Hakeem woke up unusually early, and he didn't know why at first, staring at the wall trying to fall back asleep.

Then Brielle moved behind him and he knew why he woke up. Some type of way, she'd ended up with her face pressed into his back with one of her legs between the both of his.

He didn't mind because she was warm, and though he'd probably never say it out loud, Hakeem liked being the little spoon.

When she shifted again, he slowly rolled onto the other side so that the positions were reversed, putting his nose near her scarf so he could smell the coconut scent coming through the silk.

• • •

When he woke up again it was because Brielle was trying to slide out of his arms, stopping when she noticed him opening his eyes.

She stared down at him, prompting Hakeem to remove his arm, "You came on my side first."

A laugh left her throat, "I'm not complaining."

"You looking at me all crazy and shit. It's never too early to beat somebody ass."

Brielle left the bed still laughing, pausing when she felt something wet. Since he was staring at her ass, Hakeem noticed the wet spot she felt, and his eyes went back to his bed to see the same spot there as well.

They both awkwardly stared at each other until he broke the silence, "I mean, ain't that what them things for? To go in ya' coochie?"

Closing her eyes in embarrassment, she nodded, "I'm sorry. My cycle isn't regular so I didn't know it was-"

"Bri just go stick one up there, and we good. Shit happens, it is what it is."

He wasn't bothered by what happened. Did we want blood on his sheets? Of course not, but like he told Brielle, shit happens.

While she was in the shower, Hakeem worked on pulling the sheets off the bed to go wash them, while looking for another pair in the linen closet.

He was staring at the washer when Brielle came in behind him, "You don't know how to wash?"

"It's a lil tag on there that say "machine wash only"." He looked at her, "What that mean?"

Brielle thought it was a joke at first until she saw he hadn't smiled, "Nigga the washer is the machine!"

"Well what the fuck they say that for? How the hell else I'ma wash this bitch?"

"Some people hand wash clothes you know. And how you been washing your sheets all this time?"

"My mama usually wash my sheets when she come over here."

"How cute. A titty baby."

He ignored her, looking for the setting that said 'soak' before adding the rest of the stuff he needed to into the compartments, and turning to look at Brielle, "You straight?"

"Yeah." She responded with a nod, "I would've washed your stuff though. Sorry again."

"Bro imagine having to remember what day it is so you know when you finna start leaking blood. Ian tripping 'bout that shit."

"It's easier for people whose cycle comes on around the same time, and some people get symptoms too. Me, I just wake up in the middle of the night or the morning and It's on."

Hakeem followed her into the kitchen, watching her open cabinets like she did every morning, "I think Grace said something like that to my mama, and that's why she on birth control."

"That's not why her ass on birth control." Brielle mumbled to herself so he wouldn't hear her.

There was a comfortable silence in the kitchen as she cooked and Hakeem scrolled down his Instagram, pausing on a girl's picture before liking it and continuing down his page.

"I start classes tomorrow." Brielle told him, making his attention leave the phone, "And I can walk, butttt I'd appreciate it if you took me."

"I gotchu'. What time?"

"8."

He took Grace to school around that time anyway so he would already be up. The only thing was that he'd have to take Grace then come back and get Bri so they wouldn't be in the car together.

As he was thinking about it, his phone vibrated with a text.

"Ima be back." He told her while standing up, "Just wrap my food up, iight?"

She didn't think to ask him where he was going, simply nodding her head and finishing what she was doing.

• • •

Pulling his shirt back on, Hakeem rose from the bed, listening to Maya complain about her baby daddy.

Like she did all the time.

"And he said he not giving me shit, so I'm going to the 501 building in the morning."

"That's crazy."

He didn't understand how she could go from having sex with him to complaining about another nigga time they got done. Like damn, don't you supposed to be happy after you fuck?

Then had the nerve to ask why he left quickly. Hakeem hated hearing people complain, and plus her son tried to play with him and he wasn't with that shit.

He just wanted to fuck the lil dude mama, steal
some of his Gushers, and leave.

"Like he was 'posed to buy him those shoes that came out this weekend, but won't answer the phone."

"I'll cash app you some money."

Maybe that her goal from the beginning, even though he didn't care. Hakeem felt like if he was fucking with somebody, he could at least help them with shit.

He wasn't paying no mortgages, but a couple hundred dollars here and there wasn't hurting his pockets at all.

Maya went into the bathroom while Hakeem snuck into the kitchen, reaching his hand on top of the refrigerator to get the box of Gushers before opening the fridge to steal a Kool-Aid Jammer.

"The blue kind too?" He whispered to himself, "We lit."

"I want juice." A small voice said from behind him.

Turning around, he saw Maya's son standing there in a t-shirt and pull-up, waiting for Hakeem to give him a juice.

Avoiding eye contact, he pulled another one from the pack and handed it to him, "Here."

He turned and padded away, Hakeem following behind him to leave out of the front door.

On the drive back home, he ran into church traffic, sighing in annoyance at the ladies in the big ass hats walking across the street to the parking lot.

A familiar face caught his attention, and he recognized the woman as his aunt, Travis' mama.

Travis was, or is, Hakeem's cousin, who's older than him by 2 years. They grew up together, doing the typical spending the night at each other's houses, and Monica practically raised him since he stayed there more than his own home.

As they grew older though, he started doing other things, stupid shit and ended up going to a youth center after he got charged with breaking and entering when he was 16, only to get out and go to prison for armed robbery less than a year later.

Hakeem stupidly went with him that time, but he didn't her caught when they ran from the police, unlike Travis. He wasn't sure what he expected him to do, but it was no way in hell he was stopping just because he got caught.

Travis tried to cut a deal by telling that Hakeem was with him, which was a bitch move in itself, but since there was no actual proof and no one saw his face, he wasn't convicted, and Travis did 5 years.

Angry about the way that things played out, he would send letters to Monica's house , writing shit like when he got out he planned on killing Hakeem. This didn't bother him because he knew Travis wouldn't do shit, but Monica hated it, often being reduced to tears by the fact that he had so much hatred towards her son.

If she didn't open his mail, she wouldn't have had to read it.

Deciding not to speak to his aunt, he continued home to eat whatever breakfast Brielle had cooked.

• • •

It was early, Brielle was cold, and she was annoyed. The secretary had instructed her to not be late, which was why she asked Hakeem for a ride in the first place.

So the wind slapping her in the face as she ran to the class only served to irritate her further.

She felt like Precious when she was running to class with that bucket of chicken.

Hakeem didn't answer when she called him or respond to her texts, and she realized it was because he'd left his phone in his room. What's the point in having a phone if you're just going to leave it?

When she spotted the building ahead of her, Brielle slowed to a walk, only to start back running when she looked at the time and saw she only had 4 minutes before class started.

There wasn't even time to catch her breath before she entered the room, falling into the seat closet to the door and ignoring the looks from the people around her.

All through class, Brielle barely paid attention, staring blankly at the wall while trying to convince herself to calm down. She didn't know where Hakeem was or what prevented him from showing up this morning.

"Washington?"

The calling of her name brought her back to the room, "Huh?"

"We say 'ma'am' in here." The teacher replied, "And I asked you a question."

Her tone took Brielle by surprise, and she remembered exactly why she hated school in the first place, "I didn't hear the question. Sorry."

"Clearly. I asked if everyone had access to a computer at home, and you were the only one to not respond."

After staring at her for a while, Ms. Evans grew impatient, "Well?"

"Who doesn't have a computer at home?"

She didn't know if Hakeem had a computer at his house, but she'd just go to the library if she needed to.

The boy beside her laughed into his jacket, waiting to hear a response. He didn't get one though since Ms. Evans instructed them to partner up and work on the paper she handed out.

It made sense to Brielle to just turn to the same boy who had just laughed since he was closest, and he apparently had the same idea, turning his chair to face her.

The assignment was easy to Brielle, but the guy struggled, asking her questions she thought were common sense.

By the time class was over, she was convinced she was the smartest person in the damn class.

"'Preciate you." He said as he stood up.

She just nodded, not knowing what to say.

He continued a conversation as they walked outside the door, "Where you from?"

"Uhh, Trinity Garden."

"That's wassup. I got family over that way."

Brielle didn't know what his point was in telling her that, so she nodded again.

"Aye Travis?" Somebody called from behind them, effectively breaking up their small talk.

Seeing her escape, Brielle hurriedly walked ahead to avoid another unwanted conversation.

• • •

Hakeem walked into the house wiping his hand on his pants. It was 9pm and he was just coming home since he left this morning.

The lights were off, so he guessed Bri was sleep. He quietly went into the kitchen, washing the dirt and remaining blood off of his hands.

This should've done this somewhere besides his house, but he didn't feel like it. He was hungry, sleepy, and really just wanted to be home.

Opening the fridge, he tried to see if Brielle had cooked, only to find nothing. He closed it back in disappointment before going to pull out a cup of noodles.

Once he was done eating and taking a shower, Hakeem walked into his room seeing the bed empty. He kind of expected Bri to be there since she'd slept in there last night.

He saw his phone still plugged in on the night stand, and the text messages told him exactly why she wasn't there,

Running a hand over his face, he went down the hall, knocking on Brielle's door, "Bri?"

She didn't answer, so he knocked again, "My bad man. Some shit had came up and I forgot."

He didn't even take Grace to school this morning, telling his mama he wouldn't be able to. In hindsight, he should've remembered Bri when he made that call, but his mind was somewhere else.

She still didn't say anything, so Hakeem tried one last thing, "Come sleep with me."

After standing there for 30 seconds or so, the door knob twisted, and Brielle pushed past him, "Only 'cause you still haven't found that lizard."

Sliding into the bed behind her, he took the position in which they slept last night, pushing his face into her neck, "I won't forget again."

For some reason, she felt his words elsewhere.

• • •

it's a coincidence that travy is in the class lol. my mans just got out & he tryna get a ged too.

i've been meaning to ask, do y'all want face claims for the reoccurring side characters, like grace & them, orrrr we not concerndt w/ dat?

y'all dead be coming through w/ the votes & comments which is why i try to write these updates quickly. i appreciate y'all so much 🥺💜