◆ ◇ ◆
Later that afternoon, Koco, followed by Jackson, burst through the mahogany door separating Knox's office from the rest of the gallery. Thanks to Jackson, the little girl knew when it was Knox's lunch break and she took advantage of that bit of information, racing to his location the first chance she got. She'd missed her brother's presence. Koco thought Jackson was nice and fun but he couldn't compare to her Bubba.
She stomped her way to his desk and stopped in front of him. Knox looked away from the computer screen to Koco and started to smile until he seen the frown etched on her young face. With a worried look, his eyes switched between his sister and his mentor.
He asked, "What's wrong?"
While Jackson shrugged and sat in a seat, Koco huffed and stomped around the desk to stand directly next to Knox.
"I am mad!" She told her brother. Knox's brow went up.
"Why are you mad?"
"Because," she stressed, adorably pacing in front of him, "you said we was gonna have a sista-brotha day. But you can't-you can't have a sista-brotha day without a sista an' a brotha! I haven't seen you all day an' I missed-ed you. You broke my heart, Bubba." She pouted and covered her face with her hands.
Knox pouted along with her as he lifted her up onto his lap. He tried to take her hands from her face but she wouldn't budge. So he hugged her and gave her a kiss on the forehead.
"I'm sorry, Bubbie,"-he kissed the crown of her head-"I've been working and doing older people stuff. I didn't mean to break your heart."
Slowly, Koco took her hands off of her face. Knox smiled. "I missed-ed you too. Can I get a kiss?" She nodded her head and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Alright! You forgive me?" She nodded her head again, and Knox's smile grew in size.
"That was easy." Jackson commented.
Knox stood and tossed Kolina into the air which had her tittering. He gave her a smacking kiss on her chubby cheek and sat her on his hip.
"Did you eat anything?" Knox asked her.
"I bought 'er a Lunchable and some cookies earlier," Jackson spoke up as he stood and straightened the labels of his suit.
"Oh, okay, cool. Thanks, man." Knox shook hands with Jackson before training his eyes on his little goddess. "Are you still hungry?"
"Uh-uh," she said, shaking her head.
"So, I guess that means you won't want any ice cream either, huh?"
"I do want ice cream!" She yelled.
"A'ight, you don't have to yell in my ear. Jackson, I'm 'bout to head out to lunch. Can you-"
"You already know that I got you, son. I'll handle stuff while you're gone."
"A'ight, thanks." With Koco on his hip, Knox started to leave.
"You know, I would suggest that you take Aiden wit' you, since you buyin' 'er McDonalds and pickin' 'er up, but she already gone."
"Where'd she go?" Knox questioned, ignoring everything else his mentor had said.
"Dana said she went somewhere with Malia."
"Who the hell is Malia?"
"The Spanish, finger-paintin' girl that talks too much. I swear that girl has the attention span of a doorknob but she talented though."
"Where'd she and Aiden go?" Knox asked again.
"Why you so concerned, son?"
"Because I don't want Aiden to be slackin'. She got shit to do and so does Maria or whatever the hell her name is."
"You sure that's the only reason. I mean, you 'round here buyin' 'er McDonalds-"
"That don't mean nothin'. I bought you a whole damn meal and I only bought her a frappe."
"That's probably all she asked fo'. Knowin' you, you would've gotten 'er anything else had she wanted it. What was she doin' in yo' car anyway? You pickin' 'er up in the mornin'? "
"Not that it's any of yo' business, old man, but I saw her walkin' from the bus stop and I decided to give her a lift."
"And you let 'er meet Koco."
"I let a lot of people meet Koco."
"You've never let any of your flings meet 'er. Veronica hasn't met 'er. Atleast not officially, she hasn't."
"Hailey has met her."
"And you were with Hailey fo' two years. She was pretty important to you. But you just met Aiden."
Frustrated, Knox sat Kolina on the ground and turned to Jackson with his arms crossed. "There you go implyin' shit again."
"I'm not implyin' anything."
"Yes, you are. There is nothin' going on with me and Aiden."
"I didn't say there was."
"But you're insinuatin' it."
"I was just curious. What am I supposed think when y'all walkin' in together, lookin' like a li'l family?"
Knox huffed and reached for Koco's hand. He was over the conversation. Opening the door, he bid Jackson a goodbye and stalked out of his office.
He continued to stalk down the hall until he reached the reception desk. "Veronica, I'm goin' to lunch."
"Okay, Mr. Reid," his assistant replied. "Hi, cutie," she addressed Kolina, who frowned and hid behind her brother.
Knox walked pass the front desk of the gallery and nodded to Dana, who was applying even more makeup to her face. He scowled, thinking she was gonna need more than an ugly-colored eye shadow to turn even one head.
When he and Koco got to his car, he opened the door for her and strapped her into the seatbelt. After making sure it was secure, be went and sat before the wheel. Then, with no specific destination in mind, he started the car.
•••••••
Aiden tapped her foot and sighed as Malia browsed through the rack of jeans. What was supposed to be a simple pizza run for Malia's grandfather turned into a long shopping spree for the hyper Latina. That poor old man was probably dying from hunger.
Aiden wouldn't have minded shopping with Malia if Aiden had money. She was getting aggravated because she was surrounded by pretty things she wanted but couldn't afford. Malia was enjoying herself but Aiden just wanted to leave.
Malia had been talking up a storm since they left the gallery. Even now, as she looked for a new pair of jeans, she was still yapping. She talked about anything and everything and the topics changed like the weather. Aiden simply could not keep up with what Malia was saying.
"So one time mi mama took me shopping for a new pair of jeans. It was just after Labor Day and you know how they say you're not supposed to wear white but I wanted to be a badass and wear white anyway. So there were these cute pair of white pants, it was the last pair in my size and I wanted them so bad but my mom said that they cost too much. I convinced her to just let me try them on though. So I go in the dressing room to try them on, cierto? And, Blondie, they were so gorgeous on me. I seriously loved those pants. So I go to show my mother how they look on me and as I turn and start gushing about how cute they are, she goes, 'What's that?' And I'm like, 'What's what?' She comes and looks at whatever she seen and she just gasps. I'm like, 'Mami, what is it?' And she says, 'Malia, how could you not know you were on your period?' How embarrassing is that?" Malia raved in one breath.
Aiden blinked twice. "So what happened afterwards?"
"She ended up having to buy them and that did not make her happy." Malia picked up a light pair of boot cut jeans and held them up to her hips. "I like these."
Leaving Aiden, Malia went to get a dressing room. Aiden, sighing deeply, slumped and leaned onto the rack of jeans. I should've stayed at the gallery, she thought.
"Aiden Jean?"
Aiden turned at the call of her name to see her sisters standing behind her. Jenna was standing directly in front of her with Everett, looking at some shirts, just a few steps behind Jenna.
"Yes, Jenny?"
"Hi."
"Hello."
"Where'd you run off to this morning?"
"Pardon me, but I don't think that's any of your concern," Aiden quipped, stepping around Jenna to hug her favorite sister. Aiden jumped onto Everett, making her stumble backwards.
"Aiden Jean!" Everett scorned. "Get off of me!"
Aiden obliged after giving Everett a kiss on her lips and Everett glared at Aiden.
"So, Eve," Jenna spoke, "our little AJ is keeping secrets from us. I asked her where she went this morning and she told me it wasn't any of my concern. Maybe you can get her to tell you where she was."
"First off, I am still standing here Jenna Nicole. Second, do you call yourself tattletaling on me to Everett? What the hell is she gonna do? Ground me?" Aiden sneered.
Jenna was prepared to reply when Everett stepped between the two of her sister. "You guys, please, don't argue in public. Not only is it embarrassing but it is also un-ladylike."
Out the corner of her eye, Aiden seen Malia exit the dressing room with her jeans in hands. She was relieved when she saw the Latina get in line for check out.
"I'll be leaving now," Aiden informed them, "See you two at home."
She did a speedy walk to Malia and as soon as the Latina saw her, she started talking again. Aiden toned her out.
After Malia bought the jeans, they headed to the pizzeria in the loud food center of the mall to get Malia's grandfather a pizza. As they stood in line at the pizzeria, Aiden's eyes scanned the area and landed on one particular man in a suit holding the hand of a little girl, who was busy lapping away at an ice cream cone, standing in front of a Chinese restaurant.
Aiden smiled.
"Malia," Aiden injected in the girl's ranting, "I see someone I know and I'm just gonna go talk to them. Uhm, you don't have to give me a ride back. I'll just go with them."
"Oh, okay. You sure you'll be okay?"
"I'm positive. This was...fun. We should do this again sometime. Maybe when you're not the only one with money?"
"Cierto, definitely." Malia agreed.
By the time Aiden had sauntered over to the restaurant, Knox was concluding his order of shrimp fried rice and two eggs rolls at the register.
"Will that be all for you?" The employee checked.
"Yeah-" Knox began to answer when Aiden chimed in. "Actually, could you add a order of beef and broccoli, with fried rice, and a Pepsi? Oh, and another egg roll too?" The employee nodded.
"Hi, snowflake!" Koco greeted. Aiden grinned at the little girl.
Knox paid for the food and the employee handed him the bag of greasy goodness. Knox gave Aiden her lunch. As they walked off to a table, she pinched his cheek. "Thank you, Reid. You're a keeper."
"Where Maria?" Knox wondered.
"You mean Malia? She's getting pizza for her grandfather. I ditched her and you're giving me a ride back to the gallery. And if you're a good boy, I'll let you drive me to the bus stop later on."
"You sure know how to give a man some hope," he jested, pulling out the seats for Koco and then Aiden. "You came here when you left the gallery earlier, or did you go somewhere else?"
"I swear, you're stalking me. Are you here because you knew I was here?"
"I swear, I'm not. I just wanted some Chinese food. I had no idea that a familiar blonde would come and force me to buy her food and be her personal driver."
"Yeah, sure..."
Interrupting Knox and Aiden's conversation, Koco tugged twice on her brother's sleeve. When she had his attention, she pointed towards the square of kiddie rides, occupied by giggling children. "Bubba, can I play on those?"
Knox dug into his pockets and gave her four quarters. She kissed his cheek before skipping off to the coin-operated machines with her ice cream in her hand.
"She's too cute." Aiden stared after the little girl with a smile on her face. "She really adores you."
"The feelin' is mutual. I'd give Kolina the world, the universe- including all its stars and galaxies-heaven and, if she wanted it, hell too."
Aiden cracked open her soda and took a sip. "Where you happy when you found out that you were gonna be an older brother?"
"Yeah, I was elated. After fifteen years of bein' an only child, I was excited about havin' a siblin', who I could look after and inspire. When Koco was born and I held her in my arms for the first time, I didn't wanna put her down. I held her as much as possible. Whenever we'd lay her down, she'd cry because she was used to bein' held, specifically by me."
"Aww, that's so cute."
"She caught an attitude wit' me earlier because I wasn't spendin' time with her. She said I broke her heart."
Aiden put a hand over her own heart and stared at him. "Awe. Reid, how could you?"
Knox shrugged. "I didn't mean to. Shit, I had to work." She sent him a disapproving look.
Knox and Aiden opened their cartons of Chinese food and began to eat. Neither of them prayed before they forked a pile of fried rice into their mouths.
"So, Reid?" She spoke after swallowing her food.
"So, Snowflake?" Knox reciprocated, still chewing.
"Last time we ate together, we talked about me, correct?"
"Yeah," he agreed. "So?"
"So, this time we're gonna talk about you." she peeked at him over the rim of her can as she took a swig. Knox groaned, causing Aiden to smirk. "What? It's only fair. We're gonna be business partners in a way, right? You learned some stuff about me and now I get to learn some stuff about you."
He rolled his eyes. "Wha' do you wanna know?"
"Just tell me about yourself," she told him, remembering what he'd said at the diner. "I want to know everything."
"You don't need to know everything."
"Okay, fine. What did you do when you were six?" She asked boldly. It was something she'd been wondering about for three weeks. When she'd asked him the question during their luncheon, Knox had shied away from her and had a momentary emotional shut down. She hasn't been able to get the sad expression he wore off of her mind.
Knox started choking on his food. He looked around the table for something to drink only to realize that he hadn't bought himself a beverage. Aiden noticed this too and offered him her Pepsi. He didn't hesitate to drink after her.
He handed her back the drink, now half empty, and thanked her.
"You're welcome," she replied. "Whatever it was, it must've been pretty serious to have you choking like that."
◇ ◆ ◇
"What exactly do you mean, what did I do when I was six?" Knox asked after he'd settled down. "I was a very active child."
"Was there anything in particular that you did? Any memories that stand out the most?" Aiden specified.
Knox leaned back in the metal chair, and contemplated his answer. Then, he turned his eyes to her. "My father left."
"Oh," she said softly. "Do you know why?"
Knox shrugged. "He and Lor-...my mother got into a heated argument and he just packed his bags and left. I thought he was going on a vacation but he never came back. That's all I remember."
"Wow," Aiden whispered compassionately. And this time, she did reach out to him, taking his large hand into her smaller one. "Does that still make you sad?"
"No. I'm over it," he assured her. "Honestly, I don't remember spending much time with dude anyway. I've even forgotten what the hell he looks like."
Aiden, gentle and absentminded, compassionately rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand. Knox looked at their clasped hands, so different in comparison, and timidly pulled his hand from her hold.
He went back to eating his food.
Like the first time they'd had lunch together, an uncomfortable silence fell over them. They both ate quietly and avoided eye contact with the other. Aiden sipped on her soda while scanning the faces of the overcrowded food court. She spotted her sisters in line at Chick-fil-A.
"Is that all you wanted to know?" Knox broke the silence. Aiden's eyes snapped back to him.
"Pardon?"
"You didn't have any more questions for me?"
"Oh, uhm..." she thought quickly and then shrugged as she asked, "What's your favorite color?"
Knox thought it was a basic question but humored her. "Scarlet."
"Why scarlet?"
"Because Mary Jane has scarlet hair."
"Who's Mary Jane?"
"You'on't know Mary Jane, from Spiderman?" He asked, incredulously.
"Oh! Psssh, I thought you were talking about marijuana for a second there." Knox shook his head and chuckled. "So, you like Spiderman. I'm more of a Buzz Lightyear kind of gal."
"What? He's not even a real superhero." Aiden opened her mouth to argue, but Knox raised his hands in surrender. "You know what? It doesn't even matter. In fact, later on, you can come over and I'll take you to infinity and beyond."
Fried rice spurted from her mouth as she started laughing. "Oh my goodness, you did not just say that. That was so corny, Knox."
He shrugged. "As long as I get to see your beautiful smile, I'll be as corny as a bag of Fritos."
She blushed and grinned. "Oh my goodness."
"You got a friend in me."
"Stop it, Knox. You sound ridiculous."
"I'm only like this when I'm with you, Snowflake. I call it the Aiden Effect."
"Really?"
"Uh huh."
They continued to joke and play around as they ate. Aiden asked Knox how he'd developed his love for Spiderman. There was no significant reason for his liking of the fictional hero except Knox's admiration for Spiderman's "awesomeness". He admitted that his first impressive drawing was of the comic book character. He'd been so proud of it; he'd colored it and everything. He even had the picture hung up somewhere in his condo.
She asked plenty of questions, the topics ranging from their favorite seasons to life in school. They found that they had a lot of things in common. Aiden discovered that Knox, like Malia, had a rare talent of talking. She didn't complain, however, and listened to his every word.
Knox, of course, flirted with her every other minute yet he seemed to be holding back. If he wanted to, he could lay the charm on thick but for some reason he didn't want to charm her. He just wanted to talk. And Aiden was a patient listener.
She started to mention parents and Knox smoothly swapped subjects.
By the time they were done eating, Koco had returned with sticky hands. Aiden watched Knox as he mothered his little sister as if she were his own child.
Kolina complained of thirst and Knox led them to a random restaurant. While they were in line, a little boy from Koco's school- Knox later discovered that the boy's name was Jahmani- hugged Koco and pecked her cheek. Aiden and the little boy's mother cooed and snapped pictures while Knox frowned and Koco stood indifferently. Knox hastily bought him and Koco a drink and got another for Aiden. He grabbed his sister's free hand and the three of them walked away as Jahmani waved frantically at Kolina's small receding figure.
••••••
After lunch, they went back to the gallery. Aiden separated herself from the siblings and headed back to the studios, where she goofed around with the art supplies. Instead of taking her to Jackson, Knox let Koco stay with him in his office. He still worked but Koco didn't mind. She just wanted her Bubba in her sight. She spent her time running circles around his desk and drawing on the Kid Pix application in his computer.
Hours passed and it was soon closing time. The agents packed up and bid their boss goodbye as they passed his office. When Veronica stopped by she offered to come to his place later but Knox declined. He refused to engage in any sexual activities while his younger sister was around and she'd be staying with him for a week. He gave Veronica a light and friendly kiss on the cheek and apologized for the attitude he'd given her earlier before sending her away.
Jackson was the next person to bid Knox a goodbye. He knocked on the door and stepped in.
"Hey, you ain't staying late tonight are you?" he asked, picking up Koco, who was fighting her sleepiness. Her head kept drooping and her eyes were practically closed. Jackson kissed her forehead and swayed as he held her, pushing her further into the world of slumber.
"No, I'm going home," Knox told him. He shut down his laptop and put it in its case.
"Okay, good. You both need some rest." Jackson stared at Knox intently. "You been lookin' tired lately, son. Is there anything you wanna talk about?"
Knox shook his head. "I've got a lot on mind but I'll be fine."
Jackson nodded his head but he didn't look convinced. "A'ight. You know, if you wanna talk I'm here fo' you. You can call me anytime and tell me anything. Our conversations don't have to be just business related."
"When are our conversations ever business related, old man? I work but you don't do shit." Knox joked.
Jackson chuckled. "I'll remember that when yo' hyper ass need a babysitter. You gon' ask for somethin' and I'm gon' say, 'Nope cause I don't do shit.'"
"You'll do it cause you ain't got shit else to do."
"You forget, I gotta teenage son to take care of," Jackson said. "Speaking of the li'l knuckle-head, we goin' bowlin' this weekend. You wanna come wit' us?"
Knox thought about it and nodded his head. "Yeah. That'll be cool."
"A'ight. Bring Koco too. And Aiden." Knox frowned at him. Jackson laughed. "I'm just playin', boy."
Knox grabbed his stuff and offered to take Koco but Jackson turned him away.
Together, they walked to the main lobby, where Aiden was speaking to Dana. At the sound at their footsteps, she turned and looked at them before turning back to the girl.
"Malia and I were planning on going to the mall one day. You're welcome to join us." Aiden said to the receptionist.
Dana was stunned by the offer. "Seriously? Y-you want me to come with you?"
"I don't see why not."
Dana blushed and fiddled with her hands. "I would love to."
"Okay, then. I'll be sure to tell you when."
She turned to Knox, who was watching Dana.
"Are you ready?" she asked him. He looked at her.
"Ready for what?"
"Are you ready to drive me to the bus stop, silly?"
He shrugged, and they walked out to Knox's car. Jackson placed Koco in the back seat and strapped her in. Knox opened the passenger door for Aiden and she got in as well. The two men embraced and Jackson waved at Aiden before he walked off.
Knox jumped in front of the wheel. He started the car and drove in the direction of the bus stop. As he drove he asked, "Would you like for me to just take you home instead?"
"Thanks but no thanks. You already have stalker tendencies. I don't need you knowing where I live." She grinned at him.
•••
Sometime later, Knox was home, laying on his sofa while watching TV. He'd laid Koco in her room, where she was in a deep sleep. She'd slept through the entire ride from the gallery and hadn't stirred when Knox carried her from the car to her bed.
He was starting to go to sleep himself when his cell phone, located on the coffee table, chimed. He drowsily picked it up but it slipped from his hand as he dozed off once again. He didn't bother to pick it up as he turned on his side and went to sleep.
Knox was just arriving home from school. The house was silent, causing him to frown. He'd seen his mom's truck in the driveway and knew she was here. Was she sleep? He hoped so.
He'd been avoiding her to the best of his abilities since finding out that what they were doing was incest. He'd signed up for the after school art club and robotics to keep him busy. On days when those two activities weren't keeping him busy enough, he went to a friend's house.
He did anything to keep away from Loretta. She'd become a walking temptation in his eyes. And since Knox was pulling away, she was becoming sexually frustrated. One night she'd tried riding him while he was sleep. Knox was awakened to her hopping on his half-hard, half-limp dick. As much as he'd wanted to grab her hips and encourage her, he pretended to still be asleep.
Incest was wrong.
Loretta had given up that night. But on other nights, she'd tried to catch him before he could get in his room. He'd run in it and lock the door, causing her to scream and bang on it. She'd weep, saying, "Knox, I need you!" She would be begging and pleading for him to open the door, but he wouldn't. She'd given up once again.
As if late, she'd been avoiding him as well and Knox didn't like it.
He dropped his bag and entered the kitchen, looking around. There was a wine bottle and two glasses on the table and an unfamiliar coat on the back of a chair.
His heart started to pound. Was there someone there? If so, they could only be one place if they weren't anywhere downstairs. He started to the stairs. In the fourth step, he heard something.
Stopping, he listened closely. He ears picked up the sound of moaning.
Loretta.
After so many "lessons", he knew her moans like the back of his own hand.
He ascended the stairs faster. The higher he went the louder her moans got. To Knox, they seemed to be surrounding him, causing his blood to boil.
He reached the top step and walked on unstable legs to the master bedroom. Standing in front of the door, Loretta's moaning floated around him in a taunting manner. He could also hear the fwap fwap of skin hitting skin.
Seething, he grabbed the doorknob, twisted it, and pushed. The door silently swung open.
Loretta and the man that was balls deep inside of her didn't seem to notice Knox standing at the door. The man's face was covered in sweat. He was panting and his eyes were closed.
Knox stared at him and squinted. He looked familiar.
His eyes turned to his mother and his breath caught. She was now staring right at him. She looked surprised at first but then she smirked. She wrapped her arms around the familiar man's neck and encouraged to go deeper. Stronger. Harder. And faster.
Knox, mad and heartbroken, decided not to watch anymore. He turned and stormed down the hallway and ran down the stairs. He stomped to the door, prepared to go outside and walk to Gemini's. He could use a friend at the moment.
Only outside wasn't really outside. Knox opened the front door and faced a corridor. He stepped out and the door slammed shut behind him. He turned to open it back up but it was locked.
Panicked, he looked around. The hallway was familiar to him.
His feet had a mind of their own as they led him to a door at the end of the hall. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a key. He swallowed hard before putting it in the lock and turning it.
He stepped into the condo and glanced around at the tan color scheme. He realized that it was his home. Or it would be. At the moment he was still in school. He went and stood in the middle of the living room.
Like before, the sound started off low. He couldn't really hear it until he concentrated on it. This time it wasn't moaning but crying.
He followed the sound and came to a stop in front of the first door he saw. On the door were small letter stickers that read:
KOLINA'S ROYAL BEDROOM
PEASANTS NOT ALLOWED
A drawing hung underneath the words. There were two smiling stick figures (one smaller than the other) holding hands and standing in front of a house. One was labeled "Kolina" and the other "Bubba".
A wail sounded from inside of the room. Then a loud smack as if someone was hit. The crying got worse.
Knox opened the door and saw a little girl with a curly 'fro sitting on the bed. Her face was streaked with tears and her left cheek was reddening. Knox noticed that the little girl was completely naked. She had her arms wrapped around her upper body. Like his mom and the man, she didn't notice him standing there. Instead her eyes were trained solely on something across the room.
He followed her line of vision and saw a tripod. The person behind it- standing naked, smirking and beating his meat- was none other than himself.
And the little girl was Koco.
◇ ◆ ◇
Sitting on his bed, Knox gazed into the darkness that filled his room. He'd been sitting there for some time, busy thinking, reminiscing and feeling sorry for himself.
Outside of his window, the sky was as dark as his room. The moon was hidden by grey storm clouds. The weather reflected his mood. Knox wanted to cry tears as fat as the raindrops that pounded against his window.
The dream--nightmare? Maybe flashback?--had left him confused and terrified. What did it mean? What did it symbolize?
He'd dreamt of Loretta. That was nothing new. He was always dreaming of her. She was his most popular thought, popping up in his mind persistently throughout his day.
What he'd seen in his dream, when he saw Loretta in bed with a man he'd kind of recognized, had actually happened. He was sure that part was a flashback. So did that mean the other part was a vision?
A lump formed his throat when he thought of the look on his sister's face. He would never do that to her.
Or would he? After all, he was his mother's child.
Hell no, Knox thought. He wouldn't. Koco was a precious gem. She was innocent and he planned on keeping it that way. It had always been his plan to keep Koco from everything Loretta had exposed him to as a child. He turned the television whenever a kissing seen popped up. So why was there this feeling that he would hurt her? That he would do to her what his mom had done to him?
Why should Koco have an easy childhood and not me?, he wondered. What had she done to deserve one?
Knox pinched the bridge of his nose and stood, walking to the bathroom. He slid the mirror to the side and scanned the shelves of his medicine cabinet. He spotted the green box, hidden behind Nyquil and a bottle of antidepressants, easily. Moving the other items aside he grabbed the Newports and closed the mirror.
•••
He'd eased up on smoking a long time ago. It used to be a bad habit, one that he decided to break sometime after Koco's birth. He'd told himself that he'd never smoke again. He'd lied.
This wasn't the first time he'd regressed to tobacco to calm himself down. He was sure it wouldn't be the last. Despite the damage it was causing, the cigarette helped his mind to settle.
A chime sounded from the living room to the balcony, where he was smoking. Rolling his eyes, he exhaled the smoke out of his nose slowly and reluctantly dabbed the cigarette's burning end on the railing before tossing the filter. He walked back into his condo, closing and locking the balcony's sliding doors and went to pick up his phone, ringing painstakingly loud on the living room carpet. He answered it without looking at who was calling.
"Hello?"
"Knox, my dude!" A fairly ecstatic voice said. "How's it goin', man?"
Knox pulled the phone away and checked the caller ID. He didn't recognize the number. Putting the phone back to his ear, he asked, "Who the hell is this?"
"Are you serious right now? Knox, buddy! You don't recognize my voice, man?"
Knox shook his head. "Look, man, if you don't tell me who you are, I'm hangin' up."
"It's Freddie! Your old friend!"
"White boy Freddie? The one from school?"
"Yeah, man!"
"Man, Freddie, I ain't heard from yo' ass in five years. How you get my number, bro?"
"That Indian chick from your job-"
"Veronica?"
"Yeah, yeah! I told her I was a friend of yours, hell, I even showed an old picture of you, me, and the boys when we were younger. She gave me your cell number."
"How did you know where I worked at?"
"Well, I didn't until I got there. Wow, dude, you're a director at an art agency! That's great as shit, man. I'm real happy for you."
Knox switched the phone to his other hand and sat down on the sofa. "Yeah, thanks. What you been up to Freddie?"
Freddie sighed on the other end of the phone. "Man, shit. I've just been tryin' to make a way in the world, you know? Shit's been tough but I'm makin' it. Just had a baby, a little boy. He's slobberin' all over shit right now and grabbin' everything in sight. Had to take his little ass to the pediatrician the other day 'cause the little fuck decided to drink some bleach."
"Oh, shit. He okay?"
"Yeah, he's fine, man. But his damned mom's been all over my fuckin' case. Some of it splashed in his eye and got all over his clothes-"
"Well, how did he get to the bleach?"
"I don't fuckin' know. I guess he was playing underneath the sink and he got to it. The cap was probably loose."
"Wow."
"Yeah. His mom's been on my case about everything. Now, whenever I watch him, she's callin' every other goddamned minute. As if I don't know how to take care of my fuckin' kid."
"She's just concerned, man. You outta be glad that she cares."
"Whatever." Freddie huffed. "Anyway, Knox, I wanted to talk to you 'bout somethin'."
"Uh huh?"
"Like I said earlier about your job and all that stuff, it's really cool, man. I'm happy to hear that everything is going well for you. I just wish I could say the same for myself. But things have just been bad..." He paused.
"What's up?" Knox encouraged.
"Well, for starters, I just got put out if my fuckin' place-"
"Why?"
"Couldn't pay the fuckin' rent on time." Freddie sighed. "So, now I'm back living with my mom...and her husband."
"You mean your daddy?"
"Don't fuck with me, Knox."
Knox chuckled. Freddie had always despised his step-father, Seth, and hated to think of the man as anything other than his mother's husband. Knox remembered a time when Freddie stayed over Junior's house for over a week, simply because Freddie's mom had requested that Freddie acknowledge Seth as his father. Knox, Gemini, and Demarcus used to constantly pick on the white boy for being so unnecessarily dramatic.
"So, have you been goin' job huntin'?" Knox asked.
"That's what I was doing today. That's how I ended up at the agency," Freddie explained. "That's what I wanted to talk you about..."
When Freddie went silent, Knox spoke. "I'm listening..."
Freddie stayed silent for some time before he blurted, "I wanna be an artist."
Knox frowned while nodding his head. "Okay...?"
"And I want you to help me." Freddie added.
Knox rubbed his chin in thought. "You want me to help you get attention or to create?"
Freddie thought about it for a while and then shrugged. "Both, I guess-"
"I can only help you get attention. I can't provide creativity if you don't already have it."
"Oh, well-"
"I don't even remember you ever being able to draw, Fred. What, you make a pact with the devil or something? You traded your soul for some Francis Bacon fingers?"
"Who the hell is Francis Bacon? He invented bacon?"
Knox's face dropped. "Man... And you say you wanna be an artist? I know a blonde that's smarter than you. More talented too."
"My drawing skills were not that bad. They were just abstract."
"Freddie, handicapped stick figures are not 'abstract'." Knox laughed.
"Any-damn-ways, I took some classes and I've improved."
"You can't improve something you never had. You acquired skills, you didn't enhance them. Get it right, cracka." Unlike Aiden, Freddie wasn't offended by the word. He was even the reason Knox felt so comfortable saying it in the first place.
Freddie sucked his teeth. "Fuck you." Knox laughed. "You gon' help me or not?"
Knox sighed and scratched his head. "Yeah, man. Come to the agency tomorrow and bring your portfolio. You do have a portfolio, right?"
"Yeah, yeah."
"A'ight, come through and we'll talk."
They ended the call after confirming a meet up. Knox stood and stretched as he yawned loudly. His arms shook as they reached towards the ceiling. He walked to the kitchen feeling better than he did some time before. It felt good hearing from his old friend, even if Freddie wanted an opportunity instead of a rekindled friendship. The phone call made Knox feel a little less lonely.
He opened the door to his fridge and scanned its shelves. He was considering making a late breakfast when he heard a door creak open.
Rubbing her eyes, Kolina sluggishly dragged her bunny slippers across the floor and walked into the kitchen. "Bubba..."
Even with the cool air oozing from the refrigerator, Knox's face got hot. "Hey, Koco. You finally woke up?"
She nodded and walked up to him with her arms open. At seven years of age, she still wanted to be picked up.
Grabbing eggs and breakfast sausages, Knox closed the fridge and pretended not to see her. With shaky hands, he set the food on the counter and grabbed a bowl from one of the cabinets. Without looking at her, he asked, "Hungry?"
She didn't answer. Whining, she stepped closer to him and tugged on his pajama pants. "Bubba..."
"What? Why you always act like a baby when you wake up? Don't you see me cooking?" He gently pushed her away. "Go sit down somewhere while I make this food."
Ignoring what he said, she hugged his leg. Her innocent touch sent a wave of repulsion and anger through his body and he gripped the back of her shirt and aggressively tugged her away from him. Koco whined. "I said to go sit down, Kolina! Get away from me. And stop whining so damn much. Shit. Just go sit down."
Not accustomed to being treated harshly by get Bubba, Koco walked back to her room with tears in her eyes. Knox watched her go and took a calming breath. He turned on the radio and continued to cook.
The food was ready minutes later and he made the both of them a plate. He walked slowly down the hallway to his sister's room, each step reminding him of his dream. And eerily, he could hear Koco weeping. It wasn't as loud as in his dream but it was crying nonetheless. He opened her do to see her curled into a ball and unintentionally checked to see if she was fully dressed. She was, of course.
Knox walked over to her bed and leaned over her. "What's wrong, Kolina?" He questioned.
Koco hiccupped. She couldn't find the courage to voice it but her feelings were hurt. She felt as if her brother no longer wanted her around anymore. She was used to being treated like this by her mom. But she'd never seen Bubba so upset. And she thought it was all her fault.
"I wanna go home." She cried.
Knox's heart dropped, a lump formed in his throat. He wanted her to stay but at the same time, he didn't. Maybe she'd be safer with Loretta. "Okay...I'll take you tomorrow."
•••
"It seems today- that all you see- is violence and movies and sex on TV!" Aiden sang along to the show as she washed the last few plates from yesterday's dinner.
Everett entered the kitchen dramatically and posed on the counter beside her sister, joining in on the screeching. "But where are those good, old-fashioned values-?"
Together they sang, "On which we used to rely!"
Everett danced around the kitchen as Aiden swayed her small hips.
Aiden dried her hands and ran over to her sister. They hip bumped as Jenna, watching her sisters make fools out if themselves, stood in the doorway with her arms crossed. Aiden and Everett continued singing.
They laughed and shoved one another and Jenna shook her head. "You two are crazy."
Aiden walked up to Jenna and playfully bit her lip seductively and rubbed on her sister's arm. "Yeah, crazy for you, babe."
Jenna smirked. "Is that right?"
"Mhm. You know, I'm only like this with you. I call it the Jenna Effect." Jenna smacked her lips and pushed Aiden into the wall. The shove wasn't very aggressive yet Aiden pouted and held her elbow as if it were in pain.
Everett stuck her tongue out at her. "Quit acting like a baby."
Aiden reached out and twisted her sister's nipple, saying, "Who's the baby now, bi-otch?"
Laughing, Aiden ran into the living and hopped onto the couch. Everett was right behind her and did the same, her knees digging into Aiden's thighs. Everett picked up a pillow and started hitting Aiden, who was still laughing. Everett discarded the pillow and started spanking Aiden's butt with her hands. Aiden moaned, causing Everett to frown before kicking Aiden onto the carpeted floor.
Sitting up, Aiden blew strands of hair from her face. "What? I thought we were having fun?"
"Nuh-uh, not like that." Everett shook her head, laughing. Jenna walked into the living room with a bowl of kettle corn and sat beside Everett. At the sight of food, Aiden squealed and went to sit on Jenna's lap, nearly knocking the bowl out of her hands.
"Jesus, Aiden Jean, what the hell is wrong with you tonight? You're hopping all over the damn place, pinching nipples and shit! Calm down." Jenna scowled.
Aiden shrugged and stuffed a handful of kettle corn into her mouth. "I'ont know. I'm jwust happwy tonigh'..." she muffled.
Jenna pushed her away as Aiden showed the moist goo of food on her tongue. Grimacing, Jenna nodded her head. "We can tell."
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