The next day after school, my mom and I were settled to leave. Jaylen had just left a few minutes ago. We were both in the car and backing out of our home's driveway and on the road, heading to Virginia. I grabbed the aux cord and had plugged it in my phone.
"Before you start blasting your music, how about talking to your momma for a little bit," she says. I looked up at her and her eyes were focused on the door.
"Okay? About what?" I asked.
"You don't talk to me about you and jaylen. Are y'all a down-low couple?" She asked me.
"I don't consider that we are. I'm sure people know, but I don't really know. It don't matter to me if they know or not," I say.
"Mm. Are you going to miss him?"
"Mhm." I nodded my head. "But, momma. Ain't it weird that we about to go my daddy?"
"No. It's probably weird to you because you don't know him."
My momma was so straightforward with it. This shit honestly heartbreaking. I didn't say anything. I just unlocked my phone and opened spinrilla. I went to my playlists and chose kodak. I pressed the shuffle button and Like Dat came on. What a coincidence this plays and this is jaylen's favorite song. I closed out of spinrilla and went to snapchat. I waited for the camera to load as I press and hold on my face. I decided to use the dog filter everyone hates. It made me look cute, so I didn't care what folks had to say about it. I start to record myself rapping along with him.
"Why you keep that tool like that? Why you move like that? I hit the club fifty deep."
"How you get so high like that? Why your eyes like that? 'Cause I put Molly in my lean."
I could see my momma rapping, also, from the corner of my eye and grinned. I turned down the music and watched the snap. My eyes were glistening from the sun and my skin looked clear. I added a filter before adding a caption.
this yo song right??
Instead of sending it to my story, I decided to send it to jaylen personally. Once it delivered, I locked my phone and turned the music back up. We were turning on the highway to Virginia and the heat was blowing in my face. I looked in the backseat to see if I could find my blanket, but I didn't see it.
"Damn," I mumbled to myself. Like Dat had came off and Get Up starting playing. This was one of my favorites. Too bad I couldn't really rap to it because he cursed too much in it and I don't cuss in front of my mom. My phone vibrated and I looked down at it as it sat on my lap. Jaylen had replied to my snap. I quickly looked at it and started giggling. Though I couldn't hear it, I could tell he was also rapping to it with a blunt in between his fingers. How could he be smoking already? The caption had said, you already know. I saved the video to my phone and started typing. A few minutes later, my momma complained about the music I was playing so I just took the aux cord out of my phone and plugged in my headphones. She took over the radio while I talked to jaylen. We've been driving for about ten minutes and it felt like forever. After replying to jaylen, I turned to my side and warmed my hands with my thighs. I eventually had fallen asleep.
I had slept for about four hours. Whenever I woke up, we were at a gas station. I looked to my left and seen that my mom wasn't seating there so she must've been in the store. I looked around and we were definitely not in our home town. I didn't know where we were, but I hope we were in Virginia already. This drive was boring as hell. I turned the key in the ignition and rolled down my window a little bit. The sky was getting dark and it looked pretty outside. It was a little chilly, but not much. My mom had walked out of the store with a bag in her hand. I rolled up my window as she had got inside. She sat down then glanced at me.
"You was sleep for a while, little girl," she tells me and closes her door as I take the bag from her.
"We there yet?" I asked.
She shook her head. "Nope. We have 'bout half an hour to go."
I bout cussed. I thought we would've been there by now. Clearly I didn't sleep long enough. I deeply sighed.
"I got you some chips and a drink," she says as she starts the car and back out of the parking space.
"Thank you, but I'm going to sleep again. Hopefully the next time I wake up, we will be there," I say and rolled my eyes. Just like before, I turned to my side as the heat blow on my legs. I unlocked my phone and went to my messages. I had five unread messages from jaylen. The first message, he had replied to me by saying, i ain't gon smoke up all the weed, after I told him to save me some for when I got back. I read the other messages.
Tf you go?
You sleep ain't you? Swear you stay sleep somewhere.
There ain't no more weed. I love you tho.
/:
I shook my head and decided to call him. He didn't answer so I called him again.
"Wassup, ma?" I heard him say in his deep voice.
"Why didn't you answer the phone the first time?" I asked him.
"'Cause I was doing something," he tells me.
"Like what?" I asked with my face scrunched up as I open my bag of Doritos.
"Something," he simply says.
"Oh, for real? I was doing something when I wasn't replying to you. Decided to call you and let you know," I say a bit sarcastically.
"Like what?" He mocked me.
"Don't worry 'bout it, fam," I say, crunching on my chips.
I heard him laugh. "I was sleep, nique."
"I bet you were."
"I really was and what you eating? You crunching hard as fuck."
"What you not," I say in a smart tone.
"You can't be eating your own pussy," he says and I could tell he was being serious.
I laughed and shook my head. "You make me sick, nasty."
"You in VA yet?"
"Nah. We got 'bout another hour," I sighed. "This is so ridiculous."
"Make sure y'all drive save. I know your mom's tired, why don't you drive a little bit to kill time?" He asked me. I didn't think about that. I turned to look at my mother.
"Momma you want me to drive?" I asked her.
"Hell yeah," she says with no regret. Damn. We weren't too far from the gas station we had just left so she made a U-turn back to the store. We pulled in and she parked the car near the curb. We both traded spots. I would probably be driving the rest of the way while my momma get some rest.
"So you 'bouta drive?" Jaylen asked me.
"Yeah, nigga," I mumbled while putting on my seatbelt.
"You don't feel like it or some'?"
"I'm bored so I'ma do it."
I put the car in drive and pulled back out of the gas station. My mom was settled in the seat with her eyes closed. She was really tired. I looked down at the GPS and followed its directions while on the phone with jaylen. I heard my mother's soft snores no more than five minutes later.
"My momma asleep," I say as I focus on the highway.
"Already?"
"Yeah," I nodded.
"Aw, so you 'bouta be driving the whole time?"
"Looks like I will. I hope the address on this GPS is right," I say. "What time is it?"
"Probably 'bout seven," he tells me. "I don't feel like checking."
"It's cool. Next time you ask me for something, I won't feel like doing it," I shrugged my shoulders.
He chuckled in my ear. It sounded so cute, but yuck.
"It is 'bout seven," he laughed. "What time you think you're gonna get up there?"
"I don't know. I guess it depends on the traffic or how fast I'm driving."
"Want me to stay on the phone till you get up there?" He asked.
"You don't have to, but it would be nice if you did."
"Alright. If I get quiet, it will be because I'm sleep," he tells me.
"Alright," I nodded my head as I kept my arms on the road.
The ride seemed so sweet. My mom was sleeping peacefully and I was on the phone with Jaylen. I glanced down at the gps and noticed that it said that I had 8 minutes until our arrival. It went back so quick.
"You didn't fall asleep on me and we're almost there. I know it's been about an hour," I say to him.
"Nah. Only thirty-six minutes," he tells me.
"That went by really quick."
The eight minutes went back quick also. The destination was at a two-story house in the suburbs. It were about three other cars in the driveway, or at least that's how many I saw. There could be more. I parked in front of their house and put the car in park, turning the car off.
"Momma?" I say as I shake her gently. "I think we here."
She slowly wakes up and looked out the window with her eyes squinted then nodded her head.
"Yep. This is it. I should call your daddy and tell him we're outside," she says in a sleepy voice then stretched her arms out. I nodded my head and took off my seatbelt.
"Jaylen you still there?" I asked.
"Yea," he says and his voice seemed deeper than before. He must've been sleepy. I looked at the time and it was ten-fifteen.
"Are you sleepy? You can go to sleep if you want to," I tell him.
"I'm—Yea, I am. You gon' let me go to sleep?"
"Duh, dude," I chuckle a little bit, shaking my head.
"Alright, baby. I'ma talk to you tomorrow then."
I smiled whenever he called me baby. It sounds weird coming from him.
"Okay. Good night."
"GN."
I sucked my teeth. He really just said GN. He laughed a little bit.
"Fa'real. Good night."
"Goodnight, boy."
We had hung up and I looked at my mom.
"Did you call him?" I asked.
She nodded her head and then I had seen their porch light flash on. I looked up and had seen the door open and a man walking out of the house.
"Ma. Is that him?" I pointed to the porch.
She quickly looked out of the window.
"Yep, that's him."
My heart dropped a little bit, but I quickly opened the door to the car and stepped out.
"How you doin', tameka?" I heard his manly voice ask her.
"How you doing,-"
"David," my mother and I both said. She couldn't hear me because I had said it in a whisper.
"I'm doin' alright. Where's zonnique?" I heard him ask.
"She's right over there on the driver's side," my momma told him. I froze a little bit as I could feel him walking my way. Once I had peeped him walking around the car, I turned to him and made eye contact with him. His mouth had opened wide as he started walking close to me. I smiled up at him as my eyes chinked up.
"You done got so big, girl," he shook his head and I could hear his voice cracking a bit. It made me frown and I instantly wrapped my arms around him, giving him a warm hug. He hugged me back a little tight and start to rub my back. "You so big and pretty now. You've always been, but wow."
"Thank you," I say as my head rested on his chest. Though I haven't seen him in person before, I felt like I've known him all my life and I didn't want to let go of him. We stayed in this one position for a little bit before he had pulled away and start to wipe his eyes. He had green eyes and I stared into them. They were so pretty. Now I see where I got mine from. He looked at me for a few more seconds. I could tell he was kind of shock and lost of words, just a little.
"I'm gonna help y'all get situated in the house. It's a little chilly out hea'," he finally says and turns around, walking to the trunk. I grabbed my phone with my headphones attached to it and the car keys. I stepped back and start to scratch my head as I closed the door with my side. I turned around and walked to the trunk, seeing my mother and my dad pulling out some bags. I seen that he grabbed mine and quickly grabbed his wrist, but gently. He looked at me.
"You don't have to carry mine," I shook my head. "I got it."
"Nah, you good. I'ma carry it for you."
I slowly nodded my head and removed my hand from his, letting him take the bag out of the trunk completely. I grabbed the extra bags that were left and closed the trunk as I followed behind him and my mother to the front door. I was honestly nervous to meet the rest of the family. I hope they wouldn't stare at me weird or anything like that. We were walking up the stairs on the porch. Before my dad had pulled the door back, I had locked the doors to the car. My heart remained to my throat as he walked in and then my mom. It was my turn to walk inside. Once I walked in, a lot of people were in the living room and it smelled like food was cooking. I was hearing a lot of hello's and whatnot. My mom were walking up to hug people, but I just stood still. I didn't know who any of these people were. I smiled at whoever were already looking at me, but I'm sure that I looked awkward as hell.
"Ma, this my daughter, zonnique," my father had said to a woman who was standing near the arm of the couch. She was about my height, maybe a little shorter.
"How you doin', baby? Come here. Let me give you a hug," she tells me.
I smiled brightly and walked over to her then wrapping my arms around her body, giving her a quick hug as she start to pat my back and swayed us side to side. I pulled back and stood beside my mother.
"How old are you?" She had asked me.
"Seventeen," I nodded my head.
"Wow. You're so big and pretty."
I chuckled. "Thank you."
"I'm your grandma. Call me grandma from now on," she smiles at me.
"Alright, grandma."
She stared at me with a wide grin on her face for a few seconds then told my father to introduce me to everyone in the house. He introduced me to his two sisters and his one brother. He introduced me to a few of my young cousins and one my age, but evidently he was a boy which didn't really matter to me. My dad then showed us to our rooms. This was a big house, in my opinion and I had my own room to lay in. I was really digging it.
"Alright, I'ma let you chill in here for a little bit. The food gone be ready in a little, but you can come downstairs whenever you want to," my father tells me. I stare in his eyes and nod my head. "You want the door open or closed?"
"You can leave it open," I say. He nods again and walks away with my mother behind him. I turn around and walk over to the bed with my bags beside it. I picked one up and placed it on top of the bed then unzipped it, starting to unpack. I felt like family already, honestly. Even though that I was.
"Ay, wassup?"
I quickly turned my head around and seen my cousin, Mar and my younger cousin Tayvon. Mar was my age and Tay was fifteen.
"Hi," I say slowly. "What's the matter?" I asked.
"Just wanted to see if you needed help. Auntie wanted me to come and see if you needed anything," he sighed.
"Nah, I'm good," I say.
"Mar ain't gotta help you, but I will," Tay tells me and walks closer to me. "Where have you been all my life?"
I laughed a little. "What you mean?"
"Like, you ain't been around. This my first time seeing you," he says.
"I know," I sighed. "I can't tell you who's fault that is, though."
"Tay, remember, man. This yo' fuckin' cousin," Mar says then walks over to us with his phone in his hand.
"I know that, man," Tay shakes his head. "I just wanna get to know her."
"I don't have any older female cousins?" I asked them.
"Nah, this family got a lot of boys," Tay says. "To me it do."
"From what it looks like, to me it do too."
"Your eyes green?" Tay had asked me.
"Yea," I nodded my head, chuckling a little bit.
"Can tell you're unc's child," he laughed.
I smiled and playfully rolled my eyes.
"So when's your birthday, mar?" I asked.
He had looked up from his phone then at me. "November."
"So you just turned seventeen?" I raised an eyebrow. "Could've sworn you were older, but I ain't too far away from you."
"When your birthday?" He asked me.
"In March."
"Yeah, you right so don't be calling me no baby. You right around the corner from me," he chuckles.
"I won't, I won't."
I finished up unpacking as Tay talked me out. I didn't pay it no mind, though. Mar was kind of just chilling, but he had eventually left Tay alone in the room with me. I felt like his older sister already.
"I think the food done, though. You wanna go downstairs?" He had asked me.
"Yeah, I'ma be down there," I say. "You gone wait on me?"
"If you want me to."
"Yeah. I'm a little nervous to walk down there alone," I say.
"I don't know why. You family. We all family. They not gone look at you differently or none of that," he tells me.
"You don't know that."
"How I don't? I been with these people for all my life," he laughed.
I slightly frowned. "Yeah. You're right."
I took a silent breath then turn around. I had followed him downstairs and into the kitchen, seeing everyone in there lined up with a plate in their hand. Everyone was minding their business, talking to one another or fixing their plate. Even my mom.
"See there," Tay tells me with a small smirk on his face.
"Shut up," I shake my head. I had seen my mother in line talking to one of my aunts. I just stood in line with Tay behind me. Mar was standing in line with him. I was just standing calmly, watching as some of my little cousins were looking at me. My uncle was standing in front of me with my aunt's newborn baby in his arms. Her name was angel. She was the most precious thing ever in my eyes.
"She's so pretty," I say as my uncle turned around and looked at me. He smiled at me then glanced down at the baby.
"She look like me," he says. Unc wasn't ugly, but the baby definitely didn't favor him. I just laughed and looked down at my feet.
"Damn," I heard Tay whisper loudly. "How many piercings you got?" He asked me.
I turned to him. "More than you will ever have," I say. "And quit cussing. We around all these grown folks."
"Damn ain't really a cuss word," he shrugs.
"Alright. Say it around your momma or daddy," I nodded my head.
He chuckled. "You funny,"
"I'm also right."
"Am I annoying you?" He asked me.
"Nah," I shook my head. "Not yet."
"Not yet? I'ma leave you alone then," he tells me.
I sucked my teeth a little then smiled. "Okay, that's on you."
He simply shook his head. The line was starting to move more quick. I turned to the side and looked at everyone. Just taking small glances at everyone in the room. A few quick minutes later, I was near the stove. I had picked me up a plate and start to put food on it. They had everything a black person would enjoy eating. So much I couldn't name it all and I made sure I got just enough. I could feel Tay looking at me so I had looked at him and he was shaking his head.
"What's the problem?" I asked him as I kept the line moving.
"Nothing," he says, continuing to shake his head. Okay, now he was starting to get on my nerves a little bit. I had finished fixing my plate and grabbed me a water bottle out of the refrigerator after seeing someone else do the same thing. They had plenty of kool-aid and sweet tea, but I needed water. I didn't want it, though. I slowly made my way into the living room where everyone was. I seen a spot right beside my mom on the couch and walked over to her, feeling a bit of eyes on me. I wasn't too nervous, but that feeling of someone staring at me, I hated it. I squeezed my body down beside my momma and sat my bottle of water down on the floor beside my feet. I didn't hesitate to start eating my food.
"Zonnique what grade you in?"
I looked up at my uncle, the one who was in line with the baby. His name was Aaron and that's what he preferred me to call him.
"Eleventh," I say as I chew on my food slowly.
"Ahh, okay. You and Shamar in the same grade," he nodded his head. I glanced at mar who was giving me an confused look as if he didn't hear anything, but his name. I giggled and returned to eating my food. As I was eating, I didn't notice their big Christmas tree. It was very pretty and it had very few presents underneath it. It was lit up. It was right near the fireplace, which wasn't on. It was one of those heaters and not actually a real fireplace.
"Does she have her own car?" I heard my grandma ask my mom which had made me turn to look at them.
"Mhm. We stopped at the gas station to get us a drink and some chips and she drove the rest of the way," my mother said.
"I know it was a long drive up here from where y'all stay," my grandma said.
"Yes," my mom and I both said and started laughing.
"Very long," I added.
"How do you feel? You feel like family yet?" She had asked me.
"Yeah, I do," I nodded my head, being truthful.
"That's great."
I dug in my plate for some more forkful of food then put it in my mouth, chewing it up.
"That's a pretty tree, grandma," I say as I point towards it.
"Oh yeah? Thank you. The kids helped me decorate it this year," she tells me.
"It's real pretty," I said to myself.
As I was finishing up my food, I was getting more comfortable with the family and getting to know them better. When I had finished my food, I had lifted myself up and walked to the kitchen. I walked over to the sink and turned on the sink water, washing my plate before placing it on the side. I didn't know where to put it. I had walked back into the living room as some others were walking into the kitchen with their empty plates. I walked behind my mom and tapped her shoulders.
"I'm gonna go take a shower," I tell her.
"Okay, bae," she says then turns back around.
"You need anything? A towel? A rag? Some soap?" My father had asked me.
I chuckled. "No, I have those things with me. Thank you,"
"Alright."
I turned away from them and walked towards the stairs where Tay and mar were sitting. They was blocking the way.
"Excuse me, y'all," I say nicely as mar move out of the way, but Tay on the other hand was taking his time. "Boy, I'ma get rude."
He start to laugh and move out of he way.
"Got damn," I mumbled under my breath.
"I heard you," he says.
"Okay, good."
I made my way up the stairs into my room. I looked inside of my bag for some clothes to sleep in. Regular grey legging and a white tee. I grabbed everything that I needed, even my own bottle of body wash. I walked out of the room and silently closed the door then walked down the hall to the bathroom. I knocked on the door before entering to see that it was empty. I placed my things on the sick then start to undress myself. I had turned on the shower water and waited on it to get cold as I took all of my hair and put it in a ponytail on the top of my head. I knew that it was going to get wet anyway, but I didn't want it hanging down my back. I stepped into the warm water with my bottle of body wash. I wet up my body before pouring it down my body, starting to wash myself off with it. I didn't want to be in here long because anyone could pop up in here. And by anyone, I mean Tay. He's gotten a little comfortable around me so who knows what he'll do. I finished up my shower ten minutes later and stepped out then turning the water off. I quickly dried off my body then put on my clothes. My hair did get wet, but not very. I opened the bathroom door with my things and walked to my room. I opened the door and then placed my dirty clothes in the corner on top of my purse. I sighed and sat down on the bed then picked up my phone. I had two missed calls from Jaylen. I immediately called back. He answered three rings later.
"Hello? I thought you was sleepy?" I asked him.
"I thought I was too, but I'm not," he tells me.
"Oh. So what were you doing while we weren't on the phone?"
"Smoking and playing the game with these online niggas," he tells me. "You know I got a gang on gta? Can't leave them hangin'."
"That is so childish," I shake my head.
"You ain't never played, though. You gon' like it once you start playing. I got females in my gang too."
"Word? It do sound fun. Can't lie."
"Exactly."
"You're gonna smoke up all the weed though?" I asked him in a low voice.
"Nah. You know we got and get plenty," he tells me. I can hear him blowing out his smoke through the phone.
"We some pot—well. You're a pothead," I say.
"You one too. That's one of the reasons I like your ass so much."
I slightly blushed and playfully rolled my eyes. "I can smell it through the phone."
"Raspberry," he says.
"Wow."
"How is it where you at?" He asked me.
"It's cool. I met all my little cousins and I mean that literally. I don't even know if I have older cousins. I'm sure I do, though," I say.
"That's wassup," he says with his voice all deep. "How 'bout your dad?"
"He's really cool and you should see his eye color. We have the same eyes," I say.
"You won't mad at him or none of that?"
"Nah," I shook my head. "Ain't no time to be mad, man. I'm around family. I don't need to show out."
"You right. I was just askin', though."
I didn't say anything.
"As long as you enjoying yourself," he added. "I lowkey miss you."
"Lowkey? I lowkey miss you too then," I say.
"You know what I mean," he chuckled.
"I don't," I shook my head.
"You good?" Someone had asked which wasn't Jaylen.
I looked up at my momma was standing at the doorway.
"Oh, yes. I'm good, ma," I say with the phone up to my ear.
"Who you on the phone with?" She asked me.
"It's Jaylen," I say.
"Oh. Alright. I'm gonna be downstairs helping with the dishes, so if you need anything you know where I am."
I nodded my head.
"Tay and mar want you to come to the room, they in too," she tells me.
"Uh?" I raised an eyebrow. "Where they room at?"
"Down the hall."
"Alright," I nodded my head and she walked away. "My cousins want me to go in their room," I tell Jaylen.
"Who yo' cousins?"
"Shamar and Tayvon," I say.
"So they dudes?"
"Yes," I nodded my head and lifted myself up. I headed out of my room and turned the light off, closing the door. I slowly walked down the hallway with my phone up to my ear. I figured one door which was slightly cracked open was their room so I pushed it as it opened completely. They were both sitting on the bed, playing COD with headsets on. I shut the door and walked deeper into the room so they'll notice me, but they didn't. They were too into the game.
"Why'd y'all want me to come in here?" I asked. They both looked at me then looked back at the flat screen tv. I shrugged my shoulders and turned back around towards their door then Tay had said my name.
"My fault, we had to beat they ass real quick. We just wanted you in here with us. I know you bored," Tay added.
"Actually, I'm on the phone with my boyfriend," I say.
"Who's that?" He asked me.
"Don't worry about it," I shake my head.
"Let me meet the little nigga, nique," Jaylen chuckled.
I rolled my eyes and put him on speaker phone.
"Ay, bro. This her cousin Tayvon," he says, grinning real hard.
"Yo' name sound familiar, fam," Jaylen said.
"What's your name?" Mar had asked.
"Jaylen, foo," he says.
"Is you the jaylen who in that gang on grand theft? I forgot what that shit was called," mar said.
"I'm in one. How you know that?"
"Cause, we in one too." Shamar said.
"We is?" Tay asked.
"Yeah, foo. We run Grove Street."
"Ohhh yeah. Jaylen the leader of that gang we don't like," Tay said. "Ay, bro hop online. We 'bouta join."
I didn't even have words for what was going on at the moment. This shouldn't even be happening.
"Tahaha. Alright, bro," Jaylen says. I shook my head.
"You should be in the gang, zonnique. Yo' dude the leader of it and all," Mar says.
"I'm straight," I say and roll my eyes as I watch them put in GTA. This some fuckery. I sat down on the bed and kept the phone up to my ear as I took it off speaker.
"I told you that you should play, jai. You can be my little ride or die," he tells me. "Hang up and FaceTime me."
"If I hang up, I ain't calling back," I say.
"For real?" He asked in a disappointed tone.
"I'm just kidding. I'm gonna call."
"Alright."
I had hung up the phone and called to FaceTime him. He answered quickly, but the screen was black.
"What are you doing?" I asked him.
"Tryna' hook my game up," he tells me then moves his phone where I could see his face. He was putting on his headsets and that's when I knew I was about to be ignored over this game.
"Tomorrow we can get you hooked up to this, zonnique. If you want to," Tay tells me. I nod my head as if he could see me, but that didn't bother him. He was too focus into the game. I wasn't as mad as I'm making it seem, I just didn't want to sit here and just watch them without anything. I did anyways, though. I was just watching silently. They were riding around, shooting random people and robbing the stores. I lowkey wanted to play right now.
"Where my girl at?" Jaylen asked.
"I'm right here."
"You sleepy?" He asked me.
"Nah. Just watching y'all play this game," I say.
"When you gon' hop on the game?"
"Tomorrow like Tay told me, I guess."
Jaylen chuckled. "You like it don't you?"
"I just never actually played GT—you know what? Shut up and play your game 'fore I hang up."
"Alright, alright. Chill."
The more I watched, the more heavy my eyes felt. I slowly start to close my eyes with my phone in my lap.
"Yeah, she over there knocked out," I heard Mar say then quickly opened my eyes.
"I ain't sleep," I say in the most sleepy voice ever. I was extremely tired all of a sudden.
"Go to sleep if you're tired," Jaylen tells me.
I wish I could say no, but I was too tired too.
"Alright. I'ma talk to you tomorrow," I tell him.
"Aigh. Sleep good," he tells me. I smiled a little.
"You too. Bye."
"Alright."
At that, I hung up the phone and stood myself up from the bed, stretching in the process.
"I'll talk to y'all tomorrow," I tell Mar and Tay.
"You leaving?" Mar asked me.
"Yea," I nodded my head. "I'm tired."
"Alright."
I made my way out of their room and up the hallway to mine. I closed the door and walked over to the bed, falling on it helplessly. Before I knew it, I was gone to sleep.