Please excuse ANY grammatical errors.

February 16, 1992

~Tupac's P.O.V~

I'm so fucking tired of all this shit. Everytime I look up there's some bullshit going on. Either somebody dead, somebody turning they back on me or they hooked on that shit. I'm too fucking real for some of these people.

I can't believe my mama stuck on that shit. I never in a million years would have thought it'd be my mama. I want to help her, I tried to help her, but she don't want no help. My little sister had to go through some shit, that's why she's here now. I can't be doing all the shit I used to do. Sekyiwa's dad is alright, he calls her every now and then, and come to see her every blue moon, but that shit ain't enough. Now I got to set an example for her, and make sure she's on the right path.

I had to drop out of school senior year, and I'm going to make sure she doesn't have to the same thing. I'm taking care of her because when I had to leave home, I had to live with a friend of a friends, friend of the family. I was basically homeless, them people didn't really give a fuck about me. Hell, I had to starve most of the time. That is until the drug dealers started helping a young brother out. I tried selling drugs for a two weeks, they stopped me saying I was too nice to the fiends. I'd tell them they could pay me next time, which is no way to run that type of business. So afterwards they had a brother's back.

"You good back there?" I asked Sekyiwa, who was in the back seat.

"I'm fine, Pac." She said with her head in a book, just were I want it to be.

"What you reading?" I asked looking at her through the rearview mirror. She made me take her to the library yesterday to check out some books.

"A book." She replied.

"You act just like Tia with that, smart ass mouth. Remember, I'm the one who's putting food in your mouth."

"A book by Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu. It's about black family households." Sekyiwa said, "It's really good."

"Imma have to read it." I nodded, turning the corner.

"Did you get in contact with mama?" She asked closing her book.

I shook my head, "Nah."

"Mm," she rolled her eyes, opening up her book again. "Is this Tia girl anything like Jada?"

"By connection, yes. But do they act alike? Nahh, they got different personalities." I replied.

"In a good way?"

"Yes, in a good way. I think y'all will get along pretty well. She smart and all that shit, like you. She uses words and knows what they mean." I told her.

"Yeah, I love Jada, but she'd use words out of context. That was funny as hell." Sekyiwa laughed.

"Stop cursing!" I warned.

"Hell is not a curse word. It's in the bible, baldy."

"It's the way you use it. Besides demons are in the bible too, and they ain't good." I said pulling up to our destination. "There she go." I pointed.

"She's pretty." Seky said.

"Mmhm, what's up?" I yelled at that bright eyed nigga, after rolling down the window.

"What's up, Pac," Swing yelled back. Tia waved at him before he left.

"What's up Heady Murphy." Tia laughed closing the door, and Sekyiwa joined in.

I chuckled, "Don't start. Both y'all. Tia this is Sekyiwa my little sister I told you about. Sekyiwa this is Tia."

"Hi," Sekyiwa shyly said.

"Hello," Tia's tone matched Sekyiwa's.

"Y'all shy asses." I laughed, "Don't nobody bite." I said to both of them. "Happy birthday! What's good with you?" I said ti Tia as she buckled herself in.

"Nothing much, was just talking to all of them." She replied.

"All of who?" I asked, pulling off.

"K-Ci, JoJo, Dalvin, and Donald."

"Who the fuck is Donald? Sound like some old ass white nigga?" I laughed.

"I ain't say no Donald." Tia laughed.

"Yes, you did. You said K-Ci, JoJo, Dalvin, and Donald. In that same order." I recalled.

"I ain't mean to say that. I meant DeVanté." Tia said.

"I knew he was in Jodeci!" Sekyiwa exclaimed.

"What you know about Jodeci? Who let you listen to them?" I said to Seky.

"Myself," Seky replied nonchalantly.

"You ain't listening to them no more, you too young for that!" I told her seriously.

"I'm about to be sixteen, I know about sex!" Sekyiwa matched my tone.

"What!?" I turned my head around so quick, I probably would suffer from whiplash. We were at a red light. "Who taught you that?"

"I been knew before having my period for the first time." Seky frowned at me. "What's wrong? You knew at a young age, younger than me."

"So? The fuck." I moved my head back. "Sometimes mama be too open."

"Tupac, the light turned green." Tia pointed, as people honked their horns at me.

"I'm growing up big bro, face it." Sekyiwa shrugged.

"This isn't my business, but dude?" Tia said to me.

"I'm listening." I glanced her way.

"It's the cycle of life, that's why we're looking at each other today. You should think it's a good thing she does know. If she wouldn't have known about it, and it's consequences, she could have ended up like these other teenagers with a bunch of babies. Knowing about it is better than not knowing. One of these boys would have been able to talk her into doing it. You know how many people wished they were talked to about sex?" Tia said to me.

"Yeah, but still. She's so young." I frowned.

"Like she said, you have to face the fact that your little sister is getting older. If she wants to do something, she'll find a way, no matter what. You did, right?" Tia said with raised brows.

"You still look tired. You got any sleep after we spoke?" I asked her changing the subject.

"No," Tia frowned crossing her arms. "I kept getting calls. When I finally did it was time to wake up."

"Oh."

"Another thing, you just hung up on my behind. What's up with that?" Tia turned to me.

"You said you was tired."

"Yeah, but you still just hung up on me. Before doing so you told me to go to bed. Last time I checked, my daddy wasn't around." She said adding sassiness to her tone.

"Mine's wasn't either, so we even." I said to Tia. Not having a father is hurtful to us both. We just joke like that to mask it. That's just the way it is. "You could sleep take a nap, because this is a long drive. We're going to D.C., but we'll be back home tonight."

"D.C.?" Sekyiwa and Tia said in sync.

I laughed, "Ain't that what I said?"

"Yeah, but dang." Sekyiwa said with an attitude. "We driving all the way there."

"Correction: I'm, as in Tupac is driving there and back." I said to her. "Now, were y'all wanna stop to get snacks for the road?"

"Let's just go to the gas station. Is that fine?" Tia asked the both of us.

"I'm down with it." Sekyiwa shrugged.

"A'ight, good, because that's where we was gon' go anyways." I said to them.

"I wish I could sit you on the dashboard and watch yo big head bobble. I'm so tired of you, Pac." Sekyiwa said squinting at me.

"Bobble head." Tia said laughing.

"So we gon' pretend like all of us in this car got a big head?" I said.

"We know we got big heads." Sekyiwa said.

"Right, yours is just bigGER than ours." Tia laughed.

"Y'all shut up." I said pulling uo to the gas station.

We got out the car, and entered the gas station. We went to the back of the store, since all the good stuff be there. I grabbed some Cheetos and a blue Faygo. There were two little girls and a boy, stuffing their clothes with food. I remember having to do that shit, because I ain't have no food living with those people.

"Aye, y'all ain't gotta do that. Put y'all stuff up on the counter, I got y'all." I said lowly to the boy, which looked to be the oldest. He was probably ten or eleven.

"You Tupac." The little boy said in disbelief.

"I am. Now gon' 'head lil man and put y'all stuff up on the counter. If you want more get more." I said to him.

"Thank you, man!" He said to me then turned to his sisters, "Y'all we can get whatever we want." They was too happy, and I like seeing that.

People, especially children deserve to smile. They're God's gift to earth. We all walked to the counter and I payed for everybody. I can do that now!😂 FINALLY!

"Thank you so much!" One of the little girls beamed at me hugging my waist.

"Y'all welcome." I replied.

We walked out with the kids in front of us. Tia called out to them, and fave them money. I don't know how much, but it was quite a bit from what I could see. They thanked her and I both, and went on their merrily way, with a smile. I pumped the gas, the got in the car.

"That was nice of you to do," Tia said smiling.

"You too, with cha mean ass!" I laughed jokingly.

"Mean? How am I mean?" She acted surprised.

"You always raggin' on my head and shit." I answered as we got in the car.

"You be ragging on me too. It's tit for tat, amd you know that." She pointed.

"You're even mean to me, your sister." Sekyiwa butted in.

I sucked my teeth, "Man, y'all ass ganging up on me." I put my seatbelt on.

"Ganging up?" Tia looked at me like I was crazy.

"YUUUP!" I said curling my lips to the side of my face.

"Whatever dude. I'm tired." Tia said moving the backrest of the seat back.

"Then take yo ass to sleep then, we finna be on the road for a minute." I said.

"See! Just mean," Sekyiwa yelled out.

"Sekyiwa, ain't nobody ask yo ass shit." I strated the car up and pulled off.

"Irritating as hell." Seky mumbled.

"What was that?" I asked. She just ignored me, opened her book, and continued reading. "That's what I thought." I said, then turned on my radio. I had some Bootsy Collins playing.

I was happy that Tia and Sekyiwa was enjoying each other. Tia is a positive female role model, and Sekyiwa ain't seen that in a while, since my mama is on drugs. After about an hour I looked over on the passengers side and saw Tia was asleep. Sekyiwa was in the back nodding off. So, I turned up the music to it's highest volume, scaring the both of them awake. I bursted out with laughter, from the look on their faces.

"Tia jumped up so quick, and yo ass eyes got big as hell!" I said turning the radio back down. I was holding onto the steering wheel tightly while laughing.

"Stupid," Tia said angrily, looking like she was about to cry.

"What? You finna cry?" I asked, and she turned her whole body to the window.

"Leave me 'lone," Her voice held a saddened tone.

"I'm SO tired of you, keep playing..." Seky said to me.

"My bad, my hand slipped."

"No, it didn't. You did that on purpose." Tia said in the same saddened tone. The car felt silent, beside the Bootsy Collins music.

~Tia's P.O.V~

"Wake up, we here." Tupac said shaking me awake.

I opened my eyes, rubbing them, to get all gunk out. We were in a parking lot with some other care, not many. "Where are we?"

"Come on," he ignored my question and opened his door to leave.

I grabbed my backpack/purse put it on, and opened my door. The cold air hit me like a fart in a hot shower. I slid out the car, Sekyiwa did the same. We walked closer and I noticed we were at the African Art Museum.

"I always wanted to come here!" I said enthusiastically.

"Thank you!" Sekyiwa said matching my excitement.

"Come on," Tupac motioned us to follow him. We followed him then grabbed his arm stopping him.

"What is it Tia?" Tupac dryly said.

"What if they notice us? I know Jodeci was with us but we were basically mobbed the other time. I don't want a repeat of that plus your little sister is here." I told him.

"Luckily it's a Sunday, and not too many people here." He pointed to the parking lot. "AS YOU CAN SEE..." he said, his voice laced with sarcasm, and widened eyes.

"Y'all it's too cold for this, come on!" Sekyiwa said to her brother and I.

"I'm older," Tupac said as we walked in.

"I can't believe I'm finally here." I was truly amazed as we stepped in. "I knew I knew saw this building before..." I mumbled to myself still looking around.

"Nice ain't it, I always wanted to come here too, but the people I'm 'round ain't so interested in black history or culture." Tupac said to me, "I knew you and Sekyiwa 'a like it too. Killed three birds with a stone."

"Thank you brother. You're the best brother ever!" Sekyiwa embraced Tupac in a hug.

"Earlier you was making fun of my head, right along with her." He said to Sekyiwa and pointed to me. "I thought I was a bobblehead?" He laughed pulling away from their embrace.

"Don't get it twisted, 'cause you still are! Now you are the best big, bald-headed, bobbleheaded brother ever."

I chuckled, "Thank you though, I really appreciate this. You're a really good friend." I complimented.

"Ya welcome."

We all walked around looking at the artifacts, and reading them to each other. There were only a few people that approached us. Today was the best birthday I've ever had, and I thank DeVanté and Tupac for that. They are really generous and thoughtful people I consider friends. Sekyiwa and I walked into the bathroom because we both really had to go. I walked out my stall, and washed my hands. Sekyiwa walked out of her stall, and began washing her hand.

"Hey, Tia?" She asked looking at me through the mirror.

"Yeah?" I answered.

"So, you know Jodeci on a personal level right?" She asked turning off the water.

"Not all of them, but I guess you could say that." I shrugged, trying to figure out what she was hinting at.

"Is there by any chance I could meet Dalvin?" She nervously asked grabbing paper towel.

"What, you like him or something?" I asked, although I already knew by the tone of her voice.

"Sort of." She replied.

"Sort of?" I raised my eyebrows teasingly.

"Okay, I do like him. I think he's the best one out of the group. He's the cutest." She said, with her cheekbones rising.

"Aww, that cute. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't mind, bit you're brother on the other hand wouldn't. You're lucky you're brother didn't hear you say that. He doesn't even want you listening to their music, so you know meeting them..." I looked at her from the corner of my eyes, trailing off.

"Screw him, he's too overprotective."

"He's just being a big brother." I reasoned with her shrugging. "I'll see what I could do."

"Thank you!" She hugged me.

"It's not finalized until I speak to them, and convince your brother. I don't want to do anything behind his back." I said hugging her back.

"I know, but it's the thought that counts, right?" She pulled away.

"Yeah," I laughed. We both walked out of the bathroom.

"Y'all took all fucking day. I took a piss and was done. What y'all do, shit?" Tupac grimaced.

"No, not in a public place. You'd have to sit down to do that anyways." I made a disgusted face, then continued. "All men have to do is pull out their junk in front of a urinal. Women have an entire process using public restrooms."

"Right! It's a whole process." Sekyiwa agreed with me.

"Women take all day doing anything." Tupac disagreed.

We stayed for an hour more, then went to a restaurant nearby. Tuoac and I decided ot would be best to eat in the car. Of course we wouldn't be able to sit at the tables and eat in peace, so we sat in the car and ate.

"Yeah, and it looks just like the books describe." Sekyiwa taking a bite out of her food.

"It does," I agreed. "It's so beautiful."

"It was nice, I'm glad we had fun." Tupac said to the both of us, chewing his food, and burped. "Scuse me." He apologized.

After we all finished eating our meal, threw away our trash, we headed back home. We talked some more, and when our conversations died down we just sang along to the music.

He turned off the music, "Y'all can't sing worth a damn."

"I can a little bit, I'm not trying to though." I said to him.

"Turn it back on!" Sekyiwa reached up to turn it back on.

Tupac slapped her hand away, "Don't you ever touch a black man's radio."

"Man," she slapped the back of his baldhead and turned it on anyway.

"Ayyyyeee, I'm driving." He said rubbing on the back of his head.

"I ain't even hit you that hard." She switched to the radio station, and 'Disco Lady' by Johnny Taylor was just starting to play.

I sang along to the song, "Shake it up, Shake it down, move it in, move it round-"

"Disco lady!" Tupac joined in, yelling that part. He was nodding his head to the beat. Sekyiwa and I laughed.

"Move it in move it out move in and about disco lady. Shake it up, shake it down, move it in move it out, disco lady!" We all sang loudly. I began to boogie in seat.

We continued that until we got tired. Hours later we made it back to DeVanté and Dalvin's condo.

"Thank you, I really enjoys my day with the both of you. This is the best birthday that I've ever celebrated." I hugged Tupac. When I pulled away Sekyiwa got up as best as she could in the car and hugged me from the back seat.

"I had fun too.

"Don't forget, Tia." Sekyiwa reminded me.

"I won't." I said back.

"Don't forget what?" Tupac asked.

"Girl stuff." I said to him.

"Yeah..." Sekyiwa trailed off.

"Mm," he said not believing me. "Y'all lying, but as long as it ain't nothing serious, I'm good. If it is you better tell me right now." He said looking at me then Sekyiwa. He was really talking to her though.

"It's NOTHING serious Pac, like she said it's just girl stuff. You're a man, so don't question it." Sekyiwa said to him.

"See y'all, and thank you for everything." I said opening my door.

"You welcome. Call me when you get inside of they house." Tupac replied.

"I will." I waved at them as I made my way to the door. When I made it to DeVanté and Dalvin's condo door I called Tupac.

"You in?" He asked.

"Yeah," I said opening the door.

"A'ight, bye." He said then hung up.

JoJo, and K-Ci were still here sitting on the couch. There were boxes, plates, cups, and silverware scattered on the table. It smelled of marijuana.

"What up?" Dalvin, JoJo and K-Ci greeted me.

"Hi y'all." I waved.

"You're back." DeVanté said looking at me with red eyes. He was slouched over on the couch. Yeah, he's definitely high.

"I am," I began taking off my winter gear.

"Where y'all go?" DeVanté asked.

"We went to the African Art Museum in D.C." I replied smiling.

"That's nice." He nodded.

"It was. I read about it a while back and was finally able to see it in person. It was really fun." I beamed.

"You got competition." JoJo said to DeVanté jokingly.

"So, was it just the two of you? Alone?" Dalvin asked exhaling the smoke.

"No, why?" I frowned.

"Mmm, that's good." K-Ci said.

"Just asking." Dalvin replied.

"Who was with y'all?" DeVanté asked.

"His sister," I replied. I heard 'oooh's' from the rest of them.

"He let you meet his family?" K-Ci raised his brows.

"His sister, yes..." I trailed off, feeling out of place because of their behavior.

"Why?" Dalvin asked.

"Why y'all questioning me like I did something?" I asked looking over them all.

"Just making sure." Dalvin said. WOW, I'm really tired of them thinking I'm scandalous. Even if I was, I don't have a man, which means I shouldn't have to answer to one when I've already explained. They aren't saying anything about DeVanté and his slappers, but questioning me like I owe them loyalty.

"I told y'all it ain't nothing going on between him and I. I don't know why y'all keep hinting at that. Maybe, I shouldn't stay here with folks who think I'm scandalous, when I'm nowhere near." I said seriously, folding my arms, feeling very offended.

"No!" DeVanté said to me. "Y'all shut the hell up! Damn!" DeVanté said to the boys frowning, irritated at them. He stood up, "I told you I believed you and still do. To hell what these niggas think. I said I do, and I do. You can stay here." He said standing in front of me.

"I know, thank you." I said to DeVanté. "I don't know of I want to though, it's always something, and I hate drama and being accused of stuff. I've gotten so used to not being around drama moving out of my mama's house. Now it's like have to get used to drama all over again. Being around that 24/7 is toxic." I honestly said to him.

"Why are you worried about what they say? They ain't in stable places themselves. You're my company not theirs, and JoJo and K-Ci ass don't even stay here. I said" DeVanté said looking me in my eyes. They don't live here but are always around.

"I-I," I stuttered, looking away, then back at him, deciding to change the subject. "Thank you for the birthday gifts. This was literally one of the best birthdays ever." I reached up and hugged him, he hugged me back, squeezing me. We rocked back in forth in that hug.

"You welcome. I'm glad I was able to make you feel like that." He said in my ear. I got major goosebumps. I pulled away we looked at each other for a while. Until, I broke it and told him I was going to the room.

I walked straight to the bathroom and washed my hands. When I was walking to my room, I heard DeVanté talking to them about what just happened. It wasn't an argument but there were some words. I entered my room sat on the chair, and took my socks off. I got up and stood in the mirror attached to the drawer. I wiped my lipstick of, washed my face of the butter, then took off my amethyst necklace. DeVanté entered the room.

"Hey," he said sitting on the chair, and I nodded at him. "So are you staying?" He asked me, his bony elbows poking his thighs. I turned around to face him. I deeply inhaled then exhaled, leaning back against the dresser.

Authors Note: ANOTHER long chapter, was it good?

Word Count: 4,030

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