*unedited* Cato in the MM.

Athena Kelly

A brand new iPhone 6S Plus.

He really had bought this for me. I wasnt sure how to feel about it. I wasnt a fan of taking expensive gifts from people, especially guys. Besides, when my mom saw me toteing around a phone that costs half of our rent, she was going to question the crap out of me.

I pulled it out of the box and turned it on. It was rose gold. I was excited to have it but I felt uneasy about it at the same time.

Once it was on, I seen that he must have already turned it on and charged it and everything before hand. There was already a text message notification. I unlocked it to see what it said.

Cato: Call me when you get this

I dialed his number and put the phone to my ear. I heard my mom and dad in their room next door laughing at something. They must have been watching tv.

"You like it?" I hadnt even realized Cato had answered the phone.

"Yeah...thank you. This is alot though. I dont think I can keep this" I chuckled.

"Lalalalalala, ion wanna hear that bullshit" he said. I rolled my eyes as if he could see me.

"Its not bullshit."

"It is."

"If you say so" I chuckled.

"Yo house quiet as fuck."

"That was unnecessary."

"What was?" he asked.

"The cursing."

He sucked his teeth. "You should try it. Get rid of some 'uh y

o frustrations."

"I'd rather not" I mumbled chipping the paint off of my nails. It went quiet on his end for a while.

"Talk. Why you never talk?" he questioned. I heard rustling as if he was searching for something.

"I told you. I never have anything to talk about. My life isn't very interesting."

"Who yo favorite music artist?" he asked me.

I thought about it. "Don't laugh at me when I tell you."

"I wont" he laughed.

"You're laughing already" I frowned.

"Alright, Alright, tell me."

"Young thug" I told him. He didnt say anything. "Are you silently judging me?"

"Nah. You said dont laugh. If I say somethin' 'bout it, i'ma crack the fuck up" he started cackling.

"Tsk, its not even funny."

"Its not. You just dont seem like the young thug type."

"How dont I?"

"You seem like you fuck wit' like K.Michelle and shit. Like you sit in yo room and cry to Tamar Braxton" he joked.

"Ugh, I hate them" I scrunched my face up.

"Damn, thats funny as fuck. I'ma hitchu back later doe, I gotta go" he said.  I got kind of sad. I never really got to talk to anyone on the phone. Amaru always hogged the house phone and I didnt have any friends to call anyway.

"Okay, well thanks again. Byeee" I hung up. This was so weird to me.

There was a knock on my door. "One second!" I yelled and quickly slid all evidence of the phone under my bed. I put the phone on silent and slid it under my pillow. "Okay!"

In walked my mom with a box of frosted flakes, eating from the box. She laid across the foot of my bed. "Sooo... Lil' mama, talk to me. How are you?"

"Lil mama?" I questioned with my eyebrow raised.

"Dont worry yourself with my slang. How is school and everything?"

"Good I guess. Same ole, same ole" I shrugged.

"Kids still giving you a hard time?"

"Of course they are mama. That wont change."

"Well you're almost out of there anyway. Only a few more months, then you're off."

"Will you guys miss me?" I asked playfully.

"No way. One less mouth to feed honey. Although I will miss your lovely spirit and all the help you supply me with. Your sister isnt that big of a help around here at all. Maybe that will change now that she's working though" she said. She held the box out to me offering some cereal. I shook my head no.

"Suit yourself."

I laughed and shook my head. We were quiet for a while as I took out my journal and flipped to a fresh page to doodle.

"Can I ask you something Athena?" my mom said. I nodded and gave her my attention.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" she asked me.   I shook my head no.

"Not at all. Why?" I asked confused.

"Our neighbor said she saw you get in the car with some boy. You never mentioned any boy to me and from what you tell me, you hate all the ones at school."

I suddenly got nervous. Why couldnt neighbors mind their business? "Its an old friend from elementary school. We just got breakfast together" I shrugged it off like it was nothing.

My mom stared me down for a while befor nodding. "I believe you. Just promise me that whenever you become.....involved with a boy, you'll be careful."

I knew what she meant by "involved".

"I promise" I laughed.

She smiled. "Athena, Sunday at church when you disappeared, where did you go?" she raised an eyebrow.

I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. "U-Uh, I thought I was having a panic attack so I went to calm myself down."

She squinted at me. "Yeah but it never takes that long for you to come back..." she trailed off.

"I ended up sitting in there for a while" I chuckled nervously.

"You're a good liar. Almost as good as Amaru. That boy that sat on the pew, you knew him didnt you?" she asked sitting up.

I couldnt lie anymore. She could see right through it. I slowly nodded.

"Is this the same friend who's car you ended up in?"

I nodded again.

"Care to explain why you were in the bathroom with him?"

My heart fell to my feet. "What?"

"Its eyes all over the church building boo boo. What was going on?" she asked.

"It was nothing like that. He wanted to talk to me" I tried to explain.

"And he had to follow you into the bathroom to do it why?" she questioned. I shrugged. I had no answer.

She sighed. "Please dont be out here acting up. Amaru does enough of it. I'll believe you this time but if something sketchy like that goes down again, your ass is grass. Deal?"

I let out a breath of relief as I nodded. She got up and left the room. I flopped back onto my pillow and sighed. My mom was actually pretty calm about that whole situation. I was just wondering who told her.