I know I more than fucked up
Now I feel stupid
Why would I do this?...

:6LACK

RICO

The bat hit the ball with a loud clang. I dropped it and began to run. Everything was tuned out. I couldn't hear my coach yelling. I couldn't hear Terrence screaming for the ball. I couldn't hear my teammates arguing over who would pitch. The world was silent.

My silence was soon interrupted by a scream. It pierced my ears. I felt myself getting weak as I fell to the ground. The scream never stopped.

"Roberts! Give me some water"I heard coach yell.

I opened my eyes and saw a few people standing over me. I quickly sat up, but it only caused a headache. The field was spinning around me.

"Take a break boys! Be back on this field in 10 minutes!"

Everyone scurried off. Coach handed me the bottle of water. I took a sip from it.

"You alright Roberts?"

I nodded my head slowly, "Just got a little lost sir."

"I've been really easy on you lately, but it's time I address this."

"Coach I al-"

"Ever since Jordan passed you haven't been acting like yourself. You don't listen to me, or your teammates. You leave right after practice without getting dinner. You don't speak to anyone but Terrence."

"I come here to play baseball not to eat dinner."

"Baseball is more than a sport Roberts, and you know that. You held this team together last year, and now it's like we're holding you together. You're head isn't in the game."

"Coach I scored three home runs last game. I made three people strike out the first inning. There's no way my head isn't in the game."

"It's more to the game than winning. You can score thirty fucking home runs, and I wouldn't care. You're apart of a team who needs you. We need you to get your act together, or get out."

I stood up and dusted myself off, "Then I guess I'll leave."

"Go home and get some rest. I'll see yo-"

"I fucking quit this bullshit,"I mumbled.

I slid my jersey off and threw it on the ground. Coach watched in awe. I started my way to the locker room, but he caught my shoulder.

"You don't want to do this Roberts. Scouts are coming this week."

I pushed him off of me and began my way back to the locker room. My teammates watched as I threw everything in my locker into my bag. They didn't say anything though.

Once I got all of my things I left out of the locker room. I hated baseball anyways. I was forced to play at a young age, and I never quit. Now since the only person I played for is gone, it was my time to find something else.

"Ricotta, practice doesn't end fa anotha forty-five minutes."

I turned to my left and saw Amarah sitting on the bench outside. I chuckled. She waited for me everyday this week. I always take her out to eat after practice.

She told up and took my helmet and bat. I snatched my bat back. She had a bad habit of hitting things with the bat. I was not trying to pay for anybody's dent in their car.

"I quit today,"I mumbled.

I felt a sharp pain in my back. She had hit me with my helmet. I cringed at the stinging. Her eyes were squinted, and she looked mad.

"Fuck would ya do that shit fa?"She ranted. "Ya tha be-"

"Amarah I don't wa-"

"Don't interrupt me! Ya needa go back in thea' and get ya spot back. That shit gon take ya far. Ya kna how many niggas would kill ta play baseball instead of playin in tha streets?"She shouted. "Ya won't be able ta take ca'e of this baybeh if ya don't get ya act ta'getha."

"First of all, watch your time. I'll feed you Arby's if you keep it up,"She opened her mouth to say something. "Second of all, I can play on the Braves youth team. It's year-round, and I'll have more opportunities there instead of here. Please don't lecture me about quitting something I could care less about."

"Jokes on ya because I love Arby's,"She giggled. "I just want tha baybeh ta have a successful parent."

I stared at her, "Parent?"

She covered her mouth, "I mean uncle."

I put my arm around her shoulder, "No I like parent. I always wanted to be a father you know? I can be like 'Bring me the remote. Turn off my light. Stop hitting your brother.' I can't wait."

"Oh na' sir. Ya not usin ma child as ya maid."

"Sometimes you have to do what you have to do."

She bursted out into laughter, "It's sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Don't nobody say it all prop'a like that."

"Whatever, you're just mad you don't got my swag,"I said as I popped my imaginary collar.

"Ya fucking weird Ricotta."

"I'm weird? Oh Armadillo, you got it all wrong."

She opened my car door and placed my helmet in the backseat. I put my stuff in the back and ran to the passenger side of the car. I opened the door for her. She smiled, did a small curtesy, and got inside. Once I got inside the car I plugged my phone up. It was always dead, and I'm sure Toni was blowing it up.

"Where to my lady?"I asked.

"I kind of want some Zaxby's, but ya made me want fries from Arby's."

The radio began to play Billie Eilish's Xanny. I nodded my head to the beat.

"Alright, well I need to go home and shower. Then we'll head out to get something to eat."

"Good because I really have ta pee,"She giggled. "Where's ya aux? Ion wanna listen ta Miley Cyrus."

"Don't you ever disrespect the queen like this. Billie Eilish is amazing."

"Queen? Sir...Ciara? Keyshia Cole? Hell Cardi B?"She asked.

"I grew up on R&B, country, and pop. My mother loves R&B. My father could recite any country song word for word. My sister introduced me to pop."

"I didn't kna ya have a sista."

"I have three older sisters actually."

"Awww ya tha baybeh."

"Yeah and they all hate it. My oldest sister, Gabrielle does not like me at all. She won't even let me see my nephew."

"Damn how old is she?"

"Thirty-one."

"Nigga! Ya was a mistake child!"She shouted in my ear.

"I was not a mistake child. My parents planned to have me."

"Nah nigga, how old ya otha two sistas?"

"Twenty-nine, and twenty-six."

"Oh hell nah, and ya 16...ya was a mistake child. Don't nobody have kids that far apart."

"Okay Amazon, that's enough. I was not a mistake child."

She rolled her eyes. I handed her the aux, and she plugged her phone in. Please Me by Cardi B and Bruno Mars started to play. I chuckled as she started to dance.

"Uh...uh...yeah come on,"She pointed at me.

"Please me b-"

"Ya just ruined tha song.  Ya so out of tune."

"Girl please,"I smacked my lips. "Cardi should've gotten me to sing the chorus. I would've murder Bruno with this voice."

"Ya dismissed."

I pulled into the garage of the guest house. My mother hasn't let me move in yet, but I wasn't going to take Amarah in there yet. My mother would've had to many questions.

I opened Amarah's door. She got out with a smile on her face. I got my equipment out of the car, and headed for the door. She was behind me singing to herself. I unlocked the door and walked into the guest house.

Amarah's mouth dropped at the scene. I laughed. If she was amazed by this, then our house would be a whole different scene. I set my stuff down on the floor and headed for the bathroom.

"Make sure you take off your shoes. My father would kill me if he saw dirt on this white carpet."

She slipped her shoes off. I looked at her socks. She's been wearing the same pair of socks since last week. I contemplated saying anything. Before I could actually think, my mouth erupted with my thoughts.

"You've been wearing those same socks since last Thursday Amarah."

"Why does that concern ya?"She asked. "If I want ta wear these socks I can."

"I'm just saying Amarah. You've been wearing the same sweatshirt, over the two shirts I've seen you wear. You keep wearing your bedroom shoes to school. You usually dress nice one day out of the week,"I said. She looked down at her outfit. "If it's something you need to tell me, you better tell me now."

"Rico ya have ta promise not ta try and save tha day."

"If I have to do something about it, I will."

"Ian been home in a week. My daddy kicked me out. It's nothin ta wo-"

"Oh hell to the fucking no. Where are you staying at?"

"I've been stayin at a lil motel by tha m-"

"You're staying with me from now on."

"Rico! I told ya that ya not savin tha day this time."

"Do you know how unsafe motels are? That motel by the mall is known for prostitution, and human trafficking! That's the last place you need to be Amarah!"I shouted.

"I kna, but it's all I can affo'd. I've been talkin ta ma mama. She tryna convince daddy ta let me come back."

"Well you're staying here until then. We'll go get you some clothes tonight. I refuse to have you in danger."

"Stop actin like Superman! I'm not stayin' hea'!"

I grabbed her wrist and pulled her close to me. She flinched in fear.

"Listen, I'm not doing this shit with you. You're staying here, end of discussion. The baby is safer here than a fucking motel."

I let go of her wrist. She didn't say anything. I walked towards the bathroom and turned the shower on. I grabbed some clean clothes and handed them to her.

"Go take a shower."

"Ya don't have ta be so aggressive with me,"She said as tears formed in her eyes.

"Are you crying?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because ya was being mean."

I chuckled and gave her a hug. She still kept her sad face. I hugged her a little tighter and then her smile was exposed. I smiled along with her.

"Now get your emotional ass in the shower."

AMARAH

"Ima stoner, Ima stoner, Ima stoner,"I heard Rico sing.

I giggled. His whole shower he turned on hip hop music. The music was complete trash though, but I was glad he was. I was really tired of pop music. I opened the door to the bathroom.

"Boy ya ain't no st-"

"Shit! Amarah! What are you doing?"Rico shouted.

I covered my eyes, "I'm sorry. I need tha lotion."

"You can open your eyes Amarah,"I peeked out of one eye. He had a towel around his waist. It displayed his perfectly toned body. "You need to learn how to knock. I could've been naked."

"Yea' and that's tha last thing I wanna see."

His phone rang on the counter. I looked down at it and saw Terrence's number. At the same time my phone rang, and it was Niya.

"Ima go talk ta ha'. I'll see ya in a minute."

I walked out of the bathroom and into the enormous living room they had. I clicked answer on the phone. I could already tell it was something crazy because she called me.

"Have you been on Instagram lately?"

"Ya kna Ian social like that."

"There's their rumor going around that you're pregnant. You need to shut it down before college see this."

"Huh?"I asked. "Who posted it?"

"Toni, I'm sure she did it because of the game situation. You know she does anythin-"

"Let me call ya back."

I hung up the phones and marched to the bathroom. Rico was on the phone cussing Terrence out. I snatched the phone from his hand and threw it on the counter.

"Nigga I oughta fuck ya tha fuck up!"