How did my granny know Chantel's condition, I will never know.

But Chantel told her everything, about meeting Donell, all the times they hooked up, and that she was not feeling well and took a pregnancy test. She had not been sleeping with anyone else, so she knew the baby was his.

Now every time she tried to call or text him, he did not return her calls.

"You know what that means," my granny said to her. "Maybe this boy is not as serious about you as you thought. What kind of boy ignores his girl's calls?"

I had not even told her about Donell getting my ex-roommate pregnant and her dropping out of school. I was not going to, and I was not going to tell her that he slept around with many girls and was proud of it. No matter that I warned Chantel. At this point, they both were old enough to make decisions for themselves.

I simply was the friend that would help where I could.

"So why are you trying to race there to see this boy who won't answer your calls?" my granny asked her.

"I wanted to tell him face-to-face."

"Text him now, tell him now, see what he says."

Chantel looked at me as if I was supposed to say anything. This was not something I ever wanted to deal with. I was not ready for sex, but when I was, it would be with someone I had real feelings for, who felt the same about me and would not ghost me. Oh yeah, and I would never put myself in this position. Protection, protection, protection!

"Mrs. Baker, I don't know if I should do that. In a text?"

"I'm not letting Rayvn drive you all the way up there when that boy is acting crazy. No! Do it now."

Before Chantel could grab her phone and text, there was a loud banging at the front door.

"Who in the hell? This better be family." My grandmother stood and stormed over to the door. My grandfather went off to work earlier before I woke up, and my uncle was staying with his girlfriend. I had a lot of other family members on my father's side, none I was close with.

"Rayvn here?" I heard a loud voice yell, and my stomach turned.

My mother.

"Girl, why are you knocking on my door like the po-lice? And why do you have that baby boy out in this cold?"

My grandmother let my mother and my brother Jalon in the house. He rushed over to me and hugged me.

"You must have missed me?"

"No I didn't," he said, but still jumped on my lap and grabbed my phone. "Can I play Roblox?"

"Get off your sister, you're too big for all of that," my mother said to him, and he slid off my lap, walked over to the sofa, and sat, head already into his game.

"Shareefa, why are you out in this cold and snow?" my grandmother asked her again.

My mother was bundled up in a long, puffy gray coat, dark denim jeans, and cute fur boots. Thankfully my brother was covered in a nice, thick coat and boots. He had gloves on that he had snatched off and stuffed in his pockets so he could play the game.

"I saw Rayvn was here so I was dropping him off so she could watch him for me."

"Excuse you? Where are you going you can't watch your child?"

"Come on Mrs. Parker, school is closed because of the snow and I have somewhere to be."

"And if Rayvn did not happen to be here, then what?"

"Uh...I would have asked you. He likes hanging at your place."

My grandmother simply shook her head. "Jalon, you eat breakfast?"

"We ain't go any food at home," he said, as my mother tried to rush out the front door.

"Girl, what is wrong with you not feeding this child?" My grandmother stopped her at the door.

"I didn't get any food stamps this month."

"Girl, just go. I'm going to have a talk with your mother about this."

My mother did not even glance back at me and she was out the door. My grandmother headed to the kitchen and I knew she was making my brother something to eat.

"Rave, what should I do?" Chantel asked me.

"I'm trying to stay out of it."

Chantel looked down at her phone, bit at her bottom lip, then started to text something. I could not wait to see what that boy had to say about this.

Now we waited.

My grandmother came back into the living room/dining room with a plate of food and a cup of juice for Jalon. Chantel was busy texting away on her phone, so I guess the boy responded.

"Jalon put that phone down and come and eat something."

Jalon gave my phone back and then sat at the table where the food was placed. He did not say a word, just began to eat.

"Jalon, take your coat off. You're going to get hot in a minute." My grandmother went to help him take off the coat, and when it was off, we saw that he only wore a thin, little tank top. In the middle of winter.

"Oh Jesus," was all my grandmother said about it.

"He probably doesn't have any clean clothes gran. I can go over to the house and grab some of his things so I can wash them."

"I have some of his clothes from the last time he was here. She does that a lot, drop him off here."

Chantel dropped her phone on the table, jumped up, and ran out of the room and upstairs. She slammed the door loudly.

"Oh, I see it's like that?" my grandmother said. "I guess he did not take the news nicely."

I sat there, kind of numb, not knowing what to do. This all was a lot.

Chantel was going to have a baby with a deadbeat.

My mother was a deadbeat, not taking care of her own child.

I was so grateful for my father and all that he had done, being in my life even after he and my mother split up. Never was an issue with child support either, he always paid, and enough. He took care of both Symone and me even when he was young and wilding out.

I texted my father so that he knew where I was and that I was okay. I was sure my grandmother would tell him I was in St. Louis, so I better beat her to the punch.

He called me right back.

"Rayvn, what made you think to drive home during a snowstorm?"

"Dad, I'm fine. I'm at Gran's. The roads should be clear tomorrow."

"I'm coming over and checking your car for you. Make sure it's good."

"Dad, it's a brand new car, it's fine. I know how to drive, stop worrying."

"I will always worry. Angel hasn't been feeling well, they are going to keep her on bed rest until baby girl gets here."

I could not wait to meet my baby sister.

My grandmother found better clothes for my brother, even though it was warm enough inside her house, he still should not be walking around in a shirt for summer. Chantel would not come out of the room or tell me what happened. I sat there and played with my brother after he was done eating.

My father came over a few hours later while Jalon and I were playing video games.

"Hey, baby girl." He grabbed me up in a hug and kissed my cheek. "Hey, lil man." He gave Jalon a high five and then sat on the sofa on the other side of me. "Where's ma?"

"Upstairs in her room. Resting. She has work tonight," I told him.

"I checked your tires, they still look good. The roads from downtown to here were good, so maybe back to school will be good. Rayvn, thanks for letting me know you're home."

"Can I go see Angel and AJ? If the streets are clear."

"No, stay here. Come and visit next weekend if you want. Angel would like that."

Chantel finally came back down the stairs. I could tell she was crying. Her eyes were red, her hair a mess.

"What's going on?" my father asked her.

"I'm pregnant and my boyfriend doesn't want anything to do with me!" Chantel blurted out.

"Whoa!" I did not expect that. I took my phone and gave it to Jalon. "Go upstairs and play Roblox, and don't wake up gran."

"Why?"

"Just go!"

Jalon took the phone and headed upstairs. I did not want to corrupt a five-year-old.

"What did Donnell say?" I asked her. It was obvious she did not care if my father knew.

"He said it wasn't his and that I should get rid of it."

"Chantell, it's your decision," my father said. "A baby is a blessing, and if he doesn't want to be a part of his or her life, you have family that can help you."

"Right, and me." I hugged my friend. I was so mad she was going through this. If only she would have listened to me.

A/N: So much going on. Rayvn can never seem to catch a break she is always in the middle of something.