Mr.Charles in the media above
"Chante!" (Bang! Bang! Bang!)
Chante got up and looked at his phone "9:12?"
"Chante!" His father said.
(Damn!)
Chante shook Joseph awake "Huh?" Joseph said in confusion.
"My father out there! Chante hissed.
"Shit!" Joseph whispered.
"Yes sir? I'm awake." Chante said.
"I'm goin to wuk!" He said.
"Ok sir." Chante said.
"Yuh tired bwoy?" He asked.
"No dad why you ask?" Chante asked.
"Cuh yuh been snorin all mornin." He said.
Chante whipped his head at Joseph and his father said "I'll be home at 8!"
"Ok sir." Chante's father made his heavy footsteps down the stairs and Chante heard the door shut.
"You almost got us killed with your damn snoring!" Chante said.
"It didnt bother you gorgeous now we get to spend the day together, and I thought I told you to lay on me." Joseph said.
"Joseph, you body ain't comfortable muscles ain't soft. Joseph are Cerise and Martin gonna be fine alone?" Chante asked.
"Babe I already told them to call me if they wanna come down but between school, my job, friends, parents and them we never got no time alone I want you for myself." Joseph said.
"Ok how's Saturday school?" Chante asked.
"It's good gorgeous but when I got there they said it was filled and I could only do APEX." Joseph said.
"They made you pay $100 for APEX?" Chante asked.
"No Saturday school had crowded classrooms and they let us choose bookwork or computer I choose computer they said APEX harder but not really you can google the answers I got a 92 now." Joseph said.
"Awww you such a nerd now." Chante said.
"I know." Joseph said smirking.
"Joseph what happened to you yesterday you seemed so different when you came back." Chante said.
(If I tell him he gonna worry.) "Uh I saw a dead cat in the street and kittens was around trying to wake it up, it was sad."
"Oh my god did you save them?" Chante asked.
"No, uh a old lady took them in her house." Joseph said.
"Oh thank god." Chante said.
"Chante Ima take you out just you and me aight you not cooking this time baby." Joseph said.
"Ok Joseph." Chante said.
"What kinda stuff you like?" Joseph said.
"Cute things like puppies and kittens stickers, I like smelling fruity things and sweet foods, dramatic books, sci-fi books, books with an absorbing plot, clothes, laughing with my friends, cooking, candy I love gummi Bears especially, Scandal when it was good, Atlanta, Queen Sugar, Insecure, Avatar re-runs. I watch a lot of Japanese anime and other old cartoons How about you?" Chante said.
I like eating, big asses, my favorite candy is Twix, Power, 2K, Basketball, Football, a fresh pair of Jordans, What's your favorite movies?" Joseph asked.
Chante stopped playing in Joseph's curls and said."Ugh all niggas like that shit! Be serious Joseph!"
"Aight, aight I like trying new things, eating good food, racing dirtbikes, watching comedy shows, I love my brother and sister and chilling wit my homeboys." Joseph said.
"Ok, the movies I like are Mean Girls, Scary Movie 1 & 2, Waiting to Exhale, Baby Boy, Belly (Keyshia is my queen and Chiquita is a Jamaican Goddess) Boyz in the Hood, Gang of Roses, Set it off, Crooklyn, Poetic Justice, the spongebob movie, Frozen, The Incredibles, Up, Wall-E, Cruel Intentions, Rugrats in Paris, Pokemon Movies but after the Manaphy and Lucario ones they kinda started to become trash and New Jack City." Chante said.
"Friday, Toy Story 1 & 2 Boyz in the Hood, Menace to Society, Dead Presidents, Scooby Doo Zombie Island Movie, Baby Boy, Space Jam, Boomerang, Coming to America, Juice, CB4, Belly and New Jack City too." Joseph said.
"You said you loved me last night, were you serious?" Chante asked.
Joseph sat up and said "Hell yeah you think I was playing?"
"Well at first, I just couldn't believe you said it." Chante said.
"So what you think I'm playing?" Joseph asked agitated.
"No I just couldn't believe you said it, we only known each other for 3-4 months and we haven't been together a full month." Chante said.
Joseph sat up, turned to Chante and said you think I'm playing with you I wouldn't do that shit to you." Joseph said.
"I never said that Joseph all I said was it was too soon I wanted to say it myself but I didn't want to scare you Joseph, why are you mad?" Chante asked.
"You wanted to say it first?" Joseph asked.
"Yes Joseph really." Chante said.
"Well I shoulda held out then." Joseph said cockily.
Chante sucked his teeth and said "Whatever." Turning his TV on.
Joseph got back in bed and said "Baby you mad at me?"
Chante rolled his eyes.
Joseph pulled Chante towards him and lifted him about him raised and lowered him "You know you can't resist me." Joseph said.
"Put me down!" Chante said fighting a smile.
"What you thought I couldn't pick you up too? I don't drop Marty but Ima drop you." Joseph joked.
"Stop I'm serious before you really drop me!" Chante said.
Joseph lowered Chante onto his chest and kissed his lips. "I love you Chante." Joseph said.
"I love you Joseph." Chante said.
Cerise toyed with her braid and Martin asked her "Cerise is Joe-Joe with Chante?"
"I guess." She said.
"Can we to Chante house too. I miss him."
"Joseph said to call him he probably is at Chante house anyway." Cerise said.
Cerise got the house phone and dialed Joseph's number.
"Yo?"
"Joseph can we go to Chante house?" Cerise asked.
"Can y'all stay there a lil bit?" Joseph asked.
"Joseph you said we have to call you to come over I did that and now you say wait, that's not fair!" Cerise said.
"What? Yeah it's them." Joseph said.
"Joseph?" Cerise said.
"They wanna come over...because I wanna be alone with you!" Joseph said.
"Joseph?" Then all Cerise heard was yelling and screaming.
"Ok! Ok! Shit! We coming to get you." Joseph said.
"Ok." Cerise thought to herself (That yelling was Chante.) Cerise laughed.
"Can we go?" Martin asked.
"Yeah they coming for us." Cerise said.
"I'm gonna get my toys." Martin said.
"Ima surprise them with McDonalds when they get in the car." Joseph said.
"You really are a father." Chante said.
Joseph put his hand on Chante's thigh and said "Ima get you alone, watch."
"And do what?" Chante said.
"Nothing, you gonna be begging me to." Joseph said.
"Boy bye you horny ass niggas these days looking like you be wasting away if you go a month without sex." Chante said.
"Ima fuck that smart ass up." Joseph said.
"No you're gonna work for it then you might get it you look like the type to cum in 2 minutes anyway." Chante said.
Joseph smirked and nodded then said "Aight."
Joseph opened the door and said "Marty! Cerise! Let's go!"
Nadine came from the kitchen and said "What you yelling for?"
(Fuck!) "Uh wassup mom I'm taking Marty and Cerise with me." Joseph said.
"Who's this?" She said dipping her head at Chante.
"Good morning ma'am my name is Chante."
"I'm Nadine i'm their mother and don't come up in here and steal." Nadine said.
"Ma he ain't no thief please don't embarrass me." Joseph said.
"I ain't embarrassing nobody I'm giving him helpful advice." Nadine said.
Cerise came down the stairs and said "Hey Chante!"
"Good morning Cerise."
Nadine looked at Cerise's hair and asked "Who did your hair?"
"Chante." Cerise said abandoning her sunny tone a moment ago to a dejected one.
"Get in the car." Joseph said.
Martin came downstairs with an armful of toys but tripped over his shoes and fell off the second to last step Martin screamed "Chante!"
"Oh my god." Nadine said mildly aggravated about to go to Martin but Chante picked Martin up first and while he cried noticed the cut on his leg. "Awww poor baby shhhhhh. Shhhhh." Chante rubbed his back and kissed his forehead Martin held Chante tighter and wept.
"You good lil man?" Joseph asked.
Martin's eyes shined with his tears and he only shook his head.
"I gotta wash this cut off in a sink." Chante said carrying Martin upstairs. "Joseph take his toys in the car."
"Ard!" Joseph said.
Nadine stood in the same spot and everyone ignored her as though she was furniture. Nadine had a feeling of inadequacy but felt mostly envious of this new presence in her children's lives. Nadine looked at Chante carry Martin downstairs "I got band-aids at my house Martin." Martin still had a steady flow of tears rolling down his face but was quiet now.
As Chante carried Martin out of the house and into the car Nadine followed them and said "It's ok baby I'm home I love you!"
Joseph was confused by what Nadine said, Cerise completely ignored her and Martin's face was still buried in Chante's shoulder. Nadine watched them drive up the street until the car turned a corner. Nadine remembered the last time she felt this way.
*9 Years ago, year 2009
Nadine was talking to a friend of hers on the playground while Joseph, Cerise and their father played.
"Girl these kids get on my damn nerves." Nadine said.
"What?" She asked.
"Always hungry, always crying, can't do shit by theyselves." She said patting her head.
"That's what kids do, you were there your goddamn self at one time." He said.
"You don't understand Maya, I think they autistic, got lead, A.D.D something wrong with them they stupid, and Joseph is the biggest dumbass I ever met I tell you some of the shit he says and does I tell him to find my purse and he spends 20 minutes looking for it and he's a fucking crybaby I call him dumb once and he in tears, I'm telling you Calvin needs to do something about him, fuck he can take em' shit." Nadine said.
"Girl you ain't shit." Maya said sipping from her everfresh.
Cerise fell from the monkey bars and Nadine got up to console her but when she reached for her Cerise kicked and punched at her and screamed "Daddy!"
Calvin picked Cerise up and looked at the bruise on her knee "C'mon angel" he said. "We gonna take you home."
Calvin carried Cerise towards their house and Joseph followed him. While Nadine stood in the middle of the playground envious of the attention Calvin received.
Nadine went back into her room and her rang "Hello? Steven?"
"Yeah Nadine that car and license plate you gave me I had it narrowed down to 2 cars one out that was impounded at the time, the other's in the east side of the city, is the culprit it's registered to a Terricka Layton you know her?" He asked.
"No. My son thinks it's a man doing this." Nadine said.
"Hmmm this is the car let do some digging..." Steven typed away on his keyboard while Nadine waited.
"Hm! Well according to this Terricka Co-Signed on the car for Kennard Jackson." Steven said.
"So it's this nigga Kennard. Thanks Steve." and Nadine hung-up.
Martin dug in the bag of McDonalds and ate as many French fries as he could while on Chante's knee.
"The second he saw this bag he forgot all about that cut." Chante said.
"Joe-Joe can I sit in the front? I'm not crying no more big boys sit in the front." Martin asked.
Joseph stopped at the light and Joseph said "Come up front Marty." Martin crawled to the front and buckled himself in.
De'ron dropped Joseph, Cerise and Martin home and Cerise went up the stairs and screamed. Joseph dashed up the steps and said "What?!"
Cerise pointed and Joseph saw a decapitated rat on it's back with the letters J-O-S-E-P-H carved on it's belly on their doorstep then his phone rang "You think this a fucking game nigga?" De'ron came up the stairs and asked "Yo what happened?"
"Bitch who the fuck are you?!" Joseph yelled looking around.
He laughed and said "You can't see me, leave Chante alone." And he hung up.
"Who was that? What they say?" De'ron asked.
"What happened Joseph?" Cerise asked.
The tension made Martin nervous and he was about to cry.
"Cerise take Martin inside and don't say shit about this." Joseph said.
"De'ron."
"What?"
"When I was at Wal-Mart the other day some nigga tried to run me over on the curb."
"What?!"
"And I know this the same nigga trying me."
"You know who it is? I got your back we brothers, we get a few more niggas and roll the fuck out tonight." De'ron said.
"Nadine said she got a friend who can track the license plate so we'll kill that bitch." Joseph said. "Until then, Ron don't say shit."
"Aight." He and Joseph dapped each other and went their separate ways Joseph went to his mother's room and said "Ma this real important you call that friend?"
Nadine was about to say yes but then said "No Joseph, he said it's gonna take awhile he said so many cars of that model and paint-job have that number."
"Shit! Ok ma." He said.
When Joseph closed Nadine's door she said to herself "Humph ask your new bitch for help."
(Do I ask Chante? It can't be his father I mean he crazy but this some ole' Hannibal Lecter shit. Why Chante? Is this about him? He ain't fucking with mine not Martin, Not Cerise and Not Chante I'll kill everyone in the world for them.)