I don't remember my bed being so limited in space. I stretched my legs and yawned. When I finally opened my eyes I saw Kiah in my face and Valencia at my feet.
"What the hell." I have no clue how we got home or when we got home, but I do know my stomach was growling and my head was pounding. Remind me to never drink with those two ever again.
The house was quiet, no Kyra limping around with a heavy casted leg. No sound of my mama's heels clicking across the floor. It was total silence, well if you exclude Kiah's snoring.
I looked around and found my phone. That was plugged in on my nightstand. I picked it up hoping I got a call from my mama or Kyra. With no suck luck, I was just about to put it down when it started ringing.
"Yes?" I answered and pressed it to my ear.
"What you on today?" He asked in sleep coated voice.
"Nothing," I mumbled as I switched my phone to the other ear and walked out of my room. I know Valencia is a light sleeper and Kiah likes to eavesdrop in her sleep. I headed down the stairs and stepped into the kitchen to grab some water.
I had to be strong right now, I wasn't going to keep playing these games with him. He can't just keep telling me to stay away yet keep coming around.
"Why are you even calling me right now? We ain't cool." I sassed him as I opened my bottle of water. Maybe if I'm mean enough he'll want to stay away.
"Just because I don't want us to be together don't mean we can't be homies." He said nonchalantly.
"Does it really?" I asked skeptically. It would be impossible to hang out with your crush who would only ever be your crush and not catch more feelings.
"Bri—why we can't just chill?"
"It's not safe around you remember?" I said using his words against him. He can't just bounce in and out of my life at his leisure. I won't allow it.
"You at home?"
"No." I lied through my teeth. I didn't want to see him.
"Stop lyin'. I took you and yo lil delinquent ass friends home last night."
"Ouuu using our big boy words now are we?" I laughed harder than I intended. "And my friends are not delinquents—your friends on the other hand are."
"All my friends are scholars."
"In what? Trap-ology?" I laughed again.
"That's fucked up." He said with that throaty chuckle of his. "Come open the door."
"Brandon you cannot—"
I said looking through the white sheer curtains. Before long there was knocking, well banging at the door. I rolled my eyes and hung up the phone as I went to open it.
He stepped in wearing black sweats and a black hoodie. He had to be out of his damn mind. It was hot as hell out and he had on these heat-absorbing colors.
"Wassup?" He said coming to hug me.
"Well—I was minding my business until this uninvited ass guest showed up." I teased him.
"Shut up. If I ain't just pop up I wouldn't have been able to see you."
"True enough." I shrugged. He isn't supposed to be here, especially now that my parents know he exists.
"Did you eat?" He asked leaning on the counter. I shook my head and began biting my nails as he folded his arms. He looked so comfortable as he sat on a stool.
"I know this shit feel wrong, but I see something between us." He sighed and scratched his head. "I wish shit was simple right now. I wouldn't hesitate to make you mine."
"Brandon—"
"Bri—have you seen my keys?" Kiah asked as she stomped lazily down the stairs. "Oh my bad, I didn't know you had company."
"Wassup." He gave her a curt head nod. She returned it and continued down the stairs. Her mid-back length hair was all over her head and her eyes were low.
"Thanks for the ride." She saluted him with two fingers.
"So am I the only one who didn't know how we got home?"
"Yes." Valencia said out of nowhere as she came down the steps now. "Good morning everybody."
"Good morning." We said lowly as she came and joined us.
"I'm never drinking again."
"I'm surprised you didn't let bartender bae get in your guts last night." Kiah teased. "Especially with the way y'all were dancing."
"Was I that bad?" Valencia asked softly. She pressed her head against the cold countertop and sighed.
"So what are we doing today?"
"I wanna take my mother out to brunch," I answered. "If she ever answers my text."
"I thought I took that from you?" Kiah said questioningly as she pointed to my phone.
"Why?" I asked in horror as I tossed it down on the counter.
"You wanna tell her or—" She raised both her eyebrows and tucked her lips in.
"You kept calling me last night even after I dropped y'all off." He said folding his arms and leaning back on the stool.
"Did I leave any voicemails?" I asked lowering my head and putting my hands on my face.
"Plenty. I'm using them when I go to the studio."
"No you will not." I shook my head.
"Well—I'm taking Val home. I'm sure pastor Krodell is looking for her."
"Oh yes!" She said suddenly leaping down from the stool. "Bye Bri! love you!"
"Wait—"
It was useless they jetted out of the front door slamming it behind them. It felt forced between us. I was hoping he'd leave next.
"Bri."
"Shh." I told him putting my hand up to stop him. "I'm am sick of hearing the whole we can't be together thing. I get it. Shit is hectic and we ain't ever gone be together. No need to keep saying it. I get it."
"Don't say it like that." He said coming to pull me into his arms. See what I mean. He can't do these kinds of things and think that my feelings aren't going to grow for him.
"Like what? How it is?" I asked while slightly pushing back to look him in his face. I breathed in his cologne and sighed as I thought how bad I needed to stay away from him.
"I'm hungry man—let's go eat." He told me as he released me from our second hug.
"Do you see what I look like right now?" I asked in disbelief. "Besides. I wouldn't wanna give off the wrong impression."
"What's wrong with what you got on? And stop mocking me." He lowered his eyes and mugged me.
"Everything!" I said as a matter of fact. "I am not going in public like this."
"Then go change!"
"But-"
"Go!" He insisted angrily. I pouted and crossed my arms as I stomped up the stairs.
*~~~~~~~~*
"Pancakes or waffles," He asked as we sat in batter and berries. A small cafe on the north side of Chicago.
"French toast," I answered as I drank my water. I peeked up from the menu to see he had his arms folded and was leaning forward on the table.
"Bacon or sausage?"
"I hate bacon. Shit is gross." He said turning his mouth into a frown.
"Agreed." I smiled tucking my hands under the table.
"I'm glad you came out with me." He said biting his bottom lip. I'm gonna regret this. I just know I am. He smirked and I melted. "I guess this means we're friends."
"Only when food is involved." I winked at him and took another sip from my lemon water.
"Damn." He laughed and touched his chest.
Our waiter came back and took our orders. We sat there looking at each other laughing and getting to know each other. He had two brothers and one sister. He was raised by his older brother and he helped take care of the two younger siblings when his brother went to prison.
"You don't know your parents?"
"Nah. Not really." He said dryly, swallowing his water and looking cold as if that was the end of that conversation.
"Are you going to tell me why you hate my best friend?"
"If she wanted you to know she would have told you?"
"If we're going to be friends you got to stop lying to me," I told him, taking a deep breath I began to play with my silverware. "What's up with you and Darrin?"
"I tried to recruit Darrin a couple of years ago. He tagged along on a drop one day and shit got compromised and he took the money and bailed. I damn near died because that nigga stole from the stash."
"That's why you two hate each other."
"His dad got me out some shit at one point in time, and in return, I promised to leave Darrin untouched."
"Darrin isn't the type to get tied in with drugs and gangs though," I mumbled as I stirred my water with my straw.
I don't wanna think he's lying but I know Darrin. Personally at that. He's a geek, a nerd, a computer wiz. He's not built for the streets. He'd get sniffed out the moment he came across real thugs. I couldn't imagine Darrin playing tough, he wasn't violent and he knew nothing about the streets.
"Well he did." He said picking his cup up and drinking from the straw. Our food came out and we ate in comfortable silence. He glanced around as a couple of girls snapped pictures of him from a couple of tables over.
"What's that about?" I asked as I saw him lower his head. He took in a deep breath before he closed his eyes and exhaled.
"I can't do shit without people being all in my mix."
"Brandon?"
He motioned the waiter over and asked for the check. He threw his hood over his head and rubbed his temples. Soon after we were in his car speeding down the e-way.
"Why were those girl taking pictures of you?"
"I don't know." He said sitting erect in the seat as he drove. He looked annoyed. He turned down the side street and then turned down my block. He parked his car and looked at me. "Keep yo phone near you."
"Mhm." I nodded looking back at his face. He looked utterly irritated. I reached over to pull him into a hug, he laid his head on my shoulder and I nearly fainted when his nose grazed my neck. "Be safe. Okay?"
"I will." He said pulling away. He waited until I reached the stairs and had the door opened to pull off. She sat there with a magazine in hand: she made me nervous as she flipped through the pages.
"Me and dad think it'd be best if you went to North Carolina for the summer." She finally said, but not once did she look up at me. I was thrown off, she didn't like my dad's family and she didn't like us going to visit them.
"What about me?" Kyra said coming out of the bathroom with her shorts opened.
"Grandma Pearl wants you to come and help her at the school."
"Why do I have to go to North Carolina?"
"We think it'd be good for you to see everyone."
"That makes no sense, why send one and not the other," I said pointing to Kyra. She threw the magazine down and looked at me fiercely.
"Because I'm the mama and I say so. Now go pack." She said dismissing me. I guess there wasn't any apologizing to her.
I licked my teeth and stomped up the stairs. I slammed the door and went to my closet. I pulled my oversized luggage from the closet and went through my drawer, throwing clothes on my bed.
Only when I turned around did I see Kyra sitting on my bed with Fefe in her hands. "I want to go to North Carolina." She frowned.
"Trust me—you don't."
"What about granny? Don't you want to see her?"
"I mean yeah, but I don't want to deal with Uncle Mac and Auntie Reina."
"How come momma don't like them?"
"It's a long story." I sighed and continued throwing things in my luggage.
"No secrets remember."
"Uncle Mac told daddy that mama was cheating on him and when I was about four or five Auntie Reina had her friend swab my mouth to prove I wasn't his child.
"Wait! You're not daddy's child?"
"Of course I'm his child. Unfortunately." I groaned and flipped my hair over my shoulder. "Every since then things have been awkward between us all."
"What about Uncle Clay and Uncle Boobie?"
"Uncle Boobie and Sabrina been moved to Washington D.C., and Uncle Clay lives in Florida with Veatrice."
"I didn't know we were all so divided now."
"It's only because you're a kid but even then I'm surprised daddy didn't tell you," I said rubbing my forehead as the stress of packing set in.
The door opened and in came my father. "I'm doing this for your own good."
"No you're not." I chuckled as I plopped down on the floor. "You know I don't like them and you're sending me anyway. And then on top of that, you're sending me without Kyra."
"You and Kyra can go one summer without each other." He sighed and folded his hands together.
"But we never go a summer without each other." Kyra frowned as she leaned on his shoulder.
"You need time away from certain people." He cleared his throat. "Kyra you can go to North Carolina next summer."
"When is my flight?"
"Tomorrow at six. I'll take you when I get off work."
"This is so unfair." I sighed as the tears gathered in my eyes. I had so many plans for the summer before everyone went to school and now I'm being shipped away like some deviant child being sent off to boarding school.
"It'll be fun." He came over and kissed my cheek.
The rest of the day was spent in my room, crying and venting via skype with Kiah and Valencia. I packed almost every article of clothing that I owned that was summer wear.
"But what about Lollapalooza? Chance was going to be there and H.E.R." Kiah frowned. This year was the summer of our great adventures. We had made a list of all the things we were going to do before she and Val left for FAMU at the end of August.
"We can go with you! We can do stuff in N.C."
"My parents will not send me to North Carolina, not after what my brother did." Valencia sighed and put her hands over her eyes. "This is so messed up."
"She just sprung it on me as I walked in the house."
"Wait. Where'd you go?" Kiah teased, making her eyebrows dance.
"To breakfast with Buckz." I said lowly as I now folded all the clothes that were to be packed in my luggage.
"Nicknames huh?"
"We're just friends." I chuckled and sat down in front of my laptop.
"Yeah, friends." Kiah teased as she put air quotes around friends.
I grabbed my phone and texted him. It was way past midnight and I wasn't expecting a response from him, but my phone lit up with a facetime call.
"Hey, uh I'm gone call yall tomorrow."
"KK. Good night, love you." They said in unison.
"Love yall too," I said as I closed my laptop and then swiped over on my phone. It was dark where he was, only the light from the phone reflected on his face.
"Wassup?" He asked as he coughed harshly.
"My parents are shipping me off to North Carolina tomorrow night." I frowned as I pushed my hair over to the other side of my head. He threw his head back and placed his blunt between his lips.
"Why?"
"Because apparently, I need time away from certain people," I repeated khalil's words and groaned as I went to jump into my bed. "What are you doing up?"
"Can't sleep." He said as he inspected the blunt that was pinched between his index finger and thumb. "Why you up at—2:30 in the mornin'?"
"I can't sleep either. Come get me?" I asked sweetly poking out my bottom lip. He smirked and shook his head.
"Here I come." He hung up and I decided to change. I went to my dresser to find a pair of biker shorts and a white wife beater, I slide my feet into my brown furry slides and sprayed on my favorite scent, Marc Jacob's Daisy. It didn't dawn on me that sneaking around was what landed me an unwanted trip in the first place, but what the hell I'm already caught so why not?
I grabbed my gray cardigan and my house keys before I slung my bag across my shoulder and trodded out of my room and down the stairs.
"Where are you going?" Kyra's small voice peeked through the darkness. My heart leaped from my chest and my world froze momentarily.
"Out. I'll be back in the morning."
"Mama's not gonna be happy about that."
"I'll be back before she wakes up, so Mama won't know unless you snitch." I opened the door and right on cue, he pulled up. "Good night."
"Night."