PRETTY BRIGHT

by Renee, Mimi

  “Right this way,” Shanna said, breaking Bright's train of thought as she led her up the stairs and into one of the rooms. Larry stayed downstairs so that she could talk to her brother in private.

  “I came to get you and take you home, Ramon,” Bright said as she sat next to him on the bed he was resting on.

  “Do I have to?” He asked, avoiding eye contact with her. “We miss you, and nobody is gonna be calling you anymore names,” she said, rubbing the back of his head.

  Ramon eyes watered up, then he looked at his sister in her eyes, “Am I a faggot, Bright?” he asked.

  Bright shook her head no. “Not at all; you’re just misunderstood,” she said falling into an emotional mode.

  “If I'm not, then why does everybody treat me bad, and say that I am then?” He asked curiously.

  Bright was lost for words and didn't know what to say. “We'll talk when we get home, Larry is waiting for us downstairs,” she said, standing up from the bed.

  Grabbing his back pack, Ramon followed his sister out of the room and down the stairs. He was confused as ever and needed her to help him understand what was going on with him and why people treated him so poorly. They picked on him and called him horrible names just because he liked boys. He didn't ask to be the way that he was, and he just wanted to be treated kindly and given a fair chance.

  Part Fourteen

  B

  ack at home, things had changed for the better. The siblings had bonded in a closer relationship, and showed more respect toward each other for the

  sake of their mother, who was slowly recovering from her stroke. Since Rosette couldn't work for the time being, and refused all of Shanna's contributions to help her out, Bright worked overtime milking Terrence to keep up with the bills. Preparing to leave the house, Bright called Cordell to her room to speak to him before she left.

  Earlier that day, Bright talked to Deja about her situation, and Deja admitted that she deeply regretted her actions. She told Bright that her and her homegirl had popped E pills with their so-called boyfriends, and after that, everything took a wild, unexpected turn for the worse. Not only was she on tape, but she had missed her period and was afraid that she was pregnant. Deja told Bright she wasn't ready to be a mother and that if she was pregnant that she wanted Bright to take her to get an abortion. Bright promised her that she would be there for her and would support any decision that she made.

  Ramon, on the other hand, was opening up more to their mother than anybody else in the house. Bright was at least happy about that. However, he did shy away from Cordell because he was always trying to teach him how to be tough and macho. Cordell didn't mean any harm by it. He was only trying to teach his little brother how to be a man the best and the only way he knew how. Ryonna was still such a little lady and angel and remained the same sweetheart through it all.

  “’Sup wit it, Queen Bee?” Cordell said, thinking he was super swagged out.

  Bright closed the door after him. She wanted to explain her situation to him, since he already knew everything, but she wanted to correct him about one thing. “I called you in the room because I want to talk to you about me and Ice’s relationship. Yeah, it's true I been fucking with him for almost a year now, he cool peoples. He been breaking me off, but I'm not a hoe. Who you think been helping mama to keep a roof over our heads? And how do you think she was able to take the time she had taken off from work before she had the stroke? Who you think was paying to turn that cable and the phone “right” back on when it got turned off? Or helped keep y'all favorite snacks stocked up in the kitchen? Yeah,” Bright said, nodding her head, seeing that her brother was getting the point. “All of that has been because of me, so just know that I been doing this not only for me, but for all of us,” Bright said, becoming emotional. “I love Larry with all my heart; he's the man I'm gonna spend the rest of my life with. And when he get drafted to the NBA, we plan on buying Mama a house, and moving far away from Long Beach, and after that I won't ever have to deal with Ice ever again. It just works for me right now... for us,” she stressed.

  “I love mama with all my heart, because she means us well, and would give up her last dollar for all of us…but I can’t be like her,” Bright said, shaking her head no. “Here mama is, not even in her fifties yet, and she has all these health conditions: high blood pressure, migraine headaches, and now this stroke. They’re all stress related conditions,” Bright said, getting teary- eyed. “Mama has been with this fool Vince all these years and he can’t even help her out around here. And I just refuse to live like that when I can be getting money from these fools to alleviate all the bullshit. So instead of thinking of your big sister as a hoe, think of me as more of a business woman who ain't gone let a nigga fuck with me or waste my time for free.”

  Cordell couldn't do anything but respect his big sister after what she had just told him. He just wished she didn't have to do it, and that Larry would hurry up and get drafted to the NBA. “I hear you, sister, and I can’t do nothing but respect you for it,” he stood up to hug her. “And if that nigga Ice ever treat you bad, or put his hands on you, just let me know, because I got some homies that are ready to put that burner to him and rob his balling ass blind,” he said hugging her tight.

  Bright pushed him off of her. “Boy, please, Ice is crazy about me, and he cool people. He's just not the one for me,” she admitted truthfully. “So you and yo little Crips need to back it on up,” she teased. Raised in Long Beach, the gang life was a common thing, and almost every dude in the city was from a hood. Since she knew there would be no way of talking Cordell out of the gang life, she hoped that getting them out of the city would change his role as a gang member before he got in too deep, or that he would at least be more like Terrence and be about his paper.

  After wrapping her conversation up with her brother, Bright checked on her mother, then stepped out of the apartment to handle her business with Terrence, and get some more money. She had rent, bills, and mouths to feed. Once Terrence picked her up, they grabbed a bite to eat at Red Lobster, did some baby shopping, then made a quick stop to the sex shop before going back to his place.

  On the ride back to his place, he asked Bright how her mother was doing.

  “She's getting better, her memory is still a little blurry, so she hasn't been able to work.” Bright paused and looked at Terrence. “I’ma need your help again this month, Ice, to take care of the rent and bills, I can’t be on the streets,” she said seriously.

  “I'm starting to notice that whenever you want something from me, I'm always “ICE,” he laughed. “But you already know that I got you, Beautiful, especially since you about to have my babies and shit.” Then he reached over to rub her belly.

  “Thank you, Ice,” Bright teased, then sensually bit him on the neck. “Bet you can go for some bomb-ass head right now, huh?” she asked him, allowing her mouth to fill up with saliva.

  “You know a nigga always like getting his dick sucked on, especially while driving,” he watched Bright as she unzipped his pants and pulled his penis out. When she began to suck on it, he was careful to keep his eyes on the road.

  Closing her eyes, Bright pretended she was having oral sex with Larry. Sucking, biting, and slurping all over his knob, she moved her head in a very passionate motion, she appreciated him. “It tastes so good,” she said, looking up at Terrence with his penis in her mouth.

  “Kiss it baby, kiss it!” he moaned, on the verge of a quick orgasm. With Bright bobbing up and down on his penis at full speed, Terrence couldn't help but to release in her mouth, then he held her head down until she sucked out every last drop of his cum. “Swallow it,” he asked her when he finally let her come up for air. Unable to stomach it, Bright felt as if she was about to throw up and used her hand to cover her mouth. Seeing that, Terrence passed her the few napkins that he had in the console for her to spit up on.

  “My stomach weak baby, you know I can’t take much down,” she said, happy that he didn't press he
r to swallow it. “The only reason I was able to eat was because you smoked that blunt with me earlier,” she pouted.

  Terrence exhaled then rubbed her head like a pet for a job well done. “Baby, you the best,” he moaned, anxious to get back to his place and get fucked and sucked on all night long.

  After reclining her seat, Bright kicked her legs up on the dash board and fell into a quick nap. Back at Terrence's house, he had Bright working like he did when they first kicked it. He fucked her every way possible in both holes, not including her mouth, and he titty-fucked her too. Terrence got his last nut off, while Bright rode him on the edge of his bed. She had worked him and he was barely able to keep up. Dripping profusely with her nipple in his mouth, Terrence slapped Bright on the ass and told her to take the dick. When he finally came, they both fell sound asleep. Breaking Bright’s rest was her vibrating cell phone. Reaching over to look at the caller ID, she quickly climbed out of the bed to take Larry's call. Once she made it down to the living room, she answered his call.

  “Hey, Daddy Lane,” she answered in a sleepy mode.

  “Baby, baby, baby!!!!!” He yelled into the phone. “Yo baby daddy did it, Pretty Bright! I've officially been recruited to the muthafucking NBA, baby!!” Though he knew his day would come, he couldn't help releasing tears of happiness from his eyes thinking of how proud his father would have been on this day for him.

  Bright had to catch herself from screaming at the top of her lungs, but it didn't stop her from jumping up and down and telling him how much she loved him, and how happy she was for him. “I'm sooooo happy for you, Larry Lane,” then she began, blowing kisses into the phone.

  “Who is that?” Terrence said, walking down the stairs, he was unable to sleep from all the noise Bright was making.

  Bright immediately powered her phone off then said, “Crap, my phone just went dead.”

  Terrence gave her a stern look, “Was that some nigga you was just blowing kisses to on the phone?” He asked her.

  Bright laughed. “No silly, that was my cousin he just got drafted to the NBA,” she said excitedly, “And I'm happy for him!” She hugged Terrence tightly. She was so happy at the moment that she had to share and express the love and emotions that she was feeling with Terrence.

  Terrence smiled. “Well tell dat nigga I said congratulations,” he was happy for her cousin. “And tell 'em we like sky box seats too,” he teased. After talking about her so-called cousin and the NBA, Bright asked him to take her home so that she could check on her mother. After a quick bath, Terrence drove Bright back home.

  “I been noticing something about our relationship, and I know if I've been noticing it that you been noticing it too,” he said in a deep mindset.

  “What’s that? Bright asked, looking at him curiously.

  “I just feel like we been on a different level then we used to be, when we first hooked up,” he said, not wanting to sound too much like a simp. “It’s been a hard year for me, I lost my wife and on everything, and that's been a major issue for me to deal with, so I just been wilding out on some different type shit. And now that I've kinda come back down to reality, I feel like I've been neglecting you and treating you like a hoe, on some booty call type shit,” he expressed honestly.

  Bright sighed and thought, Please don't go falling in love with me right now, Terrence, cause I'm on some other type shit right now, baby. “I understand, Terrence, it's been a hectic year for the both of us, and with everything going on, it's just been taking a lot of our time. Me being pregnant, and my mother wanting to put you in jail,” she teased, “And now with her health and everything,” Bright said nodding her head. “I've just been at home, tryna do the school thing, looking out for my brothers and sisters, and now I even have to take care of my mother and keep our household going until she gets back on her feet. So trust me, I don't feel neglected at all ‘cause my plate has been full too,” she said.

  Terrence held tight to her hand. “I’ma make you my wife, Beautiful Bright, I'ma be a good father to my kids, and more importantly,” he paused, “I'ma be a good nigga to you and make you happy. You been there for me mentally and physically, and I ain't gone let you slip away from me like Tameka did while I have you in my life.” Terrence was used to having a woman at home to cook and clean for him, to have his back and to listen to him when he needed to be heard. Tameka being gone made him realize just how much she meant to him and how important her role was in his life...and Bright was the next best thing in line.

  Bright thought, Wow, is this fool really simping right now? I ain't about to be yo wife, marry you, and I ain't even pregnant with yo kids! Brace yaself for the next lost playa, cause this game is about to end! She laughed to herself. “I know you will, Terrence,” is all she said.

  “You think I'm playing, huh?” Terrence asked her, seeing that she didn't take what he was saying seriously. “Open the glove compartment, there's something in there for you,” he insisted.

  Bright sighed then opened the glove compartment, seeing a black ring box inside she took it out and opened it up. Surprised, her mouth flew wide open. Terrence pulled over on Artesia Blvd., leaned over, and then kissed her on the lips. “I love you, Bright; will you marry me and let me make you happy, and raise our kids together?”

  Happy seeing the platinum three-carat diamond ring that he had bought for her, Bright yelled, “Yes!” No one had ever given her a ring as beautiful as the one he had given her. And even though she wasn't gonna marry him; she was taking the ring, because she knew it was worth more than ten thousand dollars.

  Happy, Terrence tongue kissed her, told her he loved her, and then told her once she turned eighteen that he was going to buy her a house of her choice. Thinking of the life she and Larry would share together once they got married brought tears to her eyes. Terrence wiped her tears away and told her she would never have to worry about another unhappy or sad day ever again.

  ********** Inside the house, Bright spread the news about Larry being drafted in the NBA. Everybody was so happy for him, and her mother even released a few tears of joy.

  He did it,” Rosette said, sitting up in her bed. She was almost back to her norm and regaining her memory back. “Is he stopping by today?” She asked Bright. After Bright explained to her mom that he had a few errands to run and that he would be over later, she got out of bed to shower. “I wanna cook my son-inlaw dinner, then,” she smiled.

  “I c an cook dinner, Ma, I want you to just kick up your feet and relax,” she said insisting, that her mother get back in bed.

  “I promise you I'm feeling fine, and besides that, I feel like I was confined to the bed too damn long,” Rosette was starting to feel like a patient. “It would actually make me feel I'm of some use around here Queen Bee; you've done enough, and I thank you baby,” Rosette extended her arms to hug her daughter, then she went to take a shower.

  Bright gave Ryonna twenty bucks to clean the bathtub out for her so that she could take a nice hot bubble bath. Though she took a bath at Terrence’s house, she still felt the need to scrub him off of her in preparation for Larry's arrival. When Bright got out of the bath tub, the smell of smothered pork chops and onions lingered throughout the apartment. It was one of Larry's favorite meals, and Bright was happy that her mother remembered, it proved to her that she was having a speedy recovery. Bright went into the kitchen, preparing to help her mother out.

  Rosette turned to Bright and told her that she wanted her to go back to school in the morning and get caught up in her school work. She had received a call from the attendance office letting her know that Bright had been missing a lot of school. Rosette explained to them that it was due to her illness and now that she was back on her feet, she was going to make sure that Bright had all the time she needed to catch up.

  “Ma, I'm way behind from all the days of school I've missed so far, I just decided to drop out and get my G.E.D.,” she said honestly. She thought school was no longer of any importance to her, especially since she was
about to get married, have twins, and be set for life.

  Rosette raised her eyebrows. “It’s better that you just finish off your senior year, Queen Bee. A high school education is so much more respected in the work place then a G.E.D.,” she explained to her daughter.

  Bright laughed. “Ma, Larry just got drafted to the NBA, do you hear yourself? I'm never gonna have to work a day in my life, and neither are you,” she said. “Not only are we getting married, but these babies are going to ensure that,” she smiled confidently.

  Deja added, “Yeah Mama, Bright done struck gold!” she yelled as she and Ryonna set the table for dinner.

  Rosette stopped what she was doing then grabbed her daughter’s hand and held it tight. Looking in her eyes, she said, “A woman's only guarantee and security blanket in life are the ones that she holds within herself, Queen Bee. God forbid Larry gets hurt or injured out there and can’t play anymore. He's gonna need his wife to step up to the plate and help out,” she said. “Or what if things don't work out the way you hope or plan for them to?” Seeing the look on her daughter’s face, Rosette said, “Yes, Queen Bee, all fairy tales don't last forever; and though I hope and pray the best for you.” she stressed. “I just want my daughter to be prepared for the best or the worst. I've been in love a million times, have had it all, and have lost it all just as quickly, because it was always at the hands of a man.” She paused for a few moments to wipe the tears that had formed in Bright's eyes. “I want you to take my advice, get a good education, and get a couple degrees under your belt. You’re a very smart girl,” she said to Bright. “I know you can do it.”