This MIGHT be the last update until I officially have to take everything off of here, so I'm gonna make the most out of this update and possibly the one after this just for you guys. And to let the people know that asked, ALL of my books will be on Amazon so you guys can buy them :)
Theodore
Before I knew it, six long months of pure hell had passed by me and here I was in the end of September about to go out in a few hours to celebrate Aubrey's birthday. To this day, none of us know what happened to him a few months ago. One night, his Mom just got a call about him being in the hospital unconscious but none of us were ever able to get any details on what happened to him. We were all glad we found out where he was, but that wasn't the end of that situation.
He was shot two times. Once in his shoulder and then another bullet went straight through his back and through his chest. He was int he hospital for a few weeks before being released. His arm was kept in a brace and he had to take some time off of school to recover but he was back in school within a month and was out of the brace by July. Everything seemed fine with him, physically, but whatever happened to him while he disappeared fucked him up mentally. He hasn't been the same after what happened to him. He's not the same Aubrey he was before he disappeared.
He says he's not but I can tell how depressed his is. He barely eats, he doesn't talk as much as he used to, he doesn't make jokes and play around like he used to and he doesn't even talk about Lindsey anymore. It's like, after whatever happened to him, his personality did a full 360 and I don't even know who he is anymore. I've sat down and tried talking to him but he never says much. I know he has a lot on his mind about what happened to him, but I wouldn't know since he won't tell us how he got shot. Every time somebody asks him how he got shot or what he was doing when it happened, he goes mute and doesn't say anything at all.
I don't know what happened to him when he disappeared or how he got shot, but I just wish he'd go back to the old Aubrey. It's no fun being around this new person. I don't even know who he is anymore. The only good thing about him being in the hospital is that his Mom has been back in his life more and decided to switch his school. Now he's down in Compton at school with me and Majesty while Jaz is still in Los Angeles, begging her parents to let her switch schools so she can be with Aubrey again.
Aubrey and I have most of the same classes together, which is a good thing. I had friends at Compton High and I had Majesty, but it's nothing like having my best friend at a school with me when we have majority of the same classes together. The only classes we don't have together are AP Calculus and Science, but somehow, Aubrey and I got thrown into the same Art, Spanish and Gym classes too.
Now, I have gym but I can't do much since I still don't have a lot of feeling in my legs right now. I've been going to rehab every single day since I got out of the hospital six months ago and I'm regaining some of the feeling in my legs. The doctors said I wouldn't be able to gain full feeling until at least a year has passed but I'm glad I can feel more than I had been able to feel.
Aubrey and I sat next to each other in a Spanish 1 class, surrounded by a bunch of freshmen, sophomores and juniors. There were mainly freshmen in this class but there were a few seniors too, so Aubrey and I weren't the only ones.
"Class! Class! I need all of you to calm down!" Ms. Rodriguez yelled over the noisy class. "I hate this class!"
The class erupted in laughter when she yelled that, since she tells us the same thing everyday. She says we're her worst class she's ever taught, I guess since there's such a diverse mixture of kids in here.
Ms. Rodriguez walked over to the door and I knew what she was about to do next. She slammed the door close as hard as she could, causing everybody to look up at her. "Now, I told y'all little putas to be quiet! Y'all need to sentarse and be quiet."
"We don't know what you saying," Aubrey shook his head. "This is America, can you please talk in American?"
The guy sitting in front of us with the long, curly hair turned around. "I think you mean English man. But she called us bitches and told us to sit down."
"I know what I said." Aubrey scrunched his face up as he looked up at Ms. Rodriguez. "So we bitches now?" he asked.
"Mr. Johnson please calmese."
Aubrey sucked his teeth. "Lady, what are you saying? Don't none of us know what you saying, that's why we sit here going crazy everyday. If you taught like you're getting paid to do we wouldn't be acting a fool everyday."
"Every time I try to teach y'all start hablando y hanblando y hablando and you won't stop hablando."
Everybody groaned once they heard her say that. I honestly can't even tell you what she just said but I'm thinking she said something about everybody talking a lot, since that's the only thing we come to this class to do. She never gives us work and doesn't even try to calm us down so I don't know why she's making a big issue about this.
"So teach us then," one of the hood rat girls from the back yelled out.
Ms. Rodriguez smiled widely and raced over to her desk to grab a stack of papers off of it. She began passing the papers out to us and my eyes widened once mine landed on my desk. It was a paper with different Spanish phrases and numbers on it. The only words I recognized were 'Hi' and 'Bye'.
"Alright class," Ms. Rodriguez began, "this is a paper with different Spanish phrases on it to help jump start you guys into this school year with Spanish. It's a great way to get you equipped with this language that will get harder and harder as the school year goes on. So, please pick up your papers and repeat after me. Hola. Hi."
"Hola," the class repeated. "Hi."
"Whole-A," Aubrey repeated afterwards. "Hi."
"Ropa. Clothes," Ms. Rodriguez stated.
"Rope," Aubrey replied.
"Carpeta. Folder."
"Carpet," Aubrey replied.
"Constipado. A cold," Ms. Rodriquez said before the class repeated after her.
"Constipated," Aubrey said, making Ms. Rodriguez sigh.
"Mr. Johnson, if you aren't going to participate in my class correctly then don't participate at all."
"I'm tryna participate but I'm Black. I don't know Spanish."
"Well if you stop trying to be funny then you'd learn something," she told him before looking around the class room. "Now, does anybody in here know any words in Spanish?" Aubrey raised his hand, making her sigh again. "Yes Senor Johnson?"
"It's Mr.," Aubrey corrected her, "but el stupid and el idiot."
Aubrey made the entire class laugh when he said that, even Ms. Rodriguez laughed too because she knew it was too. I don't know what had Aubrey joking around today but it's good seeing him smiling since I haven't seen him laugh or smile in awhile.
"Thank you for your input Senor Johnson but those are definitely not in Espanol. Does anybody else know any words?" she asked, looking around the classroom once a few people raised their hands.
The guy sitting in front of us with the curly hair turned around. "So, what happened to the two of y'all? Y'all got in a car accident or something?"
"Something like that," I replied. I didn't need all of these kids up in my business, especially when I don't even know this guy.
He nodded his head. "Oh, well I'm Armando."
"Okay," Aubrey replied. "You sound foreign."
"If you consider Mexican being foreign, then yeah. Both of my parents are Mexican."
"So, if you Mexican, why are you taking a Spanish class? And Spanish 1, at that. Shouldn't you be in AP or Advanced or something?" I asked.
"I know the language and I can speak it but I don't know the grammar. My counselor was gon' put me in Spanish 2 but I'm just tryna chill this year, ya know? It's my senior year, I'm not tryna do a lot of work and I heard this lady was easy. Y'all juniors or seniors?"
Aubrey smacked his lips. "Do I look like a junior?"
"Nah man, chill."
"We're seniors," I butted in.
"What's y'all's names? I know it's Mr. Johnson," he chuckled but Aubrey didn't find it funny.
"I'm Theodore and that's Aubrey."
"Cool. I know I'm probably irritating y'all but I got one more question."
"You are irritating me but continue," Aubrey mumbled.
"This is my first year here so I'm tryna find out what's up with sports and shit here. What's good with football?"
"Football started practicing over the summer and we started scrimmages in August. We already had a game last week, so you late," Aubrey replied. "And we got a game today after school, so you're welcome to come so you can see what you could've been doing."
"Oh, so you play?"
"I'm the captain," Aubrey corrected him.
Armando nodded his head. "Oh, that's what's up. Since it's too late for football, what's up with basketball?"
"They start practicing in December and the season starts up in late January but you can cross that off your list too. I got that all covered."
"In a wheelchair?" he asked, raising his eyebrow.
I nodded my head. "A wheelchair hasn't stopped me from doing shit, so yeah, I can play in a wheelchair," I replied.
I haven't been able to play ball exactly the way I played when I wasn't in a wheelchair but that's expected. That's why I spent most of the summer perfecting my game so I can make the team this year and hopefully make captain. I've been talking with the coaches, and they said if I can show out at practice, then there's definitely a spot for me on the team and I'll just have to work for that captain position. But based on my condition, I'm not so sure. I might have to use that Dad card and bring up how my Dad is Teddy Reed, even though I'm sure they already know.
"A'ight, well I hope you bring it at practice. At my old school I was captain."
"Me too," I replied. I don't like he way he's trying to compete with me. "And I was the captain for football and baseball at my old school. So, what's up?"
He chuckled. "It ain't even that serious dude. Chill. But I'm gonna come through the game today. Is it free?"
"Three dollars if you bought your ticket at lunch but five dollars if you get your ticket at the door."
"So, five dollars," I said since we were in the last class of the day.
Armando nodded his head. "Cool, I'll be there. You going Theodore?"
"Yeah."
"Mind if I sit with you? Ion know too many people here. I only know what other girl."
I shrugged my shoulders. "Sure," I replied, even though I really didn't want him to. I really didn't care for him but who am I to deny him to sit with me at the game?
Armando smiled before turning back around in his seat. Armando didn't look Mexican. He looked more like he was black, but if he wants to lie about that, then that's on him. He had long curly hair that stopped right at his shoulders, and I could tell he played some type of sports based on the way his body was built. And I don't know why he's lying about how many people he actually knows. I've seen this guy before and every time I see him, he always has a ton of girls all over him mainly because of his hair.
Aubrey turned to me and whispered, "Who the fuck is he?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "Maybe he needs some friends," I whispered.
"He needs to find friends else where 'cause we too old to still be looking for friends. Shit. We 'bout to graduate. The fuck we look like still looking for friends?"
~~~
Within an hour, everybody who's anybody was outside at the game. The players were warming up for the game that was about to start, the cheerleaders were stretching and everybody else was getting food or looking for a place to sit. Aubrey and I were posted up by the field, waiting on the girls to get here. Jaz was outside in the parking lot and Majesty went to get her.
"So, what'chu tryna do after the game? You know, you only turn 18 once," I told Aubrey.
He shrugged his shoulders. "Ion know. The rest of y'all youngin's can't go to a club with me or drink."
I chuckled. "Nigga, you can even drink."
"That's never stopped me before," he smiled. "But Jaz is coming through with the drinks and Majesty said she got the food covered. What are you contributing?"
I smiled. "My long friendship."
He smacked his lips. "That ain't enough. You gotta come up with where we going. Ain't Lindsey and Andre supposed to be going to see your Dad with Daniel?"
I sighed. "Fine, we can chill at my crib."
He chuckled. "Yeah, with yo non contributing ass. And I'm staying the night with you too. My Mama gon' kill me if I come home drunk."
"It's simple: don't get drunk."
"Then what's the point of drinking?" he asked as Jaz and Majesty emerged from the crowd.
Jaz walked up to him with the biggest smile on her face. It's like since Aubrey disappeared, Jaz changed too. She's still mean but not as mean as she used to be. She's a lot nicer now, especially to Aubrey. She doesn't even dog him out like she used to. She's actually acting like the female in the relationship. She threw her arms around him and kissed his lips.
"I missed you Daddy."
Aubrey smiled as he kissed her. "I missed you too ma."
"And you look so sexy in your uniform. I'm sure you always got females all over you up here. I heard some talking about you when I first walked in."
"You already know I gotta have my fan base," he smirked. "I know you got yours now that I'm not at Fairview no more."
Jaz smiled. "I don't entertain them."
"You better not be."
"Aw, young love, it's so cute," Majesty coo'd before getting behind my wheelchair. "We'll just leave y'all two love birds alone." Aubrey and Jaz were too caught up within each other to even notice we walked away from them. Majesty pushed me up the ramp to the bleachers and we started looking for a seat. "Where do you wanna sit?"
I squinted my eyes looking for Armando, and spotted him sitting on his phone on the first row of seats. "Next to that kid with the curly hair on the phone. You see him?"
She nodded her head as she pushed me towards him. "Mhmm. That's my friend Manny."
I scrunched up my face. "How do you know him?"
"He just started talking to me one day after school."
"I must not have been around."
She laughed. "Of course not. He just started talking to me but he's really nice. How do you know him?"
"Me and Aubrey got Spanish with him," I replied, not going into detail.
"Oh, I've never heard you talk about him before."
"I just met him last hour. He's got this crazy idea about trying out for basketball and actually making the captain position."
"Well, if you're trying out too then it's a wrap for that captain position. He must not be hip to you baby," she replied.
I smirked. See, that's one thing I like about Majesty. No matter what, she always has my back and she's always on my side no matter what. I could be the worst player on the team and she'll always be there boosting my ego up, coming to almost every game and making sure people know how good I actually am. That's why I had to wife her up over the summer. We were basically together before that but I made it official over the summer.
Majesty pushed us up to Armando and parked my wheelchair in front of the first row before sitting down next to my wheelchair. "Hey Manny. I didn't know you knew Theodore."
Armando looked up from his phone and smiled once he saw her. "What's up ma? But yeah, me and Theodore are cool."
"Her name ain't ma," I corrected him. "It's Majesty."
Armando chuckled. "Why you always so serious man? I ain't even mean it like that, and you know I didn't. I won't say it."
"I don't know what you know."
Majesty sighed. "It's alright, he won't say it again."
"Whatever," I mumbled as Jaz walked up to us.
Jaz squeezed in the small space between Armando and Majesty. She looked over at Armando. "Who is you?" she asked, looking him up and down.
"Are," I corrected her.
"Fuck off Theodore, I'm talking to somebody." She turned back to Armando as she grabbed a piece of his curly hair. She pulled on it, let it go and watched how the springy piece of hair fell right back in place. "So, who are you?"
"Armando," he smiled, making Jaz smile.
"That's a cute name. I'm Jaz. I love your hair too. It's so soft, you gotta teach my boyfriend to get these curls. My baby be trying so hard," she laughed, making him laugh too but I just shook my head. She's always clowning Aubrey, but he does the same to her too.
"I just wash it and it's like this. Yo man goes here?"
She nodded her head. "Mhmm. My baby is like the same height as me, he has really smooth caramel skin and he's really fine."
Majesty laughed. "Girl, he's gonna need more information than that. That could be anybody."
"Oh you right," Jaz smacked on her gum. "He's the captain of the football team. He's hands down the best player out on the field right now and he's really smart. My baby's an intellectual and he's going to a D1 college, for sure. He has a bright future ahead of him."
"Oh, you must be talking about Aubrey."
She nodded her head. "Yup, Aubrey Dylan Johnson."
Armando chuckled. "Yeah, that's him but I'm not gon' mess with you. Ion want him killing me or something."
"I think that's a good idea," I butted in just as the game started.
Jaz immediately started smiling and screaming Aubrey's name once he was passed the ball. Aubrey took off down the field with the ball in his hands while the other team trailed behind him by inches. One of the guys managed to tackle him to the ground before he could even make it to the 20 yard line. As soon as one guy tackled him, two other tackled him too.
"Shit," Jaz mumbled, sitting back down.
Majesty looked over at me and slid her hand into my lap. "I talked to my parents about staying the night with Jaz and they said I could," she told me. We had this whole weekend planned out for the longest. Aubrey's Mom didn't mind him staying the night with me but Majesty and Jaz' parents weren't gonna let them spend the night with their boyfriends so they both lied to their parents and said they were staying over each others house and would stay the night with me.
I smiled. "Cool. What'chu tryna get into tonight?"
"Anything you wanna do."
"You already know what I wanna do," I smirked.
"You not ready for all that yet. Maybe when you get out the wheelchair."
I smacked my lips. "Fine, since you wanna be boring, how about you let me take you out Sunday afternoon?"
She smiled. "Where do you wanna go?"
"I don't know now but I'll let you know later. We haven't talked that much since school started back up."
"I know. We were always together over the summer and you used to always call me over the summer."
"I still call you."
"We'd stay up all night talking over the summer. What? You get tired at night now?" she smiled.
"Nah, I'm busy but I'll call you more," I replied.
She smiled as she turned back to the game. I looked back over at the game too but something caught my attention. My eyes widened once I saw Nicole wobbling up the bleachers. To say I was surprised at how big she was, was an understatement. I knew she'd get big but I didn't think she'd get this big. I just thought the fat was only in the stomach area but she got fat all around, especially in her face. She didn't even look the same anymore. I quickly got soft when I saw her walking up the bleachers, looking around. Damn. I hope she's not here to see me. I put my head down but I knew I was too obvious to pass up since my wheelchair stands out so much.
"Theodore," she called out.
I sucked my teeth and lifted my head up, only to find her standing directly in front of Majesty and I. She looked even bigger up close. I don't know what she's been doing the past few months but she looks terrible. I haven't talked to her since she put that video out about me on Instagram. She hasn't reached out to me, and I damn sure haven't reached out to her either. Since she hasn't talked to me, I just assumed she finally got it through her crazy head that I'm not the father of her baby. But I guess not.
I looked her up and down. "What's up?"
"I didn't know you went to school here."
"Yeah, I do."
"Oh, well how have you been?"
"Straight. How you been?"
"I'm good. I'm due in November."
"I can tell," I replied, looking at how big her stomach was.
"I haven't seen you in a long time. How come you haven't called me? You missed a lot of appointments."
"I ain't got no appointments to go to, you do," I replied. "And you haven't reached out to me, so I haven't reached out to you. I've been busy."
"I can tell. How'd you get in the wheelchair."
"Accident," I replied.
She slightly frowned. "Oh, I'm sorry but can you give me a call soon? I wanna update you on our daughter."
"That ain't my baby and you got my number, so you can call me after the baby is born. I told you not to reach out to me until the baby is born."
"I need help."
"I didn't tell you to sleep around with every nigga at school and never use protection with any of them. I bet you're still sleeping around right now, aren't you?"
She frowned, folding her arms. "That's none of your business."
I smirked. "'Cause you are still sleeping around while you pregnant. After all this time, you still nasty as hell and you still following around younger niggas. Why you even up here? I thought you graduated last school year?"
"Like I said, my sex life isn't any of your business and I graduated sweetie. This is a public area so I can come to a football game if I want."
"You probably up here trying to seduce your next victim."
"You must be jealous that I moved on."
"No, I'm ecstatic," I corrected her.
"Well continue to be ecstatic but I'm about to walk away from you. You need to do some serious maturing before I have our baby or you won't be able to see her. You're not gonna be an immature father and I'm not gonna have an immature baby daddy."
"That's fine. I'm not your baby daddy so you won't even have to worry about that. You probably don't even know who your baby daddy is."
"It's you."
"Keep lying," I shook my head.
"You need to stop lying to yourself."
"We'll let the paternity test prove it all."
"We sure will," she said as she walked away from me.
Majesty and Jaz both looked over at me as soon as she walked away. "Who was that?" Majesty asked.
"Remember I told you about the other girl, Nicole, possibly having my child?" Majesty nodded her head. "Well, that was her. I haven't talked to her in months, and it's funny how she just pops up here."
"She probably planned all of this," Jaz butted in. "I don't know why she's lying acting like she didn't know you went here. I remember you telling her you went here but she did this to try to cause a scene but her little plan fell through. 'Cause she's a dumb bitch."
"Sure is," I agreed with Jaz.
"Oh, okay," Majesty mumbled.
Jaz threw her arm around Majesty. "Girl, don't be upset. You gotta be like us and don't take shit from nobody. I know it sounds mean right now but she put him through hell and deserves to be called every name in the book. She has a reputation for sleeping around, and everybody knows she sells herself for money. I don't know if it's true but I heard she slept with a dude for a bacon double cheeseburger before."
"What?" Majesty laughed. "That's gotta be a lie."
I shook my head. "I heard that too but it's most likely the truth. She gotta long track record."
"So, why'd you sleep with her if you knew she had a reputation?" Majesty questioned.
"That's the same thing we all been trying to figure out for months," Jaz rolled her eyes.
I sucked my teeth. "Honestly, 'cause I was just tryna get my d*ck wet. She gets around but she was one of the finest girls at my old school and she was a older female showing me some attention. I thought I was doing the right thing back then and I was a virgin. And she was so tempting. I know she might not look like it now but she had a good body before she got fat."
Jaz nodded her head. "Mhmm, she did. She gained too much weight, and the pregnant belly is making her look worse but she's still a hoe and so is Theodore for sleeping with her."
"Whatever," I waved her off.
Lindsey
I sat beside Daniel, helping him with this project he had to make for his ELA class. It was a big project and it wasn't due until a few weeks from now but the entire project was supposed to be about him and his family.
"Who is my Mommy?" he read aloud.
I smiled. "Me."
Daniel has been taking this Mom thing really well. He hasn't had any break downs like I thought he would about it all. He's just accepted the fact that my Mother isn't shit and isn't going to be in his life. She's been around three or four times since I told him the truth, and I honestly don't even care about her anymore. If she wants to stay out of his life, then she can, but she's not going to jeopardize my son emotionally because he feels like she doesn't love him. I'll be all the love he needs.
He scribbled down my name before reading the next part, "Who is your Dad?" he read aloud before looking over at me. "How do you spell Andre's name?"
"A-n-d-r-e," I spelled for him, "Harrington, like me and you."
He nodded his head as he wrote down Andre's name but he hesitated. "How do you spell Harrington?" he smiled.
"You told me you knew how to spell your last name," I replied. Andre and I took the initiative to get Daniel's last name changed over the summer. There's no point in him walking around without the correct last name so we got it changed to Harrington, since that's technically his real last name.
He smirked. "It's too long to remember."
"You gotta figure it out. Did you put it for my name?"
He shook his head. "Nope because it's too long," he sighed as he dropped his pencil before laying out across the table. "All of this work is making me hungry."
"And forgetful," I added.
"That too," he agreed with me. "Can I take a break? I'm tired."
"True scholars don't get tired."
"Well I guess I'm not a true scholar then, so can I get some food? How about you make me some fried chicken?"
"I think not," I laughed. "If you want to be like Daddy then you have to do your work just like him. Daddy always did his work and always got A's, that's why he's basically a doctor."
Daniel scrunched up his face. "That's too much work. I'd rather be like Grandpa. I can see myself playing ball. Can't you?"
"I think you should be a doctor."
"Or maybe I can play football," he said, completely ignoring me.
"Or maybe you can finish your homework," I suggested. "And then once you're done, me and you can get something to eat. How does that sound?"
He smiled. "Good."
Daniel quickly finished his homework and reluctantly remembered how to spell Harrington within no time. I took him tot he closest spot to the house to eat and that was Bob Evans. After the hostess took us to our table, she handed us menus and left Daniel and I alone to find something to eat. I scanned over the menu trying to find something good when I felt something on my back. I couldn't feel anything physically but it felt like a hole was being burned through my back. I quickly glanced over my shoulder and saw the waiter quickly look down, as if he was starring at me. I shrugged it off and went back to my menu.
"Is that your boyfriend?" Daniel asked, never looking away from his menu.
My eyes widened. "What did you say?"
He peered above his menu. "Is that your boyfriend? He's been watching you since we got in here. He must like you."
"Hell no! I don't even know who that guy is." I glanced back over my shoulder, and sure enough, he was starring at me again. This time he didn't look away once he caught me starring at him. He slightly smiled before making his way over to our table. I quickly turned back around. "Please don't tell me he's coming over here."
"He is," Daniel laughed.
I don't know who this guy is or why he's starring at me, or why he even has the courage to approach me but it's making me feel weird, especially since he's been watching me since I got in here. I almost jumped out of my skin when I felt him place a hand on my shoulder.
"I saw you looking," he smiled.
"No, actually, I felt you looking," I corrected him. "Do I know you or something?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "Probably not but I know you."
"Alright, well who are you?" I asked.
"My name's Effrin."
"That's my great-grandpa's name," Daniel butted in.
"Yeah, that's my grandpa's name."
"I know and I'm Effrin Jr. I'm his son."
I scrunched up my face. "How come I've never met you then and why are you working up here? Are you telling the truth?"
"No," Daniel laughed.
I rolled my eyes. "Be quiet Danny." I looked over at the guy. "Well, are you gonna speak? Like, who are you and how do you know who I am?"
"Because I've been looking for you for the past few months. I don't really talk to my family as much as I should but I've been trying to get back in contact with my family for years but I always end up at a dead end. I haven't been able to get a hold of my parents for the longest and I can't even talk to my brother and sister. They mean a lot to me."
I slightly sighed. "I understand, so why are you looking for me? I-I mean, I can't remember anything. I just got out of a bad accident a few months ago and forgot everything. The only stuff I remember are the things everybody's been telling me, so if you're looking for me to tell you some top secret information on the family, then you've come to the wrong person. I don't know much when it comes to anything."
He huffed. "Oh, well I assumed you wouldn't know much since I heard about the accident."
"So why'd you come to me?" I asked, confused.
He smiled, "Well because I wanted to speak to my niece. The last time I remember seeing you, you were still in high school. I remember when you used to be his height," he pointed to Daniel. "And you were living in Detroit with Victoria. Now you're a grown woman and fully developed in all the right places. And if you weren't my niece, it would've been on and poppin'."
I slightly nodded my head. "Um alright," I mumbled, not really understand what he was talking about.
"And you even have a son," he continued. "Nobody ever told me about you having a son. What's my great-nephews name?"
"Daniel Harrington," Daniel spoke up.
"Harrington?" Effrin Jr. asked, making me nod my head.
"Yeah, that's my last name."
"It's not Reed? Did Victoria get re-married and not tell me?"
"No, actually I got married," I smiled. "So our last names are Harrington."
"Who's the kid you married?"
"His name is Andre. He's the son of Grandpa's Pastor. Do you know him?"
I watched how his face tensed up when I said something about Grandpa. His jaw squeezed together tightly and his hands were now balled into fists. "C-Can we please not talk about my father? I really don't want to here about him."
My eyes widened a little. "Yeah, that's fine. We don't have to talk about him but we can talk about Grandma. Does she know you've been looking fro the family? She's nice, so I know she'll be more than happy to see you. I have her number, do you want me to call her for you? I can call her since she said to call her when eve--"
"No, no, you don't have to do that," he cut me off. "I don't want to just pop back up in their lives unannounced like that. Plus I have a huge surprise for my parents and I don't want them to know about it. Maybe you can help me with this surprise. What do you say?"
I smiled. I love my Grandparents so of course I'll do anything I can to help them since they've helped me out so much. "Yeah, of course I'll help you."
He smiled as he took a deep breath. "Cool. So, can I like get your number so we can stay in contact with each other?" he asked. I pulled my phone out of my purse and handed it to him so he could put his number inside. "You see, I've been trying to get a hold of somebody in the family for months so that I could run this huge surprise by them but I just haven't been able to contact anyone. I'm so glad you're around baby."
He handed my phone back to me, making me smile. "It's no problem. I'll do anything for my Grandparents. They're so nice and sweet, especially Grandma when she makes her cookies. And Grandpa can be really nice sometimes too, and really generous when it comes to gifts and money," I laughed but he didn't laugh or even crack a smile. I wonder what his issue is.
"Look, I gotta go but be sure to text me or something so we can get this situated. Alright?"
I nodded my head. "Yeah, sure, of course."
He quickly turned and walked out of the building, taking off his uniform in the process. I scrunched up my face and peered out of the window beside me, watching him walk down the sidewalk. He pulled off his apron and threw it down on the ground before disappeared into a near-by alley.
"He was weird," Daniel mumbled.
I sighed. "Don't say that. He's your uncle."
Daniel shrugged his shoulders. "So? He's still weird."
I took a deep breath and just continued looking over the menu. I don't care if Effrin Jr. is weird or not, he's still both of our uncle so Daniel should respect him. I'll admit, he doesn't seem completely sane but he could be. I'll just have to get to know him better to be the judge of that.
Victoria
After six long months, Jayvion and I were still together, and we're happy. The first few months of our relationship were just filled with the two of us having all types of wild sex but that wound down once things started getting serious between us. He got more involved at his law office while I got more involved in my teaching and trying to find a loophole to this divorce.
I still want a divorce from Teddy, but I'm still not comfortable with the way he's got things divided between us. I keep everything that's mine, meaning my clothes, shows, jewelry, car, etc., while Teddy gets his cars, clothes, jewelry and the house. I could care less about the materialistic items, all I want is the house and I'll be satisfied but Teddy and the lawyers want to be stingy, claiming I'm lucky Teddy isn't walking away with everything. I know I don't make much as a teacher but I'm not dirt poor. I do have my own income, even if it's not as much as Teddy's making.
Jayvion sat across from me in his office, reviewing my divorce papers with me again. "Alright now, we've been over this beautiful. Just sign these papers and you can officially be mine, without being attached to your ex. Can you do that for me?"
I bit down on my lip, contemplating on whether or not I should sign. "If I sign them, where would I stay? It's not fair he's keeping the house."
Jayvion sighed. "I know but you ain't even been living in that house since y'all first started talking about a divorce. You've been staying in a hotel or with me the past few months, and I think you can survive without a huge mansion like that. You're only providing for yourself so you should be able to find a decent sized home that's still affordable and looks nice."
I nodded my head because he's right. I do have enough money saved up to find somewhere to live, since I am only providing for myself. "Yeah, you're right," I mumbled but took a deep breath when I read Teddy's name on the divorce papers. I can't even imagine what he's going through right now. He's been there for me through everything, but for him to just walk away from me as if I don't mean anything to him, hurts me to the core. He's never walked away like this and crushed my heart like I don't mean anything. I've seen him do it to plenty of bitches int he past but he never did it to me. He always kept me on a pedestal, but I guess that time has come and gone. He doesn't care anymore, and he made that clear when he gave me these divorce papers.
"So go on and sign them," Jayvion smirked as he handed me a pen.
I took a deep breath. "I-I, I just don't know," I shook my head. "Teddy and I have been separated for months. How come we can't continue to be married but separated at the same time?"
Jayvion sighed. "Because it ain't right for me to be sleeping with you as my girlfriend while you're still legally married to some other nigga. I don't know why you having second thoughts all of a sudden. Just a few months ago, you were quick to divorce him and you couldn't wait to get your hands on these papers but now you're going back on what you said. How could you?"
I sighed. "Because I just am," I replied. I've spent my entire life with Teddy, how could I just let one stupid piece of paper throw away over 50 years of friendship? Our relationship hasn't always been the best but we've always been there for each other, no matter what. I know I was eager to sign the papers a few months ago but that's before Teddy and I met up over the summer. He wanted to meet with me to discuss how I haven't signed the papers yet at his house. One thing led to another, and the next thing I know, I was sprawled across my bed butt ass naked with Teddy inside of me as if nothing ever happened between the two of us. It felt good. It felt like old times with him because there was no drama, no fighting and absolutely no nonsense.
"You need some more time?"
I slowly nodded my head as I gathered up my things. "Yeah, just give me one more week and I swear I'll have my decision by then."
Jayvion ndoded his head as he sat back in his seat, watching me pack up. "Alright, I hope you choose me over that buster baby. He ain't shit compared to me, and you of all people should know that," he said as I exited his office.
I quickly walked out of the building his office was in and climbed inside of my car before pulling off quickly. Theodore was heavy on my mind, and I really wanted to talk to him but I knew I couldn't. We'd just end up sleeping together since he's so damn fine. I hate his personality and his childish and evil ways but that man is just so damn fine and convincing, it's hard not to fall under his spell and give in to him, especially when he's constantly offering himself. It's not my fault he wears muscle shirts, or tight t shirts that show his muscles or even had the nerve to walk out of the bathroom with just his boxers on with all of his 10 inches flapping around and fully erect inside or that he has a smile that always makes me melt. But it's really not my fault he knows exactly what to do to reel me back in every time we fight.
Is it wrong that I love and hate this man at the same damn time?
~~~
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How do you guys feel about this chapter? How do you guys feel about Jayvion kind of forcing Victoria to sign the divorce papers? How do you guys feel about Victoria still having feelings for Teddy? Will she sign the papers? And she coming back to her senses? How do you guys feel about E.J. approaching Lindsey and Daniel? Was she trying to hit on her? What kind of surprise do you think he has for Sincere and Effrin? Was it planned that he only wanted to talk to Lindsey out of all the other people int he family? Was it a set up because she's so gullible since she doesn't know anything? How do you guys feel about Aubrey since the accident? Did it change him? How do you guys feel about Nicole? Where's Tee Tee?