Tidal [HIATUS]

three

September 12th
Long Beach, California

"So, you haven't called her?" Maru asked, chewing on a donut. I shook my head. "And she said y'all could hang on the weekend, this weekend?" I nodded again. "So you stupid or stupid?"

"Both." I mumbled and eyed the house phone, the number written on a piece of paper beside it. "I'm scared man, what if she was playing around and.. gets weirded out by the shit in my pants." He silently licked his fingers of the glazed overdue before grabbing the phone and starting to dial the number. "Maruto!" I hissed.

He hummed lowly and placed the phone to his ear. I quickly jumped up and ran for him but he grabbed the phone and started to run away, the cord almost tripping me up a bit. "Hey, this Jhené?" I heard him say. I froze. His head peeped around the corner and his lips pulled into a smirk. "This is Maru. I'm Y/n's big brother and you gotta forgive her for her shyness, she not from here."

Oh God. I turned to the wall and dropped my head against it with a deep groan. Now she was gonna think I'm a weird ass motherfucker. He ruined it before I could even ruin it.

"Yeah I can do that.. alright, I gotchu." I heard the phone click against the machine and I looked up to see Maru nonchalantly walking back over to sit the phone on the kitchen counter. I stared at him plainly when he continued to move to the table and open the pink box.

"So?" He looked up and nodded, taking a bite of his third donut. "What'd she say, nigga?"

"Ooo," he said with a smirk, swallowing the bite. "Long Beach doing you good, calling me nigga already?" I made a step forward so he raised his hands with a soft laugh. "Relax. She said to meet her at Atlantic library at two."

My eyes flew to the clock on the wall. Two hours from now. But the library? Why the library- that didn't matter.. she wanted to see me. Fine ass Jhené wanted to see me.

"Hello Charles," I peeked out of the kitchen and saw my mom standing in front of the front door. "Yeah one second- Hikaru!"

I pushed away from the table and slowly walked to the front door where I saw my cousin waiting outside with a wide smile, but that smile had something beneath it..

"Charles called for you. If you're leaving, take your house key because I'm leaving for work and Kai is staying with Granny."

I nodded and Charles waited until she left before speaking up. "What's up, cuh, you wanna ride with me?"

"Where exactly?" I asked but he simply nodded his head to the side. "I'm not leaving til you tell me."

"Something a goddamn square would say- nigga come on." He grabbed my arm and tugged me forward while closing the door. "She'll be back, auntie!" He called out and walked ahead of me downstairs. "Some people wanna meet you, and I'm the message man so.." he shrugged and nodded at a group of boys who sat in a old '70 impala.

I immediately noticed Devante in the passenger seat, and then Abraham from school in the back. "Wassup, karate kid." He said and reached his hand out to shake mine. "You rollin' with the big dawgs today."

"You ain't no damn big dawg, cuh." Charles said and pushed him to the side on the back seat, making room for us. "Now shut up and make room for my cousin."

"Whatever man."

After we settled into the car, the older looking guy behind the wheel backed out of the spot and started down the road. Everyone started talking about a lick while I looked outside and watched the houses pass.

It felt weird to be in this environment because I knew what they were.. but I wasn't scared. I didn't feel a sense of danger or 'get the hell out,' I could see how much they cared for one another. Just by how they treated each other.