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JUST CREEPIN'

AJOURIE MONTGOMERY
NOVEMBER 22nd, WEDNESDAY

STANDING IN THE middle of Walmart, jouries eyes penetrated the baby in front of her.

Her feet couldn't move, and she couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene in front of her. It had been over a year since she'd seen Shanell and she never failed to make her skin burn.

Shanell was the girl who would probably always get under jouries skin. No matter what.

She was the girl who bam decided to cheat on her with. She had been working on herself, and she long ago forgave bam for his infidelities.

After all, she was the one who ended up with him faithfully. She was the one who he put a ring on, and she was the one who was carrying his first baby.

She was the one he loved unconditionally.

She just couldn't shake that feeling. The monster on her back, especially now seeing Shanell in person.

On the good side, she looked horrible. It seemed as if she had blown up like a house, her once beautiful, and untouched face was filled with blemish marks and dark spots, and even her nose appeared to had grown three sizes bigger.

The only good thing about her, was the healthy mane of hair she had sitting at the top of her head in a messy bun.

Jourie wanted to laugh in her face, but she felt as if karma would be real—and her pregnancy would do her just as bad. So she opted on keeping quiet.

Lowly clearing her throat, in attempt to not draw any attention to her since Shanell had her back turned towards her with her eyes glued to her phone, she reached for the heavy whipping cream.

Putting it in her cart, she grabbed another one.

Tomorrow was thanksgiving, and everybody wanted her to make the Mac and cheese, because she was the only one who learned her grandmother's recipe before she passed away.

She wanted to tell them no, but she lowkey was craving it anyway.

Along with that, she got an extra jar of heavy whipping cream to make some Alfredo with sauce made from scratch. She was also craving that right now, in the worse way.

She was honestly confused with her cravings, because she only had to be around a month and a half pregnant. She didn't know she could have cravings this early, but she had no idea about these types of things. Which was exactly why she couldn't wait for her first appointment on Saturday.

Jourie was also responsible for making the pineapple upside down cake, so she had a little bit of work ahead of her before she could go to bed that night.

Her and her family had gotten back around four in the morning and she had been asleep for the whole day. It was pushing eight o'clock, and she was only just now shopping for ingredients.

"A'jourie?"

Holding her breath, she turned around noticing Shanell had finally spotted her. "Oh my gosh, hey girl. I thought that was you." She smiled sweetly, catching her off guard.

When she smiled, jourie noticed although her looks weren't up to par anymore, her teeth were still pearly white. Pursing her lips, she nodded slightly. "You too. Your baby is so cute." She complimented.

She hated to admit it, but it was the truth. Her baby was the cutest. From his toffee skin color, down to his brown eyes that were larger than normal.

"Thank you," Shanell smiled. "You look really good girl." She complimented, but jourie was still confused.

She was of course happy that Shanell wasn't being shady, but she also didn't understand why. It wasn't like they left off on the best terms. They had been in more physical fights then you could count on one hand.

"Thank you so much." Jourie cleared her throat, picking up the spaghetti sauce. She figured she would make some spaghetti, some time next week. Another trip to the store wouldn't be necessary.

"So how have you been?" Shanell quizzed.

"I've been good," She didn't want to disclose why. She didn't know shanked intentions, and she didn't want her business being spread or someone doing some kind of spell on her.

You never really knew with people.

Shanell could sense the hesitation within jourie, causing her to sigh. "I can see you don't trust me to talk, which I understand and you don't need to. I guess I'm kind of just beating around the bush." Shanells baby began whining, prompting her to pick him up.

"Like I was saying," as soon as she picked him up, her baby's cries ceased. "I really been wanting to run into you for a while, to apologize for my behavior when I was eighteen." She admitted.

"I was coming at you side ways for all the wrong reasons. I knew bam loved his girlfriend so much. He used to vent to me about her all the time, and his future plans, and I acted on his vulnerability. Once we had sex the first time, I caught feelings."

"When I suspected you were the girl, I thought if I terrorized you enough you would go away and I could have him to myself. It was a long shot knowing how much he cared for his girlfriend at the time. But now that I'm older, and I've matured tremendously after becoming a mother, I shouldn't have tried to force something that was never there. I'm really sorry , for all the fights, and blowing up your phone, making posts. It was childish." She took accountability.

Hearing those words, it felt like a weight had been lifted off jouries shoulders. Not because of Shanells apology perhaps, but the truth behind the affair. She always wondered how it went down, if bam made the move on her, or something along those lines.

To know it was Shanell that initiated things, in a strange way, put her mind at ease. It made her feel like, maybe there was nothing that Shanell had that she didn't, and his vulnerability was simply being taken advantage of.

"I'm sorry for all of it." Shanell noticed her hesitation. "I knew it was you on that phone last night, when I lied about my baby. I could tell by your voice, it was why I said what i said." She revealed what jourie never thought.

"Bam is a really good person, and you didn't deserve what I put y'all through. Don't cry." Shanell frowned.  Jourie didn't even realize the tears had fallen from her eyes until Shanell said it. "Can I hug you?"

Jourie was too struck to respond, causing Shanell to wrap her free arm around her, with her baby boy in her other. "I had to lose a lot of people, and go through a lot of fucked up things to be the person I am right now. I don't wish that shit on nobody else." Shanell said while they embraced.

"I forgive you Shanell."

If someone would've told jourie she would be hugging Shanell and her one year old son in the middle of Walmart a year ago, she wouldve slapped them in the face.

"Shanell, did you get the string beans?" The voice caused them to pull away. Jourie laid eyes on someone she'd never seen before. "Who is this baby?" He asked her.

"This is jourie. Jourie this is Malcom, my sons father and my boyfriend." She introduced them. "Yeah I got them baby. Get MJ." She spoke passing the baby.

Although jourie had just been talking about Shanells looks, and how she had downgraded herself, the beauty she had just showed on the inside was worth much more.

"I'm gonna go now jourie, but I really do wish you the best. I seen bam post you a few days ago, I hope for the best." Shanell smiled sweetly, backing away. "Say bye bye MJ."

"Ba-ba." He babbled waving his hand causing Malcom to laugh.

"Bye, it was nice meeting you, jourie." He followed Shanell like a lost puppy, as she pushed the cart away with him hot on her trail.

"Nice meeting you too." She smiled waving, pushing her cart in the other direction. Shanell was a prime example of people changing and turning their life around.

Jourie admired how she was able to suck it up, she admit her wrongs while apologizing. Along with that, she could feel the deep sincerity in her apology which only made it better.

She didn't know what had happened to Shanell that caused her to turn her life around, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to, but she would keep her in her prayers. She was a mother now, so it was the least she could do.

On the prowl for elbow noodles, and fettuccine noodles she made her way down to the other end of the isle. Feeling her phone vibrating in her pocket, she pulled it out seeing the FaceTime call from bam.

"Hello?" She answered after swiping the button to answer.

"Jourie." He called out, visibly laying on his back with his other arm across his forehead comfortably.

"Yes daddy?" She joked with a goofy grin plastered on her face. Bam smacked his teeth at her ways.

"You coming back here?" He was referring to his high rise.

Nodding, jourie reached for two box's of elbow noodles. "Yep I am, why? You miss me already?" She questioned, reaching for the fettuccine noodles.

"Yesss, you been gone for like five days." He over exaggerated since she had left a little under an hour ago. Walmart wasn't even that far from his place either.

"Sorry, I was meeting up with my other nigga." She spoke calmly, pushing the cart towards the freezers to retrieve some milk. "The one that don't mind giving me dick."

"You gon' get somebody stabbed." He fed into her delusions making her smile.

"What if he tote guns." She responded.

"My momma always told me, guns get you caught; knifes let you walk away." He recited seriously, but jourie couldn't do anything but laugh.

"Sorry, but your momma and the knives man. It never fails. One inconvenience and she pulling out a knife." She cracked on kamaria, but it was true. Even away from home she carried a custom pocket knife.

"Yeah, I always wonder where she get that shit from. Her fascination with knives is funny, but at least she put them to use in the kitchen. I can't wait for tomorrow." He expressed thinking about the thanksgiving food.

"Yeah me too," Jouries mouth salivated, as she thought about all the food she would eat. "You want alfredo tonight?" She asked even though she was going to make it anyway.

"Yeah. You want me to make it for you?" He questioned, never realizing how much he was playing in his hair.

"No because you ain't gonna make it how I want it." She pouted, and he jerked his head back in offense. Believe it or not, he could cook.

His parents always taught him that he needed to know how to do everything himself, so he wouldn't need no one for anything as an adult. "What is dat supposed to mean shordy, I can cook." He countered.

Rolling her eyes, she grabbed the two percent white milk and sat it in the cart before heading towards the front of the store to check out. "I want it made with some homemade sauce. Not store bought." She complained, feeling like a spoiled child.

"Mmcht, I gotchu ma, I can make the scratch noodles too. Why you trippin? Like youn know how I get down." He joked, but was serious. If she wanted the Alfredo made from scratch he could do that for her with no issue.

"Really?" She questioned because even she didn't know how to do that. She had to step her game up if he was coming like that.

"Yeah, I'll make it as long as you still making the macoroni and cheese, and the pineapple upside down cake." He bargained with her. He could make Mac and cheese but not like Jouries grandma could.

"Okay," she responded feeling much better already. "Your effort so attractive stink. You want head when I get there?" She joked, and it seemed as if she was doing her job because bam bubbled with laughter.

"I can keep that offer and cash it in when I feel like it?" He questioned playfully.

Jourie stood there, pretending to think. "You know what I think that's fair." She agreed, followed by a genuine giggle.

A LITTLE LATER.

"Wassup mama?" Kamarion greeted jourie as soon as she walked through the door. He didn't even know she was there because she didn't inform him.

He would've came and got the bags for her had she'd told him, but that's exactly why she didn't. It wasn't that serious and they weren't even heavy. The heaviest thing was the gallon of milk.

"Hey stink," She uttered softly, pushing the door closed with her hip. He took the stuff out her hands as she let out a breath, and removing her shoes by the door.

He placed a soft kiss on her lips, before heading towards the kitchen to put the stuff on the island. Jourie followed after, using her finger to scratch between her braids.

She was ready to take them out already, but she didn't mind letting them marinate a little longer so she wasn't stressing it. When she got in the mood, she would take out her hair.

Bams eyes shifted all over her, starting to remove everything from the gray plastic Walmart grocery bags.  "You been cryin' jourie?" He questioned her, confused.

It hadn't seemed like it, she seemed to be acting normal. What gave it away was the slight view of dried up tears. You could only see if you were all in her face, but luckily for him, he was.

"Well—" she cut herself off, not knowing how to bring up the conversation. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to tell him, but because he knew her so well, he was able to notice. "I ran into Shanell at the store." She admitted.

His eyebrows instantly creased, he hadn't spoken to Shanell ever since the day her and jourie spoke on the phone. Her claiming to have his baby, which was just preposterous. She knew it too, which was why she never even tried to contact him after that.

He had no idea what was going through her mind when she decided to do that, but it was over. In a way, he was happy it happened, because that's what finally caused bam and jouries unhealthy relationship to break off.

It was what pushed him to become a better person.

"Okay, what she said to you that had you crying?" He responded. He hoped that Shanell hadn't tried to get in her head about him again, because all of it would be false, he would be dumb to make the same mistake twice, and even more dumb to make said mistake with the same person.

Clearing her throat, jourie made her way to the cabinet grabbing a black medium sized pot, and taking a step over to stand in front of the sink. She filled it with a good amount of water, and put it on the stove turning the water on high to boil.

"She apologized." Jourie admitted, reaching for the salt in the seasoning rack.

Bam was confused by the revelation. He hadn't seen Shanell in forever, but she had never been the type to apologize for anything she had done. "She what?" He couldn't believe it.

"Yeah, she apologized to me. She said that the way she acted was unexceptional. She was only trying to push me out of my spot because she saw how much you loved me, and wanted to be in my position. She apologized for using your vulnerability as an advantage, and she had to learn the hard way that she couldn't make someone love her." She ranted putting salt in the water.

Tilting his head, bam wasn't even sure if he believed her. "You dead ass, or are you just fuckin' wit me?" He quizzed her incredously.

She had a playful nature, and he honestly never knew when she was joking. Right now she seemed serious, which shocked him beyond belief.

"I'm dead ass, she even gave me a hug, and wished me the best in life, and hoped the best for our relationship since she seen you post me." She continued to tell him everything.

Shocked wasn't even the word for todays events. Shanells apology was more of a bombshell. "It was so authentic,  and I could tell she honestly felt bad about what she did. It just overwhelmed me a little." She expressed to bam, picking up the first box of elbow noodles.

Bam didn't know how to feel. "That's crazy jourie. I wonder what made her change like that." He couldn't lie, he was curious. Either way, he could tell Shanells apology gave jourie the closure she craved for in a sense.

"She said it was becoming a mother. She had her son with her, and he was the cutest thing. He looked like his dad." Her tone grew low. She wanted to forget about how she accused bam of being the father to her child for a total of ten months.

She just felt plain stupid now. Although Shanell had told her that, bam told her the exact opposite. Even after she had the baby , jourie still believed bam fathered the child. It wasn't until their talk during kymanis birthday that the doubt was placed in her mind.

Bam nodded silently. That sounded good for her truthfully, but honestly, that didn't affect him in the least. "So how you feel about it?" He inquired, running his tongue over his bottom lip. He crumbled the grocery bags, and went to the pantry to put them inside the bag full of other plastic bags.

"Honestly, it was something I never knew I needed. Her apology was genuine, and she eased my mind with doubts I had about you two. With her reasoning, in a way I understand her. She just wanted to be loved, she just didn't go about it the correct way. Same with you." She locked eyes with him. "But I've come to terms with everything." She added.

Jourie knew exactly how it felt to be misunderstood because of your actions, because for a while she was making a fool of herself due to her internal issues with herself. To realize that was what was going on with Shanell made sense.

Nodding his head, bam was just happy that them seeing each other did more good than damage. "I'm happy you got yo closure in a way." He said honestly.

Lifting her eyes, the girl smiled brightly, feeling an immense amount of joy coursing through her. "Me too."

Bam started laughing, prompting the carefree girl to look up. She was opening the drawer for the cheese grader. She had to shred the cheese herself, the already shredded cheese wouldn't give it the same taste.

"Jourie you was dead ass crying." Another chuckle triggered from him. He didn't mean to laugh, because he honestly found it so adorable. Her emotions were all over the place.

Dropping her head in shame, she smiled slightly. Her deep dimples sunk into her cheeks showcasing her amusement as his laughter. "Yes oh my gosh. Her apology was so heartfelt. I really felt for her in a way, especially because she didn't look the best." She admitted shamefully.

"Damn watchu trynna say, she was ugly jourie." He cracked at how she was trying to say it in the nicest way possible.

"Not ugly per say, but she looked off. Like she hadn't been taking care of herself. That could correlate with her being a new mother though." She verbalized, carefully grading her first type of cheese in one bowl.

"What are y'all talking about in hereeeee," Samaria sang, making her presence known as she walked from the back of the apartment.

She could see her brother and her bestfriend standing next to each other, focused on their own things, but they appeared to be cooking.

"We just talking about something that happened at Walmart earlier." Shrugging her shoulders, jourie downplayed the intensity of the their conversation. She wanted to shift the conversation to something else.

Going to the fridge, Samaria grabbed her simply lemonade. "Oh okay. Bam I know what jourie making, but what the fuck you doin'." Samaria unintentionally interrogated her older brother.

Slickly rolling his eyes, he opened the fridge to get the flour. Sititng it on the counter, he uttered, "Jourie want alfredo, so I'm makin' some? If you keep questioning me, you ain't getting shit."

"Okay, what you getting slick for? What's tea? You need that?" Samaria spewed question after question. "I mean I'm jus trynna get some damn understanding up innis bitch. I'm tweakin'?" She questioned forcing jourie to laugh.

Samaria was always on one. She stood on her word, and you could never check her about something she said because she would just say it again.

"Get the fuck out my face." Bam waved her off.

"Oh okay. Yeah , Yeah, oh okay." She muttered with a eye roll, pouring her juice into the glass cup where she would be able to place her bamboo lid on, and insert the glass straw to it.

"You ain't even do shit. Scary ass lil girl." Bam jumped at his little sister, bucking his eyes.

Throwing up her middle finger, she picked up her glass cup. "Kiss my ass. And I'm telling momma tomorrow at thanksgiving that you been fucking wit me." She claimed before walking away back towards her room.

"I can't stand ha ass."

I js wanna clarify, yall do not need to pay me. I don't want it to seem like if you don't pay that I will not update my books because I will. I see it as the person paying me for a quicker update or me to prioritize one book over another—and I do that. Like this chapter, was not paid for but I'm still updating it. That's all folks😀

Thoughts and predictions?

MYA OUT🫡