The table was silent, save for the occasional clink of forks connecting with glass.

Missing Hakeem's presence, Monica invited him and Brielle over for dinner. The problem was that Hakeem
and Grace still weren't speaking, and for reasons only Grace knew, she also wasn't talking to Brielle.

Not that Brielle cared at all. It'd just make her feel less guilty when she told Hakeem about what Grace had been doing.

"How are your classes going Bri?" Monica asked before taking a drink from her glass.

"Good. Only two more weeks left until I take the test."

Hakeem interrupted their brief conversation, "I think you needa be a scientist or some. Come up with a cure for some of these diseases."

"What makes you think she's going to college?" Grace asked, thinking Hakeem was shading her by his statement, "Most people who get their GED don't go."

"Maybe I'll be a video vixen. Grace don't you know a lot about being recorded?" Brielle questioned with a smile.

Not knowing the real reason why Brielle had said that, Hakeem looked at her in confusion, "She ain't in no videos."

"Oh. My bad I just thought she'd know."

Brielle and Grace held each other's gazes until Monica cleared her throat, "Well since this is the first time in weeks that you've been over, I invited Travis."

All eyes were then on Monica.

Remembering that she wasn't even supposed to know who Travis was, Brielle lowered her eyes back to the table and pretended to be interested in her food.

"Ima head out." Hakeem stated as he rose from the chair, pushing it under the table.

"If you'll just listen, he came over a couple of weeks ago and I told him I'd invite him for dinner, so I did."

Her words made Brielle think about the time Travis picked her up near Monica's house, and he told her he had just left from seeing his aunt.

Over the course of the two weeks since Travis confirmed he and Hakeem were related, Brielle had come close to disclosing that she was hanging with him, but then what she was planning wouldn't work.

"Ma Ian tryna hear that. You tryna be peacemaker and that man dogging my name. The only reason he still here right now is off the strength of you."

"Your cousin Hakeem? You'd get that mad and hurt your cousin?"

"Travis is trash." Grace added, thinking of how Mario told her he was talking about her, "I wouldn't lose sleep over it."

For some reason, Brielle wanted to take up for him. Travis had done nothing but be nice to her, and she knew how it felt to see things in a different light than what others saw.

The family argument continued until Travis appeared in the kitchen doorway, "Y'all leaving doors unlocked 'round here? Somebody might run up in here on y'all."

The underlying threat was there, but it was baseless as Travis wouldn't do a thing to Monica.

Hakeem was a different story.

Much like Hakeem had just said, the only reason Travis hadn't tried to do anything to his cousin was because of Monica. No matter how mad he was, he'd never forget what she'd done for him.

Trying to diffuse the tension that she had caused, Monica stood up as well, "Hey Travis."

"Wassup Auntie." His eyes traveled to Brielle who was trying to disappear into thin air, "I got a cousin Ion know about?"

"That's Hakeem's friend." Grace laughed, "If that's what you wanna call her."

Brielle had to literally bite her tongue to keep from responding, and Grace thought it was because Bri didn't want to make Hakeem mad. She felt like Hakeem wouldn't let Brielle do anything to her, especially not in her house, so she was comfortable saying what she wanted.

Her attention was also on Travis, wondering if he'd tell Hakeem that they knew each other. He seemed to enjoy doing things that would annoy his cousin, so it wasn't a stretch that she felt that way.

"Wassup Hakeem friend." Travis greeted with a smirk.

"Don't say shit to her." Hakeem responded, ignoring Monica telling him to stop cursing.

"Sound like she more than a friend to me, Grace. You gotta stop lying to everybody."

"I know you ain't say that. You out here lying to niggas when you the one who snitched 'cause you a bitch."

"Ain't no hoe in me Keem and you know that." Travis laughed, "Niggas be getting amnesia outta no where."

Brielle wanted to leave, pushing her chair back and looking to Hakeem, "You ready?"

"Take ya' friend home. Or you want me to?"

"Okay!" Monica yelled, "I invited you over so y'all can get back to how you were before, not-"

"Hakeem let's just go." Brielle interrupted her, "It's no point."

Monica gave her a look wondering why she felt like she had a right to intervene on family matters. When she went to ask that exact question she was again interrupted, this time by Hakeem who agreed with Brielle about leaving.

Once they'd left, Travis spent time talking to Monica and asking subtle questions as to what the nature of Hakeem
and Brielle's relationship was.

• • •

Hakeem walked back and forth as Josiah calmly watched him from the couch, "Y'all want some to drink? Ian got none but water 'cause Kyra said we needa stop drinking drinks and shit."

"A healthy queen." Brielle responded, "We stan."

"I mean I got cokes hid in the oven but I ask what she cooking every morning so I can move them hoes."

"I think I'ma just kill 'em. Fuck all that Ion have time." Hakeem stated while continuing to pace the floor.

Hakeem's word made both of them look at him, "That's extreme my nigga. You know he ain't finna do shit to you, and don't nobody believe that shit he saying no way."

"It ain't about who believe it. It's the fact that he feel comfortable enough to say it."

"Didn't y'all grow up together?" Brielle asked, "It makes sense he wouldn't be scared to talk about you."

Now the eyes in the room were on her, and she quickly backtracked, "That's what I'm assuming from how your mama was talking."

"That shit was years ago. Ion give a damn about that man."

Josiah nodded his head, "Bri got a point. He end up dead they gone be looking at you."

"Maybe your mom was right." Brielle offered, "Just let it go."

"Ian the one with the problem. He is."

Crossing his leg, Josiah shrugged, "You got a point. Just kill 'em."

"Were you not just on my side? What's wrong with you?"

"I'm with whatever forreal. Ion care what we decide to do."

Hakeem shook his head, remembering that this wasn't a conversation he should be having in front of Brielle anyway, "I'ma listen to what Bri said."

Kyra walked in then, dropping her bag onto the floor, "Bae if I drop out you gone support me?"

"Support you in what? If you wanna sell some pussy I'ma pay for it no problem."

"I meant like pay for me a shop or something so I can use my license. Tell your hoes to come get their hair done."

He just stared in response, knowing any reply would be the wrong reply.

Kyra turned her attention to Brielle, "What you doing tomorrow?"

While they made plans to link, Hakeem and Josiah left the room to make plans for something else.

• • •

"I always knew it was some 'bout you." Travis stated, looking at the lighter in his hand, "It had to be some."

Brielle didn't feel like she was doing anything wrong, and she was technically right. All she had done was befriend the estranged cousin of the man who was allowing her to live in his home.

ill advised and possibly stupid? Yes. Wrong? She didn't see how.

"Because I hang with Hakeem?"

"Nah 'cause you acted like you ain't know him or his lil sister. What you thought I was gone be mad? You ain't with me Ion care who you fuck with."

For Travis to be the one who initiated contact, he sure did have an attitude.

Like he said, he wanted to wait until Brielle was 18 to start talking to her, but that was before he found out she was possibly fucking with Hakeem.

Brielle silently looked at the dashboard, wishing she hadn't responded to his text and stayed at Hakeem's house.

"That's ya' nigga or some?" Travis finally asked, "'Cause that hoe lying 'bout y'all being friends."

"We are friends. He's single."

He didn't respond at first, looking up and directing his attention down the street, "You know who stay 3 streets over?"

Not seeing a point in lying, Brielle told the truth, "Yeah."

"And you know who don't stay in this house we sitting in front of right now?"

"Yes."

"So you want me to believe you staying with him and you single?"

He was starting to irritate her, "I don't want you to believe shit. I don't care what you believe."

"That's a bet. You getting out right here or you want me to take you to Keem house?"

Brielle had opened her door before his sentence was even finished, pushing the door close with more force than necessary.

• • •

Darnishia walked alongside her mother, mentally preparing herself for her anger once they got in the car.

Since she was the only one around, she would be the one to deal with it.

"A fucking dummy." Alisha spat as soon as she slammed her door shut, "She should've been in the car with her damn daddy."

Darnishia tried to smooth over the situation, "At least she's in school."

"I don't give a damn! She doesn't do shit but try to fuck me over in any way that she can!"

Despite Darnishia just telling her that Brielle was in school, Alisha was irate from the news she'd just received inside of the building.

"Okay ma." Darnishia responded, looking out of the window.

"I know you don't have no attitude after all the shit I've been doing for you."

It was no point in explaining her logic behind why she felt like she deserved the money since Alisha refused to acknowledge what happened between Darnishia and Jerome.

"And I'm telling you that you aren't going!" Alisha stated loudly, "It's something about her I don't like, so sit down in this house somewhere."

Darnishia watched as her sister refused to give up, "You don't like anybody. You only talked to her one time."

"That one time was enough. I said what I said."

She knew Brielle would still go, leaving out of the back door whenever she thought Alisha wasn't paying attention.

When she walked out muttering under her breath, Alisha looked at her oldest daughter, "I'm so sick of that girl."

"Me too." She agreed.

"And Jerome too. He don't want nobody saying anything to her like he don't see her going crazy."

As she listened to her mother talk about him, the need to tell her exactly what type of person he was rose within her.

So she did.

"He asked me to smoke weed with him." Darnishia blurted, "Multiple times."

The kitchen went silent, and Darnishia continued, "I said yeah because I didn't know what else to do, and then he-"

"You didn't know how to say "No I don't want to smoke weed?" Alisha interrupted, "You don't know how to say, "No" to whatever the fuck else you was about to say?"

The defensiveness in her tone was easily detectible and if that wasn't enough, her posture and the way she was looking at Darnishia told everything.

"When was this supposed to have happened?" Alisha asked.

"A couple of months ago."

"But you just now saying something? Get out my kitchen before you piss me off even more."

She was confused by her reaction, "But-"

"Get out my got damn kitchen!" Alisha yelled again.

They never spoke another word about it and Jerome never approached her again.

• • •

Uncomfortable was how Brielle would describe the atmosphere.

Maya had accompanied them to the mall since she and Kyra were friends. She kept looking at Brielle, and Brielle wanted to ask her what the fuck she wanted, in those exact words.

She was one glance away from getting cursed out when she said, "You probably think I'm weird for looking at you like that, but I'm getting my life from you."

"Don't start no gay shit Maya." Kyra sighed, "That girl straight."

Ohhhh.

"Everybody straight until they not."

"Bitches wait until they have kids to be gay. Then you still fuck with niggas. Nobody have time."

Kyra was unaware that Maya and Hakeem were intimate because Maya didn't want anyone to know. She enjoyed being low key and it worked because Hakeem was the same way.

"I don't like girls." Brielle spoke up, "At all."

Maya didn't particularly care, shrugging her shoulders, "Cool."

Brielle wasn't listening to what they were talking about, not concerned with it at all. For some reason, she kept thinking about Travis and Hakeem, feeling guilty that she hadn't told Hakeem but Travis knew.

It wasn't as if she told him willingly, but still.

"Bri!" A voice yelled across the food court.

Her eyes wandered to find that the voice, seeing Darnishia and a group of friends walking towards her.

"She walking over here like she finna beat your ass." Kyra observed, "You know her?"

It took a second for Brielle to respond, "She's my sister."

Darnishia stopped in front of them, looking at the other girls at the table, "Mama knows you signed her name on that paper."

"What's your point in telling me? I don't care."

"Because if you forged her signature, she can take you out of the classes stupid. And what you think she gone do?"

If anything, Brielle felt like her mama should be happy she was even taking the classes. None of what she was doing was affecting Alisha in any way.

"They sent her a letter saying since you dropped out, your checks are stopping." Darnishia continued, watching for Brielle's reaction.

Maya and Kyra were pretending to be ignoring the conversation, but they heard everything being said.

"I don't get them anyway, so again, I don't care."

"Again, she's taking you out of the classes. Or did you not hear that part?"

The way Darnisha had phrased it the first time made Brielle think that Alisha had the option to take her out of the classes, not that she had already made up her mind to do it.

"What the fuck?" She demanded, "I don't even stay there so how she feel like she supposed to keep getting my money?"

Darnishia didn't answer because she was busy staring at Maya. She knew her from somewhere but couldn't place her, thinking maybe they went to school together.

It wouldn't be until later that night in the shower when she remembered where she knew her.

Sensing that the mood was ruined, Kyra suggested that they leave, the three of them walking quietly to the car.

"It's really not no pressure." Kyra stated as she glanced at Brielle out the corner of her eye, "Keem don't care about you staying there, so just start over when you 18."

She made it seem like it was so easy, but Brielle was a mere 2 weeks from testing. Two. Now she'd have to wait months to test, and while she wouldn't have to take the classes, they helped her feel more confident that she would pass.

"You stay with Hakeem?" Maya asked curiously, once more observing the girl in the front seat.

"Why?" Brielle questioned back, not caring in the slightest if she sounded rude.

"Just wondering. He's a nice guy."

"He is." Kyra agreed, "I got the not shit friend. Should've picked him."

Maya laughed, "Why not both?"

"Hold on be quiet... Y'all hear that?"

Brielle was actually listening for a sound, "No."

"Girl it sound like a train coming."

Laughter erupted throughout the car, Brielle joining in despite being upset about today's turn of events.

It wasn't until just the two of them were in the car that Kyra said, "Hakeem is nice but I was just gassing him. He ain't shit just like his friend."

Brielle wasn't sure why Kyra was telling her this, "Good to know."

She'd already heard stories about Hakeem, a reason she asked to see his test results as well.

"I'm just saying like, if you wanna fuck with him, cool. But just fuck him, don't get attached on some love type stuff."

"That's common sense."

"Common sense not that common when you fucking with somebody who lowkey changed your life and don't want shit from you. I'm just telling you sis."

She didn't respond, and the ride was quiet until they arrived in front of Hakeem's house, "Josiah was talking about doing a cookout this weekend. Pull up."

"Okay."

Once in the house, she went straight for the shower, simply standing underneath the hot stream of water thinking of a plan.

But she came up empty.

It was only 6pm, yet Brielle felt tired. An unwelcome feeling of nausea overcame her, and she ended up dripping water onto the tile as she dry heaved into the toilet.

Back into the shower she went, this time cleaning her body with unhurried movements.

When Hakeem came home around 11, he was surprised to see a silhouette in his bed, knowing Brielle no longer came in there.

She was on his side of the bed, wearing one of the many hoodies that he had in his closet. When he pulled her closer to him he realized she wasn't sleep, "Why you wearing my clothes?" Hakeem asked, his fingers playing with the bottom of the hoodie.

Brielle said something, but he didn't know what. He was more concerned with the fact that he'd just realized the hoodie was all that she was wearing.

"I must be talking too low." Brielle asked while rolling on her back, her movements causing the jacket to move higher.

This time he purposely ignored her, moving his hand against the inner skin of her thigh, higher, until he came in contact with the already wet skin at the very top.

Hakeem's index and middle finger gently massaged Brielle's clit, drawing small circles on the flesh, "You was waiting for me baby?"

• • •

i take my title as the queen of cliffhangers very seriously!

omg i can't breathe 😩 y'all think she ab to give hakeem some puss or he gone fumble the bag.

👀 where darnishia know maya frum?

thank you for your reads, votes, comments, allat. i also appreciate your patience as i continue to scruggle through school. it's never taken me this long to finish a book & i lowkey feel like shit ab it, but i only got 2 more wks of classes left y'all. i swear i'm forever grateful 💜