Endearment // Book 2

• Chapter 5 •

One Week Later

Jamie Perez
January 31st, 2031

  The past week had been hectic with us running back and forth to the hospital, and everyday that goes by it seems like things get worse. I'd never been so happy to receive homework and eat free lunch in my life. I'm excited to be at school, said no kid ever.

  "What's good kid," Maleek dapped me up "you straight?"

                "Yeah man, I'm straight."

  "Nigga, you look dead– but check this out." He pulled out his phone and showed me picture of a flyer advertising a house party. I'd seen it all over my instagram timeline.

  I wasn't the party type. I'm a home body and I enjoyed being in the house. Besides, I don't even like most of these people.

  "I'm sliding to Donna's party tonight, you should come too."

"Donna? The Donna that flattened your tires?" I asked slightly surprised. Donna tried to kill him not to long ago, now she's inviting him to her party.

He chuckled, "She wants to apologize." I smirked at him and we slapped hands. Maleek was no good and he was known for driving females crazy but somehow he had these hoes worshipping the ground he walked on.

  "But forreal, you gotta come with me." He insisted. I smacked my teeth and closed my laptop. Maleek knew I wasn't down with the whole party scene. A house full of people, drugs and alcohol? It was a recipe for disaster if you ask me.

"Nah, you know that ain't me." I declined his invitation. "It's right around the corner from your house, bruh. If you don't like it, you can dip whenever you feel like it."

"I'll think about it"

He nodded with a small smile. "Bet. That's better than you saying no."

  "Maleek," We both looked to the front of the class where Ms. Taylor's sat at her desk. Ms. Taylor was the finest teacher to walk these halls. She had smooth dark skin and a coke bottle shape. She looked a lot like Naomi Campbell.

            "Yes, bae?"

  A few students snickered at his response. "Zip it." She rolled her eyes at him before continuing to read the novel in her hand.

•••

  "Is Roxanne staying out there too?" My pops shrugged his shoulders, he looked exhausted. "You sure you don't want me to go with you?"

  "No baby, I need you to stay here and get some rest." He insisted, while adjusting the bag he had on his shoulder. He was going to be spending the night at the hospital with Grandpa Charles. The doctors had informed us yesterday that nothing was changing and that we should consider taking him off of life support.

"What about you? You need rest more than I do."

"I'm fine." He lied. My father sighed, wiping his red nose before pulling him into a hug. I walked out of the kitchen and went into the living room where the rest of my family sat, watching Paid In Full an old classic. Nari suggested everyone come over and we have a movie night. Just to ease the tension.

"Mekhi Phifer is the reason I love dark skinned men so much." Ray gawked at the screen.

Aunt Jai shook her head in disagreement, "Nah, Rico was better looking." She stuffed popcorn into her mouth.

"Okay but both of y'all can hush. Y'all do this every time, nobody cares who looks better than who." Gammy threw a pillow at the both of them. They sat back and closed their mouths like she said. I smiled at them and proceeded to head for the door.