That Girl: Bre

by Amber Monroe

  “No shit, Sherlock, that why I made you take that pill.”

  “Those pills don’t always work.” She stated matter-of-factly.

  “It doesn’t work if you were already pregnant,” I said. It was silent. “Wow, how low could you go?” I laughed.

  “I don’t know what’s so funny.”

  “You. You are funny. The fact that you’re really calling me about being pregnant after that one hookup shows me that you’re exactly whoI think you are. You ain’t shit!” I said then ended the call.

  “Damn, bruh, she trying to trap you again,” Roon said as he handed me the blunt.

  “This bitch needs to get a hobby. My slip was her way of making it into a blessing for her. She thinks I’m fucking stupid. She was probably already pregnant, and once we had sex, she figured she could pin it on me.”

  “Wasn’t she drinking too?”

  “Yeah, she was, but I wasn’t really watching her. She could have pretended to drink that shit. I was already faded by the time she came over.”

  “Man, that’s crazy. But what if it’s yours, though?”

  “I’ll do what I always do and take care of mine. But I have a strong feeling that it’s not mine....not this time.”

  “Me either. You caught her about to have a train run on her, its probably one of those broke ass niggas and neither don’t want anything to do with her.”

  “Facts,” I said as I took a pull from the blunt. Just then, Mikayla came out of her room.

  “I didn’t know she was home,” I whispered to Roon.

  “Me either. She probably been sleeping all day. She’s been sick.” He said as he took his phone out and tapped away.

  “She’s good?” I asked, concerned. I can’t lie I’ve been avoiding her since I found out she was Roon’s sister. Although I didn’t know how to, I still had planned on telling Roon before he found out.

  “I don’t know. She won’t really talk to me. She just stays in her room and occasionally comes out to eat. This guardian shit is hard, man. I don’t know what to do, and I feel like something is really bothering her. When we were little, she used to get like this every now and then when she missed our mother.” He shared while putting his phone down for a minute. I looked at Mikayla, and her eyes looked puffy like she’d been crying. Her hair was in a messy bun and she was fully dressed in an oversized sweatshirt and sweatpants. She didn’t look like the same Mikayla, I’ve grown to know and like.

  “Hopefully, she’ll open up to you.”

  “Yeah...me too.” He said then picked his phone back up. Mikayla had some snacks in her hands as she made her way back to her room and slammed her door.

  “You hungry?” Roon asked.

  “Hell yeah,” I said.

  “Order us something from the carryout, and I’ll pick it up. I gotta make a run real quick.” He said as he got up from the couch and headed to the door.

  “Orange chicken with fried rice, right?”

  “Look at you. You know me so well.” He laughed.

  “Fuck you. No homo. That’s the only thing yourass eat from there.”

  “You damn right, it’s a classic.”

  “Whatever,” I said as I picked up my phone.

  “And get Kay something too.”

  “Ight. I got her. Shrimp Lo Mein. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.” I joked.

  “Yeah... I’ll be back.” He paused before walking out, then continued out of the door. After I placed the order. I got up to lock the door then walked to Mikayla’s door.

  Knock-Knock

  “Mikayla?” I said after waiting for about five minutes. I heard shuffling around, then she came to open the door.

  “You know it’s rude to talk about somebody that’s a few feet away.” She said. Her eyes were red and puffy like she just finished crying.

  “I’m sorry. I was just asking Roon about you. I was concerned.” I admitted. She rolled her eyes then walked away from the door, leaving her door open.

  “You would know if you would’ve answered some of my calls or replied to a text.” She said as she sat down on her bed. Her room was messier than usual, she wasn’t a neat freak, but she kept a cleaned room.

  “I know, and I’m sorry about that. I just didn’t feel right talking to you after knowing you’re Roon’s sister. I feel like I’m betraying him, and he doesn’t deserve that.”

  “It’s not about him! I get that’s your friend, but what about me?” She cried. Damn, what’s going on with her? I thought to myself.

  “You’re right. Mikayla, what’s going on? I don’t like seeing you like this.” I said as I walked into her room and sat next to her. I lifted her chin up and looked in her eyes that screamed pain.

  “I lost the baby.” She said, then cried harder.

  “Huh? I thought you were fine with getting the abortion.”

  “I was, and even made my appointment. However, the week before, I went to the clinic to get checked out and made sure it was good to get the procedure done. However, when I came back the following week, they had to check stuff out before moving forward and saw that there wasn't a baby in there anymore. They did a test, and it confirmed I miscarried. I know I seem like a hypocrite for being fine with an abortion, but I'm distressed over the miscarriage. I just feel like the baby killed itself because of what I was going to do. I just feel so bad.” She continued to cry harder as she placed her head on my shoulder. I wrapped my arm around her and just let her cry.

  “I’m sorry you had to go through that alone. I should’ve been there for you.” I admitted. Tears welled up in my eyes. I’ve experienced this with her, and although I was okay with the abortion, I felt terrible too. She didn’t have to go through that by herself, and I could’ve put the other shit to the side and been there.

  “I wish you were.” She said as she picked her head up and kissed me. I kissed her back. Yeah, I know this wrong, but the connection I have with Mikayla is so different. However, I know we can’t do anything further than this. “I missed you. Can you stay with me tonight?”

  “Whenever Roon leaves or goes to bed, just come up to my apartment,” I told her. I couldn’t leave her like that, and she needed me, I was going to be there.

  “Okay. I thought about going up there to see you, but I didn’t want to bother you or interrupt anything.”

  “You wouldn’t have been a bother. If you need me, I’ll be there for you. And interrupt what? I’m not seeing anybody.”

  “Can you lay with me for a minute? I know Roon went to get food, but you know he doesn’t come right back.” She said as she laid back. I also peeped the smile that was on her face when I said I wasn’t seeing anybody.

  “Aight’,” I said, then laid back with her.

  “So you expecting another baby with Aniyah?” She asked after a few moments of silence.

  “Nah.”

  “Okay.”

  “Nosey ass.” I smiled.

  “You were loud as fuck.”

  “She’s trying to plan that baby on me. I can’t lie after everything that happened between us, I went to a hotel and got drunk. I thought I was hitting this other broad up, but I ended up hitting her up. We both got drunk and ended up sleeping together. At first, she claimed I used a condom, but now she says she’s not sure. But I made her take a Plan B before I left the hotel. She said there’s a possibility that it didn’t work. I think she was pregnant before we hooked up, and she used that night as an advantage. But the joke is on her.”

  “Facts. Only she and God knows the truth.”

  “True. I really wanted to call you though.” I admitted.

  “I wish you would’ve, but maybe it was best you didn’t. We have a real connection, and I know I fucked that up with my lies, but my feelings were always real. I know we have some time until I’m grown, but I hope we have a second chance at love. However, until then, just live your life. No more relationships, and please don’t hook up with your baby mother again.”

  “Okay, I hear you.” I laughed. She laughed too.
“I still care about you.”

  “I know you do.”

  ∞∞∞

  “I thought you were coming right back,” I said to Roon as he walked back into the apartment with the Chinese bag in his hand. Even though he was gone a lot longer than I expected, I made sure my ass was out of Mikayla’s room by time he got back. She decided to take a shower while I went back to the living room.

  “Don’t I always say that fool?” He smirked.

  “Yeah, but we were getting food.”

  “True.”

  “It’s probably cold.”

  “Nah, I made sure Jenny’s ass made that shit fresh.” He said as he came over to the couch and sat the food down on the coffee table. He sat next to me, then started to take the food out of the bag. He handed me the chicken wings with fries (ketchup, salt & pepper, and Mumbo Sauce on everything). He took his food out then set Mikayla’s food down right as she came out of the bathroom with a white towel wrapped around her body.

  “Finally, the food is here!” She said as she walked over and grabbed a fry off my container. She giggled then walked into her room. I kept my eyes forward, not really looking at her because I knew it would look suspect. However, I felt Roon burning a hole in my head. I ate some fries then looked at him.

  “What’s up with you and Kay?” He asked, stuffing some rice into his mouth.

  “She’s the lil’ homie. Why?”

  “The lil’ homie?”

  “Yeah….” I said.

  “So how you know she liked Shrimp Lo Mein?”

  “We talked about it before.”

  “When?”

  “When we first met,” I said, honestly. He just didn’t know I already knew her before he introduced us.

  “Mhmm.” He said then went back to his food. We ate in silence, but this fool kept his eyes on me as if he was thinking about some shit. I tried to avoid eye contact, but I knew that would be a dead give away, so I looked at his ass too.

  “Y’all having a staring contest?” Mikayla asked as she walked out of her room. She was now wearing a pink and white striped sleepwear jumpsuit. Her ass cheeks were slightly hanging out, but I made sure Roon didn’t catch me peeking. She grabbed her food, then sat next to me.

  “Why are you sitting over there?” Roon asked.

  “I can’t sit over here?” She asked after taking a bite of her food.

  “Nah,” Roon said while mugging on me.

  “What is your problem?”

  “Get your ass over here. And why you wearing that smedium ass sleep joint? It didn’t come in a bigger size?”

  “I always wear this around the house,” She said as she placed her food back on the coffee table, got up, and sat in the middle of Roon and me.

  “Yeah, well, we got company, so don’t be wearing that shit when he’s here.”

  “It’s Wayne, though. He’s cool. He’s the homie.

  “The homie? Yeah, my homie.” Roon said as he got up to grab athrow blanket and tossed it to Mikayla.

  “Gee, thanks.” She said as she rolled her eyes. She adjusted the throw blanket then tucked her feet under her legs. Once she got comfortable, she reached for some more fries.

  “Why do you keep eating off his plate? The shrimp lo mein ain’t enough?” Roon questioned. This nigga was trippin’, and I was trying my best not to laugh.

  “You on your period, Roon?” Mikayla said, and right there, I lost it. I was laughing so hard.

  “What’s funny?” Roon based.

  “You, man. You trippin’.” I laughed.

  “How did you know where my bathroom was when you first came over here? I never told you where the bathroom was, but yet you already knew where to go. Y’all fucking around?” It got silent. Shit wasn’t funny anymore.

  “What?” Mikayla said as she started biting her bottom lip.

  “You heard me!”

  “Roon, you’re trippin’ like Wayne said.”

  “So now you agreeing with him?”

  “Yes, because you are trippin’. He’s your best friend. He wouldn’t-”

  “Mikayla,” I said, stopping her. It was time to face the music.

  “Wayne….” She said, looking at me.

  “The fuck?” Roon said as he got up from the couch.

  “Dog, sit down and relax,” I said as I got up. I don’t care how cool we were, I wasn’t about to let him stand over me.

  “You fucked my sister?” He asked, looking between myself and Mikayla.

  “Sit down and let’s talk like adults,” I said calmly. Mikayla kept her eyes on the floor.

  “Don’t tell me you fucked her. Man, she’ seventeen. A year older than Bre!!”

  “It’s not like that.”

  “I lied about my age!!” Mikayla jumped up and said. Roon just looked at her with his face scrunched up. “I met him at the club a couple months ago. I knew who he was, and when we talked, I didn’t know if he would be interested if he knew my real age and that I was your sister. So I lied about my age and never mentioned that you were my brother. Once he found out, he left me alone, but we decided to be cool.” She admitted. I felt like the weight had been lifted off my shoulder, but I wanted to be the one to lift it. Roon was my boy, he didn’t deserve this.

  “I didn’t know,” I said. Everything happened so fast, but knowing Roon, his temper was getting the best of him. Within seconds he reached in the waistband of his jeans and pulled out his gun.

  “Roon!” Mikayla said as she jumped up from the couch and stood in front of me. I pushed her to the side and stood in front of her. She looked at me and I looked at her, letting her know that I had this.

  “You were willing to take a bullet for this nigga?” Roon yelled at her. It was silent.

  “Lower your gun, man!” I said, calmly. I wasn’t afraid at all because, like I said, I had a past in the streets that I’m not proud of.

  “I ain’t doing shit. You fucking my sister and think we about to sit down and talk this out.”

  “Yeah, we are! She just told you that she lied about her age and who she was.”

  “You knew my sister, though.”

  “Yes, I knew you had a sister, but I didn’t know it was her. She introduced herself as Mikayla. Maybe if she would’ve said Kay, I would’ve put two and two together. And not to mention, I haven’t seen her in years. I didn’t know what she looked like anymore, and it’s not like you show me pictures of her yearly growth.”

  “Fuck!” He yelled then threw his body down on the couch. I could tell he was pissed and hurt. I get it because that’s how I was when I found out he and Quel were messing around. This wasn’t on no payback shit because it was all a coincidence.

  “This is all your fault, Kay. You knew Wayne was my boy, hell more like a brother to me. Why would you want to divide us and create all this shit!” He barked at her. I saw her slightly jump, and that bothered me. I know he was her big brother, but I cared about her and she didn’t deserve his wrath.

  “Chill, bro,” I said. Roon lifted his head to look at me then mugged. I returned the same stare.

  “I can’t believe this shit,” He said as he shook his head then got up from the couch. I moved over to cover Mikayla’s body, just in case this fool got trigger crazy. He saw what I did, and for a second, his mug disappeared. It returned when he probably realized that this whole situation was a slippery slope. He put his gun back into his waistband then started walking towards the door. Once he left out, I heard Mikayla let out the breath she was holding in. She wrapped her arms around my waist and laid her head on my back. I could feel her hands trembling on my waist. I stood still, on guard just in case Roon started to come back and do something stupid.

  “You good?” I asked her while never taking my eyes off the door. She didn’t say anything, but I felt her nod her head on my back.

  “Can I stay with you tonight?” She asked.

  “Yeah,” I said. I don’t know how I was about to fix this situation or if Roon would be interested in fixing it. I
didn’t know where his head was either. Would he fire me and take back the apartment? See, this is why I didn’t like handouts because if a nigga held the pieces, you would be ass out whenever he wanted to take it back. Roon wasn’t that kind, but the situation was different; Mikayla was in the middle of this. Hell, what would happen with him and Mikayla?

  26. Raquel

  “I missed you,” Antonio said as he hugged me.

  “I missed you too,” I replied. I did miss him, but not as much as he probably missed me. I can’t lie; I was feeling Antonio, but my feelings weren’t really as strong. I don’t know what it was, but something was definitely holding me back from developing more feelings for him.

  “I have some news to share with you.” He ended our embrace then sat down at the table he was waiting for me at. After my birthday gateway, it seemed like I was spending more and more time with him. We were together probably three times a week for either lunch, dinner, or a quick shopping spree. And he was still paying me. It seemed like a relationship turned more into a romantic one instead of a business one. I didn’t want to tell him that we should limit our time together because although the money looked good in my bank account, I didn’t feel right leading him on. So for the past week or so, I’ve been limiting our time together by saying that I was helping my baby sister prepare for her daughter's birth. It was somewhat true, Bre was due any day now, but I doubt I would be around when she did. However, Antonio called and said that he really wanted to see me today, and he had something to share with me. I agreed to meet up with him at a coffee shop downtown. I hope he wasn’t confessing that he loved me.

  “What’s up?” I asked as I sat down and adjusted my mint-colored maxi dress. I paired it with clear heels and my new white Chanel crossbody purse. My hair was flowing down my back, and my makeup was on point.

  “You look great.” He said, just admiring me. I can’t lie, his gaze was amazing and always had me blushing.

  “Thank you.”

  “Would you like anything?” He asked as he picked up the menu.

  “Iced Vanilla Bean Frappe,” I said. It was too hot for coffee, in my opinion, but I didn’t want to sit here without anything to use as a distraction as he shared his news. He got up to place our order, and I got on my phone to pass the time by. I scrolled on Instagram and came across a post from Roon. Yes, I still followed him because, why not? Anywho, it was a typical Roon post, vain and expensive. He was a balcony of a hotel, wearing nothing but designer labels and looking so good.