Heaven
Six Years Later
I sat in my mom's living room drawing my six year old brothers. They were playing with their Nintendo switches. They were too smart for their own good. I grew very close to them when I was helping out in my mom's shop six years ago.
Once upon a time, I would have been with my sister, Nevaeh, and our bestfriend Alexis. However, my sister and Alexis have grown closer more than anything. All three of us grew apart collectively because Alexis quit dance to go cheer, and I felt slightly betrayed because dance was a me and Alexis thing. Also, they started to leave me out of things because I'm too "boring" since they wanted to go on "dates" with boys while I wanted to stay home. I just didn't want to do things that will result in me getting in trouble. I got in enough trouble with Nevaeh while I was younger. Why would I want to continue that as I grew older.
All I do now is draw, read, or sleep. If i'm not doing those three things, i'm with my parents and little brothers. I really have a boring ass life, but i'm okay with it. It is comforting honestly.
"Heaven where's your sister?" my mom asked walking in the living room where I was. She sat down in her recliner and kicked her feet up. She had been working all day. Her salon is actually booming. She works everyday doing at least 4 heads a day plus running inventory for each part of her business. She has went back to school for esthetics. She branched out to knowing how to do individual lashes, facials , and waxes. She even teaches lash and hair classes. She's great.
"She went out with Alexis and their other friends" I watched her frown as she looked over at me. She always wants me to enjoy my teenage years. She always talks about how she never got the chance so she wants me to, but I am. I enjoy doing nothing.
"What about you? Why are you not out living the last day of summer? Where's Raymond?" she asked, mentioning my boy bestfriend.
We got super close and he was the only person, other than Nevaeh and Alexis, that I talked to going through middle and high school. He was my bestfriend. He was the one true person that understood me. He was always there for me no matter what. He is literally my other half. We stay completing each other's sentences and thoughts. He's my person.
BUTTT... Things began to change. Everything was going sweet until the end of the first semester of junior year when he got a girlfriend, Kaitlyn. She was in our chemistry class and she was very pretty. Our teacher decided that Raymond and I needed a mix when we were doing projects so we got paired with people other than each other. The rest was history for the two. All second semester and summer, he spent time with her. We probably linked up once or twice, but other than that it's all about her.
"Nevaeh didn't even ask if I wanted to go anywhere. She said she was going to Alexis's house to pick her up, but never came back. Raymond is with his girlfriend" I mumbled the last part "Daddy came over here and we hung out a little, but he had to go handle some business mess" I said changing the subject. She rolled her eyes. My parents are so on and off. He gets mad and jealous when she talks to other men. She gets mad when he gets mad. They end up kissing and fucking to make up. They love each other so much, but they are both too stubborn to realize it.
I'll never forget when my mom was dating this dude from highschool named Cameron. He literally had a crush on her and he never got to act on it when they were teenagers, so this was his chance. The man took her on all kinds of special and spontaneous dates. He spoiled her without her even asking for anything. I actually liked him, but my dad wasn't going for it. He would pop up at the house when my mom had my brothers (this was when they were babies)
Cameron just decided to leave because he didn't wanna feel like he was in competition with someone who was ultimately always gonna have my mom's heart. I could tell that it kinda broke his heart but it needed to be done I guess. Now, my parents are in an up and down relationship.
"What's he working on now?" she asked.
"He's tryna open a skating rink, but you would know that if you call him"
"I already did, he's coming over and bringing dinner" I nodded and went back to my drawing.
"I just wanted your sister here so we could talk about you guys' senior goals"
"Well, I'm just ready to get out of here and go to college" I really wanted to be a teacher as of now. I love educating kids and teaching them things. I feel like it would be a perfect fit. "What if I went to college in Mississippi with Uncle Darrell and Auntie Keisha? I miss my cousins" Even tho Darnell and Kendra are bad as hell, I miss them. My auntie and my uncle ended up having two more kids (they were twins), Logan and Luna. They were the cutest little boy and girl ever.
"All the way there. Keisha and Darrell barely come up here and visit and you would be ready to leave us" my mom said with her voice cracking a little.
"Ma, I haven't put much thought into it. I just know I want to go to college"
"Well, we have a few months to decide on that. I want you to have your top ten by the end of August. Top 5 by the end of October and top 3 by the end of January. We can visit wherever you want" she said, causing me to smile.
"Sounds like a plan mama" I said. "Can I please finish drawing Kareem and Kyndall now?" she nodded turning on the tv.
Nevaeh
"Baby one more shot" I slurred to my boyfriend, Damien.
"No bae. We got school tomorrow and you gotta go home" I was a little tipsy. I wasn't drunk. Alexis actually got permission to throw a kickback at her parents house while they left. They were staying at a hotel tonight as long as she cleans the house, we might have another one.
"Damien. I can function" I said kissing him. He deepened the kiss and slid me up on the counter. I took that as a chance to grab the Hennessy bottle. I pulled away and started downing the bottle.
Okay maybe I am a little drunk. Damien took the bottle from me shaking his head.
"Ya pops already don't fuck with me"
"Mama do. She's okayyyy" I said wrapping my legs around him. I don't know if it was the liquor or if it was how fine my man was, but I wanted to have so much sex right now. We just had sex before the party, but the urge is definitely there again.
"Nevaeh. Wake up babygirl. It's 1:36 in the morning" I fluttered my eyes open and looked at Damien. I guess we started fucking and fell asleep.
"Shit" I mumbled. My head was banging so hard. I grabbed my phone that was on the floor and searched for Heaven's name. I called her.
"What Nevaeh?"
"Is mama sleep?"
"I guess. It's one in the morning"
"Can you go check?" she sighed and I heard shuffling. I laid my head back and watched Damien put on his clothes. "They're sleep" they're... so if my dad finds out that I was out drinking past curfew of midnight really its eleven since it's a school night, he will take everything.
"Alarm?"
"It's off. I covered for you and said you were at Alexis house waiting on her parents to get home"
"I'm on the way. Unlock the door" I said hanging up.
I stood up and immediately fell back on the bed.
"Legs sore?" Damien asked. I nodded and he grabbed my skirt, slipping it up my legs. I had my tube top around my neck, so I slipped it back down. He turned around for me to hop on his back.
We walked downstairs to see Alexis and Tyreik cleaning up. I guess everybody else that was here left.
"Y'all up?" I asked. They would usually be somewhere laid up by now.
"Hell yeah. I like these kick backs and my dad wasn't playing when he said this place better be back how he left it" she said picking up a red cup. I hopped down ready to help clean. I wasn't going to just leave her to clean the mess alone even though it wasn't that dirty since it wasn't that many people. Me and Alexis are each other's best friends. We have other close friends but she's my ride or die. The only people that were here other than us and were a couple of Damien's boys that he runs routes on. He sells a little weed, but it ain't nothing serious. He works at footlocker on the weekends.
"Nevaeh. You might wanna get home before Anari gets up to check on y'all and you aint there"
"My dad is there so they probably had sex and she's knocked cold"
"Still girl go home. We got it foreal" I looked at her and she nodded her head giving me the okay. I walked out to my car and Damien handed me my keys.
"Get home safe and text me when you settle. I'll see you tomorrow" he said kissing my forehead then my lips. I smiled against his lips. He opened my car door and I slipped inside. He closed the door and waited for me to leave before he left. He always does this.
Alexis
After cleaning up the whole downstairs and switching out the sheets in the guest room, Tyreik and I laid down in my bed. I have been dating him since sophomore year. At first he was a "bad boy" skipping school, not caring about his grades, and talking back to teachers, but then I came along. We were partnered for a project in English. We had to do some kind of presentation and he thought that I was going to do all the work. Key word: he thought. We were at my house and he sat on my floor while I was on my bed and I watched him take my iPad and started searching things.
He actually was interested. He started putting in his input as I typed up information. That's when our bond started. We started hanging out and doing our homework then started going on dates. He aint bad, but disrespect the women in his life and he done for. The nasty attitude comes back and he starts snapping. He really has to stick up for Heaven cause people are always disrespecting her and she lets it happen. At first her lil friend was there, but nobody was there when some girls tried tryna jump on her in the parking lot because Heaven accidentally hit the girl car with her door. A literal accident. Homegirl started snapping on Heaven and Tyreik had to defend her.
"Baby, we are seniors" he said, running his hands through my hair. If he kept at it, I was going to be sleep in no time. I'm so glad he brought clothes over here.
"I know. I'm ready to graduate and go to college" I mumbled. I would love to work in marketing and help businesses take off. That is my ultimate goal in life.
"Same as fuck" he said. He really wants to do something with engineering or architecture. He's always designing some building or something in that nature. My mans really smart. He just don't wanna apply himself sometimes.
Hopefully, we last and get married one day. If we have good paying careers plus our focused mindsets, we might will last.
Keisha
I sighed getting out my car. I had been working all day and I was finally home which was a good and bad thing. Good because I get to see my family. Bad because I get to see my family. It was good because my little princess Olivia keeps my head on straight. Darnell and Kendra literally give me a run for my money. They are about to be thirteen and they are bad as hell. Darrell condemns their behavior reasoning that what they do is good which it's not. They can't keep being as terrible as they are.
Then, I have Logan and Luna. They are literal angels. Sometimes I forget I even have them because they are so well-behaved. Their teachers at their school constantly praise me for raising them to have such good behavior if only my first two borns could catch the same hint I would be stress free.
I grabbed my purse and the one bag of groceries out the backseat and walked inside. I almost tripped on shoes that were by the garage door instead of in somebody's closet.
"KIDSS. WHO'S SHOES ARE BY THE DOOR?" I yelled. Olivia came in the kitchen where I was setting down the groceries.
"Those are Darnell's"
"Snitch" he said mushing her head.
"Aye. Leave your sister alone. Where's Ken, Logan, and Luna?"
"Logan and Luna are in their rooms and Ken is in mine. We playing madden" he said leaving the kitchen.
When we first moved to Mississippi, we had a three bedroom house with Kendra and Olivia sharing a room. Once I had Logan and Luna, we decided to move to a six bed room house so all the kids can have their own room. It was hard as hell, but Darrell's dad insisted on helping us financially. The master bedroom and Olivia's room is downstairs while everyone else's is upstairs. We also have a playroom for them that sometimes serves as the homework room. It's challenging, but we make it work. I just think I need a she-shed or something.
"How was work mama?" Olivia asked sitting at the counter. I swear this girl really keeps me in a calm state.
"It was good baby thanks for asking. How was your first day of school?" The triplets were in seventh grade now. Logan and Luna were in kindergarten.
"It was good. I was happy to see my friend, Nadia. You know she goes to her grandparents in the summer and she just got back yesterday" I nodded getting pots out to make dinner. I was making wings and burgers. I have a crap ton of people to feed and I wanted to go simple because I am tired. I would love to come home to a homecooked meal sometimes.
"That's good baby, but maybe I should send y'all to your grandparents house for a whole summer. Y'all only went for one week"
"GiGi can't handle Nell and Ken. Papa be getting on to them like crazy. I just be with Dani and Vanessa when I be there" Danielle is 10 and Vanessa is 11. "DayBear, Lo, and Luna be running all through the house... Well... Nobody can handle all of us" she said laughing. My phone started ringing and Liv grabbed it answering it.
"Hey daddy" she said putting it on speaker.
"Hey Livvie. Where is your mom?"
"Right here" I said. Olivia brought my phone and sat it by the sink where I was cleaning the kitchen. She left out so I could talk.
"Hey baby" he said making me roll my eyes. He only 'Hey Baby' me when he is about to make some excuse or lie.
"What?"
"I ummm..."
"Gotta stay late at work" I finished for him. This is the second night in a row he has to work late.
"Yeah. I promise imma make it up to you and the kids. It's just..."
"A new business partner need to complete their insurance package to open their new store" I said repeating the line from last night. "Talk to you later Darrell" I said hanging up.
I looked up at the ceiling tryna stop tears from falling down my cheek. This is all it is. One week he will stay late at work a couple nights. The next, he will try to "make it up to me and the kids" which results in Ken and Nell ignoring me and only listening to him. They kinda already only listen to Darrell, but it's worse in Darrell's "make it up" stage. He makes me sick.
Olivia came back in the kitchen and took her previous seat.
"You do know Ken and Nell are in the same class right?" I immediately looked up at her.
"Wait, I thought I asked if they would be in different classes"
"Yeah, well, they are on the same team and they have the exact schedule. I'm glad I'm not on that team" they have teams in their middle school and they switch classes throughout the day. "You told daddy to ask when we were at orientation, but he asked if they could be on the same team this year cause Ken and Nell begged" I knew I should have went. Darrell assured that he could handle it while I went to Logan and Luna's orientation the day before. I'm sick of this man.
"Alright, well, imma take y'all to school one of these mornings and talk to your principal" she nodded and I continued to cook.
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Welcome to the third book of the Only You series. This book will have the same ups and downs as the other books. I hope you enjoy.
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