Dallas, TX (EDITING)

Chapter 20: "A Thug Changes, Love Changes, And Old Flings Become Strangers."

Los Angeles, California
Thursday, June 10, 2018
2:48 pm

LYRIC. 

Home sweet home.

I took a deep breath as Dre and Allen placed all of our bags on the hotel floor. "Y'all couldn't team up to get two separate rooms?" Mira asked.

"We had to save some cash so this was the best we could get unless we stayed at somebody's crib-" 

"Hell nawl," I cut Allen off. "This is just fine. I'm grateful...unlike somebody" I snickered as I nudged my cousin on her arm. Amira smacked her lips.

"So what y'all trying to get into? Shit ain't popping off until tomorrow" Dre spoke. 

"It's a block party in Inglewood over there by my aunt's house" Mira added.

"My mama's house?" I asked.

"Yeah, that's if you want to go"

I started thinking about how I had to talk to my mama about what happened. I could think of all the worse things right now. I just had a feeling she was going to make me come back home. As much as I didn't want to stay in Dallas after the shit that happened, I didn't want to go home either. I took a deep breath before answering. "I'll go. I wanna see my mama anyway"

"Ight then. What time is that shit?" Allen asked.

"It ain't till three, it's one right now"

"Well, I want to get in the shower and change my clothes. We got enough time" I said.

"Alright then. I'm finna just take a nap" Dre said.

"Shiiiiit I'm with you on that brah," Allen added.

-

Los Angeles, California
Thursday, June 10, 2018
4:02 pm

I took a long deep breath, standing still on the porch for a good minute before putting my hand on the door handle and walking into the house. The screen door slammed behind me loudly and the all too recognizable smell of my mama's cooking hit my nose quickly. My palms were balled up and sweaty and my heart was pounding heavily when I walked around the house. I could still hear the old school 80s music blasting from outside through my mama's home walls. "Lyric!" she called as we both bumped into each other accidentally.

"Hey Mom," I said, hugging her. A long meaningful hug that I have been yearning for, for the past month. This was exactly what I needed; my mother's touch. My bottom lip started trembling and I knew then that I was about to break down and cry, and I did. I cried hard in the crook of my mother's neck as she held me so tight like she didn't want to let me go. I missed my mama. Even though she got on my nerves from time to time and we disagreed on a lot of things, I wouldn't know what I'd do without her.

"Everything is going to be alright," she said in her soothing voice as she rubbed my back. And I knew if my mama said it was going to be alright, then it was going to be alright. Things were just going to take time. I sniffled and broke away from the hug after about five minutes, wiping my face with my hands and looking at her. She quickly walked away and wet a paper towel with cold sink water, handing it to me. I grabbed it out of her hand and wiped my face with it. "Why didn't you just tell me, Lyric?" she asked. I knew she was disappointed and I knew if I said my reason out loud to her I was going to not only sound stupid but look stupid too. "Hm?" she asked again.

I began fiddling with my fingers. "Be-because you were going to make me come home," I spoke lowly as I looked down.

"Do you want to come home?"