Problem Child (s)
Excuse any grammatical errors.
"Camille is gone kill you." King said to his son as they drove towards their home from Jacob's school. It was the middle of the week, Wednesday to be exact, and King received a phone call from the school's principal saying that his son had gotten into a massive fight. He was at the barbershop just finishing up his last customer of the day and had planned to stop by the warehouse to check on things dealing with Tae.
It angered Jaye to the core because he had just preached to his son about fighting in school. He didn't mind if his son fought, but just don't do it on the school's premises and don't get caught. Not only that, but King found out that Jacob was failing biology and hadn't been showing up for class.
"The fuck is wrong with you, son?" King yelled as his eyes shifted back and forth between the highway and his son. He had one hand on the stirring wheel with the other draped across his lap. "What's the problem?"
Jacob dropped his head in shame and self disappointment. He knew that his parents weren't going to be too proud of his actions and it slightly pained him that he was being scolded by his father. His father was someone that he really looked up to. Someone that taught him more than any other human being can offer. He loved both of his parents, but Jacob is now getting older and he's somewhat grew out of that 'mama's boy' stage. Don't mistake him, he loved his mother more than anything in the world and it's a living fact that no other woman can take her place. It's just that he wants to hang around his father more.
"I don't know, pops. I ain't really been feelin' it lately."
"You gon' feel my fist upside yo' head if you don't give me a better explanation than that." King sternly spoke as his nose flared. He couldn't believe his son's actions and was very disappointed in his academic behavior. Jacob was always bringing home all A's that it really took his dad by a surprise that he was failing biology with a 64.49. Of course Jacob thought that his science teacher could've at least gave him that 1 little ass point. Even though it was his first F ever and it was only his grade for the class now, he now know how the other kids feel when it comes to that 1 point.
Jacob swallowed his spit and sighed before turning to look at the side of his father's head. It was no way to deny how much he favored his father. It was very evident that the both of them share the same facial features. He was truly a spitting image of his dad.
"It was over a girl." Jacob finally admitted. He wasn't ashamed to say it out loud to his dad, but it would sound stupid if he were to have told his homeboys, or better yet, his brothers. They would literally clown him, especially if he would have lost the fight, but he didn't. He sent the boy home with a busted lip, cracked rib, and a fractured, bloody nose. Jacob wasn't proud of his actions, but there was a very logical reason why him and Travis fought.
King's eyebrows met as his face turned into an angry scowl. He couldn't believe what he had just heard come from his son's mouth. "A girl! Nigga, the fuck you fighting over a girl for?! You getting yo' lil' dick wet!?"
Jacob raised an eyebrow at his dad's slick remark and smirked to himself. "First off pops, my dick ain't even little. I'm far from that. You can ask--"
King sucked his teeth, shaking his head. "Shut up." Jaye grumbled with a turned up lip as he gazed over at his fifteen year old son. "Don't get smart with me."
"Yes sir. But pops, there's more to the story than what Principal Brown led you to believe. It wasn't just over any girl, but a girl that is very special to me. Like Aaliyah would say, she's more than a woman." Jacob replied proudly as he sat back in his seat and focused his attention back towards the window. He watched as they passed by fast good restaurants and he was beginning to regret skipping lunch as his stomach roared for food.
King looked over at his son as he slowed down the truck behind a few cars at the red light. He wanted to laugh so badly at his son's choice of words. King knew exactly what Jacob was doing and it wasn't about to work. He think he can easily talk his way out of trouble. He tried it every time he would get in trouble. But sadly he was mistaken because the only person who can do that is Carter.
"You and yo' mama are just alike, especially when she was your age. Both of y'all be trying to make light of a serious situation. You got jokes huh?" Jaye let out a dry, humorous laugh. "You think this shit funny, don't you Homie the Clown? Well we gon' see if you're more than a man when we get to this house."
Jacob cursed under his breath and shook his head, failing at his attempts of being a free man. He knew his ass was about to be on fire for a good week and his mama ain't gone play with his ass neither when she get back to Cali. He sighed, looking up at the the traffic light as he was hoping this red light would spare him a few more moments of peace.
***
Camille picked up her phone and stared down at the incoming call. It's been two days since she's been back in New York and De'aundre has been trying his best to reconnect with Camille. De'aundre felt as though there were still some unspoken words that needed to be said and he wasn't going to stop at nothing until they met up and talked. He was torn when he had to move to Chicago at the age of sixteen, leaving his girlfriend and old friends behind.
Last night, after Camille ended her conversation with Jaye, she was feeling down. She was tempted to call him back, but she knew that he wouldnt answer and that's what broke her heart the most. She felt like her heart was ripping and there wasn't anything she could do about it. She began to think that her happiness would be pulled away from her soon. Aside from her sons, Camille would truly be lost if her and Jaye broke up. If she were to lose Jaye, then she wouldn't be able to feel any sanity within herself.
The phone continued to ring as Camille closed her eyes and let out a sigh. She slid her thumb over the 'answer' icon and held the phone up to her ear. She mentally cursed herself as she heard the background on the other side of the phone.
"Hello?"
"What's up, girl? You've been ignorin' a nigga now?" De'aundre laughed, picking off the lint that laid on his white and black plaid button up. He was at his cousin's house chilling and decided to call up his ex girl. Camille has been heavy on his mind and he couldn't bare the thought of not hearing her voice another second.
Camille sighed, smiling at the sound of his voice. Dre was cool people and she always looked at him as one of her oldest friends. As much as she hate to admit, Dre still had that giddy effect on her. She doesn't understand what's going on at this point and truthfully she don't care. She was just happy to talk to her friend, but little did she know, Dre wanted to rekindle some shit but not on a friend level.
"I'm sorry, Dre. I've just been so busy with my family and I haven't had time to reconnect with anyone else."
"That's cool. I understand that. You doing anything later on tonight tho?" He asked, hoping that she'll say 'no'. He really wanted to see her. It's been too long since they've last had a night out and he truly missed all of the old times they've spent together. He missed her. He missed their relationship.
But unfortunately for Dre, that's something he would never get back. Camille was too in love with Jaye to let her relationship with Jaye turn into turmoil. And even though she's "entertaining" Dre right now, it will never be more than a just a dried out friendship.
Camille was brought into a deep thought as she zoned him out. Her mind was racing as her chest stiffened with an unwanted lump forming in her throat. This was something that was unexpected for her. She was okay with him calling her to check up on her, but to actually go out together? That was something totally different. Now if she was single with no feelings for Jaye and no children, then she would have said 'yes' as soon as Dre offered. But she's not. She's engaged to someone she's truly in love with and couldn't bare the heartbreak if something were to happen and her relationship with Jaye would be done. She wouldn't want that taunting her heart nor her sons'.
She cleared her throat after seconds of deadly silence. "I--I don't know, Dre. I don't think my fiancé would approve of my doing so."
"But homie don't even know me, Cam. It's just dinner with an old friend with harmless conversations."
"But you're not an old friend, Dre. You're my ex-boyfriend and trust me, he knows who you are and I can't bare not to tell him."
Dre scrunched his eyebrows together as his mind went into a thought process. His heart broke a little when she said fiancé, but it was racking his brain as he tried to think of who her fiancé might be. This was not what he wanted to hear. He didn't plan to bump into that night at the hospital nor did he think his old feelings for her would come back. He was really hoping that they might be able to work things out and pick back off where they left.
"Who?"
"Who, what?" Camille asked as she quickly pulled her iPhone from her ear to check the time. It's going on twelve thirty and she needed to meet up with her sister for lunch.
"Who is the nigga?" Dre stressed, sighing while running his hand down his face.
"Jaye." She replied with a smile on her face. Speaking of Jaye, she needed to call him and talk about what happened yesterday. All they've been doing was texting back and forth and even though she hated it, she knew it was her best outlet for right now.
"Kingston?!" Dre yelled into the phone with a unpleasant facial expression. His heart thumped in his chest as he heard the name of a man he secretly despised. Jaye and De'aundre had problems with each other growing up and those problems were never resolved.
"Yes, is there a problem?" Camille asked with malice in her voice. She didn't understand why De'aundre was so upset. He knew that Camille and Jaye had history and their feelings for each other had never left. True, she was with Dre at one point in time, but that never meant that their relationship would have last, especially with him moving out of state.
"Aight. I'll hit you up later, shordy." Dre spoke as he ended the call. He tossed his phone to the left of him as he grabbed the blunt that resided behind his left ear. He clenched his jaw as his blunt found its way to his lips. He needed to release some anger. Even though there wasn't shit he could do about Camille and King being together, it still pissed him off that there wasn't a chance for him and Camille again. But then again, it never stopped him before and it won't stop his this time around neither.
***
Daniel and his cousin, Jules, were seated in his bedroom watching college basketball and rolling up. Jules was Uncle Julian's oldest son and Daniel's right hand man. It's always that one cousin you always link with any time of the week and Jules and Daniel were those cousins. Daniel had heard about Jacob getting into a fight with that nigga Travis and he knew that it was more than what it was.
"So, you think it's some shit involving that nigga Tae?" Jules asked as he closed his eyes and released the kush clouds through his nostrils. Jules was that nigga that always had some on him to smoke on. He was the plug and a damn good one at that.
Daniel licked his lips as he texted away on his phone. He was going back and forth with his girl and Jacob's lil' boo as well. He wanted to find out as much info as he can. He missed school today due to a dental appointment, so he wasn't there to help beat a nigga's ass. "Yea, bruh. Remember when I was leaving practice that night? And you had called me about that shordy with the big titties?" Daniel asked Jules as he put his phone back in his Nike sweats.
Jules let out a high laugh as he opened his eyes and looked back over at Daniel. "Y-yea. I sent you a picture, didn't I? Shordy had a stupid ass too." Jules shook his head, reminiscing about the girl from their school. Daniel shook his head at his cousin as realized how easy it was for him to get sidetracked.
Daniel smacked his lips and chuckled. "Well, anyways Tae had pulled me over to the side cause she wanted me to move weight for her. Long story short, my pops found out and shit went Arab. But, I think that shit might've been a set up to get under my pop's skin. I mean, Tae had some niggas after me because of some unresolved shit with my pops, which only adds more problems considering that my brother whooped Travis's ass. If that shit gets back to Tae's men, then this shit is really about to be war."
Jules nodded his head as he processed what his cousin just said. He licked his lips and pulled out his iPhone, typing in his pass code. "We finna handle this shit, bro."
"Yo' pops ain't gon' trip off you doin' shit like this?" Daniel asked with raised eyebrows. He don't need his cousin in some shit because of Jacob's actions. Daniel felt that since this is his brother, then he has every right to handle this.
"Fuck that. We family. That's my blood too." Jules assured as he pressed on the contact.