Riley
"Take me home Amaru." I spoke angrily.
"This is why I didn't want to tell you." He shook his head.
"Amaru, you just told me you want to go to the military at the end of the school year? What does this mean for us? Is this just a waste of time?" I went on.
"Riley, the military isn't forever." He said stupidly.
"You'll be away from me Amaru." I spoke sadly.
"Can you please reconsider this choice?" I asked.
"I don't know Ri, this is something I've been thinking about for a long time now." He said.
"So, just forget about me huh?" I asked as I scoffed.
"Let's just talk about this another time." He said.
"Yeah, take me home." I sassed, turning my head towards the window.
"Riley." He called as he sat his seat up, starting the car.
"Ri." He called again and I ignored him.
"You're going to ignore me?" He asked, pulling off.
The ride was silent as he made his way back to the highway.
"Riley, I only plan to go because they'll pay off my college tuition and there's a lot of opportunities for me. You know my moms need the help, she got two kids that's about to graduate." He explained.
"Amaru, I get what you're saying but why can't you just go to the community college with me? That way we can work while going to school and save up as much money as we can." I finally spoke, turning my head towards him.
"I don't know Ri.." He trailed off.
"You always have to make things harder than they have to be." I scoffed.
The car became quiet again as he drove fast on the highway, my emotions took over my thoughts and I began to imagine life without Amaru being around.
"So, what do you think I'm supposed to do in life? Just wait for you?" I asked.
"I've waited for you long enough." I snapped.
"I'm not leaving forever." He said.
"I didn't leave forever either but you were still upset at me." I explained.
"You left and didn't say shit." He snapped.
"One summer, one freaking summer Amaru." I snapped back.
"Alright." He said, giving up.
A few minutes later, we were pulling up to my block. He pulled in front of my house and cut the engine.
"Are you sure you don't want to just go to my house?" He asked, looking at the time.
1:00am
"No, I'm fine." I shook my head.
"Riley, why can't we just enjoy right now, in this moment?" He asked.
"Because I'm not stupid. I'm not going to allow myself to fall flat on my face." I said to him.
"Yeah we're happy now but at the end of the school year, you're going away for who knows how long and I'm going to be here, living my life." I went on.
"I'm not waiting anymore Amaru." I said to him, truthfully.
"I've devoted my life to you in so many ways and you don't even realize it." I told him.
"Riley, you're acting like I'm going away and never coming back." He said.
"That's not what I'm saying." I said.
"I get what you're saying Ri." He said.
"So, are you going to reconsider?" I asked and he sighed, heavily.
"Maybe." He said and I rolled my eyes, opening my door.
"Riley." He called, trying to grab my hand but I snatched away from him.
"Bye, Amaru." I said, getting out and slamming my door.
**
Amaru
I knew I shouldn't have said anything to her about it until the time was right but in reality, no time was right.
She slammed the door and made her way to her house, I watched as she used her key to get inside, slamming her front door as she did.
"Damn." I sighed.
I didn't want to lose her or this because of my decision.
I pulled out my phone and called her but she sent me to voicemail. I called again, getting the same result. After realizing she wasn't going to answer me, I just texted her.
Me: can I stay with you? - 1:09am
I waited outside her house for her to text me back but she never did.
I then pulled up down the street, making my way home.
It took me about 15 minutes to get home. When I finally got home, I went to my room and closed my door.
I felt like I'd lost her and that really wasn't sitting right with me. I love her and I refuse to lose her over something like this. I would just have to reconsider my decision.
Me: Fuck it, I'll stay here with you. - 1:25am
I sat my phone down and put it on the charger before kicking off my shoes and taking off my shirt. I flopped into my bed, hoping she would text me back.
2 hours later
It was pouring down raining outside as my phone rang, loudly, waking me up from my sleep. I then got up to see who it was.
Riley❤️ : Incoming Call
I answered quickly, once I realized who it was.
"Hello." I answered, tiredly as the thunder rumbled outside.
"Wake up." She said.
"I am, I answered, didn't I?" I asked.
"Open the door." She said and I furrowed my eyebrows.
"You're here?" I asked, getting up and sliding on my slides.
"Yes." She said as I walked out of my room and made my way down the stairs.
"Why the fuck-" I started before removing the phone from my ear and opening my front door.
"How did you get here?" I asked her as she came into view.
"I walked." She said simply, coming in and putting her umbrella down.
"Why didn't you call me? It's 3'o clock in the morning Riley and it's pouring outside." I said to her, angrily, closing and locking the door.
"I couldn't sleep, I needed to be next to you and I called twice but you didn't answer." She said and I nodded, looking down at my phone seeing she did call twice before.
"Did you get my message?" I asked as we walked up the stairs and she nodded.
"I'm sorry." I said to her and she nodded.
We walked into my room and I closed my door then locked it.
"So, you're not going to go?" She asked quietly and I shook my head no.
"I'm not trying to lose you." I admitted and she nodded.
"I don't want to be selfish, I ju-" She started.
"I know, Ri." I cut her off.
"I'm not going to go but I have to read more into this community college and since I'm staying now, we have to have a plan." I said to her.
"What do you mean?" She asked, taking her boots off.
"What does the future hold for us? What is our plan?" I asked her.
"You're asking me?" She asked as she stuffed her socks into her boots.
"I know what I want but what is it that you want?" I asked her.
"You." She said.
"I want you too." I said to her.
"So, what does that mean?" She asked quietly.
I stood there quietly for a second, trying to collect my thoughts and get my words together. I'd been planning on doing this my entire life and now at this moment, I was finally doing it.
"Are going to be my girl friend?" I asked.
"In the future or now?" She asked.
"Both." I answered and she nodded her head quickly.
"Yes to what?" I asked.
"I'm going to be your girlfriend." She said.
"In the future or now?" I asked her.
"Both." She said as she let out a shaky breath.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"I just got chills, you know how long I've been waiting for you to ask me that Amaru?" She asked.
"Do you know how long I've been waiting to ask you?" I asked her and she smiled.
I got off of the wall and turned out the light. The rain had gotten worse and so did the thunder.
I took off my slides and got in to bed next to her.
"Come lay with me." I told her and she took off her coat and put it in my chair.
"Can I have sweats?" She asked and I smacked my lips, realizing I still didn't get my other pair of sweats back.
"Go ahead." I said to her and she got up, going into my draws to get some.
She pulled out some sweats and a box of condoms fell out as well.
"What in the world?" She said picking them up and putting them back inside of my draw as I smirked.
She quickly put on the sweats before laying down next to me.
"So, am I your girlfriend?" She asked, putting her hand on my face.
"Yes Riley, you're my girlfriend." I said to her as we both smiled.
"I'm your girlfriend?" She asked again and I nodded, smirking as she laughed, uncontrollably.
"It feels good to hear you say that." She said.
"It feels good to say." I said, letting out a sigh of relief.
"So, what are our plans?" I asked her.
"Well, we're going to graduate, go to the same college, work and make as much money as we can, move out of our parents house, get married and live happily ever after." She said, making me laugh.
"Yeah?" I asked her and she nodded.
"That sounds good." I nodded.
"And babies." She threw in.
"How many?" I cheesed.
"2." She said.
"Two?" I asked her.
"Yes." She giggled.
"That's all?" I asked her and she nodded as I smacked my lips.
"No, we got to have a big family. I need at least 5 or 6." I went on and she looked at me like I was crazy.
"Whatever." She shook her head making me laugh.
"So, that's our plan and we sticking to it?" I asked and she nodded.
"No matter what?" I asked and she nodded.
"As long as you don't go to the military." She went on and I smacked my lips.
"You just had to throw that in there." I said as we laughed.
"Alright, I won't." I told her, truthfully.
"And, next time I text you and you don't respond, we're going to have a problem." I told her and she nodded.
"I'm sorry, I was just mad at you." She said.
"I know." I told her
"Plus, I got right in the shower when I got in, so I didn't see your message right away." She admitted.
"Oh, alright." I nodded, sleepily.
"Are you tired?" She asked as the thunder boomed and she jumped.
"Yeah but now I know why your punk ass really came here." I laughed and she hit me.
"Shut up." She whined.
"I forgot your punk ass was scared of thunder." I said to myself.
"So, what." She said, amused.
"Go to sleep." I said, wrapping my arm around her waist.
"Alright, goodnight." She smiled.
"Goodnight." I said to her.
I thought about all the stuff that went down tonight, realizing, I had just made my best friend, my girlfriend. This feeling felt way better than what I was feeling two hours ago, I thought that I'd lost her.
I randomly kissed her lips and she smiled with her eyes still closed.
"I love you." I told her and she opened her eyes, slowly.
"I love you too." She said.
"Boyfriend." She added and my heart lit up.
**
Riley
The next morning..
"What the fuck happened to your mother fucking face?" I heard Amaru yelled, waking me up from my slumber.
I sat up quickly, realizing I was late for school as I heard all the commotion.
"Amaru, it's nothing." I heard Amani say to him.
"Don't fucking lie to me Amani." He said and I knew that this was serious because he never calls her by her full name.
I got up, quickly and walked out of his room and towards the bathroom.
"I'm not lying Amaru." Amani said as I walked in.
"Riley, look at her face." He said to me as I looked at her black eye.
"Mani, what happened?" I asked her, furrowing my eyebrows.
"When I was out with Jay last night, I walked into a pole." She said and I automatically knew she was lying.
"Mani.." I trailed off.
"For real Ri." She said and I threw my hands up.
"You didn't walk into no fucking pole." Amaru snapped.
"Jay did this to you?" He asked and she just looked at him.
"No." She finally spoke and Amaru just looked at her for a while.
A few moments of silence went by as I looked at the both of them and Amaru finally spoke.
"Yes he did." Amaru said looking into her eyes and she just bursted into tears.
Amaru walked out of the bathroom, quickly and back into his room.
"He put his hands on you Mani?" I asked calmly and she nodded, slowly.
"What happened?" I asked her, calmly as I tried to get her to calm down and tell me what happened.
"I'll tell you Ri. Can you just please make sure Amaru doesn't do anything crazy? They're already expecting him to." She said.
"Who is they?" I asked.
"Jay, bishop and all of his friends." She said and I nodded.
"Go ahead." She said as I looked at her for a while longer and walked out of the bathroom and to Amaru's room.
When I walked into Amaru's room, I saw him putting bullets into a gun.
"Amaru!" I yelled, once I realized what he was doing.
"Riley, I don't want to hear shit right now." He spoke, loading the gun.
"Where did you get that?" I asked, looking at him crazy.
"Don't worry about it." He said and I raised my eyebrows as he looked at me.
"I got it from your uncle." He sighed.
"What?" I asked and he nodded.
"He gave it to me a while ago." He admitted.
"Amaru, why do you need that?" I asked.
"For shit like this." He snapped.
"I'm supposed to be the man of the house, shit like this ain't supposed to happen." He went on.
"Not my little sister." He said and I nodded, understandingly.
"Amaru, I don't want you to do anything stupid. This is unacceptable, I know but this is not okay." I said, referring to the gun.
"That nigga put his hands on my little sister, I'm not having that." He said.
"I understand that, I want you to handle this. She's like my sister too, you know. I just don't want you to handle it like this." I said again, referring to the gun.
"I'm not going to use it, unless I have to. I know how Bishop and his niggas are." He said.
"I should've never let that nigga date my sister." He added, shaking his head.
He got up, quickly, putting the gun into the back of his pants. He then put on a black shirt and some black timberlands before putting on his bubble coat.
"Stay here." He said and I shook my head, no.
"Hell no, I'm going." I told him.
"Riley, stay here." He spoke sternly but I still shook my head.
"I'm not letting you go by yourself, Mani already said they're waiting for you to do something Amaru." I told him.
"What the fuck did I say?" He snapped and I raised my eyebrows.
"Don't talk to me like that." I said, shaking my head and he sighed, deeply.
"Riley, can you please stay here with Mani and make sure she's cool?" He asked nicely and I sighed.
"Alright." I finally agreed but I knew that I would regret it.
"I love you." He said, kissing me.
"Please, be careful. Do what you have to do and come back." I said to him and he nodded.
I pulled him to me and I kissed his lips again, passionately.
"I love you too." I said.
"Boyfriend." I added and he smiled, softly before pulling away from me and walking out the door.
I walked out of his room and stood there until I heard the front door close.
"Mani." I called her as I walked towards the bathroom and I didn't see her in there.
"I'm in my room." She said and I walked down the hall towards her room.
"Did Amaru leave?" She asked and I nodded.
"This is all my fault." She said, shaking her head.
"No it's not Mani." I told her.
"Yes it is, I should've never started messing with him." She said.
"He's a drug dealer, I should've known nothing good would come out of that." She said and I raised my eyebrows.
"Really?" I asked and she nodded.
"How did this happened Mani?" I asked.
"Well, we were out last night, having fun at this party and I saw Bishop and some of the other guys from his party that we went to last month." She said and I nodded.
"So, we were having fun, getting lit then Jay ended up walking away from me to go and get a drink. So, I'm by myself in a party where I don't know anyone else but Bishop." She explained.
"Then this guy tries to talk to me and I'm rejecting him like no, I'm taken but you know how guys are." She said and I nodded.
"So, I ignored him. I just let him talk but he wouldn't leave me alone and when Jay came back, he saw the guy in my face and he got so mad. He didn't even get mad at the guy but he got mad at me." She said turning her lip up.
"Then he goes off on me, he pulled me outside of the party and we're going back and forth and I'm explaining to him that I didn't have anything to do with the guy talking to me, you know?" She expressed and I nodded.
"He ended up hitting me in my face for lying, even though I wasn't. I know he knew he fucked up because after he did it, I told him I was going to get Amaru to beat his ass and he looked so scared but he was trying to play tough because Bishop and all of the other guys ended up coming outside to see what was going on." She said.
"They threatened to jump Amaru if I told him anything and Bishop is Jay's cousin, I didn't even know that." She went on as I raised my eyebrows.
"That's exactly why I didn't want him to go without me." I told her.
"He isn't stupid Ri, Amaru has a gun." She told me and I nodded.
"You already know?" She asked me surprised and I nodded.
"I just found out today." I told her and she nodded.
My phone then buzzed indicating I had a text and it was from my mom and Amaru.
Mom❤️: You stayed at Amaru's last night?
Amaru: Tell Mani to give me his address.
I texted my mom back, telling her yes and then I texted Amaru back, telling him okay.
"Mani, what's Jay's address?" I asked her.
"I don't know." She shrugged.
"What?" I asked her, confused.
"I don't know, I've never been to his house." She said and I shook my head, just calling Amaru.
"Hello." Amaru said into the phone, angrily.
"She doesn't know his address." I told him and he sighed.
"And, Bishop is not at his crib." He explained.
"He's probably at school, where we should be." I told him.
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to let go of you this morning, so I just laid there and let time pass." He said and I shook my head.
"Where were they at last night?" He then asked me and I asked Mani.
"Where were y'all last night?" I asked her.
"Someone's house on 32nd." She said and I repeated it to Amaru.
"32nd?" He asked .
"Yes." I responded.
"Ask her if she heard of somebody name Gum?" He said and I furrowed my eyebrows.
"He said do you know anybody named Gum?" I asked Mani and she nodded her head, quickly.
"That's one of their friends." She said and I repeated that to Amaru.
"Alright. I'll be back there in a hour." He told me and I nodded as if he could see me.
"Be careful." I told him.
"Alright." He said before hanging up.
I sighed deeply, hoping this didn't get too out of hand.
**
❤️❤️