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THE DEEP ATTRACTION

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Always on time by Ja Rule & Ashanti

"Baby, I'm not always there when you call, But I'm always on time."

SAMIR MONTGOMERY
SEPTEMBER 16th, 2007
SUNDAY, 8:26 pm

THE SOUND OF silver ware clinking against glass plates were the only noises being made throughout the entire dining room area as Samir, Kyaire, kyree, kamaria, Simone and Aaron sat around the table together.

This was the first real dinner they were having together with Samir home. They felt it had been a week since he had true chance to get settled in, so Simone and Aaron figured to eat together finally.

They also knew Samir may have been a little confused about the concept of their relationship so they wanted to make it clear they were together, not too complicating.

Simone had made ribs, Mac and cheese, collard greens and peach cobbler so it was safe to say everyone was quiet for a good reason, they were stuffing their face.

One thing Simone could do was throw down in the kitchen, she had been cooking since she was nine years old, and she even had dreams of being a cook one day but getting pregnant at a early age put her life on hold and she never got back to it.

Samir just watched everybody eat, no one saying a word instead focusing on their food. He just wasn't hungry, he hadn't been in a good mood all day.

He hated to say that kamaria soured his mood but she did. He couldn't stop thinking about yesterday at the water park when he found her talking to a grown man almost in his twenties.

From the responses she gave him, to him it did seem like she saw no problem with it and that bothered him because he saw a problem. It made him wonder if that's what she went for, not because he wanted her but because she was still a kid—to him at least.

Sixteen wasn't grown at all. He didn't like the idea of her being into men with such a big age gap, it was dangerous. He liked to keep her out of danger, so it was a risky game she was playing.

"Why everybody so quiet." Aaron spoke his sons exact thoughts, using a napkin to wipe the barbecue sauce off the sides of his face from the ribs.

"I'm just thinking." Samir swallowed the lump in his throat, telling the truth. He had a lot of stuff mind that he was thinking about, but the silence made it no better as it gave him a clean slate to over think making it worse.

Him and kyaires conversation replayed in his mind over and over, about how they thought their parents wouldn't last much longer. They still felt that way since there had barely been contact that Samir had seen since he was here in person, but still it puzzled Samir.

It wasn't his relationship to over think about though, so he pushed it to the back of his mind.

"Ion know, everybody else quiet so I didn't want to be the person to talk." Kyree shrugged his shoulders and Kyaire laughed keeping his mouth closed since it was full of Mac and cheese.

Kamaria made up an easy excuse, "I just got a head ache right now guys." She smiled softly, to cover up the fact that she was trying to rack a few things on her brain right now too.

"Slim how you feel, it's officially been a week since you got home. You enjoying it." Simone asked him deciding to spark up a conversation so it wouldn't seem so dry.

He licked over his lips before flashing a smile at her. "Of course I'm enjoying it. Ion even mind school and stuff like dat cause I feel like I haven't been able to be a kid in so long so I'm chillin you know." He told her watching both Simone and Aaron nod at his answer.

"Tuh, school suck." Kamaria muttered using her fork to poke the peach cobbler sitting on her plate.

"Dang straight like dat?" Samir questioned now training his eyes on her while she looked down not acknowledging his look.

She pursed her lips thinking about how she was just barely keeping her head above water school wise. She looked up locking eyes with him who was waiting on a reply, and she smirked, "Ian gone lie to you, and make it sound fly to you." she shrugged softly.

Everybody broke out into laughter at the table finally loosening up. If kamaria wasn't known for anything she was known for always saying some type of motto. She always said them at the right time too.

"How was adventure island yesterday?" Aaron questioned after swallowing the food in his mouth.

"It was so fun, it wasn't as busy as usual." Kyree took the opportunity to begin talking now taking over the conversation giving his mother and Aaron every detail of how his day went which kamaria appreciated.

After what happened at the water park, the vibes just didn't return back to how they were before so it was an alright day for Samir and kamaria. The good thing was Taraji ended up getting the boys number who's name was Dawayne.

Kamaria didn't know how to feel about it after she revealed he was 21, but Taraji felt as since she was seventeen almost eighteen it was alright and kamaria would only say something once before she let you learn your lesson on your own.

She hated to repeat herself.

The group of six finished eating dinner together before migrating to the living room, all except kamaria who went and took a shower before going in her room leaving Samir and Kyaire to migrate to Kyaires room.

"Do you wanna go to a party." Kyaire muttered lowly in the middle of rolling his blunt. Samir eyed the blunt wishing so badly that he could smoke, Kyaire wouldn't smoke it around him but that never stopped him from rolling up in front of him.

"What party, it's Sunday night." Samir muttered throwing up the small inflated basketball into the air and catching it into his palms before repeating the process again and again.

He continued to throw the ball in the air and catch it effortlessly while Kyaire licked his blunt in order to seal it. "Actually it ain't a party I take dat back, it's just a lil kick back." He corrected himself quickly.

Samir nodded subtly thinking about it, it was only 8:30, his curfew was eleven so they had a little under three hours. He just didn't know if he wanted or be around a crowd because ever since he got out of juvie everyone had been so overbearing towards him.

He understood he was missed, and the first few days it was cool but he needed space to breath. He was still trying to get his life back in order after missing three important years of his teenage life and he just needed time to adjust.

"Who kick back it is?" He hesitated turning his head fully to face Kyaire.

As Kyaire opened his mouth to reply his door swung open and he almost had a heart attack thinking it was his mother. Usually when his mother was approaching he could sense it, like he could feel her energy getting close.

That's why Samir always said he had some type of spider senses to joke with him. Kyaires body visibly un-tensed noticing it was only his younger sister who had been evidently eaves dropping on their conversation.

"Can't have no privacy in this mufucka." He shook his head as kamaria softy closed the door behind her.

"Oh shut up, y'all talkin about zariah kick back? Can I come?" She asked eagerly. Kyaire didn't reply because he already had made up his mind that she wasn't going. Those kick backs could be called that but it was the last thing they were.

Things could get wild quickly, and though Kyaire knew how to handle himself he worried his sister would be took over by any type of temptation no matter if it were smoking, drinking or sex. Then on top of that it was in his nature to always look out for her where ever they were because she could be so sheltered at times.

Three years ago he was humbled, and after kamaria finally told her mother and father what happened Kyaire got in a lot of trouble for leaving her behind, and Samir having to be the one to bring her to safety. He knew he was wrong, he was a scared fourteen-year-old who watched his life flash before his eyes, but afterwards it put a lot of things in perspective. He learned from his mistakes and vowed to never let something like that happen again, leaving him to keep an eye on her everywhere they went.

"Ion know lil bit..." Kyaire trailed off slowly not thinking it was a good idea. He wanted to get high and he knew if he got high then he would be put off his element a little more than normal and wouldnt be able to keep an eye out for her like he wanted.

"Please, stop treating me like a lil ass girl your one year older den me." She held up her index finger to show case her emphasis on the one year. Sometimes kyaire made her feel as if he was twenty-five by the way he babied her.

In some senses she loved it, then at times like this she hated it. She wanted to hang to, and Kourtney and taraji would be there so she wanted to go to. Kyaire rolled his eyes, but still took her words into consideration.

"Slim you going or what?" He aimed his question towards his bestfriend because he never even answered in the first place and that would dictate if they would actually attend of call it a night.

"Sure, but we gotta be leaving bout 10:45 I got curfew." He spoke seriously, he would not risk violating parole, the last thing on his mind was going back. He already had missed too much of his teenage years.

He didn't have a ankle monitor thank goodness, but his parole officer could pop up and check to make sure he was gone at any time after his curfew. He didn't want the one time he wasn't inside at the right time to be his unlucky day and his parole officer stopped by.

He only had five months, a three weeks left. It wasn't that bad when he thought about it. He knew people who got parole for years, so in his eyes he would ride it out and move on with life.

"Nun but a word, we probably won't even be there that long, I'm just trynna see what's good." Kyaire spoke truthfully. He never stayed at those events long, he just wanted to show his face, scope out what was going on then he would would leave after a while.

Samir nodded agreeing to go and Kyaire shifted his gaze over to his younger sister standing there with hope in her eyes. "Aight bruh, go get dressed though you ain't where dat." He gestured towards her night clothes and she started cheesing.

"Okayyyuhh, don't leave without me either." She said quickly removing herself from her room to go put some different clothes on.

"You think it's smart to let lil bit come?" Slim muttered in a hushed tone. He wasn't hating or anything he just didn't think it would be the best idea, then again he had no authority over her so he wouldn't voice that aspect of his concerns.

"I mean shit, if you look at it this way tell me if I was right, she only a year younger than us, and that took me a long time to come to terms wit—regardless that girl was gonna find away to that kick back with or without me and I just rather it be in my control then her having to sneak or some shit and end up in sum she don't got no business bein it. Get it?" Kyaire pondered.

"I mean yeah I feel you, but she really be doin shit like dat? Sneakin out and shit?" He asked unable to believe that kamaria was capable of that. He knew she was rough around the edges but he'd always seen her as this responsible girl who carried herself as such.

"You wouldn't know the half of it man." Kyaire shook his head bursting the bubble of the perfect image that Samir had set up for her in his head.

Being gone for so long he only knew what he used to, he hadn't had the time to get accustomed to the older teenage version of her yet since they didn't communicate throughout the years of his absence.

"You right bruh, so just fill me in." Samir countered giving a quick solution. He couldn't comprehend why he found himself asking or even worrying about kamaria the way he was.

He could blame it on a sister brotherly bond, but truth be told even before he got locked up in juvie him and her didn't associate that much. They would hang in the same crowd everyonce in a while when her brother had to drag her somewhere, but that was really it.

It was just less questionable to say that.

"Aight uhh..." Kyaire trailed off and to Samir it looked as if he was thinking of an example. "Kamaria be sneaking out all the time I can't even lie, like dis one time she wanted to go to the pier with Kourtney and my mama told her no." He started while Samir nodded continuing to throw the ball.

"So her ass went in her room, got dressed, then climbed out her damn window. It's times like that I wish we lived in a two story house or something. But anyway she climbed out, and ion know what told me to go check her damn room but when I did her ass was gone." He went on making Samir smile trying not to laugh.

"I get to panicking, but I know I can't tell my dukes or she would be in trouble for real. Ha ass don't want a phone because she feel like it tie ha down so I had went up there to get her. Truthfully I could've just waited til she got back home but my ass be so paranoid when I don't have her in my sight after a certain amount of time." He expressed to Samir.

"I feel you." Samir nodded. He was a younger child so he didn't harbor any younger siblings to be so protective over, but he could understand the frustrations, especially with kamaria of all people.

"Right. So I drove up to the pier and got ha ass and she was so heated. I ain't even care though, she had been up there for a good two hours that's long enough anyway. She betta be lucky I never told nobody and got ha ass in trouble." Kyaire stated calmly placing his blunt behind his ear.

"That's just one of the many times though, she done snuck out the movies, parties, other kick backs, the beach, allat. Instead of snitching on her I just decided to tag along or let her tag along that way if anything she can still do her thing and I can keep an eye on her. She a real fragile girl underneath that facade she put up." He spoke standing to his feet picking up his cologne.

"Facade?"

"Yeah, you know. That tough girl shit, shit is purely fake. She do it to protect herself—from what I don't know. Regardless she a lil softie and I know the second she get put under enough pressure shit get hard for her. I can't let her walk around the real world like that." He shrugged.

"Yeah I see what you saying. Then again babying her ain't gone always do the trick. Sometimes you gotta help ha see shit for what it really is instead of blocking her view completely. If you keep on, when it's time for her to go out into the real world she not gone know what the fuck to do." Samir advised being truthful of his thoughts.

They grew up differently, she was very sheltered. As her brother it was his job to protect her, but he could also teach her the way of the ropes so that when he isn't there to protect her she'll know how to handle things.

"I be thinking that shit sometimes. Ion know, sometimes I just don't like the idea of my lil sister growing up. It happened all so fast, just a couple of weeks ago she was twelve now she talking about dating boys and I almost had a heart attack." Kyaire told him.

He truly felt like his bestfriend was a safe space to go to and talk about his concerns with, so he wasn't tripping.

"What boy?" Samir couldn't help but let the words fly out before he could stop himself.

Kyaire shrugged, "hell if I knew. She keep her shit on the down low. Wouldn't tell me nothing, then she just stopped talkin bout him so I figured he wasn't in the picture no more. What I'm saying is that shit really opened my eyes, she growing up worrying about boys, her clothes, how good her body look in a certain outfit. At one point it was all too much for me but I came to terms." He licked lips.

Samir didn't know how they found their self having a deep conversation about kamaria but really it helped him get a better perspective of who the girl was now instead of the image he had painted out for her from years ago.

Just like Kyaire said, he had to come to terms with the fact that she really was only one year younger than them and not a little baby. Even he wasn't thinking about power wheels and toy guns at the age of sixteen—so he had no idea why kamaria would have a child like mentality at sixteen.

That brought him back to yesterday when he found her talking to a grown man who would be twenty in merely hours.

Maybe she was just into older men he told himself with a silent shrug.

Kyaire tied his long locs back into a low ponytail before stuffing a lighter in his pocket and grabbing his keys from the dresser.

It didn't take long for kamaria to come back in his room fully dressed this time, wearing something casual for the laid back event. She wore an black off the shoulder long sleeved crop top with a pair of Coogi branded jeans and black ugg boots.

She had her hair in her signature two puffs and her face was bare with lipgloss and lastly her signature necklace sitting on her neck. She was able to pull a simple look off so well, even wearing simple clothes enhanced her natural beauty.

She swallowed the lump in her throat, "yall ready?" She questioned tilting her head to the side making her brother nod his head. Samir said nothing but instead let his actions speak for him as he placed the small ball on the ground and stood up standing taller than kamaria and a inch taller than her brother.

Kamaria wasn't a small girl, she had long legs standing at 5'8. She learned to embrace her height because everyone else was so much shorter than her most of the time. It made her self conscious. Whenever she would say her height out loud people always had to add sound affects or their input.

She couldn't help that both of their parents were tall, and even though 5'8 sounded tall it really wasn't. People just seemed to make it sound like that when it was never that serious. She couldn't control how tall she was. Even compliments sounded like insults.

It confused her because if a boy were to say they were 5'8 then he was short, and she knew it was difference between female tall and male tall—but she never understood why.

They made her feel like a giant when she was barely over the average size of a female. She understood if she was a cool 6 foot but 5'8 wasn't as bad as people made it seem.

"Yeah let's roll out. And we ain't finna be here long so don't get carried away." Kyaire reminded her as they began piling out his spacious room.

The trio walked in the two story house together with each-other and  there was a decent amount of people in the home, but not too many giving the full kick back affect.

Kamarias eyes lit up looking around as smoke filled the air and the music could be heard loud and clear while Everything by Mary J. Blige blasted somewhere from out of sight.

Samirs eyes scanned over everything in eyes view coming to the conclusion that everyone was chilling and laid back. It was like a small and chill party, and he liked it. Not to many people stacked up on top of each other.

Kamaria was about to say something before she gasped, "can second hand smoke make you fail a drug test?" She questioned looking to her right at Samir.

He chuckled before shrugging. He didn't know, but he doubted that he would be getting drug tested anytime soon anyway.

Kamaria shook her head, he was really playing a dangerous game with his freedom. "Okay, I'm going to find Kourtney, bye guys." She announced before sauntering off and away from them.

Kyaire nodded, but Samir just watched until she was out of eyesight. "Come on," Kyaire nodded leading him to the entertainment area also known as the living room.

They both flopped on a black leather couch while Kyaire started interacting with the people around them. Samir didn't know them that well, even though they knew him. He swore he had more friends coming out then when he went in.

Some of them were just randoms swearing they knew each other.

"And wassup witchu slim?" He was snapped out of his thoughts being addressed by one person he could say he knew before being hauled away. Jayce.

"Yeah Waddup?" He question confused to what he meant. Jayce laughed, it was like he hadn't change at all. The same little boy who zoned out of conversations, probably the most laid back person he knew. His laid back demeanor could come off so threatening.

"I'm sayin like you been outchea?" Jayce asked and Samir quickly caught ahold of what he was referring to. Slim licked his lips taking time to answer him as he also took what he would say into consideration.

"Shit, I mean I'm on parole right now so I'm chillin. Once I'm off that shit though you already know." He nodded while jayce nodded liking his answer.

Kyaire had nothing to say, because an individual of his own he knew what he was out in the streets doing.

Samir had a felony on his rap sheet, who would've known who fearful mistake would've caused him this much of his life gone. He was still carrying out school but it was so hard to get a decent job with what he had on his name.

He had to eat some how.

"That's wassup, just hit me up I gotchu fam." Jayce swore to him.

Samir cleared his throat. "They got water in dis bitch?" He questioned rhetorically. Seeming as if he caught the attention of a petite light skinned girl with her natural curls following down her back, a bare face wearing a white crop top with a blue and with letterman jacket and a pair of rock revival pants she smiled sweetly.

"Hi I'm zariah. This my kick back." She pulled the blunt in between her fingers away from her mouth. She spoke as smoke spilled from her mouth and she was beyond high with her nodded eye lids. "It's some water bottles in the refrigerator." She told him.

"Preciate you." He thanked her standing to his feet before looking down at his bestfriend smoking his own blunt, "imma be right back, don't move nigga." He told him seriously, after Kyaire nodded his head he walked off, his long legs making distance in less time.

Getting to the kitchen there were only a few people spread out engaging in their own conversations, but Samir made a beeline to the fridge. He opened the left side of the silver LG refrigerator getting a water bottom before closing it.

I've changed by jaheim and keyshia cole was now playing and Samir shook his head. His mother loved this song for some reason. He leaned against the counter opening his water bottle when a familiar person caught his eye sight.

He watched kamaria and Kourtney vibe to the song in  synchronized motions. He squinted his eyes watching Kourtney hold the girls hands while she whined her hips gradually moving down more and more until she was fully in a squatting position.

He didn't miss how effortlessly she was able to move her hips to the rhythm of the song.

"I don't do the things that I used to do no more. Everything that you do I adore." She sung playfully while Kourtney drunkenly hyped the girl up. Kamaria hadn't engaged in drinking but her friend did.

Standing back up straight she continued to whine her hips in a circle, she loved this song so much. "Believe me, yours forever. You need me 'cause I'm down for whatever...I'm not wylin out like I used to, I don't do things that I used to no more."

Watching, samir didn't move a muscle just eyeing her having fun with her friend. He didn't interact, or even acknowledge he was there.

She had given him a clear view of exactly who she was now.

Thoughts and predictions?

MYA OUT🫡