"You are a fool." I say, shaking my head. Kyrie wraps his arm around my shoulder.
"I'm telling you Ray, shit was crazy. Riley made it to Worldstar… again." He says, chuckling. "The look on his face was murderous. You should have seen that shit. They got you yelling at that one ugly girl too."
"What ugly girl?" I ask, looking at him.
"Uh, I don't know." He mutters, shrugging. "It don't matter. She moved when you told her to shut the fuck up." He laughs.
"Rayen Mitchell." Someone calls out. I frown, giving Kyrie a look before we both turn around. I meet eyes with a girl, who was walking up to us. "I thought you were with Riley."
"I am." I simply say. I swear, if she was going to bring up some stupid shit, like Kyrie's arm being around my shoulder, I swear.
"Then what is this?" She asks, looking at Kyrie. "I don't think you know Kyrie, but she-"
"Man, get the fuck out my sister face, bruh." Kyrie says, moving away from me. "Y'all hoes always tripping off that shit. You see her with one male and she a hoe. This is my blood! We are related! She's not fucking me, that shit is nasty!"
"Kyrie-"
"What, you need birth certificates or some shit? Damn. What do we have to do to prove-"
"Kyrie." I say, stopping his rant. I was livid. I hated this school. Everything about this school made me angry and hate life. I hated what they saw me as, just because I was able to fuck with Riley and they weren't. Like, who does that? Who hates on someone for something that petty? It isn't fair.
"Nah, Rayen, these hoes need to know that you aren't like that! I'm so tired of that shit. Next person who call her a hoe is getting fucked up, I don't-"
"Kyrie." I say, grabbing his hand. "Let's go. I'm tired." I start to walk away from him and the dumbfounded girl. I was trying to keep myself calm. I don't want to get into any more drama. I just wanted to live. I should be used to being called a hoe. It was like that all the time. No matter what school I went to. I wasn't even that good looking. I guess it was just the way I carried myself.
I knew I was kinda pretty. I barely wore makeup but was still satisfied with my appearance. My skin was a smooth milk chocolate, my eyes big and brown. My nose was a little big and my lips were full. My teeth were straight and white, my smile was pretty. I wasn't too skinny, I had an ass and my boobs were a nice size. I knew all of this. I embraced everything that I came with and worked it. I guess other girls couldn't handle it, and once it got around that I was a hoe, everyone claimed to have fucked me. Which was weird because still to this day I'm a virgin. But I just turned the other cheek.
I held my head high and continued on despite the rumors. It wasn't like they were true and as long as I knew it, I didn't care. But this time, I knew it wasn't fully my fault for the rumors. I knew that it was the combined facts that I was always called a hoe by petty females and that I held the attention of Riley. Which made all the girls here childish.
"This doesn't change anything!" The girl shouts in an attempt to save herself from looking foolish. "You are still a hoe."
"I swear-"
"Kyrie!" I shout, my voice cold and stern. I turn to face him and give him a subtle shake of the head. He falls back, moving out of the way so I could look at the girl. With every step I took toward her, I studied her. She wasn't even Riley's type. But, she was a pretty girl, seemed to be mixed. "What's your name?" I ask, face to face with her.
"What?"
"What's your name?" I repeat. I was being calm and cool. I wasn't Riley, who would punch someone for a word. I was a mature female, and I would act like it.
"Erika."
"Ok, Erika." I say, crossing my arms. "I would love to have proof of my hoe activities. Because, according to you and everyone else, you think I'm a hoe."
"W-what?"
"How am I a hoe? What did I do to be a hoe?" Silence. "Exactly. You base your insults on emotions and not proof. Because, prior to your knowledge of me, I've been with Riley for a year. And I'm still a virgin. We haven't even seen each other naked, and we're okay with that. But it's okay. You can keep calling me a hoe. But keep testing my patience and you'll see." I say, turning back around. I was done here. I walk past Kyrie, who had given the girl a stank look the whole time.
"Where's Riley?" I ask, looking at Kyrie, who was beside me.
"He had some shit to take care of." Kyrie says.
"Hiro's with him?"
"Yeah." He says, and I nod. He better be talking to Hakeem and getting another battle. Maybe now everyone will have learned. "I have his keys. He gave them to me during passing period."
"Was that when he left?" I ask, and he nods.
"I wanted to go with him but-"
"You need an education." I say, walking to Riley's car.
"So does Riley! What's the difference between us?" He tosses me the keys and I catch them, unlocking the car.
"Riley's an adult. You are still a minor. And I'm your older sister, and basically your legal guardian. Speaking of that, has mom talked to you?"
"Yeah." He says, getting into the car. I also get in, rolling my eyes, and starting it up. "She said that she misses us."
"Did she say where she was?"
"Living at a friends house. She says she doesn't have any money right now, but when she does-"
"Please don't tell me you believe that Kyrie."
He's silent for a while and I almost sigh, pulling out of the parking lot. "I want to." He mutters, and I look over at him.
"Put on your seatbelt." I say, my voice as quiet as his. He listens and the two of us sit in silence.
"She said she wanted to see us today. She gave me the address." He looks at me.
"Do you want to go?" I ask, keeping my eyes on the road.
"Yeah. I miss her, Ray."
"I know, Ky." I say, drumming my fingers on the steering wheel. "Give me the address."
Within minutes, we were in a small neighbourhood. It wasn't too bad over here, it wasn't like it was a bad neighbourhood. It was just… small. I stop at the house number and turn the car off. "You coming too, right?" Kyrie asks, and I look over to him. I understood him. I used to be the same way when mom first left. I was scared and missed her like crazy. I tried to talk to her everyday, sending her text after text, barely getting a response.
But then I realized that we couldn't live on quarters and whatever mom gave us. Then we almost got kicked out of our apartment, so I had to buckle down. I lied on job applications, saying I was seventeen. I don't understand how I managed to pull that off, but it worked. I barely went to school to pay bills and get food for Kyrie. "Yeah." I mutter, unbuckling the seat belt. I didn't want to see the woman who went missing almost three years ago. I mean, she was still my mother, biologically, but I just didn't feel that way anymore. I couldn't. She left us at the worst possible time for a reason I don't even know.
Just up and left. But at least she kept in contact with us. Kyrie gets out first, me after him. He walks up to the building and rings the doorbell. I couldn't deny it, I was nervous. But I felt more angry than nervous. I couldn't help it.
We stand there before the door opens, showing my mother's smiling face. She was skinny, skinnier than the before. It almost made me angry. I could have done everything I did now with her around. If she needed help paying bills, she could have told me, instead of abandoning us. Instead, she shoved all the responsibility on me.
"I wanna go back home." I say, staring coldy into her eyes. Her smile dies a bit.
"I've missed you two." She says, and I hold back a scoff.
"Don't lie to my brother." I mutter and Kyrie pushes me a bit.
"Hey ma." He says, taking a step forward. The two hug, sending a stinging pain in my heart. The boy I've been taking care of since he was eleven and providing for since he was fifteen. I was the reason why he had swag. I was the reason why he had food to eat. But it's okay. I guess I understood. I will never take the spot of his mother, even though I basically acted like it.
The two pull away and she looks at me. "Hey Ray."
"Cassandra." I say with a head nod. That could be Kyrie's mother. She wasn't mine.
"Rayen, don't be like that." She says. This time I did scoff.
"I don't understand what you are saying."
"Rayen, you know I love you." She says, and I raise my eyebrows.
"What do you want?"
"Nothing! I just wanted to say how proud I was. I saw you in a magazine, you were beautiful."
"Thanks." I say, my voice monotonous. "Kyrie, how long are we staying here?" I ask, turning to face him.
"Ray." He says, giving me a hurt look. I let out a breath and take a step back.
"I'll let you talk. I'm waiting in the car." I say, but he grabs my wrist.
"Rayen, please. Talk to mom."
"I have nothing to say." I say, turning back to face him. "Nothing nice at least."
"Rayen, I'm sorry." She says, and I turn my eyes to her. I was so angry. I wanted to yell, scream and cry. Why would she say something like that?
"No you are not!" I shout, the anger rising in me quicker than I thought. "Don't you ever say anything like that to me!" I could feel tears welling up in my eyes.
"Rayen, I'm so sorry baby. We just… I couldn't do it. I needed a break-"
"So you leave a sixteen year old girl with her fifteen year old brother? We only lasted a week with the twenty dollars you left us with. We barely ate. I was so afraid. I thought…" I take a deep breath, swallowing my tears. I was not gonna cry in front of her. "I thought I was going to have to become a hoe to put food on the table for him! For your son! What I do is your job! I take care of him! I put all these clothes on his back! I feed him everyday, make sure he does his homework and goes to school! I make sure he has clean clothes everyday and takes a shower and cleans behind his ears, all of that shit!"
"Rayen, don't cuss at me!"
"Fuck you!" I scream. "You may be his mother, but you are nothing to me!"
"Rayen!" Kyrie grabs my arms, but I pull away from him.
"You said talk to her, so I am." I say, composing myself. I take a deep breath and turn back to her. "Why are you crying?" I ask her coldly. "You probably had it good. Don't have to worry about any kids, only yourself. Get to stay at a friends and have a grand old time. Oh, thanks for the forty dollars every once a year. I almost forgot you even gave us money. It's been so long-"
"I've had it hard too, Rayen! When your father left, there was no money! I had to struggle too! I couldn't provide for us!"
"I did." I say, turning my back on her. "I'm done, Kyrie. You can talk, I'll be in the car."
"You gotta understand, bruh." Riley's hushed voice says. I roll my eyes, placing the clean dish in the dish rack. "She been taking care of you for hella long. She made sacrifices-"
"So did mom!" He says, his voice hushed also. I didn't understand why they were trying to be quiet. I heard them clear as day. I close my eyes, scrubbing another dish. Sometimes, Kyrie gets on my nerves. He always glorifies her and makes me the bad guy. Like she wasn't the one who left without a word and didn't come back. But it was alright. I guess absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Not for me though. I couldn't stand her. Acting as if everything was fine and that I liked her. I didn't. I hated her. She could have stayed with us. She could have made things right. How dare she throw the whole 'I couldn't take care of you guys' but I could. And I did! I did everything she needed to. I got jobs, I put Kyrie before me, shit like that, and I didn't get one ounce of credit for it.
Whatever. As long as I know Kyrie goes somewhere in life and isn't like her or our father, we're fine. Speaking of our father, fuck him too. That's about all I have to say about that.
"But like, your mom gave up. Ray ain't ever giving up on you, bro. All the shit you got know, is a product of Ray's hard work."
"You know you be sliding money into her purse on the low." My eyes widen. All those times I thought I saved some money was from him? That nigga.
"Shhhhhhhh." He says. "If she find out, she's gonna be so mad." I let out a breath, closing my eyes and rinsing off another plate. "Man." He lets out, possibly watching me. "I swear, if you find a girl as good as Ray, never let her go."
"I don't even like girls who act like Ray. It'd be like dating my sister, and that's fucking gross. I like my girls quiet."
"Tsk, whatever man. Rayen is perfect." I hear the chair being pushed back and some footsteps. "Rayen Denise Freeman." He mutters in my ear, wrapping his arms around my waist. "The prettiest name for the prettiest wife."
"We aren't even married, Riley." I say, a small smile on my face as he kisses my cheek.
"Not yet. We finna get married at the beach."
"Too sandy."
"At a beautiful park."
"Nah, kinda boring."
"At a church?"
"Too traditional."
"Where you wanna go then?"
"I wanted it to be small. Something simple. At a garden maybe." I say, rinsing off the last dish. I place it in the rack, turning to face him. "Something sweet." The two of us kiss.
"Then that shit'll happen." He says, kissing me again. "I'll find the best garden for you babe."
"Aww, I love you." I mutter, the two of us kissing again. Marrying Riley was a happy thought. I loved him so much. I knew we were going to last since we first got together. It was a gut feeling and my father always told me that us Mitchell's had good instincts. Which wasn't too much of a lie. I always followed mine, and look at where they got me.
The best boyfriend possible and a job as a model. I always wanted to model. It was one of my dreams, and being able to do it was fantastic. I had the best agent, who deserved every praise she received. I would eventually be in a position where I would be able to pay her back fully for what she bought me, but until then, I'd have to give her a little something now and then.
"Y'all nasty." Kyrie says as we continue to make out in the kitchen. Riley pulls away and rolls his eyes.
"If you should think this is nasty,you should see what I intend to do with her in this kitchen."
"Nigga!" Kyrie exclaims as I slap Riley's chest, getting up out of his chair. "Y'all take that shit to the room. I'll be in mine, doing my homework or some shit."
Riley laughs and I slap his chest again, pushing him off of me. Being trapped between the sink and Riley was slightly uncomfortable. "You staying here tonight?"
"Yeah." He says, kissing my cheek. "You know, I should move in." He says, and I look at him. "I mean, most of my shit already here. And I stay here most of the time anyway." He looks at me. "Don't give me that look. You act like you don't want me here."
"I don't Riley." I say, following him to my room.
"You the one always asking for me to come over when you wanna cuddle." He flops down onto my bed, placing a hand behind his head. "Texting me at all hours of the night, talking about 'I miss you baby, come over.'" I roll my eyes, curling up at his side and laying my head on his chest. He wraps his arm around my waist.
"You know you love it."
"I do." He says, and I toss my leg over his.
"Since you love it so much…" I mutter, tracing circles on his chest. I prop myself up on an elbow, getting a good look at him. "Why don't we-"
"Play Scrabble?" He asks, raising an eyebrow. "I was thinking the same-"
"Riley, you know what I was talking about. I don't even have Scrabble."
"I think I got it in the car-"
"Riley!" I whine. He always be playing. He's the reason why we haven't seen each other naked, giving me the excuse 'we getting married soon, why don't we wait?' And it isn't fair to me. He always teases me and jokes about it, but when it comes up, he chickens out! I know it isn't lack of experience, he's not a virgin and he told me this!
"I was joking babe." He mutter, kissing me. I continue to kiss him, keeping my face close to his so he can't pull away. I will get what I want. He raises his hand up and covers his lips.
"Riley!" I whine again, pulling away and rolling on my back, away from him.
"I'm sorry Ray it's just… the kids are home."
"Kyrie isn't a kid. And I'll be quiet!"
"I doubt it." He says with a chuckle and I give him a glare. I get up, walking over to the door and closing it behind me.
"Riley Dominic Freeman, if you do not fuck me, I will be so mad!"
"Uhhhhh-"
"I am dead ass serious." I say, my voice stern.
"Damn… alright."