Chapter 5
Assiana left her room, heading down to the front door to let Kelsey in.
"So where's the dude you was talking bout?" She asked as she entered and they made their way back up to her room to get ready.
"I don't even know. I think he left even earlier than my mom cause I heard when she left round 8 before I fell asleep again. I ain heard the door anytime after that" she said as she checked the time on her phone. She'd only just woken up little over an hour before Kelsey came over since she stayed up the night before. The time read 3:22 and Kelsey shook her head at her best friend.
"Back to sleep? Siana what?"
"I just can't sleep at night kels. You know that too. Whenever you stay over I'm up till 3 or later"
"Girl you need to take yo ass to sleep. And you don't be up talking to nobody. what the hell you up doing?"
Assiana shrugs.
"Enjoying the peace. Talking to demons." She says.
Kelsey stares at her from her position, sitting on Assiana's bed with a look of confusion.
"Was that an oxymoron?" She asked.
Once again Assiana shrugs.
"Anyways, cmon, let's get ready cause Felix been blowing my phone up non stop. Like this boy don't know get togethers start in the evening"
Kelsey smirks as she stands, opening her bag to get her stuff out to get ready.
"I know you still aint tryna tell me that boy aint in love with you. He can't een leave yo ass alone for two seconds. You needa stop playing and give him a chance" she says, laying her outfit out and putting her shoes on the floor.
Assiana rolls her eyes.
"Felix is just Felix. He don't like me, he just a flirt. And I'm not bout to be another one of his conquests, nor be mixed up with a man in his line of business. Why you always tryna make something more than what it is?" She replies.
Kelsey does nothing more than mock her friend and cut her eyes slightly.
"You the only one who don't see it. But aiite. Ima leave it alone"
With that said, the conversation ended and a new one replaced it as they got dressed.
Felix and Quay were well known at their school and as such, she assumed they ran the block, being the guys called on if anything were to happen. It wasnt a secret that they were mixed up in some bad stuff outside of school, and that they answered to a don that basically ran the whole area, and city wouldnt be a far stretch.
And while other girls found that hood guy persona attractive, Assiana never found herself attracted to that kind of thing. She knew the life was dangerous. Hell, it was the reason she hadnt seen her father in years.
She refused to fall for someone .. someone like her father.. because like her father, like the man who was meant to love and care for her, the man who once tucked her in and called her the sweetest nicknames, like him they would choose that life, rather than her.
They'd leave.
Just like he did.
"-siana your phone babe" Assiana snapped out of her thoughts and looked over at her phone.
The name displayed made her roll her eyes as she answered.
"Yes?"
"Where you at mayne? Yall making us wish we invited a bunch of bitches. Got us waiting n shit" Felix said.
Assiana hissed her teeth.
"Do that then. Makes my life easier. I'll just stay home." She says as she put him on speaker with the phone on her vanity and she swiped on some lip gloss.
Felix huffed.
"Bae you know am playing sheesh. When yall pulling up. Got someone we want yall to meet. Like a brother to us" he says.
Assiana plays with her big curly hair, fluffing it out as she looked at herself.
"Im not yo bae firstly. Secondly we gone be there soon. Now ima finish what I'm doing and hit you up when am there aite?" She says.
Felix hums in response and hangs up and the girls continue getting ready.
"Bae you know am playin-"
"Shut up" Assiana cuts Kelsey off and she giggles.
When they were finished, they checked themselves out in the mirror.
Kelsey straightened her black wig with highlights and wore a graphic tee crop top with some biker shorts and white air forces.
Assiana wore her curls out with a nude unitard romper, a distressed jean jacket and some white air forces aswell as they planned to match.
They made sure their out fits were comfortable and moveable as they knew they might end up staying a while, mostly because Kelsey would want to stay with Quay while Assiana just stuck around so Kelsey wouldn't get in trouble.
Kelsey's parents were strict and as such, she wasn't allowed any where without them or Assiana or select few other persons.
And that definitely meant no boyfriends. But that didn't stop the 17 year old from having one.
Strict parents never made sense to Assiana. All that controlling behavior only bred dishonesty and discontent from the child. They probably thought they raised a perfect docile child who listened and obeyed.
When In all honesty children of strict parents weren't much different from other kids. They were just sneakier.
Shown in how Assiana and Kelsey talked to her mom, letting her know they were safe at home and just watching a movie before hanging up.
Kelsey grins as she tucks her phone into her purse before looking at herself once more, tweaking her shorts so her belly ring showed more.
A belly ring she was not supposed to have. Assiana thought as she watched Kelsey turn and they head for the door.
She looks at her best friends back and sniggers as she sees her tramp stamp.
You guessed it. Also not meant to have that
They make their way out of the house and Assiana locks up before getting into her car, Kelsey already strapped in and ready.
When they get to Felixs, she calls him and he answers, telling her to come in, the door was open for them.
Assiana walks up to the house he and quay called home and as usual she looked around impressed.
It wasn't anything extra but it was a place the guys were proud of and got by themselves.
They worked hard and paid their money whether clean or dirty, she had to give them their props.
Too many times, guys rather spend their money on cars or girls rather than a decent place to live. The boys had their nice Lil cars too so Assiana had to admit, they were doing their thing.
Their Lil illegal thing.
Stepping inside the house, they are immediately hit with the strong smell of weed and sweat.
The place wasnt crowded but all the bodies that bumped and grinded wildly in the living room produced enough humidity to make the area hot despite the air being on.
"Oouu dam, that shit smell strong, I hope quay got some cuz ima need me a blunt just for me" Kelsey says and Assiana shakes her head in amusement.
It doesn't need to be said but she was not meant to be smoking weed, or anything for that matter.
She wasn't even allowed to drink energy drinks much less be in the same room as a sparked blunt.
The two walked passed persons who either danced, talked, smoked or openly did drugs.
Assiana wasn't too surprised. She even knew some of the people as students from her school and had seen them take a pill or two here n there.
But it sickened her to see persons her own age be taken hostage by addiction.
Making their way to the lounge Area on the second floor, the girls smile as they see Felix, quay and some other guys sitting and playing dominoes as they smoke.
"Aye look who's here. Finally. We was just bout to call it a night" Felix says as he sees Assiana. He and quay both stand, greeting them. Kelsey and quay hug but end up kissing soon after their skin makes contact, not being able to resist one another.
Felix and Assiana hug and he pulls a seat out for her and she sits, greeting the other men at the table who stared intensely at her.
"Assiana, these my brothers. You already know quay. This benjii and thats zeke" Felix introduces the men and she waves at them as they nod at her.
Zeke looked about early twenties and a scary face that sent shivers down her back as he looked at her while benjii looked a little nicer and about a year or two younger than zeke.
"You gone meet my lil brother in a sec. He just moved out here. thats why we having this whole get together shit. A lot of people glad he moving out here" felix says.
Assiana looks at him.
"I hope he liked the welcome ya'll gave him. Seems he's cared about a lot" she says.
Felix shrugs.
"Ofcourse" he says before being called back to the domino game.
Assiana excuses herself and tells Kelsey she's heading to the bathroom before standing and making her way down the hall.
_____________________
"Dam kid you got big as hell. Shit what happened to lil ole ru" benjii chuckles as he dabs up the boy that was now a good few inches taller than him.
"Had a lil growth spurt I guess" Ares smiles while the guys around him laugh.
"Growth spurt you say? Shit I be forgetting you a kid forreal. Lil Nigga got facial hair and shit now. Deon set you up good with them tats. Gone have to pay him a visit for a new one" benjii says as he continues looking at Ares.
"Aiite thats enough Ben, you aint stealing my boy and talking his dam ears off today. Today is about Ru and making sure he feel welcomed and good. We got bitches coming through from over at the strip club, top shelf drinks and high grade weed on the menu tonight. Welcome home Lil brudda" Felix says as he slings his arm over Ares shoulder.
Ares can't help but give a small smile at his friends words, looking around at men who continue to stick their neck out for him after welcoming him into their family.
But Ares still couldn't help the feeling that crept in.
As he questioned their bond. And the genuineness of it.
"I really preciate this shit guys. Ain no more back and forth and in between. Im fucking here now!" Ares exclaims and everyone cheers, patting his back and giving high fives and dabs.
They made their way further in the house and he sits and eats as they set up for the persons coming in later. After going to work out and have some time to himself, Ares decided to pull up to Felix's a bit earlier than expected but no one minded as they finished up preparations.
Ares cleaned himself up and soon the get together had begun, with the regular family of the members coming through to welcome Ares for the first few hours. By 3 the mood had changed and the get together became somewhat a party as the dance floor was flooded with persons bumping and grinding.
Pouring himself a cup of Hennessy and coke, he made his way back upstairs, pausing as he saw something out the corner of his eye.
Girls shared a small package of a white powdery substance Ares had become far too familiar with and he turned his head slightly to look at them.
His jaw clenched as he told himself no, trying to stop himself, refusing to go back to where he was before.
Not wanting to become who he surely would've had he kept giving in.
But Ares was weak.
And almost 5 months clean meant nothing as he went over to the girls, smiling.
Ares shoves his hand into his pocket as he made his way up the stairs, sipping his drink and he sat down beside Felix.
Quay looked at him, seeing the way he looked around and fidgeted, knowing all too well he was having symptoms.
Quay didn't want to have the dam get together knowing people were gonna be around Ares doing all types of shit and he was just getting clean. But the boss said they should and Felix wanted to welcome him. But all that shit wouldn't be worth it if Ares relapsed. He'd seen what drugs could do to people. If benjii wasn't his family and wasn't just doing his job, selling product, quay would've been much angrier at his brother's state and reason for it, and he probably would've done something about it too.
But benjii had stopped supplying Ares, wanting him to get better.
Even so, where one source fails, another one provides. Ares still found persons to buy from.
Until one day he just stopped.
He didn't want to anymore he said. He refused to continue down the path he was on. Because he'd seen where it ended. And he didn't like it.
He didn't want to end up like that.
"Ru you good?" Quay asked.
Ares looks up, pulling his hand out his pocket and nods, sipping his drink.
Quay looked at him before humming.
"Want some?" He asked as he held up a blunt.
Ares takes it and has a couple puffs, the tension leaving his body as he continues smoking.
As everyone talks and he passes the blunt back, he scrolls through his phone and all the tension he'd just blown out returns.
He looks at the post made by Mia_rency and lets out an unamused scoff.
His ex lover posed sadly beside his father's grave, the caption reading 'missing you💕'.
Ares' hold on the small device tightened as he looked at the post and the girl's face.
The same face that constantly replayed in his head being pressed into his father's sheets as she was drilled from behind by the man.
Ares grew angry quickly and blocked the account without hesitation, wondering why she wasn't already blocked before remembering he barely used socials.
He fidgeted with the sleeves of his long sleeved white shirt ,biting his lip before taking a deep breath.
"Im going to the bathroom" he says to everyone there and they look at him as he stands, nodding.
"Aiite, bet, hurry back the strippers pulling up in a few and I want you to meet someone too" Felix says.
Ares says nothing as he steps away from them and makes his way to the bathroom quickly, forcing the door open, not caring if anyone was in there.
Seeing a couple getting it in on the counter, Ares steps in then to the side, pointing at the door he just entered through.
"Out" he says.
The couple looks at him annoyed and they don't move.
"Yo Nigga we was in here-" Ares cuts them off as he pulls his shirt up to show his gun tucked in his sweats.
"I said get the fuck out before I paint the walls witchyo ass" he growls and the guy glares at him but quickly fixes his clothes, leaving with the girl in tow.
Locking the door, Ares slides down it as he pulls the small bag out his pocket and looks at it, wondering how he'd allowed the powdery substance, barely filling the tiny package, to become the center of his life and seemingly control his every waking moment.
He'd been doing so good too
Ares lets out a frustrated groan as his fists clenched but he takes a deep breath to calm himself. Looking at the package in his hands, he bites his lip, feeling his need for the drug grow almost unbearable and his will to keep fighting back that need reduced to but a minute quivering voice in the back of his head, begging him not to do it.
A voice he found familiar but couldn't place a finger on who it belonged to at the moment.
And as he dwelled on the voice, his thoughts strayed, in an attempt to find the source.
Ares made his way home after being gone almost a week doing business with Quay and Felix.
Ever since getting involved with his new family he'd spent less and less time home.
He still went to school for the most part but rather than focusing on the education aspect, he used the institute as an area to do a lot of his distribution. And in no time he'd grown quite the chain of loyal customers.
But in that same way, Ares also struggled with his own addiction.
He finishes his bottle of water, throwing it in the trash as he made his way up the driveway, his throat still dry since he'd woken up, post high in a room with three other girls back at the trap house.
Ofcourse women were available, but as much as felix drilled that in Ares' head and questioned his preference to girls his own age, Ares left those women alone.
Fuck the experience or allat shit. He was gone nut regardless.
He had a slight head ache that he always got post high especially when he took too much and proceeded to over exert himself. And the fact that he woke up with three other fully tired girls, he knew he'd very much over exerted himself. All over their bodies too.
And in multiple rubbers.
He thanked god he always remembered to use them knowing dam well, young or not them girls were just like the grown ass women around them.
Wanting a quick pay day. And that came with a quick and messy nut. That brought forth years of drama that Ares at his ripe age wasn't ready for and doubted he ever even wanted.
Looking around as he stepped up to the door, he noted that his father was indeed home and dreaded the thought of Mia being there aswell. In the past couple months they'd become their own disgusting little couple and he found it even more reason to be away rather than home to witness them.
Ofcourse he was still hurt. He fucking loved that girl with his whole heart and he couldn't care less how young he was, it felt real to him.
And now that same girl turned around and got with the piece of shit that was tasked with raising him.
Oh the fucking irony.
What disgusted him even more was when he'd switched up since rolling with Felix' nem. He started looking different and getting more popular. Ofcourse these preppy ass girls liked his new demeanor.
Ares took advantage of it and enjoyed his options.
But he just as quickly saw the effect his change had on his ex. His father's whore.
Mia flirted, teased and toyed with him like she didn't care that she'd ruined their relationship for someone else. Ares soon realized she didn't. She didn't care that she hurt him. She didn't care that she still was hurting him. And she didn't care who she was cheating on or with. Mia Lawrence only cared about herself.
And once again, she wanted Ares, and continued trying to seduce him behind his fathers back.
And Ares let her. He spitefully fucked the girl as she wanted so bad.
And he did it all over Ray's house in hopes the man would one day barge in and catch them.
And find them the same way Ares once did.
Then again Ray didn't love Mia. Even Ares knew that. He was simply using the young girl and enjoying himself with her. She was nothing special to him. She wasn't his Lara after all.
So in a strange twist, both father and son found themselves involved with one girl.
'More like a witch' Ares thought.
Despite his stagnant affections for Mia, he still felt growing hate for her. And soon enough it would swallow up the love he still had for her and he'd be free from the effect she had on him.
Unlocking the front door, he shook the thoughts of his ex away and glanced around to ensure she wasn't present.
When he saw that she wasn't, he stepped in and locked the door behind him before heading up to his room.
His eye brow furrowed as he sees his door opened as he makes his way up the stairs and he pauses as he gets to the door, seeing his father there.
It was bad enough he had to be in the mans presence, his pants low on his waist and in nothing but a wife beater, showcasing his tattoos he'd began collecting. Ray had already express his discontent towards the boy's appearance but Ares no longer cared, doing as he pleased seeing as he'd began providing for himself much more than his father ever did.
Ares looks at Ray confused and wondering why he was in his room and his face pales as he sees what the man held in his hands.
All of Ares' personal stash.
While majority was weed and quite frankly, not a huge deal to Ray, the man pushed the dried cannabis to the side and was almost mortified to see the familiar pills and packaged powdery substance he knew all too well.
And for once in his parenting life Ray felt like a true failure.
He knew he was a horrible example for Ares. He was no better, high off anything he could get his hands on.
But Ares was young. And smarter than him, how could he..?
Rays fists clenched and he looks over at the young boy, sad and angry but at the same time disgusted.
How the hell had he even gotten his hands on this stuff?
"So this is who you are huh? A fucking druggy?" He asked, looking Ares in the eye.
Ares look turned to a glare quickly and he scoffed.
"I know you aint fucking talking, knowing dam well you pop and snort anything you can call a drug or get a high off-"
"Don't talk that goddam slang with me like you hood or whatever the hell you think you are Ares. You are from west brook. West fuxking brook the population here is more white than the dam White House. Yet all of a sudden you wanna act like a fucking thug. Im a grown ass man. Stressed out by work, home, you!! And life in fucking general. I can pop a pill or two in the name of my sanity. I raised you better than this" ray ranted, Ares rearing back at the mention of being raised.
"Raised me? Nigga you ain't raised shit except a blood pressure. I been raising my fucking self years now. Cooking, cleaning, hell I couldn't read till I was six and my teacher decided to give me special classes in secret and for free since you wasn't gone pay. And I don't give a fuck if you wanna say Im from this white ass fucking town, I been going to Crenshaw barely months and I can call that place home more than here. You talk about all these reasons you do drugs, not seeing that if you didn't do that shit, if you chose another outlet like therapy, I wouldn't even think of drugs as an outlet for my emotions. But it became that. Don't come acting like my dad after all these fucking years, you disowned me to my fucking face at nine! You neglect me for years after that then as the icing on the fucking cake, you fuck my girlfriend. I don't give a fuck how much you miss mom or blame me for her death. You chose to be a shit father and a shit person and fucked me up in the process." Ares fumed. Grabbing his stash quickly and the bag he kept packed in the corner, he got ready to leave as Ray continued to Seethe at him.
"Dont you dare talk about my wife out of that disgusting mouth of yours. You've disappointed not only me but her, every fucking day I'm reminded that I lost the love of my life and this is what I have to show for it. A piece of crap ungrateful son." Ray follows behind Ares as he makes his way down the stairs.
"Man you aint gotta worry bout me no mo. Mind yours and ima mind mine. Ima be out by 18 or earlier don't you worry. I aint disappointing myself, thats all that matters" Ares says, sliding on his shoes.
Ray slowly put two and two together, having noticed so many changes about his son and now seeing the bigger picture.
"So you leave this house and go where huh? Back to the hood you keep going to? Selling drugs like the low down thug you are so you can pay for your addiction. Im finally fucking seeing it. I hope you proud. Cause it sure aint looking good for you. Lara didn't deserve to die so you could do this in her place. But go on ahead. Maybe while you out there someone pop two in you and send you right beside your mama. Or straight to hell where you belong." Ray quipped, looking down at the boy he lost his wife for. His biggest regret.
Ares smirked, becoming numb to his father and his burning hateful words.
"Guess what though Ray. I might be a drug addicted thug, just trying to support my fucking self. But look at you. A grown man, hating and neglecting his son, addicted to drugs and fucking his son's sloppy seconds. Who would Lara be more disappointed in?" Before Ray could even retaliate or fully process what he'd said, Ares was out the door and making his way to the bus stop.
And he knew one thing for sure.
Well two things.
One
He was done with Ray Wyatt. And he meant that whole heartedly, realising he felt nothing as the man spat hot words at him in an attempt to hurt him. He wondered if he'd really become completely numb to his words or he just felt nothing due to his brain still being slow post high.
Either way. It was sad. Especially the fact Ares had gotten use to it. Whether that was bad or good.
He wasnt so sure.
And two.
He needed a fuxking car.