" Mom, I'm fine." Aaliyah rolled her eyes as her mother yelled at her from the other side of her room door.

" Whatever, make sure you're ready in ten minutes." Her mom yelled. Aaliyah absent mindedly agreed to go to her aunts engagement party and it was too late to back out.

Her body was just healing after her fight with Sehkani. It didn't even surprise her that he hit her, he always seemed like the type but she never thought he was bold enough until it happened years ago.

She turned around and looked at her butt in the dress she wore and indeed it did get fatter. She enjoyed life in Detroit and that's why she was thick. Aaliyah wore an olive green light linen tunic dress and grey Zara slides, her hair was in a top knot bun and she didn't wear any make up, only lashes and lip gloss.She pulled her room door open and jumped at the sight of her mom.

"The invitation said formal not hoochie."

"Are you mad cause you can't wear this?"
Aaliyah asked jokingly.

" I might just wear it way better than you." Her mom replied

" In what world?" Aaliyah joked walking out of the room and shutting the door behind her.

"In yours, now let's go."

They were an hour late when they arrived at her aunt's house close to Adryian and Kasuan's house. Aaliyah couldn't help but to feel bitter at the thought of seeing Naomi. It didn't take her long to find out her and Sehkani were messing around. It was so much she wanted to ask her, but she couldn't do that without punching her dead in her shit, like she deserved. She was only there because she was cool with one of her cousin's.

" Behave yourself Liyah " Her mom spoke as they entered the home that was very crowded.

Aaliyah instantly caught an attitude and rolled her eyes. She felt uncomfortable and super annoyed and nobody had even spoken to her yet. She pulled out her phone and got on it to avoid having to talk to anyone. After all, she barely knew these people anyway, all her real family was in Detroit.

"Why don't you just sit down right here and wait for me to get back. " Her mom said. She felt her daughter wasn't feeling it and she didn't want to make the situation worst for her.

" How about I sit in the car until this is all over? "

Her mom sighed " I'll bring you out some food. " she said before handing Aaliyah her car keys.

Aaliyah smiled and kissed her mom's cheek as soon as those words left her mouth. She moved through the crowd as quick as she could before finally reaching outside. She let out a breath of relief and headed towards her moms Jeep. Once their, she got in and started it. Instead of sitting, she decided to go to a corner store, she hasn't seen one in forever and corner stores in Atlanta always had the best snacks.

It only took her ten minutes to find the one by the park she used to always go to. She rolled her eyes at the guys that stood around it before she got out.

" Wassup' Ma how you doing ? "

" Fuck with my boy shawty "

Aaliyah couldn't help but to laugh at the remarks, she heard it all before. Entering the store, she didn't have a clue on what she wanted so she browsed the aisle until she found what she was hungry for. She got a bag of hot cheetos, a Reese's cup and a can of pineapple Fanta before going up to the counter to pay. Just as she reached into her YSL clutch, a gift from her boo in Detroit, a familiar voice spoke to her.

" Aaliyah ? "

Aaliyah urned around and was surprised to see Aria and was even more surprised to see her holding a toddler, she never knew she was pregnant.

" Wassup? " Aaliyah replied

" Wha-..What are you doing here ? " Aria asked in a confused tone, Sehkani told everybody she died a year ago.

" Nice to see you too " Aaliyah said. The person in front of her walked away and she put her things on the counter gave the man a twenty to pay for her snacks. Aria didn't know what to say. " I'm just here for the week.. my Mom's birthday is Wednesday "

" You know Sehkani graduates from his college friday .. you should come " Aria suggested

" That doesn't sound like a good idea " Aaliyah replied taking her change from the man and putting it in her clutch. She didn't know what Aria's intentions were but that was a bad idea

" I just think you should.. I know it'd mean a lot to him " Aria said.

Aaliyah remembered the promise she made to Sehkani all those years ago, she promised she would be front row at his graduation but things changed and she knew he wouldn't want her there. She let out a deep breath. " I'll think about it "

" Well what's your new number so we can catch up ? " Aria asked

Aaliyah gave Aria her new number and left Th gas station. She got a text from her mom telling her she was ready to go and headed back to her Aunts house to pick her up.

" You said sit in the car not ride around the city " Her mom complained getting inside the car

" I just went to the gas station "

" Did you get me something ? " her mom asked looking in the black plastic bag

Aaliyah moved her hand away " Uh uh.. you got food " she replied

" So what took you so long ? "

" .... I ran into someone " she admitted

Her mom raised an eyebrow " Who ? "

" Aria "

Her mom wasn't surprised, she knew Aaliyah would run into somebody from the Wright family one of these days while she was in Atlanta and she hadn't heard that name in a long time. Her mom let out a deep breath " I think you and Sehkani should talk about what happened three years ago... you owe him that, the way you left.. I heard it really fucked him up Aaliyah "

" And what about me huh ? " Aaliyah asked looking at her mom and then back at the road " I was grieving over our daughter and he couldn't wait to go and do what he was doing.. I don't owe him anything "

" Can you blame him ? You two were young and y'all lost a child .. neither one of you knew how to grieve properly and he-

" Mom you don't even like him or his family " Aaliyah replied cutting her off

" You right.. I don't like Sehkani and I can't stand his momma and her mouth but I do know that you and Sehkani loved each other ... and I know it still hurts you to this day how two ended, you two have to talk in order to really move past that hurt, in order to really let go... it's only right "

" Okay " Aaliyah mumbled

She took everything her mom was saying into consideration and as much as she hated to admit it, she was right.

Later on that night ..

" But like I was saying, my friend Raelynn wanted to throw a girls night for her birthday " Jaliyah said as her and Aaliyah walked up to a house. Aaliyah had also agreed to go out with her cousin tonight.

" And you know how controlling Karter is so it's really bout to be boring " Melody, Jaliyah's bestfriend rolled her eyes aggressively thinking about the tight leash Karter had on her friend.

" Who ? " Aaliyah asked

" Karter, you probably don't remember him." Jaliyah responded.

" I'm sure she does... that was her mans best-friend " Melody joked

" Bitch, I'm very tired of you bringing that nigga up. Shut the fuck up sometimes damn " Aaliyah snapped. One reason she didn't know why she decided to hang out with them was because they ever did was run their mouths about other people's personal shit.

" Im not gone argue with y-."

" Cause you know better. " Aaliyah responded in a daring tone.

" Chill y'all." Jaliyah huffed and began to knock on the door.

A beautiful darkskin girl answered the door, she was glowing and had the prettiest natural curly hair.

" Raelynnn " Jaliyah screamed as she pulled her into a hug.

" Wassup " She spoke. Aaliyah immediately remembered who she was and was surprised her and Karter were still a thing. She immediately began to regret ever coming, she knew she was about to be overly annoyed.

Only thirty minutes had passed since they arrived. Aaliyah sat quietly as she listened to the group of girls she didn't know gossip about people she had never heard of, she was bored and ready to go home.

As Aaliyah zoned out, she thought mainly about Sehkani and their past and how much she missed him.

" Girl, why you so quiet? " Raelynn asked walking over to her

" I have nothing to say, I don't gossip. " she replied. One thing she didn't like was bitches who sat around discussing other people.

" You just might be the first bitch I met who don't. " Raelynn smiled. " So you from here? I never saw you around. "

" I lived here two years ago, I stay in Detroit now." Aaliyah lowkey wanted the questions to stop. " You don't remember me ? "

Raelynn looked over Aaliyah and her mouth dropped " Aaliyah.. oh shit, girl what happened to you ? "

" Nothing " Aaliyah shrugged

" Damn.. I haven't seen you in forever." Raelynn replied looking over Aaliyah, she looked different now.

" So why didn't Aria come? Ain't that your best friend? " Melody questioned

" How's that your best friend? " Aaliyah asked curiously. If this was really her best friend, then Aria definitely wasn't as innocent as she claimed to be.

" We squashed our beef a year or two ago and ever since then we've been really close " Raelynn smiled

"Mmm." Smirking, Aaliyah shook her head and took a sip of her drink, wondering if she should become one them and ruin a relationship.

But everybody know what that 'mmm' meant.

" What that mean? " Raelynn asked.

" I'm just confused because you mess with Karter right ? " Aaliyah asked, Raelynn nodded her yes " So how don't you know her and Karter are in a relationship.. with a whole child, but that's your bestfriend "

*******

Sehkani and Naomi were in the middle of a conversation and before he could reply, his phone rung. Karter's name flashed across the screen and he quickly answered it.

" You got that thing for me? " Sehkani asked

" No nigga, I got some issues to discuss with you. I'm outside. "

" Everything straight ? " Sehkani asked

" Nigga come outside " Karter snapped before hanging up.

Sehkani shoved his iPhone into his Balmain jeans before walking out of the room.

Sehkani and Karter never stopped being friends after everything that had went down, they had got smarter and leveled up in the business field. They were no longer doing little boy shit and working under Kasuan, they were doing their own thing and moving just enough weight to keep them under the radar.

" Where you going!? " Naomi asked

" Imma be back... Karter outside " Sehkani replied before walking out the house

Once outside, he shook his head at Karter who paced back and forth on the phone as he talked to what he assumed was Aria.

" I ain't even fucking with that bitch, but I ain't about to argue with you bruh " Karter ended the call and turned his attention to Sehkani.

" Wassup?" Sehkani asked him.

" Yo, Your baby mom out here starting shit on my end. You better handle that shit before I do." Karter snapped.

Sehkani shrugged, Aaliyah ain't have nothing to do with him and she wasn't his baby mom anymore ." Do what you gotta do bro " he replied, he really didn't give a fuck about her " What she do though? "

" Told Raelynn dumbass about me and Aria on some nut shit, now she threatening me saying she gone tell Aria and shit "

" Nigga I know you not still fucking with her? " Sehkani asked. He had no longer conversated with Raelynn over the whole situation. The whole hood knew that not only did she lie, but she really tried to play his best-friend and have him raise another man's baby. The only person that fucked with her only a little bit was Aria and that was confusing to everybody.

" I ain't tell you man? " Karter sucked his teeth at his own bull shit. Sehkani laughed, knowing he was in some shit.

" I ain't never really stop after she lost the baby.. then one day she was mad at me one time and the bitch got bold and became Aria friend." Karter explained.

" That's corny nigga. " Sehkani wasn't for a lot of nut shit that niggas did but he always forgot that he did nigga shit too. " Stop doing my sister like that too or you gone owe me a fade.. real shit " he warned

" I know bro. I love Aria but I can't leave Raelynn alone."

" You gotta make a decision tho, your baby or Raelynn? " Sehkani knew his friend wasn't that much of a dog to choose his hoe over his kid but he also felt like he ain't know him enough when it took him awhile to answer.

" You already know my baby the move."

******
Aria couldn't wait to spill the tea and tell her mom and aunt Keyarri all about who she ran into last night. She left her house after Karter went to work and headed towards her parents house with Cori.

" You said you saw who ? " Keyarri asked in disbelief

" Aaliyah.. at the gas station, she's back in town for who knows how long. She told me she's staying at her moms house right now " Aria replied " I still follow her on Instagram and look " she added pulling out her phone and passing it to her aunt " she posted a picture with her mom down town yesterday "

Keyarri's widened when she saw Aaliyah's Instagram and sure enough she was back in town, she passed the phone back to Aria. Before she could respond the door bell rang luckily Kasuan was close to the door so he answered it.

He opened the front door and was more than shocked, the last person he expected to see was standing outside. " Can I help you ? " he asked

" Uhh-.. is Sehkani here ? " Aaliyah asked nervously. She hadn't been to this house in a long time

" Who was at the door ? " Adryian asked from behind, opening the door all the way to be nosey. Just like Kasuan, she was shocked to see Aaliyah standing outside and all the anger she had been holding in was about to come out. " Bitch have you lost your mind ? " she asked Aaliyah

Aaliyah ignored her and looked at Kasuan " Can you just tell Sehkani I stopped by and I wanna' talk ? "

" Y'all don't have shit to talk about " Adryian replied. Aria and Keyarri heard the yelling and joined them at the door, both surprised to see the person they were just talking about

Aaliyah rolled her eyes " Bitch can you just mind your own damn business.. the fuck, I wasn't even talking to you "

" Bitch it became my business when you decided to bring yo' lil' hoe ass to my house.. you thought you could just rob my son, leave and come back like everything was just gone be cool ? " Adryian replied angrily

" I don't owe you an explanation Adryian and I suggest you watch how you talking to me "

" You don't want these problems " she warned

" Oh wow I'm so scared.. everybody knows you're all talk. You might scare these other bitches in the hood and you might've beat a few bitches back in your day but I ain't scared of you " Aaliyah replied

" Chill.. just go back in the house " Kasuan said to Adryian

" Yo' disrespectful ass.. coming up here talking shit like you grown, you gone fuck around and get yo' ass beat " Adryian yelled as Kasuan blocked her from coming out the house

" I'm so glad I don't have to fake like I like you anymore.. after you killed my daughter I had so much hate for you but didn't say shit because I was with your son but now I don't give a fuck " Aaliyah replied, everyone's mouths dropped.

" You know damn I didn't kill Kelsey " Adryian said

" You were watching her remember " Aaliyah replied " or did you forget? .. The same way you forget about all those times Kasuan has cheated on yo' dumb ass "

That was the last straw for Kasuan, he moved out the way and Adryian rushed out the house to get to Aaliyah. Adryian punched Aaliyah in the face and they started to fight. Don't get it twisted because of her age, Adryian still had hands and was beating Aaliyah's ass. Aaliyah fell backwards and didn't let go of Adryian's hair which made Adryian fall to the floor too and now they were fighting hard in the grass.

Kasuan felt like it was over and broke it up. Aaliyah stood up and Keyarri held her back and Kasuan held Adryian back.

" Don't come to this house nomore bitch.. every time I see you ima' fuck you up " Adryian yelled as Kasuan pulled her back into the house.

Keyarri walked Aaliyah to her car " Just go home girl " she said. Aaliyah got in her car and sped off

She was so over this crazy ass family.