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| King of Hearts |
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By: Janae Destiny
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They decided to have a very chill, lazy Sunday, which Monie appreciated so much more than anyone truly realized. She was able to sleep in for the first time in a very long time. And although it wasn't much, it was definitely needed to recharge both her mind and her body.
Kiara helped out a lot too, giving Monie a chance to really just sit back and relax, something that is unheard of for her. Kiara offered to take Marco to the barber so that Monie wouldn't have to leave and even helped them clean up around the house.
And normally Monie would refuse that kind of help, simply because she's not used to it and has been hyper-independent her entire life, but she didn't have it in her to fight about it. If Kiara wanted to help her out of the kindness of her heart, then she didn't see a problem with letting her.
"I really look good as fuck," Marco wouldn't stop looking at his own reflection after he came back from getting his hair cut and shaped up. He had to let it be known with every single mirror or reflective item he passed.
"Yeah, and you're vain as fuck too," Monie said as she threw a pillow at him. "I'm supposed to be helping you make your bed, but I'm the only one doing shit. Please focus."
"My bad," he picked the bare pillow up from the floor and put a fresh pillowcase on it. "I just gotta let it be known. Just wait til the ladies see me. They not gonna be able to resist this."
"Resist what?" Monie scrunched her face up in pure disgust.
"You making that face, but the older girls really love me. They was all over a nigga freshman year."
"Older? Like how much older?"
"Just older. Juniors and seniors," he shrugged as if it were normal for 17/18 year olds to be trying to get with a 14/15 year old. "Even this one college girl hit me up in my DM's not too long ago."
"And why I ain't hear about this until just now?"
"I gotta tell you about every single girl I come across?"
"I thought we tell each other everything, so yeah. Why we keeping secrets now?"
"It wasn't a secret. It just wasn't that big a deal for me to say nothing."
"Marco, it's very much a big deal," Monie paused on making the bed and looked at him very seriously. "It's a huge deal that grown ass women are looking at you in that kind of way."
"They ain't grown. She was like 19."
"And you're only fifteen. It wouldn't be okay for a 19 year old nigga to be messing with a 15 year old girl, so why is this situation any different?"
"It just is. I don't know how to explain it."
"You be out here fucking these girls?"
Marco just responded to her question by laughing because he thought that was a random turning point in their conversation.
"I'm being deadass serious right now. Marco, do you be having sex with these girls?"
"Monie, why does that matter?" He whined because he really didn't want to answer the question.
"It matters because you're only fifteen and I needa know if you're out here being safe about it or not."
"I know to use condoms and all that shit already," he mumbled.
"That's not what I'm talking about. I'm not just talking about condoms. You're tall as hell, you're a very handsome young man, and you're a good basketball player. I know it may not seem like it, but there's a lot of older girls that take advantage of young boys like you. And I don't want that to happen to you. Ever."
"Ain't nobody taking advantage of me. Everything I've done is cause I wanted to. Not cause nobody forced me."
"I thought the same thing. I started having sex at thirteen with a seventeen year old, and to this day I regret it. Because even if I wasn't technically forced into it, I wasn't in a space to be having sex. I was taken advantage of and didn't even realize it until years later. And I don't want you to make those same mistakes I did."
"No, Monie, I'm not having sex," he finally answered her question, but barely above a whisper.
"Is that the truth?"
"Yes, that's the truth. Girls have tried with me, but... I just ain't ready yet. I wanna wait for a girl I really like. And I just ain't met her yet."
"Okay," Monie nodded her head. "That's good. But sex also isn't a bad thing. I don't want you to think that either. It's a very natural-"
"Monique, can we please stop talking about this?" He groaned because discussing sex with his sister was the last thing he wanted to be doing.
"Just listen to me. You're growing up and that means sex is something you're gonna eventually want to experiment with, which is perfectly natural and normal. So whenever you do decide that you're ready, I want you to make sure that you're being safe and smart about it. That's all I ask."
"Okay. Now can we please change the subject?" He begged her.
"Fine, we can talk about school instead. You nervous about having to start over and make new friends?"
"Not really. I can make friends anywhere, I'm just sad I had to leave my old friends back in Chicago. But... I think I know why we moved here out the blue like that. So I ain't as upset as I was."
"Why you think we moved here?" Monie asked because she genuinely wanted to hear his answer.
"It's cause of Aiden, ain't it?" He asked about Ava's father.
"Why you think that?"
"Cause I heard y'all on the phone the other night arguing. Then his lil cousin told me he been talking shit about you to the whole neighborhood back home since we been gone."
"I won't lie to you. He is part of the reason we're here, but it's also more to it than that."
"Like what?"
"Stuff you don't needa be worrying about. You have a habit of making my problems your own, and I just need you to focus on being a normal teenager. I don't need you worrying about nothing else."
"My life ain't normal though. Normal fifteen years olds aren't raised by their twenty-two year old sister who has a five year old kid. I know you worry bout me, Monie, but I worry bout you just as much. And I notice you been sleeping and eating less. I notice you been more stressed. I'm not dumb. I know what all that leads to, and I don't want you to reach that breaking point."
"I won't reach that point," Monie assured him.
"You sure? Cause you been real close before."
"Marco, I'm fi-"
"Don't say you're fine Monique, cause it's very obvious you're not."
"So what I'm supposed to say then?"
"How bout the truth?" Marco argued. "Stop lying to yourself all the time. Just like you be lying about liking Kiara. Cause you know she likes you, right?"
"What exactly does Kiara have to do with anything? Why you pointing that out?"
"Because she's making a real effort to get to know you. The real you. Don't mess this up for yourself because you have this 'I can do it all by myself' attitude. She wants to help you, and you need to let her. You deserve to have somebody take care of you for once."
"Since when are you so insightful?" She walked toward him to pick up the fresh sheets they were going to put on the bed. "You're only fifteen, where you get all this wisdom from?"
"You," he shrugged.
"I don't know bout all that," Monie scoffed.
"What you mean? You're the one who raised me, so where else it come from? And I think you did a pretty damn good job at it too."
And she really has. Marco helps Monie out with Ava without ever complaining about it. He's respectful, well-mannered, disciplined, has maintained an A average in his classes since the sixth grade, and finished his freshman year with a 4.0 while also playing on the varsity basketball team. If Monie has gotten anything right in her life, it's how she raises her kids.
"I think I did a good job too," Monie ran her fingers through his freshly cut curls. "Yuh know, besides the fact that you cuss like a sailor."
"If that's your only complaint when it comes to me, then you'll be aight. And you know, they say people who cuss a lot are actually more intelligent."
"Oh really? Then you must be the smartest muh'fucker on this planet."
"I know you're being sarcastic, but when my final grades and class ranking get released, we gone see just how true it is then."
"Aight, you got me with that one," Monie nodded her head. "You are smart as hell, I can't even lie."
"And so are you. You graduated high school with honors even with all the bullshit you was dealing with. Why you think Ava so damn smart too and she ain't even start school yet? You doing a better job at this parenting thing than you give yourself credit for."
"It don't feel like that most days."
"Monie, I promise we gone be fine. Just take a deep breath and relax."
"Alright, Marco-"
"I'm being serious. Take a deep breath."
"Marco," she just laughed.
"I'm not playing. That's what you always tell me when I'm stressed."
He took her hands in his own and looked down at her.
Monie decided to not be difficult and inhaled deeply, held it in for a couple of seconds, and then exhaled. And as stupid as it felt to be doing it, it really did feel good.
"We gone be okay Monie," Marco said again as he pulled his sister into a tight hug. And for the first time in his life, he actually believed that was true. "We gone be just fine."
"Thought that was my line?" Monie smiled up at him when she pulled away from his embrace.
"I figured you needed to hear it from someone else too."
"I don't know what I would do without Marco," Monie reached out for his hand again. "And I'm not just saying that. I'm being for real. And I feel like I should tell you that more, how much I love you."
"Alright now, don't get all soft on me, sis. I love you too, but don't expect to hear it again anytime soon."
"I'll take what I can get," she laughed. "I know you love me, even if you never say it. You're not as hard as you try to pretend to be."
"I don't pretend to be hard. I'm definitely a lover, and the ladies know it too-"
"Goodbye," Monie not so playfully pushed Marco away from her. "Now let's finish making this damn bed," she took the fitted sheet and threw it across the queen-sized bed so he could grab the other side of it.
*
Kiara was sitting on the living room floor with Ava when Monie returned after she finished helping Marco. Ava was standing above Kiara, braiding random pieces of her hair and securing them with multicolored clips.
"You just letting her play I'm your hair?" Monie asked as she sat down on the sofa. She would never allow Ava to play in her hair like that. Not with the amount of money she pays for her wigs and bundles.
"I don't mind," Kiara shrugged. "Ava said she wanted to practice her braiding, so here we are."
"Yeah. Isn't it pretty mommy?"
"Sooo pretty," Monie nodded her head while also trying not to laugh at how crazy Kiara looked with random braids and clips all over her head.
"I can do yours next," she offered.
"Oh you're too sweet baby, but I just got my hair done. Maybe another time, okay?"
"Okay. So what are we doing today? Because I wanna go to the beach. And make a sandcastle."
"I thought we could just chill inside today. Have another movie night or something."
"Movies are for nighttime, mommy. It's light outside, so we should go outside. We should go to the beach."
"She makes a good point. Can't really argue with that logic," Kiara backed her up while still getting her hair 'styled'.
"And it's so close," Ava continued building her case. "I can see the beach from the windows. It's just across the street."
"We can go to the beach Ava, that's fine. Then we can come back and I can cook us dinner."
"Oh God, you gonna cook?" Marco popped up very conveniently as Monie said it. "You tryna scare Kiara away, aren't you?"
"Okay now y'all doing too much. I'm not even that bad and you know it. You just think you're a top chef after getting a couple food network recipes to come out good."
"Well we gone find out tonight," Kiara laughed. "Because now I'm really curious to see how this will turn out."
"Don't expect much. Her ass probably gonna make some shrimp Alfredo or sumn."
"And you eat like two plates every time I do," Monie shot back. "So not too much."
"Can't nobody mess up Alfredo pasta. Not even you."
"I'll be right back, sorry," Kiara reached for her phone that was on the coffee table when it started ringing. "Wassup Cameron?" She answered once she excused herself to the kitchen.
The phone conversation didn't last for more than two minutes before Kiara was telling him, "I'm on my way over there now. Just make sure you're ready."
"Is Cameron okay?" Monie asked when she came back to the living room after ending the call.
"He's fine, but he said my mom and Luna are stressing him out. He wants me to go pick him up."
"You gonna come back?" Monie tried hard not to pout when she said it because she was hoping she would get to spend the whole day with Kiara.
"I can, but only if you don't mind if I bring him with me?"
"We don't mind," Ava answered as if the question was directed towards her and not Monie. "I like Cameron. I like how he talks."
"That's fine," Monie answered. "Of course he can come."
"Aight. Then I'm bouta go pick him up from my parent's house."
"Can I come?" Marco asked.
"Sure."
"Can I drive-"
"Marco," Monie cut her eyes at him. "Don't push it."
"I'm just playing," he laughed, even though he wasn't joking at all. He's been begging Monie to let him practice driving more for the longest while.
"You're very funny," Kiara said with the straightest face. "But if you really coming with me, I'm bout to leave now."
"I'm ready. All I gotta do is put my shoes on."
Monie grabbed Marco's arm as he walked by her.
"Don't do no stupid shit," she warned him with a whisper so only he could hear her. "And don't embarrass me."
"I got you. Don't worry, I'ma talk you up a lil bit."
"Yeah, don't do that either," she let go of his arm and let him put his shoes on before following Kiara through the front door.
"Put your seatbelt on," Kiara told Marco when they were sitting in her car. He did and Kiara finally pulled off.
"So you own the club Monie works at? Ethereal Miami?" Marco almost immediately sparked up a conversation.
"Yeah, but how you know that? Cause I know Monie ain't tell you that."
"Nah, but it pops up when I googled your name."
"You looked me up?"
"You been hanging around my sisters a whole lot this week. So yeah, I looked you up. I knew who you was already cause of Keenan, but I had to make sure you wasn't crazy or nothing."
"Mmm, and what did you conclude from your research?"
"That you seem pretty solid. And I can see why Monie likes you," Marco kept on. "And I know you like her too."
"You know that for a fact, huh?"
"Yeah, I do. It's pretty damn obvious."
"I do, actually. I know we just met, but I really do like Monie."
"Like as a friend?" Marco asked, but only because he knows that Monie likes Kiara as more than just that, even if she won't admit it to him.
"Maybe as more than a friend," Kiara's hands tightened around the wheel. It felt weird admitting that out loud to a fifteen year old kid, but she'd already said it and it was impossible to take the words back.
"You should tell her that."
"Nah. We're just friends," Kiara shook her head.
They both admitted they liked each other already but also agreed that they would take things slow and start by being friends first.
"Neither of us are tryna rush into anything."
"That's so cute," Marco used as a segue into his next point. "And uh... you said Cameron is at your parents' house, right?"
"Yeah."
"Hmm. And your parents, they gonna be there?"
"Why? You wanna meet my father or sumn?" Kiara laughed because she could already tell where he was going with that. She figured that was the reason he asked to go with her.
"I mean, if I happen to bump into him it would be whatever," he shrugged as if it were no big deal to be so close to meeting one of his favorite NBA players.
"I don't know if he's there. Actually, I doubt he is, but I can call and ask him."
"Nah, it's cool," Marco shook his head. "I don't want it to seem weird or nothing. I don't want him to think I'm some obsessed fan."
"He won't think that, trust me. He loves meeting new people, especially young players. Nigga swears he's a motivational speaker or some shit when he gets around a group of high schoolers. And they eat that shit up like he's a God or sumn."
"He has seven championship rings, so hell yeah I'ma listen to every single word he says," Marco laughed.
"Well, I guess it's different when you grew up with him and have heard the same speech a million different times."
'That, and he's also full of shit,' Kiara thought but didn't actually add that part out loud. She loves her father to death, she really does. But she is also honest to a fault and can admit that Keenan King is not at all the perfect basketball player, husband, and father that the media makes him out to be..
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