Please excuse ANY grammatical errors.

March 1, 1992

~DeVanté's P.O.V~

"It's TOO fucking early for this shit, man!" I put the pillow over my head.

"Not this shit AGAIN!" I turned around yelling up to the ceiling. I could hear Tionne and Dalvin LOUDLY screwing in the other room.

           I wish they go to her crib and do that shit. She live by herself, so why not? It's always here. That's why I need to get some soundproof walls in my fucking room! I got up, put some pants on, and left my room. When I walked out, I heard their moaning more clearly than I did in my room. At least I know I have somewhere to go, I grabbed my keys, put on my winter gear, and left out the house.

          When I made it to my car, I turned it on to warm it up, then I called her number. NO ANSWER. I called again, waited for an answer, but to no avail. Oh well, I'm still coming over. Her ass gon' answer the door regardless. I made it to my destination, it took me a while to get to the door, but I made it. I knocked three times, and her the lock click.

"Donald, what are you doing here? It's like three o'clock?" Tia said squinting at me with low, red eyes.

"I called twice and you ain't pick up." I shrugged walking past her. "What was you doin' anyways?" I asked.

"I just got back a little while ago. I most likely was in the shower when you called. But, why are you here this early in the morning? Is something wrong?" She said with furrowed eyebrows.

"Hell yeah. Them niggas, Dalvin and Tionne up in there fucking, and woke me up. I can't sleep with all that noise. Why are yo eyes all red? I know yo ass don't smoke." I laughed, taking off my shoes then plopping down on the couch.

"Work was longer than usual, and I'm tireD, and was going to sleep. You mean to tell me, YOU woke me up, because THEY woke you up? That's not how it works." She closed the door, staring at me with her arms folded against her chest, eyebrows still furrowed.

"What, an I not welcomed?" I asked confused.

"I didn't say that, it's just early, and like I said I'm tireD. You're fine." She said dropping her arms to her side.

"I'm tired to, can I crash here? I'm tired too, they just woke my ass up." I asked.

"Yeah, you can sleep on the couch, let me get you some sheets." She said walking to the closet to get some sleeping materials for me.

"A'ight, cool. Thank you." I said to her.

She said walking to the closet, "No problem." She was able to get some things but not all.

"I got it, with yo short ass." I laughed standing up.

"For the last time, I'm tall for a woman. The average women in the US is 5'4, and I'm 5'6 or seven." She said stepping back, so I could get it.

"I'm well over six feet. So, you still short to me." I chuckled.

"Just get the blanket." Tia said to me, motioning towards the closet.

"I am!" I said grabbing it from the top shelf, then turned around to her.
"Why you need all this? I'm sleepin' on the couch, ion need all this." She had a pillow case, and an elastic sheet in her arms.

"You're telling me, you WANT your smooth skin to break out, laying on a couch that many people's behinds done touched? Maybe even other body parts." She said leaning on her right leg.

"We did the blacklight thing everywhere. Remember?"

"Of course, I remember. It was my idea. Just because the blacklight didn't catch it, doesn't mean it's completely clean. There are other types of dirt, ye know?" She said to me.

"I feel you." I told her touching my face. My brand is riding on my face and voice.

"That's what I thought. Always trying to question me." She laughed putting the elastic sheet on the couch. She even. Put it on the armrest since that's where my face will be if the pillow were to fall.

"Thanks for letting me crash here." I finally spoke again after a while.

"You're welcome."

"I got everything else. You tired, so imma let you go to sleep." I said putting the sheet on the other side of the couch.

"Thanks. Good night." She said walking off. Fuck she saying thanks for? 🤣🤣

"G'night." I said back, fixing to lay down. As soon as my head hit that pillow, my eyes shut, and mind drifted.

          I was sleep for a LONG time. It was the best sleep I had in a while, considering all the work I been doing with the group, and the people under my label. We had had to make sure everything was right for our US tour that we'll be on soon. We took a little break when the new year started. My eyes were still shut but I felt somebody face near mines. I thought it was Tia, but when I opened my eyes it was an unfamiliar girl staring right at me.

"Ahh, shit!" I screamed out in pain, falling on the floor from the couch, on my ass.

"Sekyiwa, get out that man's face!" I heard Tia say laughing her ass off. She was laughing so hard she began coughing. "Are you okay?" She said between all the coughing she was doing.

"I'm good now." I rubbed the crust from my eyes, and the slobber around my lips.

"I'm sorry. I just ain't ever seen him close up." The girl said.

"Who ARE you?" I semi yelled.

"I'm so sorry! I'm Sekyiwa." The young girl said.

"Okay?" I said waiting for her to continue speaking. I got up sitting back down on the couch.

"DeVanté, this is Tupac's little sister, Sekyiwa." Tia said between laughs.

"Oh, and I'm glad you thought that was funny." I said to Tia with a straight face.

"I'm glad, you're glad." She said sarcastically with a smile. "I'm sorry for my company being in your face like that."

"Again, I'm so sorry. I just haven't seen any of you guys close up. You look WAAYYYY better up close. It's a pleasure to meet you." The girl, who's name I couldn't pronounce said to me. She then held her hand out for me to shake. Damn, I ain't ever heard that one. She just roasted me to charcoal. That half assed compliment.

"Uhhh, thanks. I guess..." I said at the half compliment, shaking her hand. "I'm sorry, I ain't catch your name." I said lying. I heard it plenty of times, I just ain't know how to pronounce it. It would be mad rude to tell somebody you don't know how to pronounce they name.

"Sek-yi-wa." She said breaking down the vowels of her name. "Just call me Seky, or Wawa."

"Okay," I replied.

"Where's Dalvin?" She asked in a chipper voice.

"Sekyiwa, mind ye bid'ness, a'ight?" Tia said to her.

"Okay," she sat down on the single seated couch chair. This shit is mad awkward. 

"Sekyiwa is a big fan of Jodeci. She didn't mean any harm. She was just excited to see a member sleeping on a couch in the same room as her." Tia said very apologetic.

"It's cool. I was just caught off guard is all." I shrugged.

"You were asleep for a mighty LONNGGG time." Tia said.

I looked at the clock and it read 3:02. Damn, I was really tired. "Why you ain't wake me up?" I asked.

"Nig- what?" She corrected herself.

"Damn, I'm just playing." I laughed.

"Mmkay..." She trailed off.

"Well, I'm finna bounce. I got some shit to do." I said getting up.

"Okay," Tia responded.

          I cleaned up my little area, and placed everything where it came from. I went to the door and began putting on my shoes.

"Wait, will I ever get the chance to meet the group? I love you guys." Sakenya said.

"Sekyiwa, it's-" Tia spoke but I cut her off.

"Nahh, it's cool Tia. I'm sorry for cutting you off." I apologized, watching her face contort."Yeah, uhh you will. I just don't know when since we be so busy. I promise you will though." I responded to Sakenya.

"Thank you." She jumped up, hugged me and pulled away.

"You welcome." I said standing there waiting.

"What? I thought you said that you had things to do. Why are you standing around?" Tia said confused.

"No hug? No goodbye?" I said opening up my arms. "That's how you feel. Fuck you too then." I said waving my hand, pretending like I was about to open the door.

Tia smacked her lips, holding back a smile. Then came up to me, pulling me in a hug. "I should say f you too, but I'll let it go. Since you were joking. You were joking right?" She said pulling away.

"Now, you know I was fuckin' around with you." I said pulling her back into a hug.

"Are you guys together?" Sakenya asked.

"No." We both said at the same time.

"That's weird because it sure looks like it to me. Y'all even talking in sync." Sakenya folded her arms.

"Sakenya, we-" I began but was cut off by her.

"My name ain't no Sakenya, it's Sekyiwa. SEK- YI- WAAA, Mr. Swing." Her tone sassy at first, then changed to a more respectful tone.

"My bad, SEKYIWA." I put emphasis on her name, making sure I sounded it out right. "We ain't together, but we would be. She just playing games with a nigga." I laughed.

"I'm NOT playing games. I already told you why more than one time." Tia said with a straight face.

"You did." I nodded with a smile.

"Then why bring it up?" She asked.

I ignored her question and pulled her into another hug. "Yo breath is on hum right now. It's fogging up my glasses. I think K-Ci's habits are rubbing off on you." Tia whispered to me.

"Duhh, my breath gon' stank, I just woke up." I whispered back.. Then laughed at her raggin' on K-Ci. We finally pulled away. "Yo, do I got something on my face?" I asked inna regular tone.

She looked at me and nodded. "Yeah, ye got a little drool on the side of your lips, and a little crust in the corners of your inner eye."

I wiped my eyes feeling all the crust on the tip of my fingers. "Which side?"

"Left, it's closer to your lips." Tia said pointing.

I wiped where she said it was, "Did I get it?"

"No, lick your fingertip." Tia said to me, and I did it; slowly. "Stop playing." She laughed at my antics, and playfully pushed me. She grabbed my moist finger and wiped the corner of my mouth with it.

"Is it gon'?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's no longer there."

"Ion know who imma run to on my way downstairs, I ain't tryna look like some of anything." I spoke, and my breath was on max. Fuck did I eat?

Tia shrugged, "Okay."

"A'ight, I'm finna go for real this time." I said to the both of them. I put on my winter stuff. I opened the door, waved at them, then left. I heard the say bye.

          The only person I ran into was Puffy. It was in the elevator. He was in there with some other dude that I never seen before. What were they doing at a hotel? I don't know, nor do I give a fuck. When I made it home, I saw that Tionne was still there.

"Where was you? I ain't see you leave." Dalvin asked coming into the living room.

"Where I was is none of yo business, but I left at the butt crack of dawn because of y'all." I said taking off my coat and hat.

"Because of us? Man, what'd we do?" Dalvin asked with a confused look on his face.

"What y'all didn't do was hide what y'all was doing. Loud asses, pissed me the fuck off." I frowned, flipping my wet boots off my feet.

"My bad, I tried your move." Dalvin said grinning, nodding his head slowly.

"Fuck are you talking about? What move?" I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

Dalvin cocked his head, looking at me like I was nuts. "The one I caught you in on Tia's birthday. Ya know?"

I smacked my lips. "I done told yo ass that we ain't did shit."

"My eyes don't lie. I know what I saw." He laughed.

"Sometimes what you see, ain't really there."

"What the fuck does that even mean, De?" Dalvin laughed out.

"I'm sorry about last night and this morning." Tionne said to me.

"Yeah, our bad. We ain't mean to be loud. Well she ain't mean to." Dalvin spoke up.

"I couldn't help it." Tionne said glancing at Dalvin with red cheeks.

Tionne tongued Dalvin down. "Bye baby. By De." She waved and left.

"Bye baby." Dalvin smiled, watching her leave. I shook my head at him laughing.

Dalvin heard me laugh and turned his head to me."What?"

"Nothing," I shook my head at him laughing.

"You know I thought about what you said the other day." Dalvin sat down on the couch.

"Oh, yeah? What are you talking about?" I sat down.

"GAWWD DAMN YO BREATH STANK!" Dalvin yelled to me with a scrunched up face.

"I know, I just woke up not too long ago." I covered my mouth.

"Anyways, I thought about what you said about me being a cheater, but saying I'm in love with Tionne. You were right. How could I be in love with the things that I be doin'? I really need to grow up if I wanna stay in a relationship with Tionne. I really do love that girl. I'm IN love with her. Ion think I want nobody else but her. That's my baby." Dalvin confessed.

"I know I was right. You should have been thinking like this. I been telling you this for a while. I'm glad you grew up a little, well mentally." I nodded like the proud big brother I was.

Dalvin replied, "Yeah, I was mad at you for saying all that shit, but at the end I thank you. You been on some other shit since ol' girl been around. That's a good thing. I actually like Tia."

I raised my eyebrow, "Since she been around? What's changed? I'm the same."

"Nah, you grew up some too, mentally. You ain't even been smoking, or drinking as much as you used to. Not that you was an alcoholic, but sometimes yo ass could fuck up a bottle." Dalvin laughed. " I wonder what you'll be like IF y'all actually get together. I'm sorry for being apart of the reason for running yo company away. That was my bad. I never thought Tia was a bad person, I just thought she was out there. Why? Well, she is a nice looking girl. Girls who look like that be into everybody. I ain't want it to take a tole on you like that bitch-"

I cut him off, with closed eyes, "Don't even bring her ass up. She dead to me. Fuck her and everything ahe stand for."

"I ain't gon' bring her name up. Chill out." Dalvin laughed.

"Dalvin, I'm good. Just never say her name again. Even the thought of her makes me sick." I frowned, feeling a stomach ache coming on. "I 'preciate you bro. What you mean IF me and Tia get together?"

"I'm just saying if... But, I 'preciate you too bruh." Dalvin responded, dappin' me up.

"Imma for sure get with her. No doubt about that. I said I was, and that shit gon' happen. You best believe that. Mark my words. She gon' be my wife someday. One thing a man knows is who he'll end up with." I explained.

"Good. Now go on and brush those teeth, K-Ci!" Dalvin laughed out.

"Tia something similar," I laughed out. "Don't worry, that what I was bout to do anyways. That and wash my ass." I laughed standing up, heading to my room. "Be ready to go when I finish." I yelled out to him.

~Tia's P.O.V~

"Y'all really not together?" Sekyiwa said putting her hand on her hip.

I chuckled at her. "We aren't."

"Y'all was over there whispering. You were talking face to face with him, and he had a stank breath. I smelled it when he screamed. If somebody was talking to me with stank breath, I'd tell them loudly. Embarrassment and all. You didn't flinch or nothing at his breath. You stood there and took it." Sekyiwa said not buying it.

"Everybody think I'm with somebody. You think I'm with him, and they thought I was with your brother." I shook my head. "Don't nobody believe me."

"They thought YOU were with MY lame ass brother?" She laughed.

"Watch you mouth." I warned, pointing at her.

"Okaaayyy," she whined.

"Come on, lets do some homework."

"I did it already in class. It's so simple." Sekyiwa shrugged.

"Okay, let me look over it. You're smart, I just want to make sure you didn't make any careless mistakes." I said to her.

"Fine with me," she said digging inside her bookbag. She handed me her work, plopped down on the couch.

          I looked over her work while she watched television. After I finished I walked over to her and sat down next to her.

"Anything going on? Anything at school?" I asked.

"Nope!" She said popping the p. "Well, there is this one thing..." She trailed off, turning her body to face mines.

"What is it?" I asked.

Sekyiwa began explaining, "These people keep talking about me. In the south it's a bit more normal for people to look like me. Here, it's a different story. They always raggin' on me. They talk about my dark complexion and facial features ALL the time. I can't seem to catch a break! I want to tell my brother, but I know he'll overreact. He'd end up going up there doing some things that will get him locked up."

"I know you don't want to hear this because I didn't, but don't worry about what these people say about you. They aren't happy with themselves. They're throwing all their own insecurities on you." I told her.

"You were talked about in school?" She asked in a surprised voice.

"Yes ma'am. I was picked on all throughout school. It was horrible. I was broken down at home and school. Children could be so cruel to other children, but it's usually what they hear their parents say. Sometimes even to them." I explained to her.

"Did they ever talk about your skin tone?" She softly asked playing with her fingers.

"Never." I shook my head.

"Could you tell me some specific things they said and did? I just can't seem to imaging you being talked about."

"Of course, they called me numerous amounts of names. You'd always catch me sitting alone. Since I was always more developed in the bust department, they talked about how big they were. I was talked about my B.O.-"

"You don't stink." Sekyiwa spoke up.

"I don't now, but I used to. I couldn't figure out why I would stink because I'd shower everyday. I later found out it was the scented soaps I used. Nobody ever taught me that. When I first went natural they dogged me out. They tried to take pictures and all. They talked about my body type, the name was toothpaste bottle." I laughed.

Then I continued, "I thought my shape was bad for so long, so I'd tie a jacket around my waist. I went to an all girl school from kindergarten to eight grade. It was an all girl school, so all they did was judge others. Anyways, when I entered high school freshman year, I'd still have the jacket around my waist. One day I forgot it, and people were complimenting me left to right. I thought they were being sarcastic and I got more insecure. I started to walk around with squeezed cheeks, and arms always folded over my chest." I laughed thinking back.

"You are stacked! You got bawdy and face!" Sekyiwa said in a hyped up tone.

"One day a dude noticed and laughed asking why am I squeezing my cheeks so tight. I worked on myself my junior year and went harder during the summer. I lost so much weight, gained so much knowledge, and gained so much self-esteem. I didn't fully reach my confidence until my senior year. I was finally able to walk with my chin up, and shoulders straight. I was still jived on for things but I stopped paying attention. Nobody couldn't tell me nothing. It took me eons but I gained my confidence."

"Wow! That's all you did to gain confidence? You lost weight you say? You were fat?" She asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yes, you could say that. I was almost 230 pounds. I killed most of it off as you can see. My point is they'll always talk about you. It's up to you on how you take it. They see you cower, it'll egg them on to do it more frequently. You have to boost your confidence up more. You are really a beautiful young girl inside and out. Your spirit is out of this world. I'm haven't known you too long, but I'm so good at reading people. We both are going to work on your confidence. Whether I'm here or not, I'll be a call away." I smiled.

"Now, give me a hug!" I exclaimed, holding my arm open. She hugged me tight.

"Thank you," she said with teary eyes.

"No problem." I hugged her with teary eyes. "Nobody should have to go through that crap. You're so beautiful. They don't know you that much. They don't even know you as much as I do. Keep on shining. One thing we could start with is daily aspirations."

"You mean the cheesy stuff people in movies repeat?" She said pulling away with raised eyebrows.

"Yes ma'am."

"I not-"

I cut her off, "AHT, AHT! Come follow me." I got up walking to the bathroom.

"But-"

"No buts, now come on." I said to her, standing with my hand on my hip.

"Okay," she got up.

We walked into the bathroom, and I turned on the light. "Come." I pulled her in front of the mirror. "Look yourself in the eyes." I urged, and she did. "Now, repeat after me. I am smart."

She nodded."I am smart."

"I am kind." I said.

"I am kind." She repeated.

"I am beautiful."

"I am bea-beau-beautiful." She said with a cracked voice.

"It's okay. Crying will happen when you first begin. It will until you truly began to believe it. I am worth it."

"I am worth it." She repeated, turned around, then burst into tears. "If I'm so worth it, how come my daddy didn't stay around? How come my mama didn't care enough for me to take care of me? She live the drugs more than her kids. How come?" She fell to the floor, with her back against the counter.

I wanted to cry but couldn't allow myself to. I really feel for her. I know that feeling and there are so many others who feel the same way, but don't know what to do. "Your father not being around is solely because of him. Your mother is sick right now. Drugs shifts a person's whole mindset. The things that were the most important don't seem much important, but in the back of their minds the important people ar still there. Those things you can't control. So you're going to focus on the things you can control. It's all you can do. Trust me when I say it'll get better, before it gets worse."

"I can't see it."

"You don't, and you may not for a while. But you will eventually figure it out and realize things." I softly said.

          I let her cry it all out until she was finished. She wiped her eyes, grabbed some tissues, and blew her nose.

"Thank you." Sekyiwa finally spoke up after a while.

"You're welcome. Come." I told her, standing up on my two feet. She followed suit. "Let's get started on dinner. I got the chicken brest unthawing in the sink. What do you want to make with it?" I said trying to alleviate her mind of everything prior.

"Let's make some General Tso. I always wanted to make it." She said more happily.

I smiled, "Alrighty then, let's wash our hands and get to squeezing the oranges."

"I got cha." Sh said washing her hands. After she finished, I did the same.

Authors Note: Did ya like this chapter? Any suggestions?

Word Count: 4,270

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