Their bonds of friendship had been forged through adversity, and they were all they had left in this harsh, unforgiving world.
As JuJu leaned back against his pillow, he couldn't help but think about Lynn and the tender moment they had shared in the garage. Her presence had been a source of strength for him, and he realized that he was lucky to have her by his side.
With a newfound resolve, JuJu made a silent promise to himself. He would honor the memories of Emmanuel and Byron by being the best friend he could be to those who were still with him. He would continue to fight for survival, not just for himself but for the family he had found in Marcus, Lynn, and the others.
The days ahead would be challenging, filled with uncertainty and danger, but JuJu was determined to face them head-on. He closed his eyes, allowing exhaustion to wash over him, knowing that tomorrow was a new day, and he would face it with the strength of his friendships and the memories of those he had lost.
As he drifted off to sleep, he whispered a silent farewell to Emmanuel, hoping that his friend had found peace in the afterlife. The world outside may have been cruel and unforgiving, but in the bonds of friendship and the memories they cherished, JuJu found a glimmer of hope that would carry him through the darkest of times.
