Hakeem Fisher is new to Bayview Neighborhood in New Castle, Delaware because he got a new job at Chase Bank. He finds out that his cousin, London, lives across the street from him.

“Hey girl!” He runs onto her driveway and hugs her from behind, as she gets out her car. London quickly gets out her mace and barely mist his eyes . She thought for 2 seconds as he grabs her hand,
      “Omg keem you can’t scare me like that. How are you though? How’s Auntie?” she asks while unlocking her house door. “ Come in.”
He rubs his eyes to get this fire burning feeling out, “ She’s okay.” he says while following her into her house. London’s husband, Terry, comes into the house staring at Hakeem with a confused look in his eyes, “ Uhh baby….Is there something you want to tell me?”
    “No love,” she shouted for fear of him acting in a harmful manner. “Why would I?”, she says as she kisses his cheek.
   “ Well because another dude is in my house; you know how I feel about that.”
   “Oh him? This is my cousin Keem -- Well Hakeem.”
   “Hey nice to meet you,” stuttered Hakeem. They dapped each other up and took their seats. Hakeem feeling a little intimidated by Terry because he’s a 6’4, husky man with a very deep voice.
   “Well I think I’m going to leave,” Hakeem says.
   “You have to leave now? Come back for dinner later? My best friend Joan would be here and you two would be the perfect match,” London joyfully say’s as she seasons the brown sugarchicken.
   “Mmm it smells so good I just might have to get me a bite. I’ll come, say around 7?”
As he closes the front door to his house, darting into his room, he remembers London claiming she has  beautiful best friend. Trying to get dapper for this beautiful best friend, he washes up, bathroom steamy smelling like Irish Spring, looking in the mirror he thinks to his self Keem don’t mess this one up, if you want to impress her, impress her hard. He picked out this off white Calvin Klein button up, with tan cargos and his gray and brown clarks with a finishing spray of Calvin Klein cologne. I got this he thinks as he walks out his house heading to London’s home. He was stopped in his tracks by a familiar voice.  
   “Ayo! Let me ask you something keem.” Christian his neighbor shouted while walking over to him.
  “Yo wassup bro?” Keem cried. He looked slightly irritated from him throwing off his game from meeting this bad jawn in London’s house.
  Christian notices and stops in his tracks looking at London’s house saying, “Nothing, you heading over London’s?”.
   “Yeah, she’s having a dinner and inviting a guest over for me. What is this connection between you two anyways?”
   “She’s my first lover. She had my baby before she married that clown Terry, but--” Christian drops his head and stopped. “That’s besides the point. I was wondering, I don’t have much homies around here and I thought you can come play 2K with me one day?”
Hakeem looking hesitant, barely knowing this guy he say’s yes. “Yeah sure bro. I need friends out here anyways.” They laughed and parted their ways. What a weird way to become friends. He walks down the street to Londons house and he knocks on the door, shocked by the beauty that answered. “Hello?”
“Uhh, hey I’m looking for London, I’m her cousin Hakeem.”
“Oh hey come in, she and Terry is talking upstairs and it’s pretty awkward. By the way I’m Joan”. He remember his cousin saying they would be the perfect match, but he didn’t expect him to be attracted to her sexually and physically. She was 5’3 with a banging body of a coke bottle and had long black hair. The room was filled with the aroma of her peaches and cream body spray. He was into her to much he didn’t hear his cousin call his name. “Hakeem!!! Are you okay?” Joan and London laugh and gives him a confused look as to what he was doing.
He giggles of embarrassment, “Yeah I’m cool. What’s to eat?”. They walk in the kitchen with a table full of food. Collard greens, corn bread, brown sugar chicken, red beans in rice, macaroni and cheese, mash potatoes and gravy, split bean soup and toasted bread. His stomach growls of hunger. “Da*n cousin this smells to good to be true. Something momma used to make. Really hits home”. He grabs a chair for Joan next to him and sat down ready to grub, but he can’t embarrass his self eating like a pig around her. Terry walks in with an upset face screaming to say don’t mess with me, I’m not in the mood. There’s an elaphant in the room, but no one wants to speak on it. London itching to say something, biting her lip, she just couldn’t resist, “Glad to see you down here babe. Works not calling you? or is it the wh*re Loraine?”. He bangs two fist into the table so hard you can see the indent of his handprint. Hakeem jumps up ready to protect his cousin, she quickly says “Nah cousin, I got this. Please sit”.
Terry eyes, red filled with anger, staring at London ready to attack but not wanting to embarrass her.            “You know what, I do have a phone call and I must take this,” clinching his jaws together, trying not to say another word to London, Terry dismisses himself in to the living room.
     Joan whispering “Girl he still with that h*e loraine?”.
London takes a sip of her wine and says, “I don’t know. But I do know my gut is telling me he is and I have every reason not to trust him.”
The room got so quiet that you can hear Terry in the other room trying to have a private conversation.
“Listen I’m done with Raine, She’s no good for my marriage. It’s bad enough that I have London down my throat checking my phone to see if I’m still with her. But her body is calling me. I’ll meet you in 5 at Christiana Mall.”
Terry hangs up and calls Hakeem in the room with him. “Hey keem..right?” pointing one finger at him with his head to the side of comformation.
“Yeah wassup?” Hakeem got annoyed because of this jerk calling his name. Terry grabbing Hakeem’s shoulder and saying, “Come ride out with me at the mall. I know you need some new things”. Hakeem not really listening because he’s distracted by Joan’s beauty, he say’s yes just to make him quiet and run’s over to Joan’s car.
“Hey I was wondering if I can see you again?” Hakeem say’s nervously flashing off his dimple hoping it can get her attention to say yes.
“Yes I’d love to. Christians throws the most jumping parties--Take me there say tomorrow?” Joan flirtingly says. Hakeem excited it almost made him blush, but he had to keep his masculinity and keep the excitement down to a bare minimum. They split their ways and everyone went home.
  Next day, the sun is bright and the skies are clear, and Hakeem is ready for this date. A off silver button up shirt, with a red bow-tie and black pants, he just knew he had this in the bag. Hakeem looks outside and sees Joan walking into Londons house just as pretty as can be. He rushes downstairs, looks into the mirror in his hallway fixing any errors into his look. He finally get outside of his door and walks to London’s house, he starts to get cold feet. Hakeem takes a minute to catch his breath and to calm himself down. He finally builds up a boost of courage and knocks on London’s door. “Hey, you guys ready?,” he said without thinking. London invited him in and they both took their seats in the living room. “Yeah I am. We’re just waiting for Joan to get down here,” London explains. He’s impressed by what London’s wearing; She wore a tan shirt that’s like sweater with little glittery specks in it and dark blue jeans with silver high heels and a silver and tan clutch. Her hair was nicely wond curled and she had this diamond necklace that can make a person blind. “Good looks run into the family,” Hakeem joked. “Yeah it does you're not to ba--” London was cut off by Hakeem when he sees Joan walking downstairs. “Wow babe you look really cute,” he couldn’t help but to smile. “Thank you Hakeem you're not to bad yourself,” Joan say’s as her cheeks turn rosey red.
“Oh god cut the cr*p! You guy’s are so cute together it just makes me sick,” London jokingly says.
Joan slipped out and said, “Don’t be mad because your man is over there throwing the parties and you can’t see him”.
London nudges Joan outside the house door and says, “Joan! Not in front of people. Listen Keem, don’t listen to her she’s completely delusional”. Keem follow’s them and then change the awkwardness, “So guys, which car are we taking?”
“ I guess we can take mines.” London suggested.
“I’ve been waiting to get into this car. A White Range Rover with Woodgrain interior and it’s good on gas. I need to cop me one of these,” Hakeem said excitedly as he gets inside the car.
They get to Rodney square, Hakeem gets hesistant.
“Hey Joan, Let’s go towards the DJ. I don’t like big crowds.”, Hakeem explained as he was pulling her arm to the right.
“But Keem , London’s going that way. I think we should all stay together since we came together.” Joan said like she was a little girl that get’s her way. Hakeem gives in because who can resist her cute baby face, and she did the puppie dog eyes so he already know he’s going to spoil her rotten. “Fine babe, where is she?”. She pointed to the right near the DJ and seen her with Christian. Joan is appauld by what she sees,“Is that---?”. London sees them staring at her and immediatly ended the conversation. She starts to walk over to them and says. “Listen, I don’t need a ride home, Christian got me.”. Joan gives her the look of I know what that means and London picked up on it.
“No it’s not like that, we’re just going to be doing some catching up over the past 3 years.”
“Yeah sure not like that. Well me and Keem going to meet you guy’s back home. We’re just going to go back to Keems house and watch some movies.”
“Okay Joan, I’ll be over there.”

It’s 12:00pm and the sound of Terry’s voice outside woke Joan up and Hakeem up. “Is that Terry?” Hakeem asked. “ Yea babe go outside and see what’s up”.
Hakeem jumped up and ran outside to Christians driveway, “Yo what’s going on? Terry what the h*ll are you screaming for?”. Running to Christians driveway to stop Terry from ripping London out of Christians car.
“She’s cheating on me! With this dude? Really?”
“Listen Terry, I had her before you did don’t disrespect me or London like that. She deserves better than you and thats me. Tell him baby.”
Terry punches Christian in the face, “You’re a coward!”. London rushes to stop Terry from beating on Christian. Terry blacks out not knowing he actually punched London once in the jaw.
The moment set still and Hakeem eyes filled with resentment. He sees a gun on Christians car dashboard, grabs it and shoots Terry twice in the head. Blood everywhere, but Hakeem not caring. He’s abusing his cousin and she didn’t deserve it. Joan calling the cops they immediately rushed over.
“911 what’s you’re emergancy?”
“Hello? My name is Joan and I just heard gun shots. Please come quick and help!”, Hakeem runs into the house, shirt full of blood. “Baby hang up the phone, get your things we’re leaving.” He says as he dash upstairs. Joan scared not wanting to know what’s going on, running upstairs into the bedroom, “ Tell me you aren’t the one who shot someone.”.
“Yes baby, I shot Terry. He punched London and I blacked out,” Hakeem fell to his knees in front of her and started to cry.
“I couldn’t see her like that. I was scared-- I still am”. Joan feeling bad, packing some of his things a fresh shirt and pants, grabbing his car keys and him. She knew she had to rush outside the house because she called the police, and it takes five minutes to get from the station to Hakeem’s house. “Come on baby, get up we have to leave now. Put on this shirt. I have an aunt in Florida, we can go there and build from there.”
“Okay, thank you baby,” Hakeem says as he gets up and changes his clothes. Heading out the house door, he sees Christian and London going into London’s house. “Hold on, I have to check on her baby.”. He runs over into her house and rings the door bell. Christian answers and gives Hakeem a hug, “Thank you for getting my girl back and sticking up for her. I couldn’t do it and you’re a real friend. She’s in the kitchen putting ice on her face.”
“No problem bro. Take care of her and be safe.”. Hakeem goes into the kitchen and without a word gave London a hug as she cries on his shoulder, “I had to. I’m so sorry but I couldn’t see you like that.”
“I know Hakeem. Thank you for sticking up but you have to leave. I’ll rearrange the funeral and everything else, you and Joan leave. Me and Christian got this.”
Hakeem pulls Londons head down and kisses it gently, “Okay, I love you. Be safe.”

  Two weeks later it was Terry’s funeral. No one showed up, only Terry’s family and London. It was open casket, so she wanted to say a few words. “ We been together for 3 years and at the beginning you was so great. But after you had that afair, I don’t know what’s been going on. Christians waiting outside for me baby, and I promise he would take care of me now that you’re resting in peace. I still have love for you.” She kissed his forehead ever so gently and left the funeral with Christian waiting.
“You ready to go baby?”
“Yea Chris, Hopefully Florida is a good move with Hakeem and Joan.”