Please excuse ANY grammatical errors.

April 22,1998

~DeVanté's P.O.V~

We laid down on the blow-up, full-sized mattress. Masir is now asleep on Tia's chest. We're both looking up at the starry sky, engrossed in a conversation.

  "I know he comfortable as hell on those homegrown pillows you got." I chuckled lowly.

"Boy..." Tia side-eyed me.

"I'm deadass though," I told her.

"Today was besides the fact you made us lose at something I KNOW I'm good at and these dang on bugs," She told turned her head to me.

"I'm good at it too. I just took the blame for us losing." I replied.

"Could've fooled me. Could've fooled us all because you're officially good at losing this game. The same person who taught you couldn't have taught Dal because he can play but you on the other hand... No comment." She smiled.

"Yo ass just love to exaggerate. Dalvin damn sure ain't better than me at this game." I told her. "Then you had the nerve to shoot me that smile like you wasn't just trying to downplay me."

"Oh, but he is... He would make a GREAT Spades partner." Tia me with that same innocent smile on her face.

"Whatever... Your pops is funny as fuck though." I told her laughing lowly, trying not to wake Masir.

"You know what, that man is something else." She chuckled. "Was over there rubbing sticks together and crap. What is wrong with him?"

"Who does that?"

"Dad apparently..." She chuckled. "I'm grateful for my parents though. They have done a lot for Yasir and me both. I love them and I'm lucky to still have them both in my life." She expressed to me.

"Yeah, they cool." I told her. "I feel the same way about my parents. I mean, we had our differences and whatnot but they still here. Some people are just don't got nobody."

"Yes, exactly," Tia replied. "I don't want you to think I'm hiding you or anything-" She looked away from the sky and back at me. "I'm talking about earlier."

"Oh, I know. I haven't even mentioned it to Dalvin and them yet." I told her.

"I just wanna make sure that we're both on the same page before I tell people about us when we're only in the dating stage. Ye know?"

"No, I get it but I'm sure I wanna be with you and evolve into a relationship. I've been sure for a while if that's what you mean?" I explained to her.

"Yeah, that's EXACTLY what I mean." She smiled at me. "I'm sure that's what I want to do as well."

"Then we are on the same page. Damn, one date, and you ready to be with my ass." I chuckled.

"Shush." She looked at me with her tongue on the roof of her mouth. "You're one cocky dude."

"And you not cocky, huh?"

"Nope." She told me popping the p.

"A'ight, we are seeing each other with a different set of eyes though. You cocky as hell but don't wanna admit it." I looked away from her and but up at the night sky. "It's not overbearing though. It's just the right amount."

She laughed lowly then yawned loudly. "I'm sorry. It's not you, I'm just sleepy."

I yawned after she spoke. "Me too."

We continued to speak to one another until the other fell asleep. Who went to sleep first? I can't even tell you that. I feel the sun shining down on my face which made me open my eyes. As well as some little hands touching all over my face. Masir is over here squeezing my lips and steering them as well as playing with my eyebrows.

"Man, what are you doing?" I asked him. He coughed all in my face then laughed. I sat up. "Cover your mouth."

I looked over to Tia who has the covers over her head but off her body. I paid attention to her breathing and sure enough, she was sleeping.

"Masir?" I whispered.

"Huh?" He looked up at me.

"Pull the blanket off TT." I whispered.

He looked at me with wide eyes. "Nuh-uh." She shook his head at me.

"Just do this." I demonstrated to him without pulling them off of her.

"No- no!" He yelled at me, wagging his index finger at me.

"Shhhhh." I put my finger up to my lips. "Pull it off her face then lay down with your eyes closed, okay? I have candy." I told him. "C'mon man."

He sighed then slapped his forehead with his tiny hand. He sighed again then yanked the cover from her face and slapped her in her face. My mouth dropped but I laid back on the bed facing her, pretending like I was asleep. I could still see Tia from the small opening of my eyes and she's looking at me with a frown on her face.

"Now, why would you do that, DeVanté?" She told me. "I know you're up. You're breathing is constant." She sat up, leaning on one arm. "I should get you Masir for listening to this dude."

I still tried to play it off. I saw her hand nearing my face and she squeezed my nose. I opened my eyes. "What you doin'?" I asked her.

"Why you tell him to do that?" Tia questioned with a blank expression.

"I ain't tell him to slap you. He did that on his own. How you know I told him to do anything?" I laughed.

"Because I heard you." She squinted still holding my nose with her index and middle fingers. I stuck my tongue out and licked her palm. She's germaphobic. "DeVanté, really?" She said FINALLY letting go of my nose.

She stood up but I grabbed her, pulling her back down. "You know I ain't tell that boy to slap you." I laughed in her face. "Get her, Masir!" Tia flipped over to her stomach trying to get away but Masir jumped on her back. I grabbed her legs and toggled her feet.

"DeVanté!" She called out. "Masir, get offa me!" She said through laughter. This woman is extremely ticklish and I use it to my advantage most of the time.

"You done accused me of stuff I ain't even did. Apologize?" I asked her.

"DeVanté, I'm not playin'!" She yelled at me. "I gotta-"

I sat on the back of her thighs, continuing to tickle her. "Me either!" I moved up and sat on her booty and that was the dumbest mistake I ever did because she lifted up and kicked my forehead. "I know yo ass ain't just kick me in my forehead?" I said stopping and getting off her. I stood up looking down at her.

"I told you to stop. I just woke up and gotta pee." She said calming down then jumped up, unzipped the tent, and ran out. I saw her run into the RV.

I turned to Masir. "You saw her kick me in the forehead?" I asked him in disbelief.

"Pee-pee." He pointed down to himself.

"I forgot you gettin' potty trainin'." I hit my forehead. "Ahh, shit!" I yelled out in pain. I forgot that quick that she kicked me.

"Shit!" Masir repeated out loud.

"Oop, don't say that." I laughed out which only made him want to say it even more.

"SHIT!" He yelled out again.

"What you say, boy?" Yasir said sticking his head in the tent, scaring the both of us. "What I tell you 'bout that cursin' shit?" Yasir asked Masir walking into the tent.

"Well, you sho ain't no good example. You told him not to curse while cursin'. That's like telling a child who grows up seeing their parents constantly going out and drinking but even though the parents told their child not to, the child still does. Just don't make sense." I told him.

Yasir popped his mouth. "Man, mind yo fuckin' business. This my child that I'm raising." He grabbed Masir's hands.

"I DO mind my business majority of the time but you just ain't makin' sense. I know that's your kid, I'm not an idiot. You poppin' off at the mouth at me like I'm not capable of what I'm capable of. And by the way, from the looks of it, it looks like he is shitting, and he gotta pee, so good luck with that." I chuckled then walked out of the tent because I have to take a piss myself.

I could've said more to him but his son was right there. I even kept my cursing to a minimum because of Masir standing there. Talking about mind my damn business when he ALWAYS seems to be in me and his sister's business. Always interrogating us and shit. If he wanted me to mind my fucking business, his son could've definitely slept in the tent with him and his girl, instead of talking about a damn chaperone.

That nigga just be pissing me the hell off. Not all of the time but half of the time. I be catching onto the slick remarks he makes. I walked away from the campsite and a couple of steps into the woods to piss. I frowned looking up into the sky as I did because that morning piss just hit different. I looked back down and zipped my pants up.

"BOO!" I jumped as I felt hands on my shoulders.

"Shit!" I said frightened but when I turned around to see Tia behind me laughing quietly. She was quiet because she's so out of breath. "You play too much!" I yelled at her. "Scared the shit outta me!"

"I-" She continued laughing lowly then began a coughing fit. I patted her back. Tia caught her breath after a while. "Pissy hands." She finally said to me.

"Aye, you ain't have to scare me like that or kick me earlier. How long have been standing there?" I asked her.

"Not long but your reaction-" She laughed some more but not as hard. She rested her hand on her knees in a squatting position. "You should've seen your face." Her eyebrows are now furrowed.

"Shit ain't that funny."

"OH, BUT IT IS." She laughed at me with tears coming out of her eyes. "I- I- I'm so sorry." She said FINALLY catching her breath. "I'm sorry." She said with her bottom lip poked out. "I didn't mean to kick you earlier but it was out of reflex because I had to pee. I almost urinated on myself. Next time just stop." She rubbed her thumb again my forehead. "Does it hurt?"

"Hell yeah, but it hurts even worse since I slapped myself." I chuckled.

"Why would you-"

"I forgot Masir was potty training and- Look, it doesn't matter." I chuckled.

"I'm sorry." She kissed my forehead. I had to lean down in order for her to do so since I'm much taller than she is. "You good playa?" She asked.

"Kiss me and maybe I'll think about it," I smirked.

"Ha, nice try but-" She kissed the space right beside my lips. "There you go."

I smacked my lips at her. "Besides my lips? Really, Tia?" I asked her.

"We're only dating remember?" She said with raised eyebrows.

"You tongued me down on the couch that one day and we ain't even establish nothing then." I raised my eyebrows at her. "AND you grinded all up one me."

"Well, don't have the THC in my system that gave me courage that day," Tia replied then lodged her bottom lips between her teeth and top lip.

"Alright, okay... You right." I chuckled rubbing the corners of my mouth. "Yo breath stank anyway," I told her laughing.

"Ahh, suck my- Wait, so your's don't? Because yo breath is hummin'!" She told me.

"Alright, enough. Boffa our shit is stankin'. Let's go brush our teeth." I told her then we walked out of the woods.

"All I need is a red coat with a hood." She chuckled.

"Little Red Riding Hood?" I said catching on.

"Mmhm. And a basket."

"And some white paint." I laughed.

"True..." She nodded with a smirk.

"Ain't no black mama gon' sent their daughter through the woods for shit," I said laughing.

"Hecky nahh." She laughed. "That's true. The only reason you would see a black person in the woods in that era is to escape slavery. It was written in what? 1816 if I'm not mistaking."

"Yeah, 1816." I nodded.

"But the actual setting of the story is in the 1600s or some crap." She told me.

"Is it?" I questioned.

"I'm almost positive..." She trailed off.

"Yeah, and we know damn well what was going on then..." I eyed her and she nodded.

"Right." She pursed her lips.

"Yo brother trippin' too," I told her.

"Always..." She rolled her eyes. "Ain't crap new. What he do?" She asked me.

"He got mad at me because I told him the truth. He told Masir not to curse but he cursed while telling him not to. Talking about it's his kid and shit as if I ain't know that." I chuckled.

"He's always trippin'. Don't mind that boy." She rolled her eyes as we entered our tent. She grabbed our toothbrushes and handed me mines.

"Thanks," I said then we walked out of the tent.

"Wash those hands of yours too." She said looking down at my hands.

"I will." I chuckled.

We went just outside the woods with toothpaste and a cup of water. We both brushed our teeth and rinse our toothbrushes and mouths out with the water.

"I'm just now noticing that you have on more clothing," I told her eyeing her appearance.

"Oh, yeah. I had to wash up. I wanted to shower but dad ain't fill up that tank. I just used my wet wipes. Happy I brought them with me." She cheesed.

After we finished doing what we had to do, I went into the trailer to take my morning shit and wash my hands. Then I went back outside.

"You stunk it up, didn't you?" Daryl asked me.

"I did."

"Damn it!" He yelled out.

"I'm sorry man but I can't squat either." I patted him on the shoulder then walked off.

"We going fishing after I use the bathroom. At least I just gotta pee though and I can just go in the woods." Daryl told me. "You got hand sanitizer?" He asked me.

"Your daughter does," I replied.

After everybody did what they needed to do we hiked up to the lake to fish. It was pretty long but it was a nice long walk. For some...

"Whew! That was a good lil walk!" Ashari told us.

"Man, y'all walk too damn fast for me," Daryl said winded. He unfold his chair and took a seat right in front of the water. "I need to get back to exercising like I was before the holidays."

"You good old man?" Yasir asked Daryl.

"Shut yo greasy ass up!" He said sitting back in his chair.

Yasir laughed at me. "Greasy? Where?" He said looking around. "I ain't been greasy in years."

We set the poles up and waited. While waiting Tia and Masir is over in the grass playing with the grasshoppers, worms, and caterpillars.

"Just childish," I told Tia as she held the fuzzy caterpillar in her hand.

"It's just a caterpillar. You actin' like you ain't play with bugs and stuff when you were a kid," She laughed.

"The keyword is you saying I was a KID," I emphasized.

"It's so cute and bright, almost neon-like. It's part of nature. AND it just dookied on my hand..." She said with a look of disgust then put it down.

"That's why I don't fuck with it," I mumbled in her face. "My dogs don't take hot shits in my hands." I chuckled. One of the poles made a noise which made us turn around. "I think we caught something!" Tia and I rushed to our poles but I noticed mines was still loose so it had to be hers. "Quick! Reel it on in." I told her.

Tia reeled it in as fast as she could but wasn't quick enough. I took her place and indeed it was hard, so the fish had to be on the larger side. I still reeled it in a lot faster than her. When I got it close enough, I pulled the fish that's attached to the fishing line out of the water.

"OH, WOW!" Tia exclaimed amazed. "Look at the size of that thing! It's HUMONGOUS!" She said with wide eyes.

It fell and began to flop around, still attached to the lining. It flopped around near Tia and it had her hopping from foot to foot like Michael Jackson does when he dances. I hunched over laughing my ass off as she screamed in horror.

"Get the fish, De!" Tia yelled at me.

I waited because it's funny watching her act a damn fool. "OKAY!" I said grabbing the fishing line.

"That's not funny!" Tia said now laughing.

"It is and it's not THAT big." I chuckled, holding it up. Tia lifted up the camera around her neck and quickly snapped a picture of it.

"Mind if I take a picture of you?" Tia asked me.

"I don't ca-" I replied but before I could finish my sentence, she snapped it. The flash caught me off guard too.

"That's one big ass trout and imma cook it. Put it in the cooler!" Daryl told me.

"No, we're throwing it back in the water," Tia said turning to him.

"I say we cook it." I agreed with Daryl.

"But-"

"You was just tearing up that chicken last night. Somebody had to kill that chicken for it to get in your belly." I raised my eyebrows.

"Right." Tia nodded with a sigh. "Put it in the cooler."

May 9, 1998

~Ashari's P.O.V~

DeVanté, Unc, Me, Yasir, the kids, and his parents are all at Tia's house in the basement. We've been here since the evening of the seventh. There's a tornado happening and both Yasir's parents and our house are hotspots for the tornado which is weird because Roswell is usually a hotspot. We're in the basement just in case. We have enough food and water to last us for a while and enough baby formula for the baby. There's a generator just in case the power goes out. My children are just growing. Masir wants to be independent and Asiri is already trying to hold her head up. She'll be three months old soon.

She has that Andrew's round head. Well, Yasir and Tia get that from their sperm donors' side of the family and LaZardia aka Bird is no longer an Andrews. Speaking of Yasir, things have been off between us even more than last. He's just been plain hostile and disrespectful towards me. It's been getting worse since December when I was still pregnant. I thought maybe he was just getting on my nerves because of the hormones that come with pregnancy, but it turns out that it's him being disrespectful.

"DeVanté, how come you ain't with yo folks and with us?" Yasir asked DeVanté.

"None of your business," DeVanté replied with his deep ass voice then hit the ball with the pool stick.

DeVanté lifted up with a laugh. The reason he's here is that all of his people left town and his parents don't live out here, but Yasir hasn't been listening to things already said.

"Nigga, you ain't have to be rude," Yasir said pointing to DeVanté with his pool stick.

"Like you?" DeVanté questioned then glanced at me, shaking his head.

"Fuck is you talkin' about?" Yasir said with a stank face.

"You know the hell I'm talking about." DeVanté leaned down again to hit the balls because it's still his turn. He missed and lifted back up.

"Nahh, nigga... I don't but why don't you tell me." Yasir said leaning on his pool stick, looking at DeVanté.

"Treat people as you wanna be treated is all imma say. Why don't you play yo damn turn?" DeVanté pointed to the pool table with his whole hand.

Yasir doesn't curse in front of his mother but sometimes slips up around Daryl. They aren't in the same room as we're in and that's why he's doing it so much. DeVanté too. He doesn't curse in front of Yasir and Tia's mother to my knowledge.

"I treat everybody how they treat me." Yasir took his turn.

"I beg to differ, sir!" Tia raised her index finger. "That's a lie and a half. Yasir, you're too old to be in denial about everything or play the victim." She spoke from the actual game room that has a wide opening.

The pool room and game room have a big ass door to separate the two rooms. I guess she's been listening. I have Asiri in my arms, feeding her. Tia's been a LOT of help to me and the kids. To Yasir too and he was the one who wanted to keep the kids- Masir away from Tia after she beat Megan up.

Yasir said Tia was too unpredictable and she could do something to Masir because he was the only child at the time. I don't believe for a second that that girl will do something to our kids and HER niece and nephew. She loves kids too much. Tia doesn't even lay her hands on Masir when I think he NEEDS it. She's really been a good ass friend to me and an even greater auntie to the kids.

"Y'all always tryna gang up on me. I just asked a damn question and my sister of all people choose a nigga over her brother." Yasir scoffed.

"Yasir, you know that ain't what I'm doing but like many times before, Imma leave that alone because you're really pissing me off." She rolled her eyes.

"It is what you doin' and you know it!" Yasir pointed to Tia with the pool stick.

"That AIN'T what she doin' and I'm not gon' sugarcoat shit for yo ass. Yo ass is disrespectful as fuck." DeVanté wagged the pool stick at Yasir.

DeVanté continued speaking. "You may be fooling yo mama and maybe even Ashari but you DAMN sure ain't fooling none of us. You keep pushin' and pushin' for shit that you really don't want REAL answers to but I'm so tired of yo ass. You ain't gon' ever learn if they keep letting you slide with everything you do. I see through all the bullshit but I try to stay quiet because it's a family thing.

"Then you wonder why you and Tia ain't close. It's because if what she just said. You flipped everything she said to fit yo ass. You ain't the nice person you want everybody to see you as. You talk to Ashari how you want but what you not gon' do from this point on is talk to her like that." He flicked his head in Tia's direction.

Yasir squinted at DeVanté with an irritated expression on his face. "Nigga, that's my sister so don't tell me shit about shit. I known her since she was born and y'all just met- What? Four years ago?" He asked DeVanté.

"I met her SIX years ago and I know more about her than you will ever IN JUST THESE SIX YEARS. You and me both know that shit. You came to me about that shit so don't front since you been confronted, nigga." DeVanté chuckled. I put Asiri over my shoulder to burp her. "As long as I'm around you ain't and I'm not planning on leaving..."

"Fuck outta here." Yasir waved his hand at DeVanté as if to dismiss him.

"Nahh, nahh, NAHHHH. You KNOW what it is. Stop playing dumb." DeVanté then threw his head back laughing.

"Nigga, why are you here?" Yasir said with an irritated shrug. "You must ain't got shit else to do but be all up under my sister."

"Me? Nigga, I'm a busy man who's CONSTANTLY working, unlike yo ass. Your sister is working a lot of the time too. We're around each other when we can be. You pretend to do shit." DeVanté said with a chuckle. "Get up out of our business and be the man you want to be and stopping pissing mothafuckas off all the time. Maybe then you wouldn't be so much into other people's business." DeVanté shrugged.

"That's my sister and her business is my business. I been protecting her for years now." Yasir told DeVanté.

"You have been protecting her but you also been doing the hurting in the process. Why don't you step back and let a real man do that?" DeVanté said with both of his hands on his chest.

Masir ran into the room screaming in excitement, probably running from Tia. Tia ran in the room and he hid behind Yasir's leg still screaming. Tia's teeth are opening and closing as if she would bite him. I saw Masir open his mouth then bite down on Yasir's leg. It looks like he put a lot of force into it too. I burst out laughing as Yasir yelped, holding his leg. Tia's mouth dropped wide open before she started laughing too. DeVanté stood there looking lost.

"What happened?" DeVanté asked us all confused. He couldn't see Masir bite his daddy because he's on the other side of the pool table and Masir is still small.

"Masir just but the mess out of Yasir's leg!" Tia said laughing.

DeVanté chuckled. "Wow, he must've known his dad was on some bull in here."

Yasir turned around about to pop Masir but Tia grabbed him before he could. "Chill! He was just mimicking me."

"Leave him alone." I finally spoke up.

"I'm tired of y'all tryna to tell me how to raise my damn kids!" Yasir shouted.

"He's mines just as much as yours and I'm tired of you," I said in a serious tone.

"Don't be yellin' at me in MY own dam house! You's gettin' too outta hand!" Tia yelled at him, putting Masir down who took off running out of the room. "You don't want to be disrespected then don't disrespect nobody else! You must got the game fucked up playa." Tia rolled her eyes and neck in the process. She then left the room even more pissed off.

"You do got a lot of shit fucked up. I don't know what's wrong with you but I'm 'bout ready to-" I was cut off by Yasir.

Yasir smirked. "You 'bout ready to what?"

"I'm fed up," I told him truthfully.

DeVanté moved away from the table and against the wall, watching the news on the mounted TV, minding his business.

"YOU fed up?" Yasir jerked his head back.

"Yes, I'm fed up with yo damn attitude. You changed." I replied.

"That's just part of life. Everybody changes. We supposed to change or else we wouldn't evolve. Get used to it." Yasir told me. I heard DeVanté scoff but his eyes remained on the TV.

"Get used to it?" I stood up. "Fuck you mean, get used to it?" I mocked his voice. "You devolving, nigga. If this some shit I gotta get used to then I don't want it."

"I'm ALWAYS evolving but maybe I'm devolving from you," Yasir told me.

DeVanté put his pool stick on the table then walked out of the room, shaking his head. He closed the door behind him. This shit is embarrassing as fuck. Like he really doing this in front of others?

"You really just gon' embarrass me like that, huh? In front of everybody?" I said still holding my daughter.

"You got me acting up with my kids around and shit." He shook his head. "All of y'all are just like drama."

"Us?" I said walking closer to him. "Who the fuck are you talkin' about? The only messy one here is you!"

He backed up. "Why don't you just sit the fuck down, and shut the fuck up?" Yasir asked. "Just naggin' me."

I inhaled and exhaled slowly. "Nigga, you lucky I got my daughter in my arms. I suggest your annoying ass to shut the fuck up and sit the hell down. Somethin' is wrong with you. What the fuck is REALLY your problem?"

"You not doin' yo job is what?"

My head jerked back because WHAT!? "My job is to take care of these kids, what other job I got!?" I rolled my neck and pointed to his face.

"You KNOW what I'm talkin' about. You ain been doing what you supposed to do in the kitchen or the bedroom." Yasir replied.

"I don't HAVE to do shit but take care of my damn kids. Ion see NO ring on this finger." I switched my daughter to my other arm to hold up my other hand. "You be a woman and carry a damn child and give birth to it and let it rip your damn coochie. Then see how much YOU gon' be running around." Then I walked out of the room.

"Got me acting like this in front of my damn kids." I heard Yasir say but I kept walking.

"Get him Masir!" Tia shouted holding him up so he can hit the puck on the air hockey game.

DeVanté let him win and Masir screamed in excitement. DeVanté went to the other side and grabbed Masir. He threw him in the air continuously and caught him. "You think you hot stuff because you beat me, huh?"

"Yah!" Masir said laughing.

DeVanté tickled him some more then put him down and took a seat himself. Tia stood there with a big ass smile on her face then took a seat herself. I see them! It's obvious they're either dating or together. Whatever it is, they're cute.

"My back hurt from being in that position." Tia chuckled, moving her back in and out.

"You ain't gotta do all THAT though." DeVanté laughed.

"She knows what she doin'. She tryna show you what she can do..." Elijah laughed with his tongue sticking out.

I forgot to mention that Elijah is here as well. He lives here so... He's just been keeping away from certain people because they don't like him because he's gay. For the most part, Tia and DeVanté has been distancing themselves as well with only a few exceptions. I don't blame them because
I wouldn't want to hear us arguing either, it just so happens that I'm part of the arguing.

We all play games together or watch a movie and that's it. You would think people would get closer in these situations but just being together all this time just highlights the problems and kind of just forces you to face them. It's crazy. Yes, some people are getting closer like DeVanté and Tia, and Daryl and Bird. It's breaking me and Yasir apart even more as well as Yasir and Tia. The good thing is that their mother is starting to see things for what they are. She and I both! Luckily this basement is big enough with enough rooms to where we don't all have to be in one place.

"Elijah, you know that isn't true." Tia laughed. "You the one who be giving me the back massages."

"Want me to give you a massage?" DeVanté asked her.

"Will you?" Tia perked up.

"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't. C'mon." He said standing up.

Tia stood up then looked at me. "You got the kids, right?" She asked.

"I got them." I nodded.

"If she need help, I'm here. Gon' with your man." Elijah told her.

Tia nodded and she and DeVanté walked out of the room. I turned to Elijah.

"You okay?" He asked me.

"I'm good." I nodded.

"Okay..." Elijah gave me a tight-lipped smile. A smile that shows me pity.

"Don't do that," I told him.

"I'm not doing anything," Elijah replied.

"You are. You're giving me the look of pity. Please don't do that. There no need." I said to him.

"Okay, my bad, girl..." He trailed off.

"So they are together, huh?" I asked Elijah.

"Huh?" He said dumbfounded.

"Are they FINALLY a thing?" I asked him again.

"Chile... So, anyways!" Elijah changed the subject laughing. "I can't wait until this shit is over. I'm ready to go to sleep in my own bed."

I see he wants to change the subject... "I'm honestly ready to get back to doing what I need to do because being down here ain't it." I sighed.

"I honestly don't understand how to deal with that nigga." Elijah shook his head. "The first thing you do when looking for the right one is see how they treat the other women in their family. If that shit ain't right, he gon' start doin' the same to you. He's protective, yes... BUT he also talks reckless to her and likes to tell people's personal business. That's just something I noticed from all the years of knowing him." Elijah finished.

Everything he has said just has me thinking...

Author's Note: Y'all think DeVanté and Tia are past the DATING stage now or what? 👀 Yasir is a disrespectful butthole! Ashari is just... 🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️

Word Count: 5,650

Please feel free to like and comment. Feedback gives motivation, and motivation urges me to continue to write.

Thank you all for taking the time out of your day to read another chapter of this story. Thank you for staying despite the slacking.💚🖤❤💜💙💛