Mikah & Hakim (✅)

Chapter Nine

How does it feel to build off of your family's blood, sweat, and tears...?

Well, when you put it that way, not so good...

I know what Dad said is what any responsible parent would have done for their children, but it still bothered me. If Hendrick and I never came around, would they have worked so hard? They needed money to pay the bills obviously, but a kid isn't cheap and they had two. Double the food, water, shelter, educational supplies, college funds...

I know I shouldn't feel guilty, but--

You definitely do, don't ya?

Yeah...

"Now, Mikah..." Dad suddenly turns towards me and addresses me with the same degree of sternness. I want to defensively look away, but the intensity in his eyes causes me to freeze.

"I want you to remember this when it's your time to walk across the stage. Once you receive that piece of paper, your life is just getting started. You will be a young adult leaving the nest, but that doesn't mean you have to literally leave. Your mother and I will always be here for both of you," he smiles wildly and firmly pats my back.

"If we weren't, we wouldn't have had children, now would we?" Mom giggles and retreats back under Hendy's arm again who snuggles her firmly. My brother is twice her size, but that doesn't mean he can't act like he's still pint-size.

The talk with my family honestly did chase away most of the insanity brought on by Hakim's mischief, but it will still take me a while to recover. The fact still stood that I stole my brother's scholarship. Whether he truly wanted to go to Wildwood or not, this will still haunt me for longer than it probably should. I had never really noticed just how much Hendrick was invested in our ranches. Even before Hakim, I never really liked horses. They were just too big and smelly and...ugh! I mean, they're nice and it was enjoyable to brush them, but I couldn't handle the constant poop and drool that always seemed to find its way all over my body.

Kinky...

I really hate you.

Anyway, learning that Hendrick had loved it so much that he wanted nothing more than to go back for it kind of caught me off guard. I thought I knew my brother and even now I can't picture him being a rancher, but if that's really what he wants, then that's all that matters to me.

Better stay away, little Mickey, all the horses might just suddenly die.

When did you start calling me Mickey...?

I don't really know what to say when I rejoin my family back in reality, so I simply lean in to wrap my arms around my dad and I'm glad that he accepts it, squeezing me firmly.

"Hey, bro. Wanna take a little walk? It looks like you need one..." Hendrick says as I wiggle out of Dad's embrace and give him a puzzled look. Nature and I are not a great mixture, but I'm not technically against it, either. Walks can be...nice?

"Yeah...I guess that would be nice," I smile weakly and leave our parents to prepare dinner while I join my brother outside. "Is something wrong...?"

"Nah, I just wanted to talk to you alone, is all..."

AKA I don't want our parents to witness me murder you.

Hakim's whisper has me on edge and I shove my hands deep into my pockets as we start to silently wander down the sidewalk.

"Talk to me about what...?" I ask cautiously, expecting it to be the last thing I ever said.

"What do you think I wanna talk about?"