Amari
"Are we there yet?" Justin complained from the passenger seat.
He had been asking this same question since we traded spots at the gas station.
"Are we there yet?" He asked again.
"You know the way to your Mom's house better than I do." I laughed. "Now hush."
"I'm so bored!" He groaned. "Let's get in the backseat."
"You're making a six hour drive a seven hour drive." I laughed leaning closer to the steering wheel to get a better view.
"Only seven? I was thinking more along the lines of 8 if not 9." He said. "Let's just get a hotel room, honestly."
He slid his hand up the back of my shirt.
"I'll give you a massage." He said.
"I'm driving." I laughed.
"So?" He laughed. "Pull over."
"When we leave your Mom's house." I said.
"Do you know how many people are going to be there?" He asked. "We won't be able to leave."
"Aww." I patted his leg. "Sucks for you."
When we made it to his Mom's house, I was in the passenger seat and Justin was driving. Loud music blasted from the house and there were cars parked everywhere. It wasn't a surprise which house belonged to his Mother.
"Okay. We go in, we get out." Justin said turning the car off. "Avoid the children. They won't let you leave without a fight."
"You're being a bit dramatic." I laughed.
"You think I am." He side eyed me. "We just have to be seen by my Mother and three of my cousins. Maybe an Aunt or Uncle."
"Okay." I nodded.
We got out of the car and Justin took in a dramatic breath before grabbing my hand. We walked into the house and immediately Justin was being bombarded by all of the children.
Failed at his own plan.
"I got a new airplane, Justin!" A little boy cheered grabbing onto his hand.
"Oh, hey!" Justin laughed. "That's so cool. Let me see."
"No, Justin!" A little girl spoke up. "You have to see my new haircut!"
She turned around and started swinging her long blonde hair from side to side.
"You look so beautiful!" He gushed. "Almost like Rapunzel."
"What about me Justin?" Another little girl with shoulder length brown hair and glasses asked.
"I already told you." A boy that resembled her spoke up. "You look like Jeanette from the chipettes."
"I don wanna look like her!" The little girl stamped her foot and crossed her arms.
"Well, they can't all be winners..." Justin mumbled putting his hands on his hips and looking around. "You know what? You look like Amy Johnson."
"Who's that?" The girl asked with a slight blush.
"Well..." He started as the kids pulled him away.
"Those kids just adore him." A woman's voice spoke from behind me. "I'm his Aunt Wanda."
"Nice to meet you." I shook her hand. "I'm Amari. His girlfriend."
"Wow. I'll have to see you two next to each other." She said. "Come on. I'll show you where his Mom is."
I already knew Justin's Mom. I met her during college and a few times after that. We spent a week apartment hunting with her during the summer after Junior year since the college we attended was out here and we really didn't want to live on campus anymore.
Wanda lead me to the room beside the stairs where the men sat watching the game.
"Where'd Unice go?" Wanda asked.
"Mom went to check on the ham." Justin's younger brother, Jonah, spoke up.
"Well, have you met your brother's girlfriend?" Wanda asked gently touching my back.
"Yeah." Jonah smiled at me.
He got up and ran over to give me a hug.
"Where's your sister?" Wanda asked.
"I don't know..." Jonah mumbled staring at the tv. "Conner is upstairs, though."
Conner was the oldest child. He had a different dad than the rest of them. He was five years older than Justin.
"Alright." Wanda said. "Come on."
She took me to the kitchen where Ms.Unice was yelling at Justin's younger sister, Julia and some boy.
"I told you about having boys up there." She reprimanded her.
Julia didn't seem too afraid. She really just looked bored.
"We weren't doing anything." Julia rolled her eyes. "You're really doing too much."
"I'm doing too much?" Ms.Unice scoffed. "So what if those kids didn't see you going upstairs and came to tell? What would y'all have been up there doing?"
"Nothing!" She yelled. "Can I just have friends over?"
"Yeah. In the living room." Ms.Unice said.
"It's too loud down here." Julia groaned.
Ms.Unice stared at her and I subconsciously prayed that she didn't swing on that poor girl. My Momma would've taken out my voice box and wore it as a ring if I raised my voice at her. If I would've breathed the wrong way while she was talking to me. Julia was lucky.
"Unice, girl!" Wanda finally spoke up.
"What?" Ms.Unice sighed looking over at Wanda then to me. "Amari, baby!"
She came over to hug me.
"Amari, it's been so long." She said. "You look good! Carrying my grand baby?"
"No ma'am." I shook my head.
"I'm gonna have to talk to Justin about that." She shook her head. "I told him after a year I wanted them babies."
"You could have some if you'd let me do what I want." Julia laughed.
"What you say?" Ms.Unice glared at her. "You want to go to your room?"
"No." Julia rolled her eyes.
"What am I gonna do with her?" Ms.Unice sighed walking over to the oven.
Why was she the one cooking? Why was she the only one cooking? It was her birthday weekend.
"Finally!" Wanda cheered as Justin walked back into the house. "You didn't come speak to nobody."
"Well, your children found me first." He laughed.
"Justin, you're in trouble." Ms.Unice said.
"What'd I do already?" He asked grabbing a water bottle from the fridge and coming to stand beside me.
"Where are my grand babies?" She asked grabbing a spatula. "Huh?"
She had some Hispanic Mom tendencies. She probably picked up on them when she married Justin's dad who actually was Hispanic. He was the bad cop and Unice was the good one. The boys knew not to act out because they'd get beat down by their Dad, but Julia was the only girl and the youngest. She never got in trouble with her Dad. Conner got into more trouble than Julia and he was the good one.
"Ask Amari." Justin said nudging me forward.
"Maybe she doesn't want her kids to have big heads." Julia said. "Come on, Braden."
"Where you going?" Justin asked turning his attention to his little sister. "Who's that?"
"Don't worry about it." Julia said.
"Nah. Let his hand go." Justin said walking over to them. "You allow this?"
"No." Ms.Unice said. "She just do whatever she want."
"No sir." Justin shook his head. "You gotta go. You drive?"
"Uh... Yeah?" The boy said nervously.
"Good. Drive away and never look back." Justin grabbed his sister. "Have a nice day."
"Look at what you did." Julia hit Justin. "Just ruined my life."
She stormed out of the kitchen.
"You ruined mine first!" Justin yelled behind her.
"Aww. You guys are so cute." I teased him.
"No. Only me." He flipped his hair.