"I can't believe Aaliyah cheated on you," Safiya fumed. "Just wait till I get hold of that bitch. Why the hell would she do that knowing all the shit our family supplied her with. She just another broken down Memphis bitch from the hood."
"Watch your mouth," Bahari's mother warned. "Maybe she's lying. I know her well now and I know she scared to even look another guy's way. She's even still nervous around you, Bahari."
Bahari only shrugged lazily while slouching down on the couch. Knowing the viral video of Jay Murda confessing to rape multiple underage girls, had him heated.
As much as he didn't want to care, he couldn't stop thinking about Aaliyah. Seconds later he got a phone call the Shelby County jail...
"Bahari," she managed to cry out. "I'm sorry! I lied this morning out of spite!"
"Why are you in jail?" Bahari asked quickly putting on his bubble coat. "Where is my son?"
"My auntie called the cops on me, saying I had something to do with getting Shari raped by Jay Murda. My mom has Braylin," she cried. "They took me in for questioning, asking all types of question. About you and your god brother."
"What you say, ma?" He sighed hopping in his car.
"I told them the honest truth. I left the party to go get my son. It was raining bad so I crashed at my baby father's house. I answered the questions they gave me and that was it, nothing more. They tried threatening me as much as they could about me losing you but they had nothing on you. If they did, I would've just took the blame."
Hearing her say that, made him feel warm inside but then again someone was playing with her life and his also.
"Please pick me up. They put me in handcuffs before I could walk inside my house. I had nothing to do with this!" Aaliyah fumed.
"I'm on my way," he said.
•••
Aaliyah waited outside with her arms crossed. She had on a light pink puffer jacket in the freezing cold.
Moments later, she seen Bahari's Range Rover pull up. She quickly walked to the truck and got in. She hugged him for dear life before people started honking their horn.
"I never thought I would have to experience that," she said turning his music all the way down; it was way too loud for her liking.
"Nawl, you auntie foul for that shit. If Ian even have respect for you and Leon's child, I would do some real damage," he vented. "It's best for me not to even go over there."
"My mom said she got into a big fight with her when they took me. She's not there," Aaliyah told him.
He nodded and went in the direction to get her home. After getting something to eat, he arrived at her house.
"Ian coming in," he said shaking his head. "Just bring some clothes and my son. You not staying over here—fuck no ion care who say some'."
She sighed while getting out the car. When she knocked on the door her mother answered it and quickly brought her into a tight hug.
"What happened?!" She exclaimed. "Who the fuck is Jason Murderer?!"
"Jay Murda.....Ma, that whole situation ain't got nun' to do with me. That's trifling that Ivory would pin something so serious on me when she knows I'm going to college in fall," she explained. "The fact that I told her—I told her to call Tamara and tell her the truth. Just wait till I see her!"
Aaliyah continued to rant as she went upstairs to pack some bags.
"Where you think you going?" Andrea frowned.
"I know I'm going with Bahari," she said smartly. "Me and Braylin."
"Did you ask?" Andrea quizzed while raising an eyebrow.
"I'm almost eighteen ma," she chuckled. "And I take care of myself and child."
"You still underaged!" Andrea reminded as Aaliyah left out the room with a backpack, duffel bag, and Braylin's diaper bag. "Don't you walk away when I'm talking to you! What the fuck is up with you?!"
"Not today momma," she sighed while picking Braylin up from his jumper. "I'll call you later."
Andrea didn't know what to say to keep her daughter from walking out on her. She just couldn't lose her second daughter. "Aaliyah Chanel Richardson, if you walk out that door you might as well walk out for good."
Aaliyah turned to look at her and she looked at the floor for while. "...I'll come get all my stuff tomorrow."
•••
"Awwn, he so cute," Aaliyah cooed at Levi. He was really small with red skin.
"Girl, I'm just glad he's a quiet baby," Sparkle laughed while Braylin played with her necklace Samyr gave her.
"Braylin I wish you was this little, fat man," she smirked. He just showed his two bottom teeth and squinted his big eyes. "Piece of work."
"I hope me and Levi's bond is as tight as yours," Sparkle giggled. "Y'all already got a little handshake."
She looked down think about her own mother. She wondered if her mother was just talking. She thought she was playing but Andrea had her clothes in a garbage bag waiting by the garbage can.
Aaliyah was heated at the time and cursed her mother out from outside the door and blocked her. She was way too stubborn to apologize. She still felt like her mother was in the wrong.
"Bout time," Sparkle said getting up and grabbing a breakfast bag from Samyr, which he got from a local corner store.
"Damn, what's wrong with you?" Samyr frowned while grabbing his son who was trying adjust his mouth on her nipple that peeked through her tank top. "You see my son hungry Sparkle, you worried about yo stomach but not his."
"I just fed him, he is okay," she said biting into her breakfast sandwich.
Bahari gave Aaliyah her sandwich without making eye contact. They had got into a heated argument due to her going off on her mom.
She rolled her eyes hard and snatched the sandwich from him. He wasn't about to make a scene, because that's all she wanted.
"What's wrong with them?" Sparkle whispered in Samyr's ear.
He only shrugged and quickly scuffled down his food.
Aaliyah threw the breakfast sandwich at him and stormed out the house. Braylin had called her out in gibberish but she just kept going.
She didn't know where she was going but she just needed to walk for awhile. She always had things her way, but as she got older things started to change she just wasn't happy. Nobody could satisfied her right now.
"Aye," somebody called from the passenger seat of '06 gold Honda. Aaliyah kept walking. She had a rare walk—almost like a model. "You fine as fuck. Let me give you a ride."
Aaliyah cursed in her head since she left her phone on the table. She just kept walking with arms crossed. When she was about to cross the street the car quickly got in front.
"Get the fuck out my way!" She raged and kicked a dent in the car. The two guys had the meanest mug on their faces and quickly got out the car.
Aaliyah was no runner so she just backed up slowly. Another car pulled up and she knew she was about to have an anxiety attack.
But to her surprise, it was her sister in the flesh. Aniyah was wearing all black with red heels. She had a vivid red lipstick applied onto her full lips. She lit her blunt an inhaled twice before leaning on her car.
"Bitch this shit ain't got nothing to do with you," the young man growled while yanking Aaliyah's arm to him. "Get back in you fucking car unless you wanna get fucked too."
"Tavis right?" Aniyah questioned. "Your mom stay on 21st street right off Holmes parkway?"
His grip loosened and Aaliyah quickly got inside the car. She watched how spooked they were and damn near ran away from their own car.
Aniyah got back inside and started her car. "Now, why do you keep making dumb ass decisions. Main reason why I don't think Bahari is good for you."
"He really not," she mumbled looking down at her promise ring. "I think it's time to let him go. He been irritating the fuck out of me."
"Don't be saying shit out of spite," she said driving in the direction to their mother's house. "If you gone leave him, leave him for a real reason."
"Umm," Aaliyah frowned. "Why we at momma house?"
"We're apologizing," Aniyah said unbuckling her seatbelt. "Let's go."
"I didn't do nuthin'!" Aaliyah sassed. "She's the one who had my stuff by the trash can."
Aniyah paused and peered over at her sister. "Get m the fuck out the car and don't make me repeat myself."
Aaliyah sucked her teeth and got out with an attitude. Aaliyah unlocked the door and they walked in. Andrea was sitting on the couch blowing her nose and crying while looking at pictures of a younger Aniyah and Aaliyah.
She had been drinking pink moscato the whole night and that morning. She even was smoking reefer. She used to smoke when they were young but stop. Stress was through the roof, and she needed it.
When Andrea looked up, she cried more. "Why? No tell me I won't get mad. What did I do so wrong to be treated this way?"
They were both quiet with their arms crossed and waited for her to continue.
"Is it my fault that I took double shifts so y'all won't go through what I was going through? I just wanted y'all to have a better life than me but—but it's like everything is going down," she sobbed. "Please come back home. I can't think straight. I just want to have my family with me. I need you two."
They all could make a flood with all the tears they had in their eyes. Aaliyah and Andrea were surprised that Aniyah agreed to come back.
They're family was their main priority and everyone just had to deal with it.
•••
Aaliyah sent Bahari a quick text, telling him to come down so they could talk. Braylin was at home with her mother and she had already got all her things from his house.
He got inside her car without a shirt on with some red adidas joggers and a velvet durag. He smelled so good and the look on his face almost made her change her mind about breaking up with him.
"Wussup?" She said looking at him and his body language.
He nodded and started playing with his phone. He knew she was trying to break up with him.
"Bahari you know I love you and I doubt my love for you would ever end, but I need my focus to be on myself, my son, and my education. I don't wanna argue or wonder when you coming home at night. I just think we need a..."
"No," he said shaking his head. "I don't understand that shit. We been together this long. Hell, we had a child together. I'm not about to claim you as my damn baby momma when you really more than that."
"Then don't claim me as that," she said. "We can be friends that had a child and raised him the best way we know. No drama, no none of that."
"You start it most of the time," he mumbled. "We can work some out. It's not like I ever cheated on you. I always been there and I never left you to do anything you didn't want to do. I'm like yo number one supporter and you leaving me? You leaving me and it's mostly you in the wrong?"
"Then if I'm in the wrong, why you with me?" She quizzed. Silence was the only thing heard for a while.
"It's over for real, right?" Bahari asked. "Let me know cuz I don't do breaks if it's over, we never getting back together."
She started to cry and look out the window. "Why you taking it to the extreme? I just said a break."
"Ian these other nigga, Aaliyah!" He lashed out. "You not about to come and go as you please. You shouldn't even wanna live like that. Make up yo mind."
She licked the tear that came rolling down. "I guess this over."
"And that's all you had to say," he said getting out and slamming her door.