(Jace's POV)
From a young age I knew I wanted to make it big, to real, to true, to prove a point.
I spent most of my time playing basketball and if I wasn't playing basketball I was practicing for basketball. I loved the sport, but my ma made sure I stayed on top of it. I knew she only wanted what was best for me and I appreciated that but she could be a bit much.
Then there was my sister's. My older sister Jackie, she was 2 years older and mainly focused on step and school. She had my back when I needed her but that ain't make her ass less annoying, I swear to god. But let's not forget my other half, my stupid ass other half. I swear that girl would be dead without me. (Y/N) was my twin sister, younger by exactly an hour and 12 minutes.
You would think I'd be hanging that over her head but the always pulling that "But I'm the baby." card like girl don't nobody give a fuck. You being the youngest don't mean shit but aye, let me stop before I get heated. (Y/N) more than anyone was my ride or die, that girl would do anything for me, no questions asked. Maybe because her ass was just messy or maybe she just cared too much. She did care too much, with our dad being gone and my mom always stressing she made it her job to always be there for me and Jackie. She learned to cook, clean, fix bikes, fix damn near anything really, just so we didn't have to feel the pain of not having a dad around but to also ease the pressure of my moms.
Speaking of which you should have seen the look on ma dukes face when (Y/N) found a job willing to hire her at 12 Ma was so mad, I could swear on everything her ass was red in the face.
Me and (Y/N) had many things in common. I mean duh, we're twins but the main thing was basketball. Man, that girl knew how to play some basketball, she wasn't better than me though. She got so into basketball, I don't think she saw it the way I did, she played to have a get away from the world. I played... well I'm not sure why I play, basketball is life.
And I'm not finna lie, whenever (Y/N) got that ball in her hands, everything around her disappeared.
*****
{10 Years Ago}
(3rd Person)
The kitchen was lit with a dim light as a boy and his father sat at the dining room table. The dad held a sharpened color pencil in his hand as he drew a maze out on a white sheet of paper.
"Easy." A young Jace spoke confidently.
"Nah, Little Man. Not this one. It's gonna be hard. By the time I get back in town you should be finished." The dad said as he slid the paper over.
"You full of shit." Jenna spoke.
"I'll call you." The older man swore.
Not too long after a small girl ran into the kitchen.
"Daddy look. I made you something, so you'll have something to remember by while you're gone." The small call spoke as she held up a clearly handmade bracelet.
"Thank babygirl, I'll make sure to keep it." He leaned down to place a kiss on her forehead before leaving.
*****
{Present Time}
(Jace POV)
"Yo Jace stop looking at that shi." I heard my twin sister say.
"Man, shut up." I snarled at her.
"Y'all bet not be arguing. Jace lets go." My mom said as she came through the door.
"I'm tired"
"Jace, get up, there's a target on your back. Number one in the area code. And what do the haters want my baby to do? They want him to lay there."
I sighed and got up but not before turning to (Y/N) with an annoyed face.
She looked at me and shrugged as she mouthed the words, "You know how she be." I handed my phone to my mom before I started doing push ups.
"(Y/N) since you looking so awake and active right now, you can get down there with him too." My mom said and I hid a chuckle.
"Ma, ima girl." My sister complained.
"A girl who can give me some pushups." My mom said back without hesitation. I had to hold back my laugh as my sister got down to the flow and started doing pushups with an annoyed face.
*****
{Time Skip}
My mom had me playing for a basketball team coached by some dude named Ike and it went bad. I know I'm good at what I do so I'm not tripping. But old ass dude really was trying to show me up. Grown as hell trying to prove you're better than a 14 year old. Okay, dude, get yo big lightskin ass on somewhere.
"I'm not playing for him." I said.
"The hell you're not." My momma responded.
"You told me it was an experiment."
"I know you lost but it was one of the best games I've seen you play."
"Then I must suck because he didn't even make it to the NBA."
"He didn't beat you because he's better, he beat you because he's smarter."
"You said if I don't like him I could go somewhere else. Right?"
"Right."
"I don't like him." I said before walking inside the house to see Jackie in the kitchen cooking and (Y/N) on the couch doing her homework.
"Why she making dinner?" I asked my mom.
"Don't eat it then. I won't shed any tears. Trust." Jackie replied.
"Both of you stop. Jackie's making dinner because I have a meeting
with my sales-folks in half-an-hour. I don't know why that hoodie is still in the living room. Get it picked up. After dinner, scrape plates, take out the garbage and jump into homework."
"What about finding me a new team?"
"Right now, no drama. Can you handle that?" She paused to wait for an answer.
"Not rhetorical." She said clearly.
"I can handle that." I picked my hoodie up off of the couch.
I looked at (Y/N) and nodded towards my room, knowing she'd get the message.
I walked to my room and shut the door once she was inside.
"Bro, (Y/N/N), momma tripping. Had me play for this unknown, loser ass team and now she acting like I can't quit it even though she said this was just an experiment." I complained.
"You know how she gets Jay. She wants something done, she gone get it done. She just doesn't know how to let us have control over our lives."
"I swear! Every damn day she got me doing shi I don't want to do, I play basketball every damn day, im grinding every damn day and she won't even let me have a break, then she got me playing for team I don't wanna play for. I started this shit off for fun, she just making it feel like a job." Plopping onto my bed I my basketball and tossed it between my hands.
"I get why you upset because she do be making our dreams feel like chores but she only doing it because she care, because she want better for us."
"I know... it's just... it's just that..."
"You wished she'd just let us just breathe for a moment. Let us have a second to sit back, relax, and just think?"
"Yeah. Exactly that... I'm finna go eat some of Jackie nasty ass pasta."
"Boy, don't be trying my sister. You know she can cook."
"Neither of y'all asses know how to cook."
"Lie again. You always the first to get yo ass some damn seconds. Fat ass."
*****
{Time Skip}
We were all in the kitchen cleaning up while our mom spoke with her consultants in the living room.
"Why does she always have to have these meetings?" I asked my sisters.
"Mom recruited those women. If they generate enough sales, she gets herself a pink Cadillac." Jackie answered.
"She better not. That ugly as car she got already. That car better dark blue, black, gray, red, or white. Anything else is trifling." (Y/N) said, I swear she be so deadass but the way she be saying stuff so funny for no reason.
"When I go pro, I can buy her three caddies." I thought about me going big, making money.
"What about us?" My sisters said in some weird ass unison.
"Y'all bet not ever do that again. But imma put Jack Jack in cooking school. (Y/N/N), I might throw yo ass a bone."
Jackie glared at me while (Y/N) shoved me. I grabbed the garbage bag, making sure ma dukes ain't hear me.
"Jack, look. (Y/N/N) already seen it." I pulled the paper from my pocket.
"It's one of the mazes you used to draw."
"Our father drew this one."
"What?"
"Ten years ago today."
"How come you still got it?"
"I don't know. Just do."
"I think I may have found him?"
"Fuck you just say?" (Y/N) spoke herself into our conversation.
Ignoring her I asked Jackie how.
"Did another search. Looks like he works in Vegas. If I get an address, maybe we should find a way to see him. Or talk to him." Jackie said.
"Don't nobody wanna talk to him." (Y/N) butted in.
"He's our dad. We should at least say something." Jackie defended.
"No we shouldn't. I don't wanna talk to him and clearly does (Y/N). I just want him to know how good I am... Without him." I took the maze and folded back up.
*****
I was outside taking out the trash when two officers pulled up and told me to put my hands up.
"Hands up! Let me see your hands!" One officer shouted.
I didn't know what to do, I put my hands up and I could feel myself shaking anxiously and uncontrollably.
"I didn't do anything." I sounded almost desperate.
"In the ground now!" The officer shouted.
I got down on the ground.
"What do they call you?" The second officer spoke up.
"Jace."
"Your other name." The second officer clarified.
"Carson."
"Your gang name, Asshole." Said the first officer.
"I'm not in a gang."
"Sit his ass down." Said the first officer.
"I seen you in the precinct before. Where's your ID?" Questioned the first officer.
"Upstairs man."
"Tell me what you know about a car being jacked three blocks away"
"Nothing."
"Bullshit. Maybe a drive around the block will jog yo memory."
I heard footsteps jogging up behind me.
"Leave my son alone! He didn't do not a damn thing!" My mom's voice yelled. 'Momma.' Was all I could think as my nerves calmed slightly.
"Ma'am, you need to back up."
"Don't tell my momma what to do. Now let my brother go." I heard my twin voice, she was bout to go off.
"Momma, (y/n)." I called out.
"Don't hurt my son or I swear to god."
"That's my baby brother. He was emptying out the thrash."
"He fits the description of a car jacker."
"Car jacker? He's fourteen-years-old, stupid. He doesn't even know how to drive." There go my twin again, running her mouth.
"Why's he hanging out here so late?"
"Taking out the garbage isn't hanging out." My mom said sassily.
"Can I talk to you for a second?" The second officer said to the first.
After they talked for a while they let me go and me, my mom, and my sisters went back into the house. While my mom and older sister looked stressed, sad, and relieved, (y/n) looked angry and pissed. She was bout damn near ready to beat someone ass.