Machete Mychelle Makes it Clear: What Lies Ahead?

So I'm laying Jay clothes out for school, and forcing Deedee to take her lil ass to bed when Meika B called me. "Chelle, Piggy's been hurt chick. They bombed her car!" I dropped the phone. Slowly it felt like air was being siphoned from my lungs. Courtney and I had been friends twenty or more years. We went through almost everything together. Our childrens' births, relationships that lasted and didn't last, career changes and so on. We had done dirt together too. We would fight and then make up and then fight again. No matter what though I knew she would love me forever and I would do the same for her. All I'm thinking is who the fuck would do something like this? Shit like this didn't happen in Houston. I knew that her and Shannon Monet had been going at it heavy but this was crazy even for her. The tone in Meika B's voice told me that whoever had did it would be in for it and I cosigned that. I needed to get to the hospital ASAP. My fifteen year old nephew was at my house. I knew he could watch Jay and Deedee for me no problem. So I got dressed in black jeans, black air max and a black tee. I ran my fingers through my short tresses and grabbed my purse. My machete still in its sleeve, I slung it over my shoulder. I never left home without it. I laugh as I think about how Courtney would refer to me as Machete Mychelle. Yeah Piggy you had to make it through this time. I just felt that she was doing great things with the start of the Embassy. She was always good like that. Here I am talking about was. No maam, my sister from another mister was going to be just fine. I hopped in my GTO. Turned on the radio and what was on? Major singing Love Won't Let me Wait. My mama and daddy's music no doubt. But I remember how me and Courtney would sit in that garage on 16406 Quailyn and play that wax like it was ours and only ours. Those were the days. See we hadn't always been heathens. Both our daddies were legends in their own right. Bricklayers. But hey we went in separate directions. Sort of anyway. Thing is, I would do what I had to to support my family and that's for damn sure. Courtney called me and told me that she had graduated the police academy, I nearly peed my pants. C.C. a cop? Couldn't picture it. Until the day I saw my friend in that turquoise blue shirt and black pants. I couldn't have been prouder. Yeah some may call her crooked now but shit ain't nobody perfect. We all got skeletons. One day I would teach mine to dance. I floated down 288. Realizing that I was doing eighty five. I said a prayer to myself. It just wasn't her time. My blood boiled as I thought about the steel gray eyes of Shannon Monet. You see this shit here was right up her alley. Piggy had told me all about her and what she had done to her niece. Her own flesh and blood. Didn't matter though, whoever was responsible for this would pay. Not only would the Embassy be after them, but I knew that Piggy would stop at nothing to get em. When I got to the floor she was on there were cops everywhere. I saw Tameika's red eyes and knew that it had to be bad. I swallowed hard and went in. I almost fell. One of the officers had to catch me. My beautiful friend. Her skin was black and blue. Eyes and face swollen beyond recognition. I knew it was her because I recognized her locks. The machine next to her bed barely read brain pattern and activity. As tears rolled down my face, I looked up to God and said a prayer. Help her. Make this all go away, God. I felt someone's hand on my shoulder. It was Mike Walker. He was the calm in all this mess. I felt better. I walked over to my buddy and I grabbed her hand. Warm. The heifer squeezed my hand. "Courtney, you get up bae! We got stuff to do!" I hadn't realized how loudly I had gotten. Blinded by tears, Mike Walker held me to console me. Truth is I couldn't deny what was ringing in my ears. Death bells. I was fighting against the fact that maybe those death bells were for Courtney Danielle Coyle, my very best friend. No God, I won't accept that! I-no we need her here. As she lay peacefully in the bed, I smiled because I saw my nephew's face. Most importantly Cobee, her piglet needed her.