"Mama Nette! Tray-Doe wants you!" I call when I walk into the house. "Ok!" She calls back. "Marshmallow, the white Roc Royal is here to pick you up." Cole says. "You wrong for that." I say through my laughs. "Your name is Chresanto. How am I wrong?" He says and walks off. "What do you have to talk to my sister about?" Dre asks. "Can you mind yo business?" I reply and he laughs. "Leave Santiago alone." Kyrie says as she comes downstairs. "Now, I'm Santiago? I was actually liking Santos." I say and she shakes her head. "No, boo. You are whatever I call you. That goes for everyone. Except for my parents. Anyway, let's go. Niggahs is starting to smell like oatmeal." She says and sniffs Dre. " I don't smell like no damn oatmeal." Dre says. Smack! "Cuss again in my house and I'll turn you into oatmeal." Unc says and me and Kyrie laugh as we walk out the house.
*2 hours later*
"Why did you bring me out to Mankato?" Kyrie asks as we walk around the town. "I don't know, actually." "Niggahs these days. Anyway, what did you wanna talk to me about?" "Trayvon." I say and she chuckles. "I've been waiting for this. What's on your mind?" "Why doesn't he trust me?" I ask. "He trusts you." "Then why won't he tell me everything that he told you. I'm his boyfriend." I say. "Ahh, that's where spouses go wrong. Just because you're with someone doesn't mean they are automatically required to tell you every single thing about themselves. Some people do. But Tray isn't one of them." Kyrie says and pulls me into Hardee's. "Why is he like that?" I ask. "I've known Terrence for a decade. We've been there for each other through all types of bullshit! I've never left his side like everyone else did. He trusts you more than anyone he has ever been with. You might just have to wait. You can't rush him to spill his guts. Trayvon is not built like that and he probably won't be." She says and sips her drink. "But why are you and Cole so open with one another?" I ask. "Me and Cole have an ugly past. And in order for us to work, we have to open up a little bit. But, and I hate to say this cause you my friend, you haven't suffered the things that everyone else has. Raven and Ms. Wright has been beaten and rejected and no one cares about them like they should except us. Azendra has lost so many family members that she only sees us. Kel, Cole and my mother all had parents who never said 'I love you' and were beaten for no reason. My father? His mother left him to raise 4 siblings at the age of 10. 10! And you know what? He did just that. Me and Tray. We've been homeless. We've been without. We have had nothing but each other at one point. Bouncing strength off one another and to everyone else. Chresanto, I take nothing from you. Because you're real and true. But you've told us that the worst thing that has ever happened to you was having to live in a duplex." Kyrie says and I have to swallow the lump in my throat. "It is. I've never had to worry about where I'll live or being put on a budget. Or if my parents will go broke. I worry about how I look and how I present myself and going to college." "And that's why Tray won't go out of his way to tell you about what shaped him to be the person he is now. He feels like you won't understand why we couldn't do this or that. All I can say is don't push him. If my brother is pushed he will shut down and it's hell to get him back out. I enjoy you and him being together and I love you like you're family. But don't piss my brother off. If you do, then it's me you have to deal with. And when I said I'll kill you over him, I meant that shit. That's my Ace Boonie. You'd have to be a smooth ass motherfucker to break our bond." She says and then gets up and pulls me into a hug. "I still got love for you." She says. I breathe a sigh of relief. "Now let's go." I say and pull her out the restaurant. "I need to find a nickname for you." I say as we walk back to my car. "Do not give me no retarded name. Like Pinky or some shit." She says and I laugh. "I gotta think about it then." "Well then." "Aye, you got too many names. Gotta be unique." I say and she puts her hand in my face. "Talk to the hand." "Childish ass." "Niggah, fuck you." Kyrie replies and I laugh as we pull off.
*2.5 hours later*
"Santiago!" Tray yells when we walk in. "Hey, baby." I say and go sit on his lap. "Let's clear this up now. I call Chresanto Santiago. To y'all, he's Santos. Got it or nah?" Kyrie says and Tray throws me off his lap and steps to Kyrie. "He's what?" Tray asks. "He's Santiago. And niggah, you don't scare me." "Yo little 5 foot ass better calm down." Tray says. "Look, you fucking tree trunks! Bulk yo chest out at me again and watch me turn you into a damn leprechaun. That goes for Cole and Santiago." Kyrie says. "I ain't scared of you." Tray says. "Don't get big and bad in front of your boyfriend. I'll still whoop ya ass." Kyrie says and they stare at each other before laughing. "I'm still not scared of your short ass." Tray says and comes to sit with me again. "Aight, Terrence. Whatever you say." She says and pulls Cole out the room. "What'd y'all do?" Tray asks as he traces over the tattoo on my neck. "Went out to Mankato. Started a riot." I say and he laughs. "So, can I get you to myself for the rest of the day?" He asks and kisses my neck. "There's no place I'd rather be." I reply and pull him into a deep kiss. This my lil baby.
