Promise

TWENTY-TWO.

"I'm nervous, Bubba," Kash sighed, leaning on her brother's shoulder. She had asked him if she could come over because she really did miss him, but he decided to come to their dad's house for whatever reason.

"It's gon be aight," he told her. "His grandparents hella nice, every time I visit they treat me good, so of course they gon treat you good, you his girlfriend," he said in a duh tone. "He'on really care what everybody else gon say,"

"I know but...I do, Khy. I can't tell him that obviously but like, I want them to like me. I wanna make a good impression, I don't want them to think I'm gonna do him any wrongs," she explained. "And you seen Crazy Rich Asians! If they hate me they could plot on my downfall and then I would go to jail for beating they ass," she said seriously—and Khy laughed.

"Crazy Rich Asians is a movie, Brat. They not gon do that to you and if they don't like you fuck them," he curled his lip up. "I'm dead ass too, fuck em. Don't let them people take you out yo' character," he said, knowing exactly how Kash could get.

Like him, and their father, her temper flared quickly. It took a little bit of prodding before Kash was liable to blow up and either yell, cry, or start swinging. When she was younger, it was a combination of the three—until she learned she could have her brother start swinging for her then she just started verbally abusing people.

"I won't. I'm just saying, as much as he says he doesn't care, a nagging opinion will start to effect you whether you like it or not and I'll be damned if somebody try to take mine away from me cuz they'on like me," she sighed.

"And I'm telling you now that's not gon happen. You know that nigga worship the ground you walk on," he teased and a smile broke on her face. "And I know you ain't seen it yet, but that nigga on ten is not something anybody wants so I'm sure his family not gon go out they way to piss him off," he pointed out.

"I hope not," she agreed. "Anyway! How are you Bubs? I miss you!"

"I miss you too," he chuckled. "I'm aight," he shrugged.

"Are you sure? You don't sound alright, Khyren," she pouted. "You can talk to me, you know that right?"

"I know, Fat fat. I just...I'on wanna talk about it, you know? I came over to get away from the shit, I'on wanna bring it over here," he said. Hesitantly, she nodded and he appreciated it. What was going with him and Ava was draining enough as it is without him constantly having to recant it to his friends, let alone his little sister.

"Well, how's work been?" she wondered.

"Straight, Mr. Frank getting old man, he wanna retired I'on know what the hell we gon do when he do. Hopefully he decides to leave the garage open, I learned everything from there, I'd hate to see it go down,"

"I'm sure he'd keep it! There's so many of y'all counting on that paycheck, and the people in our area only go to Mr. Frank, he can't leave us hanging," she joked. "Y'all gon ask him about it?"