''All of us grow up in particular realities - a home, family, a clan, a small town, a neighborhood. Depending upon how we're brought up, we are either deeply aware of the particular reading of reality into which we are born, or we are peripherally aware of it.''
--Chaim Potok
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•October, 9...(Sunday)
"August." Kim called him as he was making the bed, "August ! " She called again, but she still got no answer. Her husband was really ignoring her and it all started yesterday night when she joined him in their bedroom after the conversation she had with Shaylia. They got in bed with a lot of tension reigning between them, but she didn't know why it was so big. Well, since they went back home pretty late and she wasn't in the mood to argue with him or to investigate -so she could know why he was acting this way- she decided to just go to bed. But now, now was the time to question her husband, "Are you mad at me ? " She asked with her hands on her hips.
He shrugged and then went in the bathroom. She couldn't believe it. She shook her head and went after him. She placed herself next to him as he was brushing his teeth, with his eyes fixed on the mirror. She waved her left hand in front of his face, but he kept ignoring her.
This was childish and she was tired of his behavior. So, she called him one more time and since he was still not speaking, she lifted her right leg and slightly kicked his to get his attention, what made August groaned in pain, annoyance and frustration. He turned his head and shoot her a dead glare, then he got the toothbrush out of his mouth, spit in the sink and washed his mouth. He opened the tap and cleaned his mess, then rinsed his toothbrush.
Kim frowned, "Really ?! " She raised her voice.
He sighed and wiped his mouth with the little towel that was for it, "Whatchu want ? " He asked in a boring tone of voice, like conversing with his wife was the most annoying thing to do in the world.
"What's wrong with you ? Why are you ignoring me ? " She questioned looking at him.
He chuckled dryly, "Yes...I'm mad at ya."
Her frown only deepened, "Mad at me ? And can I know why ? "
Once again he sighed, "Ya should've known."
She was a bit confused, "Should've known what ? "
"'Bout our daughter datin' a grown ass man ! " He answered raising his voice also. He groaned and went back in the bedroom with his wife trailing right behind him.
"And how exactly ? She was lying to both of us ! Let me remind you crazy ass ! "
"But ya're her mother ! I thought y'all were close ! How comes ya saw none of it ?! Our daughter was bein' a slut out there and ya saw none of this shit ! "
She raised her hands shaking her head, "Wow ! " She began to laugh, "Do you know how stupid you're sounding right now ? Huh ?! You're stupid ! I wasn't accomplice of this ! I'm not one of these sick mothers who are okay with everything their children are doing ! If I knew that, I would've stopped it as soon as possible ! I'm angry too ! I feel betrayed too ! She lied to me too ! I'm shocked too ! It's already too much to handle, I don't need my husband to go against me for some bullshit now ! How could you even say this shit ?! And our daughter is not a whore ! She's still a virgin if you're interested to know." She pushed him and left the room slamming the door.
August lowered his head feeling guilty. He should've not accused his wife like that. They were supposed to be a team and fight together against anything and anybody who would try to break them apart.
This story was driving him insane. He was so angry and felt so hurt. His heart was bleeding. Never in his life he would've thought that his children would betray him like that. He had trust in them, like at 100 percent. He knew that they were never going to do something like lying to them like that, but they did it anyways. They stabbed him in the back and killed him with that. First, Shaylia dared to go against everything he ever told her and started dating a man who had more than twenty-first years old. Second, his son aka his mini-me, knew everything about this and didn't come to him to let him know what his daughter was doing behind his back.
It was making him feel sick in his stomach.
August was a strong believer in loyalty and since day one, he had taught his children what loyalty is, but it seemed like it wasn't enough. They betrayed him and didn't feel bad to do it. Yeah, because if they had not been caught in their lie, they would've surely said nothing at all and he would've never known about Rayshawn.
His hands formed fists. How a grown man could even think that dating a young girl of fifteen years old was okay ? It was disgusting if you ask him. At an age like Rayshawn, the perfect love partner for you is not in a teenage girl. Not at all. A teenage girl knows practically nothing about life and is still really naive.
A teenage girl is not a woman.
He shook his head trying to stop thinking about it because it was giving him a headache. It was just...a disaster.
He sighed and left the bedroom as well in search of his wife. He stopped in his track and thought during two minutes before to think about the room where she could be. He then went in his man cave, "Ya thought ya were gon' pissed me off as much as I did ta' ya by comin' hea', huh ? " Everybody in this house knew better than going in August's man cave, it was his little place and nobody else.
She folded her arms and looked at the TV screen, that was turned off by the way. He chuckled shaking his head at her and walked towards his couch, where she was sat at and then lifted her to place her on his lap. He pushed some of her hair to the side and kissed her neck, "You really hurt my feelings." She let out still with her arms crossed across her chest.
He bit on his bottom lip, "I'm sorry. I should've not said what I said. It's not your fault what happened with Shaylia." He sighed as she placed her head on his shoulder, "We unfortunately can't control everythin' when it comes to our children. I still can't believe dat shit."
"Me either."
He laid his head on top of hers, "What are we gonna do with 'em ? "
She shrugged, "I don't know anymore, Aug. Like...who are these kids ? I know that's not how we raised them. Did we do something bad during their education ? Where did we make a mistake ? " She questioned about to cry, "Our baby was dating a grown man. Of course, she's not a little baby anymore, but still...she's a child...to the law and...in general."
"I know..." He trailed off and then sighed.
Suddenly, they heard a knock on the door, "Yes ? " Kim asked raising her brow.
"Dad, mom, Mrs. Stoner just called. The pastor is sick, so no Church today. And since he's feeling very bad, maybe we won't have it next week too if they don't find someone else. Can I go to Melany's ? "
"No, you have school tomorrow." Kim answered causing Karla to puff and to go back in her room by groaning.
August shook his head, "It's not easy ta' raise kids."
∞
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∞
•October, 10...(Monday)
"Homies, guess what we're doing this weekend ? " Jorris asked as they were all eating their lunch at Chipotle before to get back to school.
Aug III, Lionel, David and Alexandre raised their eyebrows wondering what he had in his head. Jorris wasn't the type of guy to often get in trouble, but who knows what he had planned. Lionel finished what he had in his mouth, "What ? Tell us everything."
Jorris smirked, "Who is going to the clubs on Saturday night ? " He looked at them waiting for a response, but they just continued to stare at him with a confused face expression on. Jorris slightly rolled his eyes, "Us. C'mon now guys."
Aug III frowned, "To the clubs ? No one club, but clubs ? And how do you want all of us to go when Alex and I are not even eighteen yet ? " He asked all these questions looking at his friend like he had done lost his entire mind.
Jorris' smirk only got bigger, "Don't worry." He searched something in his backpack, "I got this. Voilà ! "
"You got us fake IDs ? " Alex asked taking his own out of Jorris' hand.
Aug III took his, "Do you not know that it's illegal to go to places where we shouldn't in the first place, plus with fake IDs ? We can't do that." He gave the ID back.
"Of course we can ! Look, we're trying with you two this weekend and next week I'll get us new fake IDs for everyone and we'll pretend to be twenty-one for a night. C'mon, it's gonna be fun ! "
"Why do you want to do this that much ? " Lionel asked curiously.
Jorris shrugged, "It's our last high school year together, so we should do something special to remember for the rest of our lives. Maybe we won't still be friends in college." He said with a little sad face.
These five had been friends since their young age, when Aug III moved in Miami with his family. Their friendship happened so naturally. It first started with Aug III, Lionel and David and then Jorris and Alexandre joined in. And now with a new beginning in their lives, it could risk all they built together as friends. Jorris was going out of town; Alexandre wanted to go in London; Lionel's dream was to be a movie producer, so it was Los Angeles for him; Aug III's first choice in college was set in New York and David still didn't know what he wanted to do exactly, but he knew that he didn't want to stay in Miami, he needed a change of environment. They all had different projects for their future and they knew it was going to be hard for them to stay in contact and to hang out together.
"But we can do something else without risking to go to jail." David gave his opinion.
"Yeah, I agree with D." Aug III said nodding his head. Plus, he was already in trouble due to the messy situation with Shaylia, so he didn't need more right now. He'd rather act right until to be out of his father's target.
"Can y'all at least really think about it though ? " Jorris pouted like a baby.
Lionel shook his head at his friend, "You're too old for doing this, boy ! "
The boys continued their conversation until Osiria made her entry in Chipotle getting their attention. The four chuckled staring at Aug III, who couldn't get his eyes off her.
"Osiria and August are sitting in the tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G ! " They began to sing together and then started to make kissing noise.
Aug III rolled his eyes, "Bye, y'all are stupid." He stood up and went towards her. He placed himself right behind her in the queue and then hid her eyes with his hands, "Who ? " He changed a little his usual baritone voice.
Osiria giggled, "Denzel, I can't believe you came until here just for me." She joked causing him to smack his teeth.
"Denzel ain't shit compared to me, girl." He said forgetting to change his voice, but anyways she already knew who it was.
"August, stop ! " She slightly tapped his hands and then turned around once he took them off her face.
"Hey, pretty lady." He greeted beaming.
"Hey, mister bombastic." She greeted back and Aug III instantly started singing Shaggy's song making her laugh, "Stoooop ! You're embarrassing me. Stop ! Please, stop ! "
He smiled, "Okay. So...what are you doing here ? You can't live without me, huh ? " He asked wiggling his eyebrows.
She playfully fanned him off, "Please boy ! Nooooooobody ! I said nobody cares about you. I love Chipotle that's all."
"I thought you loved KFC ? "
"I do too."
"These girls ain't loyal." He sang imitating Chris Brown's voice.
She shook her head grinning, "Say the guy who surely has three different baby mamas, a wife, sidechick, plus two secrets kids. Yeah, girls ain't loyal, right ? " She folded her arms giving him some attitude. It was fake, but she was playing well her role.
"I'm not that guy. I don't know what you're talking about." They laughed a bit, "I can't never be serious with y-"
"Hey, Ant." They all of sudden heard behind them.
They turned around to see Shaylia standing there, biting nervously on her lips. Aug III looked at her for a minute mugging her and then scolded rolling his eyes. Him and their father weren't talking to her since yesterday. Shay thought that it was not going to last more than one day, but she thought wrong and here she was witnessing it.
"Uh...I don't think we know each other. Who...uh...who are you ? " Osiria broke a little bit the awkward silence that settled between the three individuals.
"Oh, uh, I'm h-"
"Nobody." Aug III cut her and took Osiria's hand to take her somewhere else, leaving his little sister there, completely hurt.
"August, who was it ? Why did you react like that ? "
He groaned, "My annoying of little sister."
She stopped walking, causing him to do the same. She frowned, "Why did you say nobody ? Do you want...to talk ? " She asked looking at his face. They were joking around and he seemed and sounded happy and then his sister arrived and all of this changed. Now, he seemed mad and sounded really angry, "We can go somewhere and sit down."
He sighed, "Okay."
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