𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆: “𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐞𝐦 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬“ 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲𝐛𝐚𝐠𝐠 𝐲𝐨 , 𝐣𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐢𝐤𝐨

the sun was settin’ over the block, that golden light hittin’ the broken street signs and barbershop windows just right. You was chillin’ on the porch, slides on, bonnet tight, phone in your hand scrollin’ through TikTok like the world ain’t stressin’. Lil baby hairs laid, edges on swoop, and a bag of Flamin’ Hots in your lap — real cozy.

outta nowhere, you hear a familiar voice yellin’ from up the street, like he tryna narrate the whole hood

chuckyy: “Aye! AYO! Shortyyy… yeah, you! Why you tryna act invisible when you know you the baddest thing from here to 63rd?”*

yu already knew who it was before you even looked up. ChuckyWackEmm. The fool from three houses down who got kicked outta school for turnin’ the fire alarm into a beat machine. Golds in his mouth, Nike tech on even in 85° weather, and a busted up Honda Civic that rattled louder than a dice game on Sunday.

yu roll your eyes, tryna keep from smilin’. But he catch it. He always catch it.

“Mmmhm, I saw that lil smirk. You tryna act tough but yo lips curved, ma. You like me — just admit it. I got dat effect.”

“Boy, what effect? All you got is cheap cologne and a soundcloud link that don’t even load right.”

he chuckled, “Aight aight, you got jokes! But let’s be real… you been thinkin’ ‘bout me.”

before you could say anotha word, he pull out a folded-up note from his back pocket — paper all wrinkled like he been holdin’ it for a minute.

“Here. Don’t laugh… I wrote this at like 3AM last night after watchin’ ‘Baby Boy’ and thinkin’ bout how Jody had Yvette stressin’. I ain’t tryna be no Jody, feel me?”

yu blink. Deadass. You unfold the note and it’s sloppy cursive, but it says:

“If loyalty was a chain, you the only one I’d let lock me down. You the quiet in my chaos. I be actin’ wild, but you make me wanna slow down and build. I ain’t got much, but I swear I’d give you the world if I could. Slide wit me.”

yu look up, stunned quiet, but Chucky just shrugs.

“Yeah, I wrote that. I got feelings. What about it?”

he gesture toward his car — beat-up but cleaned up, like he tried extra hard today.

“Lemme take you somewhere real quick. Nothin’ fancy, just the rooftop over the old bodega. Me and the homies used to chill up there, but it feel different when I’m up there alone. I want you to see what peace look like in my world.”

⸻

Later that Night…

Y’all sittin’ on the rooftop, legs hangin’ over the edge, sippin’ on gas station Arizona tea and eatin’ some wings he picked up on the way. The city below look like a whole different universe from up here. And Chucky? He ain’t crackin’ jokes no more — he real quiet, like he savorin’ the moment.

“I know I play around a lot, but real talk… I don’t meet people like you every day. Most folks look at me like I’m just some project kid who ain’t gon’ be nothin’. But you? You look at me like I could be somethin’. And that sht mean more than I know how to say.”*

He glance at you, all serious. No grill flashin’, no goofy smirk. Just him.

“So what’s up? You gon’ keep actin’ like you don’t feel this, or you gon’ let me be yours for real?”

⸻ ’he dont know how ta love so he love hard.’