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𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟳, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬
𝗦𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝟱:𝟮𝟬 𝗽.𝗺.
𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻𝘀, 🅽🅴🆆 🆈🅾︎🆁🅺
~𝙸𝚖 𝚑𝚞𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙸𝚖 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝚒𝚏 𝙸 𝚑𝚞𝚛𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞.~
-𝑁𝐵𝐴 𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑔𝑏𝑜𝑦
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Flashback
Zuri stared at the still woman before her. She wasn't upset, she wasn't sad, nor was she apologetic. She was angry and empty.
"Zuri go do somethin' productive." Her dad said, walking into the room where he kept her.
"What's productive to do around here?" She questioned under her breath but Jerome heard her.
He stared at the back of her head before shaking his head. "Mi a need yuh tuh speak tuh mi wid respect."
Zuri sat in the available ottoman positioned infront of the wheelchair before standing up and walking towards the door. Jerome was standing there with his arms crossed, staring down at his emotionless daughter.
She didn't waver eye contact with him because she knew better. He nodded his head and moved aside and watched her walk out of the room and straight towards the basement door. She hesitated before opening it and descended down the steps of pure hell.
Flashback over
Zuri hadn't heard from her dad in awhile. Not since he called just to yell at her for ignoring him. She couldn't take it anymore. He only complained when it was convenient for him and Zuri couldn't understand why her not speaking to him was necessary. He'd missed his chance to be there for her when she needed him and she wasn't going to reel herself into his web just because of who he was.
She'd come to terms with the fact she needed to stop thinking about the past, but that was hard when the past revolved around this one person who couldn't leave her the hell alone.
Therapy was helping, though. She was glad she actually had a therapist who cared about her growth and her in general. They've progressed to expressing emotions and that was something Zuri and problems with, nonetheless, Dr. Akama had brought back the journal. Same thing in the beginning, write down thoughts, feelings and events and they'd touch base on it at the end of the week and she'd give Zuri advice.
"You said you remembered something from when you were younger..." Therapist said as she read off the sheet of paper in Zuri's journal.
Zuri nodded her head, shifted on the couch.
"What was the memory? I want to hear about it." She sat straight up in her brown leather chair positioned infront of Zuri.
Zuri tugged at one of her braids. She'd been rocking plaits for awhile and she could honestly say they were cute, but they also kept her from cutting and pulling out her own hair at times.
"It...it was from my childhood." Was the only answer Zuri gave and Dr. Akama could understand why. Some could visibly see when ones childhood or upbringing brought them to a point of no return. Zuri was slowly falling into that pit and that's where Dr. Akama came into the equation. To pull her away from the ledge.
Dr. Akama decided to not speak, seeing the distant look on her clients face. She would hope Zuri took her silence as a form to continue.
"My dad, Jerome, he was...I don't know what he was but he always told me "I need you to see me as a mentor and not a father." He told me the real world was gonna eat someone like me up so he trained me to be defensive, have my guard up, and always stay ten toes on top." Zuri chuckled. She felt like one of her dads many projects growing up and since her mother wasn't around to stop it, he did it and Zuri had no say.
"And how does that make you feel? To this day, what do you wish you could say to him that you couldn't say back then?" Dr. Akama was trying to dig deep. Zuri was very careful with her words and the way she expressed herself. Too careful, and now Dr. Akama understood why.
Zuri looked at her therapist with a dead look. "I feel nothing, never have and never will. As far as I'm concerned, I've made peace with the fact my dad will never actually be that. My dad. Time has past and lord knows we can't get that back. I'm 20 years old, I don't need him."
Dr. Akama nodded her head and pulled out her notepad, noting down her thoughts and a few things her client said.
Note: patient in next step of grief and pain—denial.
Zuri walked into the barbershop and was greeted by a few of her coworkers. In return she gave them a small smile and wave. She had been recently looking for a second job. She knew the checks and tips from the shop weren't cutting it and bills were tearing her down. Having two jobs wasn't a big deal. In high school she worked as a cashier at Walmart and was also and still working at the barbershop which is how she obtained her apartment and car.
When she enrolled in college, she knew she wouldn't be able to work with two jobs, 5 courses and still do track, so one had to give. There was no way she was leaving the barbershop. It was her first job and she loved working there, despite all the drama that happened there on a daily basis, it was like her second home. So Walmart was dropped and for awhile she was able to buy her books for her first year, pay off the first 3 months of her rent and a month of her car lease.
Now she was coming to an end of expenses since her apartments rent had went up and therapy payments were being taken out of her pockets, she needed to find another job ASAP. She knew it'd been hard since the new term was approaching in a month but she'd had to work around it. Like always.
"Why you look all sad an' shit?" Tank asked, seeing Zuri slowly walk to her station with a frown. Tank was always picking on Zuri, in a playful manner. Which is why they always bumped heads, but nevertheless, he was sweet and cared about others feelings.
She shook her head and sat in her chair. "Just tired." Tank nodded his head and called someone to his station.
Zuri looked around the shop seeing it wasn't all that busy today. The salon was though. She just hoped she wasn't ask to help out over there because the girls were always arguing or talking about someone. She'd rather participate in the guys debates.
"Say, name one thing y'all don't eva' want yo' girl doin'?" Tone started up a topic and this got the shop and the salon riled up. A few girls crossed the arch that divided the shops and pulled up chairs to a few stations.
"Shit, shakin' ha' ass on social media." One of the guys, Dyllon, said with a stank face. Zuri kept quiet. This was gonna start an argument and she hated how the girls always had a reaction, but they were most definitely entitled.
"Why? It's her ass, the fuck?" Lou asked mugging Dyllon.
"So, that's unclassy and ratchet as fuck. Don't do dat shit if you wit' me." He shrugged his shoulders.
"Shakin' some ass don't make you unclassy. Y'all won't females who hardbody and independent but they have ta' listen to everything y'all say. No, y'all got it twisted." Lou's sister said and some of the guys chuckled at her.
"You wouldn't know, so shut the hell up." Bean spat at her and some of the guys dapped him up. Zuri couldn't help but let out a giggle and in doing so, Jalise looked at her with her face scrunched up.
"Fuck you laughin' at? Don't make me get Tajah." She smirked and Zuri stared at her with a blank face as if her words were supposed to scare her. Somehow some of the girls thought Zuri was scared of Tajah because that's what she told them and they believed it because Zuri never stood up to Tajah. She couldn't help but laugh.
"Bi-bye cause yo' problem ain't with me when Bean was the one who spoke to you. Scary ass. You can't fight yo' own battles?" Zuri retorted. She'd started using her voice more often in the shop and in public. Some of her coworkers were shocked whenever she spoke up or spoke back.
Jalise glared at her but Zuri was unphazed. "Don't act hardbody na'. You done got beside yo'self li'l girl." She said pointing at Zuri as she stood up.
Zuri stayed in her seat. "I ain't did shit—you and Tajah don't put fear in nan bone in my body so step back and do yo' job." She said calmly. Tone was the most shocked but nevertheless happy she was standing up for herself. He felt like a proud dad at the moment.
Jalise was silent for a moment. She thought she had the girl for a second and was shocked at the mouth she had on her. But she knew she wasn't about shit so she continued.
"Bitch, don't—"
"Watch that bitch word." Bean pointed at Jalise.
Zuri smirked. "Nah, what you was about to say?" Zuri wasn't aware Kel had just walked in with the food she had asked him to get for her and continued to put her attention on Jalise.
"You all big and bad na' that Tajah gone but ain't bout shit. You all of a sudden got a back bone, bitch pipe the fuck down before I put you back in yo' place."
Zuri's smile dropped and stood up from her station as she seen Jalise walking her way.
"Bitch—" before the girls could put their hands on another, they were pulled back. Kel was holding onto Zuri's waist, shocked and confused. He hadn't seen Zuri like this before and was questioning if he'd missed something.
"Calm down, love." He whispered in her ear. He could feel her shaking in his arms and knew he needed to calm her down. She rarely, if ever, got angry and he couldn't believe she let someone like Jalise get her to this point.
"Kel, take her outside." Tone said, trying to calm the shop down. They were all chatting about what just happened.
Kel mugged him. "Why the fuck you ain't stop it befo'e it got out'a hand?"
Tone mugged him back. "Nigga just do what I said." Kel waved him off and pulled Zuri out the door with him. She hadn't said anything but she was very much calm but annoyed at this point. She was mad at herself for letting her anger get the best of her. She promised to not react to certain shit in life and those were one of those certain things. She'd never cared what anyone thought of her so she didn't know why she cared now.
"Get yo' ass in the car." Kel said unlocking his doors and opening the passenger for her. She stared at him for a few seconds before getting in. He closed the door and jogged to the drivers side.
It was silent for a few minutes as they got situated in their seats. Kel leaned his seat back and stared over at Zuri who looked like she was about to cry. He sat back up.
"Why you bouta cry?" Kel asked, turning Zuri's head his way. Her eyes were watery but no tears fell yet.
She moved his hand away and turned her head to look out the window. "I'm not." She said with a shaky breath.
"You is, talk ta' me. What's wrong?" Kel held his hand out to her. She looked at it and let out a soft chuckle causing a smile to tug on Kels lips. She finally took his hand and fiddled with his fingers, neither them knowing why she loved doing it so much.
"You have really pretty hands," she mumbled, laying his hand flat in hers and admiring his caramel skin, top with nice long manicured nails. Kel laughed at her random input.
"Thank you?" She was truly weird but he grew to love it. The silence was back and instead of speaking, Zuri intertwined their fingers and used her free hand to trace his knuckles. He also love how touchy she was.
"Lately my emotions have been all over the place, but overall I'm just always angry. It be the tiniest things. Like yesterday, my fairy lights fell and I got so mad, I cut them up and ended up crying." She spoke softly, but Kel heard her since it was only them two in the car.
He didn't say anything. He wanted to laugh, but he knew this was obviously deeper than it seemed.
"You know I'm always composed and I don't let anyone get under my skin, b-but today was different. She...she said some things that I didn't even know could hurt me, let alone were true. I really am becoming someone different." And the problem was, Zuri knew exactly who. She had anger issues, she was a volcano that had been dormant for years and lately it'd been ready to blow. She just needed that one thing to make it happen she was hoping it never showed it's ugly face.
"I'on think dats the case." Kel interjected, pulling at his chin hair. Zuri slowly looked at him with a questionable face expression.
"It is. I've started cussing, like all the time. I know I've been really mean to you and Semaj and I'm sorry, but—"
"It's apart of maturing. You cussin' ain't shit. You told me you won't comfortable with doin', now you is. Ain't nun wrong wit' dat. And I'on think you bein' mean, just puttin' yo' foot down. Lettin' muhfucka's know you ain't to be mess with. Me and Semaj unda'stand that we hurt yo' feelin's and you just protectin' that. You ain't bein' nobody but yo' self, it's just you growin' as a person. Hea' me?" He stared in her eyes, not wavering eye contact.
She tried to fight the smile that was fighting its way on her lips, but lost and broke out into a huge smile, hearing a chuckle from Kel. "I hea' you." Her accent had been more heavy lately and Kel smirked.
"Not you stop talkin' all proper." He teased her and she waved him off. "But fa'real, you just need'a learn how ta' control yo' emotions. Just like you did Tajah, don't give 'em the satisfaction of them thinkin' they got you bothered. Even if you is, brush it off you the one who told me you ain't like people seein' you react." He pointed out.
"Yea," she pulled at one of her twists. "Yea, I did."
"I like yo' hair like dis." He then went to pull at the twist she had in her other hand until he realized their fingers were still locked. He looked at their hands and smiled.
"Sorry—" she was about to pull her hand away until he tightened his hold.
"What'd I tell you when we first became friends?" He asked, using his other hand to cup her chin. Her eyes immediately went to his big juicy lips and she had to quickly catch herself before he noticed. Too bad he did, but he wouldn't say anything. Didn't help the fact a smirk was playing on his lips.
"You said—"
"Speak up, love."
"You said ta' come to you whenever I needed you." She spoke a little louder.
"And I stand on dat. Whenever, wherever, I'm thea'." He rubbed his thumb over her cheek, loving how soft her skin was.
She nodded her head and leaned her head into the palm of his hand. "I hear you."
They stared at one another and an unspeakable spark flew right between them. Chills ran up Zuri's spine as Kel slowly licking his lips and once again her eyes traveled there.
Kiss him! Her inner voice yelled at her and she just wished she was looking in a mirror right now to mug herself.
Unbeknownst, they both leaned into each other, looking while make eye contact. They were only centimeters from locking lips before a knock was sounded on the passenger window startling them both. Zuri was the first to notice what they were about to do and quickly composed herself back in her personal space and slipping her hand out of Kels making him frown.
He looked at the window to see Tone standing there trying to look inside the car but Kels windows were tented. Kel looked at Zuri to see she was staring straight ahead at nothing in particular before letting down the window.
"What?" Kel spoke with a bit of annoyance. A part of him was glad Tone was there to stop him from doing what he didn't even know he wanted to do. It would have change so much, knowing who and how Zuri reacted to things.
Tone chuckled. "Don't tell me her attitude rubbin' off on you? Calm down, what y'all was doin'?" Tone asked briefly looking at Zuri to see she had a distraught look on her face. "You good sis?"
Zuri snapped out of whatever trance she was just in and looked up at Tone. "Huh?"
"Is you good? Jalise ain't get ta' you did she?" He genuinely wanted to know. He never seen Zuri act the way she did back in the shop and believe or not, he was worried. He was like her guardian, trying to protect her from the world as we know it today. She was too pure to become so cruel.
Zuri shook her head and forced a smile. "No, she didn't. Thank you for askin' though."
Tone was about to reply until he looked at his younger brother who was subtly trying to look at Zuri but she was too busy looking elsewhere and then it clicked. He grew a smirk on his face, their behavior was all too obvious but he wouldn't say anything but would question Kel back at home.
"Ight, you good on leavin' if you want. Jalise gettin' on my last nerve." Although she was part owner in their multi shop, she couldn't even handle the position as a boss so really he has the true and final say in who worked where and how since he paid off the lease. Jalise was just in control of the salon but he felt she was too childish to do so.
Zuri peeped Kel in her peripheral vision. She wouldn't be able to sit in the car with him for 40 minutes since that's how far away she lived from the shop.
"Actually, I think I'll stay." She was about to get out but Kel locked the door. She quickly looked at him and he mugged her before looking through the passenger window and at his brother.
"She straight, I'a see you lata'." He ignored the glare Zuri was giving him and Tone was overall amused. Whatever happened between them, he knew Kel would want to clear the air before things took a bad turn. He was great at teaching his younger brother communication was key.
"No, I'm going to—"
"Tone walk away so I can go." Kel cut her off, starting the car up. Tone held back his laughs and quickly walked away from the car and shook his head when Zuri frowned at him.
Kel quickly pulled off from the curb and raised the passenger window back up.
"Why'd you do all that? I wanted to go back to work." Zuri tried to sound stern but her voice came out soft and like a whine.
Kel briefly looked at her then to the road. "No, you wanted ta' get away from me. I ain't dumb. You need ta' stop runnin' away from shit."
Zuri was quiet then. Did he just read me? She thought then scoffed to herself.
"I don't run." She mumbled.
"Mm." Was all he replied with and the next few minutes were filled with silence but it felt like hours. Finally Kel came to a red light and knew they'd be sitting there for a minute since it was traffic, he took the opportunity to say what he wanted to say.
"If I would've let you out of the car, you prolly wouldn've talked to me in like a week. You know it's true too." She did it before, who's to say she wouldn't do it again.
Zuri thought about it for a second. "Maybe, maybe not."
Kel smacked his lips and rubbed his hand over his short curls. He got tired of waves so he was letting his hair grow out. "You too fuckin' difficult fa' me." He muttered and pulled up in the line.
Zuri shrugged at his words, crossing her legs and folding her hands in her lap.
"So we gon' talk or what?" Kel asked.
Zuri froze, eyes darting side to side before calming down. "Bout what?"
"What happened at the shop? Why you was actin' up?" It wasn't what she was hoping he wanted to talk about but she also didn't want to discuss the almost kiss they had.
"Jalise had it coming. She wants to be the next Tajah so bad. A whole dick rider. Tajah had the girls in there scared to look her way, but not me, but fa' some stupid ass reason everybody thought I was scared of the girl. Cause I never gave her the time of day? Muh—" she was cut off by Kel popping her arm. Hard.
"Stop allat damn cussin'. I know what I say but chill. Hea' me?" He spoke in a deep and authoritative tone. Zuri was awestrucked, not to mention the feeling she got in the pit of her stomach from the time of his voice. It'd never happened before and she was kind of uncomfortable.
"O-ok?" It came out more as a question for some reason. She, herself, didn't even know why she'd started cursing so much.
"Continue." He said. Zuri rubbed her her but somehow it didn't hurt anymore. She thought the stinging sensation would last but it faded quickly.
She shook her head and told him about things that happened when she went to work. How some of the girls found a disliking to Zuri because they were scared Jalise would fire them if they continued talking to her. She rarely spoke to them so she couldn't care less.
"I'a talk ta' Tone about it." Kel nodded his head, finally out of traffic and speeding down the road.
"No! It's not even a big deal. They can all suck my di—a'hole." She corrected herself when Kel gave her the side eye and rolled her eyes. "I'm tired of talking about me and my problems, what's going on with you?"
Zuri had recently felt like it was always about her and how she was feeling. She literally had to force Kel to open up, he still hadn't even told her what happened to him the day they rekindled their friendship, but nevertheless she was there whenever he asked her to be.
Kel shrugged. "Nothin', just vibin'." He didn't like talking about his feelings much. Yeah, Tone taught him it was okay to do so but didn't mean he wanted to do so. It was different. He could naturally poor his heart out to his brother because that's who protected it, but he was scared to open it up to other people no matter how comfortable he was with them.
Zuri frowned. He always gave dry responses but she couldn't blame him. She wasn't as open as she'd like to be either. "Sleep today?" Usually Kel would wait till Zuri was done with work or with whatever she had planned for the day to take naps together. He found himself easily sleeping when she was next to him.
"Nah, me and Semaj went to the gym."
She knew he wouldn't tell her why so she changed the subject. "Speaking of, how's he doing? He left me on read yesterday so I didn't bother to text him today with his stank self."
Kel chuckled. "Good, he'on really care too much about the whole Nyla situation. He broke it off and continued about his life but fa' some reason she won't leave him alone so he annoyed."
After the truth had been let free, Semaj was quick to cut Nyla off. She was negative energy and he didn't like it. He hated himself for making Zuri feel the way she did over some girl, but he realized he too was thinking with his body instead of his head. For some reason though, Nyla wasn't too happy and was very much persistent, trying to prove her innocence. He didn't understand why she said she didn't like him but was going out of her way to make a mends with him but the damage had been done and he was over it and her.
"I knew I didn't like her for a reason. I just feel bad for Semaj, he might be over the situation but he genuinely liked the treesh." Zuri rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone when she felt it buzz, earning Kels attention for multiple reasons. He looked between her texting on her phone and road with curiosity.
"A. Tell me in yo' own words what a treesh is, Zuri. B. Who you textin'? You'on know nobody but me, Maj, and Tone and his uglass friends."
Zuri paused her finger movements and darted her eyes left and right. She had forgot she didn't tell Kel, and knowing him, he might not take the news well.
"Uhm, well... I met these girls a while back. Around my birthday." Zuri said with a small smile and Kel stared at her blankly.
That didn't answer my question. He thought.
"Ok?" Zuri smacked her lips at his slowness.
"That's who I'm texting, dummy." She chuckled. "They added me to this group and they're really chill, laidback girls. Wild but cool."
Kel nodded his head. He was glad Zuri was making an effort to expand her circle and the fact she actually wanted to hang with a few girls. She was always around him and his friends or Tone and his friends and the girls she worked with all seemed to not like her and that made Zuri a bit iffy about befriending anyone of the same sex. In her words, they all seemed to play follow the leader, not being their own person.
The girls in the salon didn't like her because Tajah didn't and now Jalise. She couldn't care less nor did she have any fucks to give. She'd been her own friend for 20 years, what's the rest of her life? It did feel good to have people to actually call up and hang with, but she wasn't desperate for anyone to like her.
"Names? Age, Address and social security. I wanna know everything about them befo'e I let you around muhfuckas." Kel stated playfully and Zuri waved him off with a giggle.
"Ok dad. There's Brittney, Sajah(say-nah) and Salone. Brittney is the youngest, 22. Then Sajah and Salone are twins, 24. They live in Brooklyn, which is where I met them."
Kel scrunched his face up. "Hell you was doin' thea'?"
Zuri thought about it for a second. She couldn't remember what she was doing there. On her birthday, she didn't really feel like doing anything and since there was nothing planned, she just drove around. She ended up at this lounge and just sat there and ate while listening to the music play and that's when she met the three girls that approached her, complementing her on her beauty. And that's how they all became acquainted.
"I spent my birthday there since some people weren't around to celebrate with me." Zuri jabbed and Kel scoffed.
"I texted yo' ass and asked if you wanted me ta' come over because I just knew yo' homebody ass wasn't about to go out. Look how wrong I was. Went ta' Brooklyn and found you a luh clique, huh?" Kel smirked, looking between her and the road.
Zuri smiled and waved him off. "Bye, leave me alone— where are we going?" Zuri asked noticing they were hopping on the freeway.
Kel grinned at her and shook his head. "Battle field. We needa settle somethin'."
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{A/N}
There will be a part two don't worry ..
Thoughts on this chapter ..
How y'all feel about the drama storming in on Zuri's workplace?
Y'all think she did too much or not enough?
In the past, Zuri has had issues with not controlling her temper, How she react in the future?
What about the moment between Zuri and Kel? Did it mean anything👀
Finally, what's the square zone? What's gonna happen there?
1/3/20