February 11th

"Why them kids don't got they hair done?" Kaidence asked, pointing to Deion's kids as she walked in with Naomi.

"Because baby... just because. It looks cute to me." Naomi lied, shushing her daughter as she placed her in the seat.

"Why yo hair like dat?" Kaidence asked, pulling the flimsy bow at the end of Mari's short braid.

"Hey everybodyyy!" Elena walked in and went to hug Xander first but Jaylani pushed the girl back and shook her head in disapproval.

"Okay then. How's everybody doing?" She sat down and nobody responded. When her mom walked in everybody got happy again.

"Hey Rainaaa I missed you!" Naomi hugged her bestfriend tightly, wanting to cry. She'd moved out of state and was in Baltimore with her boyfriend. She got sick of Elena and made her live with her father and his girlfriend Nyla.

"I gotta go to the bathroom." Xander said tiredly, getting up and walking out.

Elena noticed but stayed in her seat for the moment, not wanting to be blatantly out for him. He was cute and they were the same age, Jaylani was too young for him anyways. He was almost 16 and she was 14 so Elena thought she'd look cuter with him.

"What the fuck are you looking at?" Jaylani asked, snapping her fingers in her cousins face when she saw her eyes follow Xander.

"I can't look around?"

"No look straight ahead at all times. Never mind cause you sittin across from Aaron, bitch look down."

Raina wanted to say something but at this point her daughter would just have to learn for herself. She was lucky she could fight cause if not she'd be getting her ass beat all the time.

She told her daughter to leave the boys alone but she never listened. She wasn't gonna be the dumb bitch pretending her daughter was a saint and defending her dumb shit.

"You look like Michael Jackson." Kaidence said, pointing at Cali's face.

"Cal-hee." Nasir said under his breath, making Tay snicker.

"Cal-heehee." Tay muttered, hearing Nasir laugh loudly and cover his mouth.

"Aaron are you okay? Are you okay Aaron?" Elias joined in, making the other two slap their knees and bend over laughing.

"Y'all are so damn childish!" Cali turned to mug Nasir, Elias, and Tay.

"She must be talking to the man in the mirror." Tay looked at her and busted out laughing again because she really did look like Michael Jackson with her hair the way it was and the shirt she had on.

"Chillout. She'll kill all of us and get away with it, her ass a smooth crim-"

"Aaron are you fuckin serious?" She turned and glared at her husband who couldn't stop laughing.

"Shut yo bitter ass up. I wanna see my bro." Aaron looked around for Xander and didn't spot the boy, feeling a frown come to his face. He cared about him more than anyone else did.

"Speaking of Xander.. I want him to stay with me." Zion announced, clearing her throat.

"Why?" Cali asked defensively.

"Because he cant stay with Naomi and Nasir, he dates Jaylani and that'd be a little too much going on." Zion said, avoiding the big question.

"Why would he not be with us?"

"No offense.. we've been friends for a long time.. but if it weren't for A, Xander would've been long gone and ran away. He requires more attention than what you're willing to give him and I'm capable of doing it." She shrugged.

"There's noth-"

"Don't say that. He's high all the time and if he was raised in a moderately stable home someone would've taught him about drug abuse and he wouldn't be walking around like a zombie all damn day." Naomi said in annoyance, trying to stay calm about it all.

"He did that on his own. When they were giving him meds for his pain while he was going through treatment he learned to abuse it. I won't take blame for that."

"You didn't even put him in therapy after his lymphoma treatment worked nor did you report it so he still goes to Dr.Drewid and turns in his prescription fill, which he doesn't need anymore. So cancel it."

"He told me he was still in pain, what do you want from me?"

"I want you to think Calina. He's been moderately sober the entire time he's been here, every time you bring him he'd be high off of over the counter medication that he isn't even supposed to be able to get anymore, because it's no longer necessary. Say yes now or we can do this legally it really doesn't matter to me." Zion said seriously.

"Wow. Xander is clean and I've made sure of it the last 3 days he's been home. Xander come here." Cali lied, seeing the boy walk in slowly.

"What?"

"Don't what me, empty your pockets."

"What the fuck is wrong with you? Hell no." He began walking back out when Deion spoke up, he didn't even hear what the boy said but he bucked immediately.

"Fuck you say?" Xander asked, turning to face Deion.

"Don't talk to my momma like that. That's what I said."

"I will beat you the fuck up, all in front of these two dusty ass kids. Please stop trying me, I could care less who I upset in this shitty ass family." Xander sat back down and closed his eyes lazily.

Tay looked at him and gave him that look, as if to ask if he was actually clean. He shook his head no and felt Jaylani kiss his cheek.

"Aht aht!" Nasir said loudly, making Xander and Jaylani separate quickly.

"Imma go to the kitchen."

"If you don't leave that girl alone." Zion mumbled.

"Kissing on the cheek can lead to kissing on the lips, kissing on the lips can lead to touching too much, touching too much means horny teenage boy, horny teenage boy equals sex, and sex equals pregnant. Do that shit somewhere else or be sneaky about it."

"Love you daddy." Laylani said innocently, knowing the subject was making his blood pressure rise.

"Love you too." Tay muttered and his pregnant girlfriend elbowed him in his side.

"Love you too." Nasir smiled softly when he looked at her growing stomach. Things happen, he had no right to frown upon her pregnancy when he got Naomi pregnant intentionally multiple times.

Kaidence was a slip up but not really. He planned on it, it just happened earlier than expected.

"Oh. While we're at it, I'm pregnant." Naomi said, letting out an awkward laugh. She wanted to drink so badly.

"Damn nigga." Nasir said with a hand over his chest.

"You probably did it on purpose I don't know why you look shocked." Zion said with a small laugh, getting a side eye from her husband.

"That could be us but you got yo tubes tied. Dickhead."

"Sure did. I'm too old to have kids, Naomi still got energy left after 5."

"No I don't." She shook her head and Nasir patted her head.

"I'm not gon say I did it on purpose.. but I wanted a second son. I got kind of bored too, kaidence can walk on her own and shit. I'm lonely." Nasir said with fake sadness, feeling his wife glaring at him.

"I hope it's a damn girl just to make you mad."

"Then we tryin again."

"Nasir I will smack the shit out of you!" She jumped at him and he flinched before laughing childishly.

"You like 50." Kambren frowned.

"I'm 36, shut the fuck up ugly ass."

"You made me if I'm ugly what are you?"

"You look like your ugly ass daddy. With them big eyes and them stupid ass knees. Tall and awkward for no reason. Kaidence, Isys, and Laylani the only ones that look like me. The rest of y'all look like his ugly bug eyed ass." Naomi laughed, seeing her other two kids frown and look back and forth between eachother and Nasir.

"Y'all got like 10 kids already what the hell."

"Crazy how it's 5 of us and you only got 2 but they look a damn mess all the time." Isys said with a side eye, not liking the way Deion was looking at her mom.

"Chill, learn how to stay in a child's place."

"Don't talk to her like that, maybe if your kids ain't look like they stink we wouldn't be having this problem." Kambren said before covering his nose.

Elena excused herself to the kitchen and noticed Xander typing away on his phone while everyone engaged in conversation.

"Hey." She waved at him and sat on the island, feeling her skirt rise up.

He gave her a simple head nod and went back to what he was doing. Xander put his phone down and walked to the fridge, pulling juice out of the back where he hid all of the stuff he didn't anybody touching.

"How old are you?"

"I don't wanna fuck you." He said plainly, pouring juice into his cup. She was surprised but shrugged and brushed it off.

"Who said I wanted you?"

"You didn't have to say anything. You'd be me more attractive if you weren't a hoe." He sipped from his cup and continued on his phone.

"What makes me a hoe? Maybe I just like sex."

"Liking sex doesn't make you a hoe. You sell pussy and fuck niggas in relationships. That makes you a hoe, slut, whore, allat."

"So if I came into you, you wouldn't do anything? Men are dumb and they usually only want one thing. If tempted enough you'd fuck me because that's how boys are, they think with their dick." She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck as he stood in front of her with raised eyebrows.

"You got a nice ass, small waist, you not ugly. But you ain't shit to me. If I did fuck you would you feel better? Knowing you gave yo pussy up and I still prefer my girl over you? Sad life you living." Xander laughed and pushed her hands away, not feeling it at all.

If he felt like cheating he would have, but he just didn't want to. He didn't feel the need to cheat because he liked Jaylani. Anyone else would feel like a waste of his time.

"Okay. That's what they all say."

"Yeah yeah bitch." He muttered as he walked back into the dining room.

-

February 23rd

Scam Likely: I won't be able to make it, next time?

Don't bother. I'll go to all of them without you, I've been doing that anyways

Scam Likely: can you stop being petty? It's hard fitting last minute shit in my schedule but I'm trying.

Fitting last minute shit in? Fuck your schedule. It would be nice if you could stop texting me to apologize about you inconsistencies. I don't need your help, I really just want you to leave me alone.

Scam Likely: Who took you?

Caleb.

Scam Likely: Bro you know I don't like that shit.

I don't care. Get off my phone before I block the fuck out of you.

"You good?" Caleb asked, scrolling through his phone as she sat in his car, mentally preparing to get out and walk up the stairs to her room,

"Yeah. Niggas." She said vaguely.

"Tell me about it. Jaylen acts like a child sometimes."

"Tay acts like a child all the time. Thanks for taking me, I appreciate it." Laylani hugged him and felt her phone buzz 2 more times, then 3 more times. She got out of the car and sighed, ignoring the messages knowing it was Tay being worrisome.

She walked up the steps and felt her phone buzz again.

Scam Likely: I'm coming over.

Lol no you not.

Scam Likely: bet.

I'm not even home so stay yo stupid ass where you at. You're stressing me the fuck out, can you please let me be pregnant in peace? Don't call me if it ain't about your baby because I have nothing to say to you.

Scam Likely: I'm hearing you but not really.

Laylani rolled her eyes and called him, hearing him pick up immediately.

"I'm breaking up with you because I don't like liars and I'm tired of this, forreal. Give me space, don't stalk me, don't do none of that." She said calmly.

"No."

"No?"

"No nigga. What you watching?"

She pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at it as if he was the phone. This nigga was insane.

"Tay what is wrong with you? I just said I was done with you, you don't get to-"

"I wanna watch Black Clover but I don't feel like reading subtitles."

"Tay!"

"Yes?"

"I'm breaking up with you.. I'm hanging up."

"I'll just call back. If you block me I'll just come see you. Actually, I'm outside yo door." Tay said as he walked in, hanging up the phone and plopping in bed next to her.

He could never be serious.

"I'm not playin."

"I'm not either. I'm a basketball player, I make it work. Suck it up and move on because you can't leave me and I'm an athlete, neither of those things are changing. What you can do though.. is give me a kiss. And don't be annoying because I showered before I came." He rested his forehead on hers and she stayed quiet.

5 seconds later her lip trembled and she began crying loudly, not even knowing how to stop. This was so annoying. She wanted her boyfriend but he was busy all the time and she barely saw him 5 days a week.

She stood up on her bed to look him in the eye when he stood up and wrapped her arms and legs around him, crying some more. He just rubbed her back because it was about time she had a real pregnancy cry.

"I'm sorry it's okay." He really did feel bad but what had to be done had to be done. She knew that but it was still annoying. Tay understood her frustration so he just babied her and angered with everything she complained about.

Growing up Laylani had a bad case of SABS. Spoiled ass brat syndrome. You'd think her growing up would fix it but it got worse because her boyfriend babied her too.

"I didn't mean it when I said I didn't want you no more I was lying. I'm damn near obsessed with you, you not leaving ever." She mumbled into his neck.

"I know. You still wanna have your website and shit?" He asked out of curiosity, kicking his shoes off and laying down, her body laying on his.

"Yes. I made $2,000 off my cartel site last week and all I did was sell lashes and lip gloss. I think imma expand my site and sell more. I'll be able to help pay my tuition and save my parents money."

"The idea of you leaving for work everyday stinks. I want you to be like them basketball wive bitches that shop all day and complain about a whole bunch of nothing." Tay half joked, feeling her slap his chest and sit up on him.

"Ew you want me to be a housewife? That stinks for real. I'd be so embarrassed asking you for money all the time because I decided to not do shit with myself."

"Nah. Like go to college and shit but just know you ain't gotta do nothing you don't wanna do. Even if we ever break up on god I got you. My new bitch would just have to be mad cause imma be all on yo dick for real."

"I- boy bye." When she rolled her eyes he grabbed her face and pulled her in for a kiss.

"So serious. Don't even think about thinking you goin somewhere cause I'll annoy you either way it g- bae." He randomly sucked his teeth and pulled his hands away from me, catching her by surprise.

"What?"

"Shit fat on god." Taylin laughed childishly before he slid his hand up her oversized shirt and slapped her ass, getting a lethal pinch to the arm.

"Stoppp." Laylani pushed his hand away and tried hiding her grin.

"I'm hungry."

"Ok?"

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and pulled her underwear to the side.

"Oh? Bone apple teeth." She scrambled off of him to get her clothes off and he laughed.

-

"Nigga I don't wanna be here all night."

"So get the fuck out." He shrugged, hearing it run back.

"This nigga don't sleep. If you wanted a lazy nigga you got the wrong one he'll spend the night in this bitch just because he don't like one part. Get over it." Mel suggested as Xander finished off the middle of the verse.

"Damn nigga relax. Try again tomorrow."

"Shut the fuck up wit allat bitch ass complaining you don't wanna do it I can do it myself, it ain't nun to press rewind." Xander said impatiently.

"Somebody makes Jaylani calling. Answer?"

"Fuck no."

He sighed and felt himself grow tired before digging in his pocket and looking around the room to make sure they weren't him him any mind.

"No sirrrr you been high all day for the past 3 days and Cali said don't let you take Xanax because you be wildin."

"I don't take Xans no more. It's MDMA and percocets, Cali approved. She said as long as I'm pacing myself she don't care." Xander swallowed one dry and cringed at the bitter taste in his throat, swallowing the next one down with muddy pineapple Fanta.

"Okay bro that's on you." Quan wasn't the smartest person in the world or even the room because when Xander swallowed them down with lean everybody but him left, not wanting to be responsible for a minor overdosing under their supervision.

He also never questioned Cali's rationality. People don't usually tell 15 year olds to pace themselves when taking hardcore over the counter drugs. They usually just don't let them.. do it.

"I'm good now." Xander felt his body get hot after 20 minutes and wrapped up what he was doing in less than an hour.

Xander laid down and closed his eyes after calling his Uber, wanting to get just a blink of sleep after staying up for the past 31 hours.

When he felt his phone ding reminding him his Uber was coming he began sweating, feeling like his body was on fire. He shifted uncomfortably before he took in a deep breath seeing his eyesight become shifty as his words got stuck in his throat.

"You call yo Uber?" Quan asked the boy who was sleeping on the couch facing the wall. He had a really long night. Xander's deep breath caught his attention and he remembered that the boy was still there.

"Aye."

When he shook Xander and the boy didn't respond he flipped him towards him and panicked, picking up his phone to call the police. After slapping his face a few times and seeing his face paling the phone answered.

"911 what's your emergency?"

"There's a 15 year old boy dead on the sidewalk in Bankhead Atlanta, 152 Glenstreet." He lied calmly, picking up Xander's body as he dragged him outside.

"Are you sure he's dead sir?"

"He's not breathing, responding, and his eyes are open. Yes ma'am." He laid the boy on the side walk and frowned in disappointment. Life would go on.

Xander laid there wit- Xander's body laid there with the birds and trash that riddled the Atlanta streets. He had heart beat but that was fading as Quan walked away from what was soon to be a corpse.

When he heard sirens he ran and jumped fences, wanting no parts in the news story that would explain the death of a 15 year old boy native to Brooklyn but new to Atlanta, dying before he hit his sixth month anniversary with residing in Georgia.

"Step away from the corpse, the police will be there soon." The phone operator answered seriously.

Quan hung up and called Cali who answered immediately.

"What?"

"Your son.."