☠Rayan's POV☠
I hardly slept last night, cause I couldn't get the image of that one eyed dude out my head. Plus, what my mother told me about him doesn't make sense. If he's really my dad, then why the hell hasn't he been living with us the whole time? Why did he decide to show up after seventeen years? And what the fuck is up with that eye patch anyway?
"Boys! Get up and eat breakfast!" My grandmother's voice yelled from upstairs.
Once grandma came and picked us up, she had me and Riley sleep in her basement, which I think used to be Uncle Myles's room, while my mom slept in her old room. Anyway, I shook Riley out his sleep while I picked out my stuff so I can go take a shower.
"Riley, wake up. Breakfast nigga."
"Five more minutes...."
"Nigga!"
I pushed him off the bed, and he hit the ground with a thud.
"Ow! You bitch..."
"Oooh, I'm telling." I joked skipping up the stairs.
"What was all that noise?"
"Nothing. What's for breakfast?"
My grandmother eyed me before speaking, "Pancakes and bacon."
I pulled up a seat at the counter and piled my plate with five pancakes and a lot of bacon. I also grabbed a cup and poured myself some orange juice. I was about to eat, when my grandma smacked my hand.
"Now, I know that you know better. After all that God has done for you, you better say grace."
I huffed and did a quick prayer, then began tearing up my food. Shortly after, Riley came up and got his plate of food. We were both half done when my mother decided to come down, and when she did, she looked so happy and joyful. I feel like it had everything to do with the Cyclops. Just the thought of him makes me sick.
"Good morning everybody!"
"Good morning." There was a slick looked passed between my grandma and my mom, which caused me to roll my eyes. I tried not to throw up.
"How did everyone sleep?" Grandma asked, pouring the last of the pancake mix in the pan.
"Good." my brother and I answered simultaneously.
"I slept great, thanks for asking."
I rolled my eyes, finishing off my food before my mother could go off on a tangent about my ghost of a so-called fucking father. When I was done I put my dishes in the sink and went upstairs to the bathroom.
"And Rayan, don't take all damn day either!"
She can curse, but I can't?
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"It's shirts versus skins. Who team captains?"
It's November. How the fuck are we supposed to play shirts versus skins when there's a ten mile per hour windchill? This shit lame as hell.
"Ray's team and Myles's team. C'mon y'all hurry up, let's go."
For some reason, my mother thought it a good idea for me to hang with this side of the family by participating in a game of basketball. This is my favorite sport, but I'm not in the mood to play today. Especially with Cyclone here. Riley doesn't seem to have a problem, and nobody else does, but I do. I don't wanna be here.
"Cool, let's do this."
"Rayan, you playing?"
Of course he looked at me, and I didn't hesitate to shake my head. I don't feel comfortable taking off my shirt around other dudes, plus it's cold out here.
"Hold my jacket then." Riley threw his hoodie at me, causing me to suck my teeth.
"You really playing?"
"Yeah, why you not?"
"Cause I don't know these people...."
"So? It's basketball. Besides, this is our dad's family."
"Riley, there ain't no way in hell that's our dad!"
"...I don't know, he kind of looks like you Ray-"
"Shut that shit up. He may be your dad, but he damn sure ain't mine."
I couldn't believe him right now. He's supposed to be on my side. How could he change his mind over night like that?
"Aye, Riley! C'mon let's go!" Speak of the devil...
"I'm gone loser." He mushed my head, and I tried to hit him back but he ran away before I could. Sometimes I really hate him.
I took his lousy jacket and sat on the bench, and watched as they jumped ball. Uncle Myles caught it first and tried to dribble around Patchy the Pirate. Soon enough, he passed the ball and the game really began. Every time Uncle Myles scored, so did the one eyed freak. Things were getting so intense and heated, a crowed formed. I also noticed there were a lot of girls out here, and I didn't hesitate to catch a majority of their attention. I was about to make my way over to this light skin girl and say something, but the mood was quickly annihilated.
"Rayan, why aren't you playing?!"
Fuck. I could've gotten a name and number but here she come. I thought all the women went shopping!
"Oh my goodness, look at your brother!"
She walked up to me and pulled me into her chest. I was uncomfortable for the longest, not to mention embarrassed as the same light skin girl and he friends laughed at me. Kill me now.
"Mom, I can't breathe!"
"Oh, I'm sorry baby."
I brushed her off me and retook my seat. I decided to just sit back and listen to my music, that way I can tune out my mother's screaming and cheering. Apparently, after all the women finished shopping, they decided to come and watch the basketball game. So I had to sit in the midst of older women chanting and raving and shit like that. I would much rather be at Keith's house, hitting that loud pack than to be here.
"That's my baby! Take it to the house, Riley!!"
Oh my gawd....
✠Ray's POV✠
I just walked out the shower. The fog from the hot water created a mist on the mirror. I wiped it away, looking at my reflection. I quickly turned on the water at the sink to brush my teeth, one hand on the toothbrush and the other on my towel.
After I was sure I was fresh, and no one was out in the hallway, I made my way back to my old room. Even though it was being occupied by my cousins, I still had some clothes in here deep in the closet. I quickly got dressed just in case somebody decided to come upstairs and walk in on me; nobody would be in for a rude awakening. When I was done I trotted back down to where my mom chose to have us all watch a movie together: well, the adults. Everybody under the legal drinking age was sentenced down into her basement. I didn't have a problem with it, but I know one person who did.
"But I don't wanna go down there with all them fu-freaking kids."
"I don't care what you wanna do. This isn't your house, and if your grandmother wants you to go downstairs, then do it. And without cursing, I told you about that!" Max had a harsh gaze on our eldest. He looked like he'd rather be anywhere but here. I felt bad, until he switched his vision from his mother, to me. Of course, there wasn't a smile or any positive formal greeting headed my way either; instead it was quite the opposite. He sped off down into the basement, mumbling under his breath. I wasn't sure what to do, except try and calm Max down.
"That boy is gonna be the death of me..." She sighed tiredly, pouring herself a stiff drink. I watched as she took it to the head. I put a comforting arm around her shoulder, trying to calm her down.
"He loves you, he's just confused."
She shook her head, and I could tell she was nearing her breaking point. I've seen her like this many a times, before and after we started dating and they never looked good. I don't want to see it now, so I just took the bottle of Ciroc away from her and pulled her into the living room. Everybody took up the good seats, so I made her sit in my lap. Throughout the movie, my family laughed and talked and carried on, but for a moment, it seemed like Max and I were the only two people in the room. We tried to pay attention, but the dim lighting and the heat made us both drowsy. Before I knew it we had fallen asleep, and my mother had to wake us. It was late at night, again, and I thought I was gonna walk them back to Max's old house, but she could barely move.
"Ma, she's knocked out." I whispered. My mother shook her head and laughed to herself.
"So are the boys. I put them on the pullout couch downstairs."
I noticed everybody else was upstairs or in their own space, sleeping peacefully. Even Mama was counting sheep on the couch, alongside one of my aunts. The only place I could really put Max was downstairs beside our sons.
"Just take her downstairs. And mind her head..."
I picked up my sleeping wife and carried her to the basement. I laid her next to Riley, and placed the blanket overtop all three of them, cause I know it can get freezing down here. I walked back upstairs to kiss my mother goodnight only to be surprised to see her still up. I know this is her house and all, but I figured she'd want to go up to her room and pass out, rather than clean dishes.
"Ma, why you still up?"
"Huh? Oh...boy you know I don't like having dirty dishes in the sink overnight. Ain't nobody about to grow the vaccine for swine flu in my kitchen." She joked. I knew what she meant, but that wasn't the real reason why she chooses to go to bed so late.
"Mom, you know dad's gonna be okay. When hasn't he made it through?"
I wanted to comfort her like I comforted Max earlier, trying to look on the brightside. However, the bullshit I'm spitting now, I'm not even sure I believe. My dad didn't look too good in that hospital, and I seemed to be the only person who notcied. I didn't want to say anything, of course, but I feel like something bad is gonna happen. I wonder if this is the aftermath of his alcoholism?
My mother just smiled and patted my cheek.
"You should get some sleep."
It's evident she isn't ready to have this conversation, and I'm not gonna push it either. Maybe we should stop pretending and see it for what it really is; my father is sick and there are no signs of him getting better. I don't mean to sound cruel, but after being around death the way I have, it's impossible to sugar coat the shit.
"Goodnight mom." I kissed her on the cheek before walking out the back door. Because the house was over crowded with relatives, I opted to sleep in the shed. It wasn't half bad either; there was a pullout couch in here as well, along with old blankets. On the other hand, it was small and it's hard to maneuver in the dark. I almost tripped this morning, on my dad's old gardening tools.
I opened the door and thankfully there was a full moon to let me see inside so I didn't break something, or hurt myself. I got to the make-shift bed and took off everything except my underwear. A few minutes later, I was comfortable and almost alseep, when I thought I heard somebody outside. I played it off, thinking it was a squirrel or something, and just rolled over. My eyes were closed and I was on my way to sleep, when the door creaked open. I abruptly sat up and saw Max's figure in the doorway. She carefully made her way over to me, sitting beside me, after stripping down to her bra and panties. She climbed on top of me, straddling my waist.
I was about to ask her something, but she shushed me. Her hands cupped my face as she brought our lips together. Naturally, my hands moved up and down her thick thighs and hips. The slow kissing and the touching got rougher, and lustier. The breeze coming in from the window made me pull her closer, as I removed her bra. Before either of us could stop to catch our breath, I had her arms pinned to the bed while her legs were wrapped around my waist. The air was hot and the mood was right. Just before I could put it in and make us both happy, she hesitated.
"What?" I asked, a little agitated.
"...I don't have a condom."
"What do we need with a condom?" You're my wife. I shouldn't have to use a condom.
"I'm not on birth control. I'm not trying to get pregnant..."
I still didn't see why we needed a condom. She came all this way, in a matching set of red bra and panties, just to give a nigga blue balls? The devil is a lie...
"Max, chill I can pull out."
"Ray are you serious? This isn't high school."
I didn't say anything cause I didn't want to argue when I could be making up for lost time. So without warning, I watched her face as I slid inside her, adjusting to her tightness. Damn I missed this feeling.
"I said, I can pull out..."