"What the doctor say about it?" Hakeem asked Monica, watching her cry into her hands.

"She didn't say anything other than what I already told you. As long as she takes the medicine, she'll be fine."

Grace refused to take her eyes off the floor.

This wasn't how she intended on telling her mom about what was happening to her. In fact, she didn't plan on telling her at all. The purpose of her going through the clinic was to keep all of this a secret.

Hakeem sat on the arm of the couch, rubbing a hand over his face, "How you even get herpes? Who gave it to you?"

She wasn't about to tell him the truth, "A boy from school."

"Ian in the mood bro. Don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying."

Hakeem found it hard to believe that some high school niggas was going around giving out shit like that, "iight so what's his name then?"

"Mama already said she'll take care of it. It's no point in even telling you."

She knew that Monica wouldn't actually take the steps to find out who the nonexistent boy was at school so she gave her mama a random student name. Hakeem on the other hand, would make the effort and then find out she was lying.

"His name is Zion." Monica stated, "She said he's a senior."

"Bet."

There was a Zion at her school, so maybe he'd just see she wasn't lying, and leave it at that.

She'd never tell him who she actually got it from.

• • •

Rolling over in the bed, Brielle rested her head up on her hand, "What's wrong with you?"

She knew he wasn't sleep since he had yet to turn off the t.v., flipping through the channels which in turn kept her awake as well.

His thumb stopped moving across the remote, "I can't sleep."

"No shit. Why can't you sleep?"

Hakeem didn't think it was right to tell Bri about Grace's problem, "Just some family shit. Ion really know how to feel about it."

He'd told her that he was going to his mom's house earlier, and while she wanted to ask exactly what happened, he didn't seem like he wanted to talk about it.

"Everybody deals with stuff differently. There's no right or wrong way to feel."

Of course she'd say that. She didn't just find out her 16 year old sister had herpes. He wasn't sure exactly how herpes worked, just that it wasn't some shit you wanted to have.

"I hear you." Hakeem replied without looking at her.

Bri sat up, scooting to press her back against the headboard, "C'mere."

She positioned them so that his head was on her upper thigh before she began undoing one of the braids in his head.

"Whatchu' doing?"

"I'm redoing your hair." She explained while combing through it with her fingers, "You need to cut this shit anyway."

"What's wrong with it? All my hoes say I look cute."

He flinched as Brielle slapped the side of his face, "Stop playing with me."

The words came out before she even realized what she was saying, and Hakeem laughed, "I'm just talkin' shit. I was meaning to cut my hair but I just ain't do it, then Kyra braided my shit outta no where, and Ian had a haircut since then."

"How long ago was that?"

"Like two years? I know I had just graduated high school."

The more they talked, the sleepier Hakeem grew, the pauses in between his answers getting longer until he didn't respond any more.

Sliding down from against the headboard, Brielle slowly adjusted them again so that she was the little spoon, nestling into his chest.

• • •

Josiah laughed at his friend who leaning out of the car throwing up, "My nigga did that hoe drug you?"

Hakeem was too busy trying not to let his lungs come out of his body, "Bitch I had a bottle. How she drug me?"

"That's what I'm tryna see. I was 'posed to be home an hour ago and you got me out here playing daddy. I don't want no kids hoe."

"Damn when you let Kyra start telling you what to do?" Hakeem instigated, "Awww man my bro ain't got nuts no more."

"You talking shit but you dead cut your hair 'cause Bri said she ain't want no dick from a nigga with some dry ass plaits."

"I cut my shit 'cause I felt like it."

Josiah laughed and continued home, driving slowly so that Hakeem wouldn't start throwing up again.

He was trying to go home first since Kyra had stopped answering the phone, convinced that he was lying about why he was late.

It didn't exactly bother him how she acted, mostly because he was used to it, and also because he was the reason behind it.

So there was no anger when he saw his clothes thrown out in front of the house.

"Damn." He sighed, "Look what you did."

Hakeem laughed, "Ian do that. You gotta put your foot
down."

"The girl is fucking crazy. I can't put nothin' down unless I want it gone."

"It be like that."

As he was in the yard collecting his clothes, the door opened and Kyra walked onto the porch, "You such a fucking liar."

"Bae, the man is in my car right now drunk as fuck. I done showed you him on FaceTime and everything and you still wanna put me out."

"That wasn't no Hakeem. I know what he looks like."

"He cut his hair for some pussy. Go look in the car."

Hakeem opened the door again, "Aye, I gotta piss."

Squinting her eyes, she looked at him, seeing some of the resemblance from high school, "Why the fuck he do that?"

"I just told you. Nigga was drunk, told me to take him to get a haircut, and that's why I'm late."

Kyra watched Josiah continue to gather his clothes, "I'll
get them."

"Nah you good."

"No just go take Hakeem home." She told him, feeling bad that she'd overreacted, "I got it."

After handing her what he'd already picked up, he headed back to the car to see Hakeem drinking out of his cup, "That's why I ate Kyra ass this morning. What it taste like?"

"Strawberries." He replied as he drank more of the Fanta, "I'll eat it too if it taste like this."

Like he'd been doing since he cut his hair, Hakeem looked at himself in the front camera, "You think I look stupid?"

"You look like a crackhead. Ion know why you let that man touch you and he was drunker than yo ass."

He didn't care to respond since they were at his house now and he could just see what Brielle thought about it.

Except Bri wasn't there.

• • •

david lawrence brewster jr is one fine ass nigga. i would dead let this man ruin my credit 🥴 "how much it cost bae? a million dollars? ok bae i'll put it in my name."

sleeping in the same bed as someone is more intimate than sex & tbh we can fight if y'all disagree.