Ameerah
"Ma." I said. "You in here?"
I looked around some more and didn't see anybody. Then we heard talking in the kitchen.
I walked in to see both my mom and my dad...
"Dad?" I said.
"Dad?" Mj said.
I looked at him and he looked at me. Then we both looked at our dad? I couldn't have been more confused.
"Dad?! The fuck you saying dad for?" Mj asked me.
"Nigga the fuck you saying dad for. That ain't yo dad." I said.
"Yes it is." He said.
"Like hell it is. Somebody wanna tell me what's going on here?" I asked with my arms folded.
"I been wanting to tell y'all this for a long time..." My dad spoke.
"..But the timing.. It was never right." He said.
"Just say it." I said.
"Ameerah... Malik... y'all are siblings. Half siblings." He said.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Mj said.
"Watch yo mouth when you speaking to me boy." My dad said.
"He don't have to. You lied to us. To everybody." I said.
"Who else knew? Did you know momma?" I asked.
She looked at me then she looked away.
"You knew this whole time and didn't tell me?" I asked
"Why?!" I asked.
"I was in denial when he first told me." She said with her hand on her forehead.
"And how long ago was that?" I asked.
"Right after you tried to kill yourself." She said.
"It was too much going on in my life at that moment and I couldn't take it. So I told him to leave us alone for good."
"Why would you do that?" I asked. "You knew how much I needed him and you told him to stay away from me?!"
"Oh my God Ameerah get over yourself. It's not about you! He cheated on me while we was together and held on to this secret for 18 years. Now he thinks it's okay to show up here saying he miss his family. Go to hell." She said.
She chuckled and said "As much as I seen Malik back in the day he never once had the balls to tell me the truth."
"Hell we was all living in the same neighborhood. The bitch was my neighborhood for Christ's sake."
"Don't call my momma out her name. She ain't here to defend herself and you not gone talk about her like that." Mj said.
"You act like what i'm saying isn't the truth. Child everybody knows yo momma is a home wrecker.. even she knows it."
"Okay momma that's enough." I said. "We gone leave."
"Where y'all going?" My dad asked.
"Somewhere far away from here." I said.
I seen the tears start rolling down my mommas face.
So extra.
"Are you gonna be here for thanksgiving?" She asked.
"... I don't know momma." I said.
Why would I?
"Let's go Mj." I said.
Before we walked out the house I went to my room to get the rest of my stuff that I brought back from school. I didn't know if I was coming back home or not.
"So.." Mj cleared his throat and said. "How you feel about being related? You good?"
"I mean I'm good. Are you?" I asked.
"Yeah man. This don't change nothing.. if anything it should only make us closer." He said. "Hell I was already claiming you as my little sister."
"Even though i'm a few months older than you." I said smiling.
"Yeah yeah yeah. You get the picture." He said.
"You tryna go chill at my spot?" He asked.
"That's fine with me. Anywhere but home is fine with me." I said.
———
The next day
I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing. I looked to see who was calling me and it was Duke.
"Yes Duke. How can I help you?" I asked slightly annoyed.
I hate being woke up out my sleep.
"I was calling to see where you was at. We touched down." He said.
"Give me a second." I said.
I cleared my throat and said "Mj!"
"What?" He said.
"Where you at?"
"The kitchen."
"Is it cool if they come over here for a little while? Or you want us to go somewhere else?" I asked.
Whatever decision he makes I have to respect it. For one he didn't know them and two they was being disrespectful as hell yesterday. So I wouldn't be mad if he said no honestly.
"Nah they can come over here but if niggas get out of line they gotta go." He said.
"Ima send y'all the address so y'all can pull up." I said.
"Aight." He said and hung up.
30 minutes later
There was a knock at the door.
"I'll get it." I said.
I opened the door and the first face I seen was Odell.
"Wassup twin. How you?" He asked while giving me a hug.
"I could be better." I said.
"I know. That's why we here." He said.
He was always trying to lighten the mood. After him I seen Luke and Duke. I had to set some shit straight before they came in Mj place.
"Wait.. before y'all come in here we needa talk. This is not my house so y'all can't come in here disrespecting him. Regardless of how y'all feel this is his place and if he feel disrespected he obligated to kick y'all out. And Ion want no drama so can y'all
please behave? For me." I asked.
It may seem like I'm begging but I just want them to get along. It seemed like my life was falling apart once again and I want one aspect of it to be ok.
"I gotchu man." Luke said.
"What about you?" I asked with my hand on my hip.
"Yeah I hear you man." He said.
"Good. Where Ryan at?" I asked.
I felt like I haven't seen him in so long. I missed him.
"He had to get some shit out the car. He should be coming up in a minute." Duke said.
"Okay well come in." I said.
The boys walked in making Mj stand up off the couch.
"Okay... Mj this is Odell, Duke, and Luke... Guys this is Malik.. my brother." I said.
Nobody said anything they just stood there nodding their heads and brooding. Idiots.
"I didn't know you had a brother." Odell said.
"Me either. I just found out today.." I said.
"Oh word? Shit I can't imagine how you feeling." He said.
"I'm still tryna process it myself.." I said.
"Is that what ma dukes mad about?" He asked.
"I think so. She wasn't very clear before I left." I said.
"Man what's up with that? Why she tweaking?" He asked.
"I guess with Mj getting out of jail and my dad being back in town it set her off." I said.
"What you was in for?" Luke asked.
"Gun charge." Mj said.
Luke just nodded his head.
"So what now shawty? We here for you." Luke said.
"I don't know. I guess we can go back to campus tomorrow. It's no point in staying somewhere i'm not welcome." I said.
"You not gone stay for thanksgiving? Come on twin." Odell said.
I just shrugged my shoulders.
"What if we go with you? Would you wanna go then?" Odell asked.
"I feel like that'll only make the situation worse but if y'all wanna eat good then we can go." I said.
I wasn't going for me at this point.
"You know I'm ready to eat good. Ian had a good home cooked meal in a minute." Odell said rubbing his hands together.
I gave him a small smile and said "I guess we're going then."
Mj tapped my shoulder and said "You know you don't have to go right?"
"Yeah I know but it's okay. I'll be fine." I said.
"You going?" I asked.
"Might as well see what it's talkin bout." He said.
I shook my head okay.
"Can I talk to you?" Duke asked.
I shook my head yes and told him to follow me.
"I know this not the right time to be talking about this but I need to know."
"Need to know what?" I asked.
"Look I came here for you. I wanna be with you and i'm genuinely sorry for lying to you. That shit was lame and corny and I ain't no lame ass nigga. I wanna see where this shit gone go but if you say no this time I'll leave you alone." He said.
"Your right this isn't the right time to be talking about this but since you asked I might as well say what I gotta say." I said.
"You lied to me. Point blank okay? You flat out lied to me and we wasn't even together. The trust ain't gone be the same nomore and honestly I don't even know if I wanna try again." I said.
"So to answer your question there is no "us." We not a thing and we never was okay?" I said.
I know that sounded harsh but I'm stressed the hell out. Everywhere I turn i'm being lied to and i'm sick of it. I didn't need this type of treatment nor did I deserve it. I was done pretending shit was ok. None of this is ok.
He scratched the back of his head and said "Aight.."
It looked like his feelings were crushed but so were mine.
Somebody cleared their throat which made us both look over at the door. It was Ryan.
"Hey." I said walking over to hug him.
"Wassup. You good? Y'all good?" He asked. "It's a lil hot in here." He said referring to the brief conversation we just had.
"We straight. I was just leaving." Duke said.
"So you and Duke ain't it nomore huh?" He asked.
I shook my head no. I didn't wanna talk about Duke. At all.
"How are you? I feel like we haven't talked in forever." He asked.
"I'm trying to be ok." I said.
It's all I can say with the cards I've been dealt.
"I don't know how to deal with what's going on." I said putting my hand over my face.
I felt myself about to cry and I was not about to do that.
"I'm sorry... i'm trying not to cry." I said.
"Man you know I don't care about none of that.. come here." He said with his arms out.
"I want you to stop stressing ya self out alright? Quit worrying about why ya momma so angry. She gone be angry for as long as she wants and it's nothing you can do about it. All you can do is move on with yo life and be happy. Focus on your happiness only." He said.
He was right.. I needed to learn how to start putting my happiness before everyone else's.
"You know I love you so if you need anything just let me know. You gone be straight man." He said kissing my forehead.
"Thank you Ryan.." I said in a whisper.
"No problem man. You know I got you." He said.
We held on to each other for a comfortable minute before Luke came to get Ryan.
"We about to get outta here. You gone be aight?" Luke asked.
"Yeah.. i'll be fine." I said.
"Aight let us know what time to be there." Luke said.
"Okay. I love y'all and drive safe." I said.
"Love you too." They all replied.
After they left I took a seat next to Mj on the couch.
"You straight man? What that nigga wanted witchu?" He asked.
"He wanted to know what we was doing.. and I told him nothing." I said. "I think I hurt his feelings so now I feel bad."
"Man don't. He hurt yo feelings way before you even thought about hurting his. He'll be okay." He said.
"You right.." I said. "I think ima go to bed."
"Aight. Goodnight." He said.
"Night." I said.
———
Duke
"So what happened with ameerah? Y'all talk?" Odell asked.
I looked over at Ryan because he heard what happened between us.
"Yeah we talked." I said.
"And?"
"And nothing. it's nothing to talk about." I said. "Whatever we had or I thought we had is over."
"You just gone give up?" Odell asked.
"What else can I do? She don't want me." I said.
"You fucked up right? So fix it. Win her trust back." Odell said.
"I told her I would leave her alone so that's what ima do." I said.
I was salty as hell Ameerah turned me down but I could only blame myself for that. It was my actions that made her lose trust in me in the first place.
"Aight man. This ain't my relationship so i'm not gone beg you to fix it. Yo life yo choice but don't come bitching to me when she pop out wit a new nigga." Odell said.
"Heard you." I said.
———
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