*Sept. 4th, 2015*

Anisha's POV

To see my cousin scream and cry for her daughter, and to know Chelsea's not gonna come running from around the corner, hurts. It hurts bad. I've never thought that a person could lose so much in such a short time. Here I am, supposed to be lifting my cousin up, but I'm stuck. I can't move. I can't talk. All I can do is think. How can she lose her momma, her favorite cousin and one of her daughters within three months? It just doesn't seem fair.

"Mr. Whitby can have visitors now.", the doctor said as no one moved. Jaylin made it out alive. I wonder does he know his daughter didn't make it. Jaylin's momma left out of the waiting room, walking towards the room he was in. Some boy who claimed to be Jay's brother, followed behind her. I looked around the room and spotted Mariyah sitting in the corner by herself. I walked over to her thinking of something to say.

"God send me an angel from the Heavens above. Send me an..." I tried drowning out her singing, staring at the cars on the parking lots about 3 floors down.

Just last year, everything was okay. Well, it was better than this. I remember at the family reunion, Dre was tossing Chelsea up and Aunt Nikki wasn't having that. She had screamed, "Deandre Ladell Robinson, if you drop my grandbaby ima drop kick you !" Dre had put Che down and ran from auntie as she chased him with a belt. Now all three of them are gone.

As I walked back to where Mariyah was sitting, she looked up at me. "Nisha, thank god you ain't cryin'. We gonna be okay." She gave me a warm smile. "I know lil cuz, we gone be straight. We gonna have to take care of your momma though." I hugged Mariyah for being so strong. I don't know if it's because she doesn't know that her sister's not coming back or because she's just strong.

"Jaylin wants you." Jaylin's momma said towards Mariyah. She looked over at a crying Camry. "He's asking for her too.". She sat back down as she rolled her eyes.

The guy that said his name was Kordell, sat next to Camry. She didn't seem to mind but she wasn't answering him. She just cried as she stared off into the distance. "Jaylin wanna see you when you think you ready," I said as I rubbed her back.

"Come on Ri, let's go see your daddy," I said walking away, waiting for Mariyah to do the same. Instead, she stared at her "granny" across the room.

"Why don't she acknowledge me? At least act like she care about me." That surprised me. I didn't know Mariyah knew such a big word or even knew how to put it to a sentence.

I grabbed her hand and walked towards the room. "Well, Mariyah..." I paused thinking of the best way to answer her question. "Sometimes, people are bitter. You know what that mean?" She nodded. "Your granny is one of those people." I chuckled as Mariyah nodded and took in those words.

"There go daddy's baby." Jaylin has tubes all over him. His face was swollen and his left eye was shut closed.

Mariyah stood next to me holding my hand. "Ri don't be scared. I'm okay now." Jaylin said seeing the look on her face.

Mariyah let go of my hand as she tapped her index finger on her chin. I wonder what she was thinking. Jaylin looked at me and I just shrugged my shoulders. I heard footsteps at the door and turned that way. Camry was standing there but Jaylin couldn't see her.

"Daddy?" Mariyah finally spoke. Jaylin smiled and said "Yes baby. What's wrong?" She walked closer to him. She fidgeted with her fingers and started rocking back and forth. She only does this when she's nervous.

"Why is your momma bitter?" She spat out. I nearly choked on my spit as my mouth formed an "o" shape. Camry finally walked all the way in.

"Where did you get that from?" Camry asked looking at Ri. I stepped back a little, out of Camry's reach. "I heard it on tv when this white lady was always so mad lookin'. That's how granny is when I'm around. Like she don't like me or sumptin'. Her granddaughter died and she ain't even said nothing bout her. All she care about is Jaylin this Jaylin that."

Mariyah was now crying. Camry held her and rubbed her back. "My sister is gone and she only care that her child is alive. What bout my momma child? My daddy child."

The tears finally escaped my eyes for the first time. I coughed to cover up the fact that I was crying. "Chelsea didn't make it? Waittt! My baby gone?" Jaylin was now standing up and ripping the wires and tubes out of his arms.

The doctors ran in as I walked out. I couldn't take it. His momma didn't even have the decency to tell him his daughter died. I walked to the waiting room where his family still remained.

"So you really don't give a damn that you lost a granddaughter today? You that hell-bent on Camry, that you let your pride take over." Teresa eyes never left me as I spoke. "I know this is the wrong time to bring this up but I'm sick of my lil cousin thinkin' her granny don't givva' damn about her."

Camry walked up and grabbed me. "Let's go Nisha. It ain't even worth it." She turned and looked at the family as we walked away. "I'll be in touch about funeral arrangements. That's if y'all even care to come."

Three Hours Later

"I got my static when you ride with me. We get pulled over no you ain't gonna do no time for me." We all sang to Genie by NBA Youngboy. Me, Camry, Deona, Avion, Kordell & DaiShaunna was sitting around smoking blunt after blunt, drinking shot after shot. Well with the exception of Deona.

Camry was rapping along as well but was too focused on pearling the blunt. I think she's in shock or numb to the pain. She's lost so much this year, I couldn't imagine her pain. I know her momma was my aunt, her favorite cousin was also my cousin and her daughter was my cousin/niece. But she had closer bonds to them than me.

"Too many problems, yeah, thinking how I'm gone solve it. Yeah. So much pain in my body yeah.", Camry basically screamed the lyrics. We all looked around as she rapped with her eyes closed. You could barely see the tears escape her eyes.

"Don't tell me that you love me if you ain't gone die for me." We all joined in tryna get her out her zone. She laughed and continued rapping.

There was a knock on the door. Avion stood up to answer it. A second later, Jordy came in view. Jordy was short for Jorden. He hugged me then hugged Camry. He was my gay best friend.

Jordy was about to sit down until the song switched. He started twerking as "Ratchet Twerk Song By Yvette came on. "Shaking ass, posting pics, who I'm fuckin tonightttt. Bitchhhh yo nigga !" Jordy had his tongue out, twerking. "Hit a split. Hoe shittt!" He yelled as he hit a split.

"Yassss, where I'm landing? On his dickkk." He had everybody laughing, even Camry. "You gone stay? Give me that wood? Dick SO GOOD I STARTED CHUNKING UP HIS HOOD! ON BLOODS!" We all screamed the lyrics. Jordy twerked until the song went off.

"I ain't got nothin' against the LGBT community, but don't be twerking around me bruh." Kordell laughed as he took a drag from the blunt. I rolled my eyes.

"Who are you anyway? You just pop up claiming you Jaylin brother." I looked at him not letting up.

"If you must know." He playfully rolled his eyes. "I'm Kordell. Me and Jay have the same fathe—"

"But I thought y'all, " Camry pointed between DaiShaunna and Kordell. "Was sister and brother?"

Kordell looked at DaiShaunna and snarled. They didn't act related. "Yea, she my sista'. But I rather not claim her."

"I don't wanna claim yo bitch made ass either. Only reason I'm here 'cuz of Camry. SHE checked on ME when Dayshon got killed! My own brother didn't call me to see if I was doin ight after losing my twin."

"I was hurt... I am hurting behind this shit, Dell. We got the same damn momma. Act like it. Move to St.Louis and just forgot about us." DaiDai said as her eyes began to water. I just looked between her and Kordell.

Camry passed me the blunt and shrugged her shoulders. She was high and drunk off her ass. Anything to make her feel better. Even though the pain will come back in the morning. I'm here for her though.

"Soon as Jaylin gets in a wreck you run here to be by his side." She air-quoted her last three words. "You've always treated your daddy kids like kings and queens. But momma kids?" She paused as if she was thinking for the right words.

"You treated us like the scum between your toes or the bottom of your funky ass feet!" DaiShaunna stood up and gathered all her things.

"Cam, Nisha. I'm always around the way if y'all need me. I'm sorry all this came out at yall house. I love y'all." She hugged up then left.

Everyone was looking around the room stunned. I've known DaiShaunna & Dayshon for as long as I could remember. But for the life of me, I couldn't remember Kordell being around.

"Well damn!", Camry, Deona, Avion & Jordy said at the same time. They all started laughing and high-fiving each other. We were all high and drunk and tried to erase our memories for the moment. But tomorrow when we all get up, we'll still be broken.

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