"Brooke, are you ready" I shouted through the house grabbing my keys.
Today was the day of the cookout and we were getting ready to head out of the door. I ran my hands over the bob I just had installed on my head this morning. I took a few pictures in my my mirror before I heard Brooke coming down the stairs.
"Ouh girl you look good" She complimented me while smiling showing off her braces.
"You do too boo, thank you" I returned it as we walked out of the house.
I started the car once we both got in. We clicked our seatbelts and waited for a minute before driving off.
After 20 minutes of a in-car concert and difficult directions we made it to the address Jasmyn had given us. I looked around at all the people outside while driving looking for a place to park on the crowded street. Halfway down the street a woman waved her hands at my car signaling for me to stop.
"Hey baby, you here for the cookout" A older nice looking lady asked me leaning down to speak to me.
"Yes ma'am, we were invited by our friends" I answered her leaning back giving her a view of Brooke in the passengers seat.
"Oh hey there sweetheart, I didn't see you the first time" She smiled at Brooke making her smile back.
"Hello, I love your hair" Brooke responded referring to the woman's hair flowing down her shoulders.
"Thank you sugar, y'all can park right here in this yard. It's my husbands childhood home" She pointed to a house with only one car in the driveway which was a nice Cadillac.
"Oh ok, thank you so much we was shol looking for a park" I told her giggling.
"You're welcome, I'm Angela I look forward to seeing y'all around I'm going to find my hardheaded sons now" She informed us standing up straight.
"Im Kennedy and this is my friend Brooklynn, and ok" We needed our conversation with her walking away and me driving off to pull into the yard of the house she pointed to.
"Everybody and they mama out here" Brooke said as we stood on the outside of my car looking around.
People were scattered up and down the street everywhere. Small kids were playing in a inflatable pool, other kids were in a large bounce house they had in one of the yards. There were some teenage boys playing basketball in the street as a goal sat on the side of the street.
We could see multiple tables set up of adults playing spades and drinking beer. Some older folks were dancing to "Before I let you go" in another yard. You could smell the strong smell of food being grilled and there was some slight smoke in the air coming from the front yard of the most crowded house on the block.
The vibes were definitely here.
"KEN! BROOKE!" We heard a voice yell from across the street making us look up and see Jasmyn walking towards us while Wick locked the doors to his hellcat.
"Hey bae" I smiled embracing her in a hug.
"Hey Brooke baby, y'all look so pretty" She greeted Brooke giving her a hug also.
"Thank you so do you, when you get here" I asked as Wick finally made his was over to us.
"We been here we was just sitting in the car, I made him wait with me until y'all got here" She laughed.
"Deadass got my mama calling my phone on my ass bout where I'm at" He shook his head.
"Now you got me scared to meet her" She slapped his arm making him laugh.
"Well since y'all ass here come on, gotta find my niggas" He spoke walking off making us follow him.
"Nephew! I see you now" A man called from across the street catching Wick's attention.
"Gone head on now unc" He waved the man off while Jasmyn held a small blush as she held on to his hand.
We made it to the house with the most people standing outside. There was a group of men standing by two grills talking and passing blunts back and forth. They looked young but you could tell they were more up in age.
"There them niggas go right there" Wick called out making his way towards the all black hellcat that was always at his house when I went.
Blick was sitting on the hood, Glock was standing beside the back door and Kush stood beside him while the drivers door was open and Huncho sat in the drivers seat rolling a blunt.
"Bitch ass niggas" Wick got their attention as we got closer to them making all of them instantly look up.
"You of all people should know Niggas die like that boy" Glock spoke up first playfully pushing Wick before they dapped each other up going into a hug. He did the same with the rest of the group.
"Hell took yo ass so long" Blick asked sipping from the red cup that sat in his right hand.
"Man I been here she had me waiting on them" Wick responded pointing to Jasmyn and then me and Brooke.
"Is that my wife" Blick started as he smirked at Brooke.
"Here he go y'all here he go" Brooke playfully rolled her eyes trying not to blush.
"What I told yo ass about harassing that girl" Kush said looking at his little brother.
"How about you stop worrying about me and mines and worry about yours" Blick replied pointing behind us making us turn to see the pretty darkskin lady that was walking towards us.
"Hey bae, mawmaw need some more milk for the macaroni and she said one of y'all better go get it" She said walking towards Kush wrapping her arms around him.
"Tell her I'm about to go get it" Huncho spoke for the first time while looking up. His eyes went to the lady then to me then back to the lady.
"Ok, I'll let her know" She nodded about to walk away until she saw us.
"Oh hey, sorry I wasn't trying to be rude I didn't see y'all I'm Treasure. Kush's girlfriend" She introduced her self giving us a hug each.
"Hey girl you're fine. I'm Kennedy" I greeted them let the others introduce themselves.
"I'm Jasmyn, Wick's girlfriend" She smiled.
"And I'm Brooklynn-" She started until she got cut off.
"My girlfriend" Blick blurted making us laugh and Brooke push his head.
"Boy I can see that's a lie and I ain't even got my glasses on" Treasure laughed waving her brother in law off.
"Man Treasure you always tryna joke, imma laugh in yall face at our wedding" Blick replied flicking her off.
"Yeah yeah. Anyways, y'all don't got to stand out in this heat with them. Y'all can come in the house some of the women in here anyways" She offered as Jasmyn sighed dramatically in relief.
"Whew thank you cause my lace was so close to lifting" Jasmyn said fanning herself.
"You so dramatic" Wick laughed looking down at her making her scoff.
"Let me slap a wig on yo head and you go sit yo ass in some heat" She shook her head making the girls laugh.
"Take yo ass on Jasmyn" He shook his head pushing her towards the house.
Eventually we stopped talking and Huncho left taking Glock with him while Blick, Kush, and Wick went to talk to the men at the grills.
"Ok, come on yall" Treasure motioned for us to follow her and we did. We walked further into the yard towards the steps that led up to a porch. We walked up the steps passing two older women who sat on the rocking chairs on the porch.
"Mawmaw, Mere said he going to get some now" Treasure slightly shouted through the house as Brooke shut the door behind us.
"Ok baby" A voice yelled from the kitchen where other voices came from.
"We can sit in here, y'all want something to drink or anything" Treasure led us into a living room where one other girl sat on one of the couches.
"Des look, I want to introduce you to some people" She called out getting her attention making the girl look up from her phone.
"Oh y'all fineeeee" She smiled sitting her phone down.
"Why you always gotta be gay, anyways" Treasure laughed.
"This is Kennedy, and Brooklynn, and this is Jasmyn. Wick's girlfriend" She continued introducing us as the girl stood up.
"Hey nice to meet y'all, I'm Destiny" She waved.
"You look like one of them niggas out there I just can't figure out who" Jasmyn put her finger on her chin squinting her eyes.
"Huncho is my brother" She laughed making my eyes slightly widen in shock.
"Really" Jasmyn tilted her head surprised.
"Yes unfortunately that rude ass nigga is kin to me" She shook her head.
"I am so sorry" Brooke spoke up making us all laugh.
"Thank you girl" Destiny chuckled as we all sat down on the chairs in the living room.
"Y'all drink" Treasure asked us.
"Girl Frank Gallagher was my daddy" Jasmyn said as I shook my head at her craziness.
"But yeah we all drink" She added making them nod.
"Good, we got some bottles we was trying to wait to eat though, you know black people never have the food done on time" Destiny playfully rolled her eyes as a woman walked in from the back.
"I don't appreciate the shade being thrown" The woman spoke up playfully popping destiny making her move.
"Mama I was just playing" She laughed rubbing the spot where she got popped.
"Mhm, where that hardheaded son of mines" The woman asked her daughter.
"He went to the store to get some milk for mawmaw" Treasure informed her making her nod.
"Hey, how you doing" We greeted the woman. Everybody knew it was rude to enter a house and not speak first.
"Hey, I'm doing fine how are you ladies" She greeted back with a warm smile letting her eyes linger on me.
"We're doing fine, I'm Kennedy and these are my friends Brookelynn and Jasmyn" I introduced us as she shook our hands.
"It's nice to meet yall" She nodded shaking all of our hands until she got to me.
"It's something about you" She smiled softly at me as I felt my stomach turn a little.
"Me? Is it bad" I asked nervously chuckling as she shook her head.
"No not all, there's just a good feeling about you baby your aura is beautiful" She patted my hand as she held it in hers.
"Thank you so much" I smiled accepting the compliment from the older woman.
"Well I better get back in this kitchen before she come looking for me, it was nice meeting you girls I hope to see y'all later" She waved to us before walking into the kitchen of the house.
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I sipped on my soda as I sat in the plastic white chair that sat beside Brooklynn. Huncho and Glock had gotten back from the store about an hour ago and now us plus the boys sat in a circle of chairs outside.
"That was some good ass food" Destiny said as she threw her plate in the trash bag that was hung up a few feet away from us.
"You know pops and them always throw down, plus mawmaw in the kitchen" Wick said while passing the blunt to Jasmyn.
"Alright I ate, time to drink" Treasure pulled 2 bottles of Casamigos and lunazul from under her chair.
"Girl I been waiting" Destiny exclaimed pulling a pack of shot cups from her purse handing us each one.
"This my type of carrying on" I said already high from the blunts the boys had passed around.
"Wait one of us gotta drive home" Brooke spoke making me think because that was true.
"Don't even worry bout that, y'all gon get home safe just enjoy yall selves" Kush said making Treasure nod as she sat beside him.
"Right, we got y'all" She assured pouring shots in all of our cups.
I took the shot clearing my throat after.
"Damn" Brooke patted her chest with my her face scrunched up slightly.
"Oh my God, Bae you ok" Blick rushed to her quickly as we all bussed out laughing at his antics.
"This nigga bruh" Glock laughed while Blick tried to pat Brooke's back making her pop him.
"Take yo ass on somewhere man" She giggled.
"Let me get another one" I sat up holding my shot cup out to Treasure.
"That's what I'm talking bout" She nodded pouring me and her another shot.
We both threw them back this time not really tasting the alcohol.
"You got about two more until you done, I am not carrying yo ass up our stairs tonight" Kush warned Treasure making her wave him off.
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"To the right, to the right, to the right, to the right. To the left, to the left, to the left, to the left. Now kick, now kick" The speakers blasted playing Cupid shuffle.
"Look at they drunk asses bruh" The boys teased us from the side sitting down as me and the girls danced in the crowd of women who were participating in the dance.
"Now walk it by yourselfffff" Destiny shouted the lyrics doing the dance extra hard as I laughed at her trying to keep my balance.
"Down down do ya dance do ya dance" Jasmyn moved to the song as we all went in the same direction.
"Alright, a bitch is tired" Brooke huffed as the song went off.
"Girl they played wobble, tootsie roll, and Cupid shuffle back to back. Let me sit my ass down" Treasure said as we walked back to where the boys were sitting.
The sun wasn't out anymore but it was still light outside. Most of the older folks had went home and the kids leaving a couple people here and there outside while the boys mothers and mawmaw remained in the house. The men who I had now learned were their fathers stood on the opposite side of the yard talking.
"My mama really like you Ken, I saw her over there dancing with you and stuff" Destiny smiled taking a sip from her cup making me smile.
"I know, she's so nice" I cheesed thinking about the sweet lady who had been nothing but nice to me since I got here.
"Mama Kay always been nice, that's why I don't know why God sent her you" Wick spoke looking at Huncho as he mugged him.
"Shut the fuck up" He got up walking up the stairs and into the house.
"Why he act like that" I asked watching the door he had just went into before putting my focus back on the group.
"That nigga just crazy as hell, he always been quiet though ever since we was kids. He came out that shit with us but when other people around nigga go back mute" Kush explained as the other boys nodded.
"Oh ok" I slightly nodded.
We chilled for a minute just sitting around talking about random things. I can honestly say I enjoyed myself today. The vibes were amazing and the people were very nice and welcoming.
As time passed and the shots kept coming it began to catch up with me. I was drunk but not sloppy drunk I was more so just feeling good. I felt my bladder build up from the alcohol making me bounce my leg.
"Hey y'all, where is the bathroom" I asked standing up not being able to hold it any longer.
"It's in the house down the first hallway, first door on the left" Destiny gave me directions making me nod.
I walked up the steps to the porch twisting the knob to the front door and pushing it open. I closed it behind me looking around not seeing anyone in the living room but I could still hear voices from the kitchen.
I followed Des's directions walking down the first hallway and went to the first door on the left. I gently twisted the knob seeing it was locked making me stand on the wall scrolling on my phone patiently waiting for the person inside to finish.
"Oh I'm sorry baby, I hope I didn't take too long" Amanda, Glocks's mom exited the bathroom.
"Oh no ma'am your fine" I told her as she nodded and patted my shoulder before walking back to the front.
I went into the bathroom shutting and locking the door behind me. I pulled my jumpsuit down before hovering over the toilet and relieving my bladder. I pulled the wipes out of my purse wiping myself and the drying with tissue before I threw both away standing up to flush the toilet. I made sure I had myself together before washing my hands and opening the door to leave the bathroom.
I walked back to the front of the house hearing the women laugh in the kitchen. I walked around the corner passing through the living room seeing Huncho on the couch scrolling through his phone.
I let my eyes linger on him while I walked through having to pass by him to get to the front door. As I passed him he looked up locking eyes with me. I quickly looked away focusing on the front door feeling eyes on me from behind making me nervous. I quickly opened the door stepping out of it. I closed it feeling my nerves go back down as I walked to the group.