when we were young (JEM#1)

14.

"What?" Kareem asked in a daze.

Jamie stares at his face trying to think of what to say. She didn't mean to say what she was thinking out loud,it was out of impulse. She could say the most outta pocket shit at anytime and not realize it.

"I was just playing." She said trying to laugh off the ache she felt in between her legs. "But aye you need a re-twist my nigga, when I was gripping your shit my fingers got caught in the new growth. Fix that."

Kareem made a face. She was acting as if she wasn't just making him moan like he was her bitch.

"Get of me man! With your Jaden smith looking ass." Jamie had recently taken out her sew-in and was left with 8 straight back cornrows running down her head, and during their activities her bonnet had slid off. "Talking bout some "let's talk about the political economic state of the world."

"Hah, that's why your lips are dry as fuck. Go put some Vaseline on those crusty ass lips, looking like you been eating cornstarch." She mugged him. She didn't know why he felt the need to comment on her hair when she was just trying to help him out.

"You doin to much Jamie. Your the one saying stupid shit. I'm just giving the same energy back." He said with a frown. He didn't know how they ended up like this. One moment they were laughing and now they were arguing.

"I'm not saying stupid shit I'm just telling you what I thought." She said with a frown. She didn't know she he was so angry."I don't know why your so mad."

"Jamie I'm not mad, but why are you acting like this? Did you not like the fact that I kissed you or something? If so than I apologize." Kareem was so confused. Her words and actions were saying two different things.

"No that's not it. I just— i don't know. I'm sorry."

"Theres nothing to be sorry about, just let me know when your ready to talk again."

-----
"Why would you say that?" questioned Malaysia chuckling at her friend's predicament. Jamie had called the group chat soon after Kareem left to vent. And now she was getting an ear full from her two friends.

"I don't know, I just got nervous. He probably thinks I'm a bitch now." she whined. She was replaying that moment in her constantly. Silently torturing herself.

"But you are a bitch." Essence chimed in. It was a known fact to everyone that Jamie had a weird personality. She would be kind to strangers on the street just to turn around and start cussing them out if they came at her sideways, even though she hates confrontation. She also said a lot of things off the top of her when she was anxious or hyper.

"I know." She whined

"So why do you care if he thinks you are? That's just how you are."

"I don't know." She mumbled.

———-

"Hey pops" Kareem said as he entered his fathers house. After the incident with Jamie he needed some advice and the only sensible option was to go to his father.

"Hey, how you doin son?" Darius asked his son. Kareem had abruptly called him in the middle of night asking to come over so he was concerned.

Kareem sighed as he settled in the coach.

"Man, these people are really irking my soul. My personal life is not something everyone has to know especially when I only come to ball." Kareem always had a huge disdain about being in the public eye. He hated having people in his business especially after people clowned him when they found out shakiyah cheated on him.

Sometimes he wished he could just disappear.

"I know son, but this is what you sighed up when you started getting all that attention."

"That's the thing that pops, I signed up to play the game that I love not to be constantly harassed and ridiculed by a bunch of random ass people who have nothing better to do with their lives."

Darius just stared at his son with a saddened expression. He had never been good with attention, mostly because he felt constantly judged.

Changing the subject Darius' lips turn into a mischievous grin. "What happens with that girl you were complaining about?"

Kissing His teeth told Kareem told his father what happened in an annoyed tone.

"Damn she was really flaming your ass." Darius clutched his stomach as he laughed at his son.

Kareem simply mugged him back. "Ain't shit funny about that."

"Go put some vaseline on those ashtrays you call lips then we'll talk some more."

----------

Stepping out of her rusting car shakiyah made her way to the rundown apartment building she called home.

Making her to her complex she unlocked her door and was instantly hit with the smell of piss and drugs. Scrunching her nose at the scent she moved toward the only room in the whole complex and opened the door to greet her 3-year-old daughter who was knocked out cold on her bed.

Shakiyah often left her daughter home by herself as she had 'things' to tend to. She believed she was old enough to take care of herself.

"Nayeli wake up!" The poor 3-year-olds head popped up from the sound of her mother's voice. She greeted her with a smile that warmed shakiyahs heart.

"Are you hungry baby?" watching her daughter tiredly nod her head she picked up the sleepy toddler and carried her to the kitchen, setting her down on the counter.

Grabbing one of the few bowls she had she grabbed some cheerios and filed up the bowl before pouring some milk in. And serving it with a spoon to her daughter.

"Don't make a mess okay?" she warned watching her daughter nod as nayeli hungrily ate her cereal. Pulling out her phone from her pocket shakiyah opened her phone and started scrolling through Instagram.

Seeing a certain post from theshaderoom had her mood doing a whole 180.

She saw her ex-boyfriend and her ex best friend hugged up on each other at her brother's wedding which she wasn't allowed to attend.

Aggressively throwing her phone causing her daughter to jump she made her way into the room and went to her 'hidden' stash of cocaine that was hidden behind her bed frame and quicky lined some up on her dresser before snorting It up her nose.

Much better.

---
I'm so funny.

I'll better vote or I'm finding out where you live.😒