𝐈'𝐝 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐈𝐭 𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐞

𝑡 𝑤 𝑒 𝑛 𝑡 𝑦 𝑜 𝑛 𝑒

chapter twenty one

Cassandra pov

I'm crouched down on my knees, black garbage bag in hand, and a rag drenched in bleach and warm water in the other. I shouldn't even be doing this. Uncle Randy should be. He the one who wasted all that soda in here.

It's eleven pm, I just got off of work from an overtime shift, and my feet hurt. I'm trying to relax. But you know what Dad said the second I walked threw the door? 'Clean out the refrigerator, before you go to sleep'. I didn't even feel like it, but I also didn't feel like arguing. You know how I know it was Uncle Randy? Because he came upstairs with a big purple stain on his shirt, and I know for a fact it's grape soda. Ooh, I can not wait until I get off of here. I'm sick of this mess.

It was a lot of stuff in here too. Macaroni, vegetables, spoiled fruit, expired milk, salmon from the soul food place on the corner, and just a whole bunch of other stuff that needed to be thrown away.

I sighed wiping some invisible sweat from my forehead, as I grabbed the rag and dipped it in the bucket of steaming bleach water. I should have grabbed my speaker before I started, maybe music would have ended up helping me go faster. A soft knock on the kitchen backdoor made me jump back a little. I dropped the rag into the water, stood up and peeked threw the window. "Hailey, what are you doing here?" I furrowed my eyebrows, and pushed open the door.

"Flight was delayed. Kash, Jalen, Demi, and Victoria managed to take another flight, but I refuse to take Spirit airlines." Hailey smiled and the smile was replaced with a look of disgust. "You smell like you trying to get away with murder." She scrunched up her nose in disgust using her hoodie to cover the lower half of her face.

"I'm cleaning out the refrigerator." I sighed.

"Oh.. well, can I come in?" She asked and I looked back in the house.

There was food everywhere, I didn't want her to think I was messy and kept my house dirty.

"It smells like nasty fruit and I'm in the middle of cleaning." I admitted.

"It's cool." Hailey shrugged and I shrugged.

If she didn't care, come right on in. I moved out the way and she walked past, carrying a backpack I didn't know she had with her. I shut the door behind her softly so I didn't wake anyone and went back over to the fridge.

"Want anything to drink?" I asked before I sat down and wouldn't want to move again.

She shook her head. "Nah. Thanks though." I nodded and took my seat back on the floor.

I worked in comfortable silence as Hailey sat at the kitchen island doing something on her phone, her phone notification sound kept going off and I turned to her raising a brow in confusion. "That's just my mama." She explained. "She's reminding me to take my medicine."

I stood up and grabbed a glass from the cabinet, then filled it up with ice from the refrigerator door, before pouring water from a water bottle into the glass and handing it to her.

Hailey gave me a small smile. She opened two bottles of orange pill containers and took two out of each, then put them in her mouth, and took a long sip of the water. "Open?" I joked and she actually opened her mouth to show me she had swallowed before laughing.

"So when are you leaving?" I ask.

She places a hand over her heat, pouting a little. "Damn, bae. You don't want me here?"

"No, your welcome here anytime. It's just-" I was cut off by Uncle Randy's deep voice as he walked up the stairs leaving the basement. "You finish cleaning out that refrigerator, Cassie?"

"I'm almost done." I mumbled.

"Good." He grumbled out, breathing heavily as he reached the top of the stairs.

"Jesus, Randy. This yo niece?" Uncle Randy's friend, Brian asked, looking me up in down. "She the one who like girls, I was talking about the other one." Uncle Randy clarified and I switched from foot to foot uncomfortably.

I should have never wore these shorts. 

I didn't even know he was having friends over until after I put them on.

"Mmm, this one will do just as good." Brian laughed but I didn't find anything funny.

The unsettling silence was loud in the kitchen, with Uncle Randy and his friend just looking at me.

Why can't I say anything? I feel so stuck and gross. What's wrong with me?

"Jesus, if the two of you don't get y'all creepy ass on somewhere. Holy shit." Hailey groaned loudly snapping me out of my trance.

Uncle Randy and his friend to glare at her. "Excuse me?"

"Stop looking at her like that. You ain't got no fuckin' respect, no sense?" Hailey asked. "What is wrong with you two?"

"Now, little lady, I don't know who think you talkin' to but I'm an elder. You have to respect your elders-" Uncle Randy told her jabbing a finger at her.

"No, bitch, you're an older. Not an elder. Also, I'm gonna be deadass with you. I don't give a fuck. I want you to leave right now, and if you don't I'm walking up those stairs and telling her brother you're down here being a creep, and that's only if I don't end up beating your ass myself. Bye." Hailey told him.

They didn't even hesitate. As soon as she stood up they was heading towards the door. Hailey was good at being intimidating.

"Try not to wear those tight ass shorts next time." Brian said before he left out the door, obviously angry Hailey told them off.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Bye, hoe." Hailey rolled her eyes closing the door behind them.

"You didn't have to do that." I told her when she sat down.

"Like fuck I did. They asses weird. You should talk to your dad about kicking yo uncle out so you don't have to be bothered by them. I don't want you and yo mom around that guy." She told me seriously and I nodded.

"I appreciate yo concern but my Dad don't listen to nobody." I replied. It was amazing how this teenage girl genuinely cared more about the safety and comfortably of me and my mom than my own father. It was sad that he didn't care, but it felt really nice to know she did.

"Still. Ain't nobody supposed to talk to like you that."

"Thank you for sticking up for me, Hail." I mumbled pressing my lips against her cheek. Her eyes widen and she was froze for awhile. "Uh, are you okay?" I asked after she didn't say anything after awhile.

"I-I'm fine," She wheezed out, face turning red.

"Do.. I need to get your asthma pump or something?" I asked half joking, a smile playing on my face.

"Nah,"  She said softly trying to compose herself. "Uh, do that again? I wasn't prepared."

"Nice try. Wanna come help me clean this refrigerator until you leave?"

"Not really." She muttered.

I eyed her.

"I don't have a choice, do I?" She asked and she took my silence as an answer. "Yeah, okay. Hand me the rag."