𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐧. 𝐣𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬
𝙽𝙾𝚅𝙴𝙼𝙱𝙴𝚁 || 𝙱𝙰𝚃𝙾𝙽 𝚁𝙾𝚄𝙶𝙴, 𝙻𝙰.
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"Ant, why is there papers all over the damn floor?" I sighed leaning down to pick up the scraps of paper that were on the floor.
"I had an art project." He responded while messing around with his hair trying to get his freeform box to sit right.
"Clean up after yourself."
"My bad," He shrugged as I scraped the pieces of paper into the trash can. "You got twenty dollars on you? I need it cause I'm going out with my girl tonight."
"Get a job."
"So I take it that you don't have twenty dollars, that's all you could have said."
"No seriously, get a job. You're old enough to and I'm tired of being the main source of money around here especially since basketball is starting."
"Nobody is hiring a fourteen year old.."
"I got my first job at twelve working at that corner store over on Larson. This the hood, everybody needs help." I said honestly.
Even if it was just babysitting some bad ass kids he had to do something. I was starting to lose track of my studies by over working myself which couldn't be happening cause I definitely needed to graduate.
That's the entire reason I failed chemistry my sophomore and junior year and now had to retake it as a senior, looking dumb. I didn't have the time to study for it and just gave up on it. If I failed again I couldn't graduate this year so I decided to completely lock in.
That's why I got my wonderful tutor now.
"Why can't Essy work?" Ant groaned.
"If we're being traditional, the men are supposed to be the money makers of the household. Essy helps out enough as is by watching the little ones and shit."
It was a total of five of us, counting me. Essence, Anthony, and I were the oldest ones. I was eighteen, Essence was fifteen and Ant was fourteen.
The other two were the twins. Eli and Eve, they were five and bad as hell. I think my mama was on crack when she had them which explains why the act the way they do.
"Traditional roles, my ass. Imma start selling drugs."
"Just don't get yourself killed or locked up. If you're a smart drug dealer, I don't give a damn."
"That's terrible. You're supposed to tell me to never resort to the streets and to find myself a legal job no matter how hard it is." He frowned.
"Not finna lie to you." I shrugged before putting on my off white shoes. I got them when I was scamming my junior year. "I'm finna go out."
Got me a nice lil' amount of money but I had to stop.
"For how long and where you going?" Essy randomly popped up.
"You not my mother."
"I need to know before I order these food plates from that lady down the street."
"I'll be back before nine, I don't know."
Don't gotta explain shit to her ass I'm grown.
...
"I remember when I was a kid I always wanted to get a fish. Only because I loved watching Finding Nemo." Kacie pointed at the fish swimming around in the huge tank as we walked through the aquarium.
I don't know why I decided that this is where we should go because it didn't interest me at all, it just seemed like something she would like. Kacie gave off the art museum, arcade, pottery date, kind of girl.
The most romantic thing I had done for a girl was a picnic. I usually didn't do dates a lot.
"I use to want a snake." I shrugged.
My mama basically told me that I could have one too.
"A snake? That's crazy." She chuckled.
"It's normal little boy shit." I laughed along with her, watching her eyes light up when we approached the tortoises.
"You can't tell me they aren't cute."
I stared at the tortoise trying to see what cuteness she saw in that ugly ass animal. "Nah, they ain't cute at all."
"You're crazy," She shook her head as we kept walking.
This aquarium wasn't the most exciting to me but it seemed as if Kacie was enjoying it and that's what made me happy. Watching her eyes light up when she saw one of her favorite animals was cute as hell. Kacie herself was cute as hell and I hope she knew it.
"What made you wanna come here?" She asked me.
"It seemed like something that you would like. Was I right?"
"A hundred percent right. I love animals. I used to want all kinds of pets when I was a kid but my parents always told me no." She sighed.
"My mom said yes to everything I asked for no matter how crazy it was, even a snake. I just ended up never getting it."
"Your mother seems nice." She smiled as we sat down on a bench outside of the aquarium, taking a break from walking before we decided to get food.
"She's a crackhead," I said nonchalantly. "How's your mother?"
"Oh.. mine is complicated."
"How so?" I asked.
"She's been diagnosed with cervical cancer. Before that we had a pretty good relationship, but now it's just been terrible.."
"I-I am sorry to hear that." I stuttered over my words unsure what to say since it left her mouth so calmly.
"It's okay." She laughed before an awkward silence took over us. "I like you, like a lot."
"Huh?" My eyes widened.
"I said I like food, I like food a lot. How about we—"
"I heard you the first time, Cici." I laughed at how she tried to play it off, but I heard her loud and clear the first time.
"So why would you say huh?" She rolled her eyes.
"I like you too, Kacie."
I had liked her ever since my first tutoring session with her pretty much. She was pretty and funny, and she was my saving grace of graduating.
"I don't know why—"
I cut her off by kissing her slowly. It was obvious that she was shocked because it took her a second to kiss back but when she did it felt like something out of a Disney movie.
This might just be love at second link.
"Now let's get something to eat." I said as she just sat there looking stunned. "You good?"
"Aye okay!" She laughed.
"Okay pirate.."
...