Chapter 1
"Girl, shut up! Cause in about 25 more minutes, me, myself, and I will be heading to the house to unwind, sip some wine, and watch my stories. While you hoes will still be here sucking your teeth and rolling your eyes because you opted in to stay an extra four hours. I love my job, but I love my bed and the rest of my day even more." I laughed hysterically as I started to walk away from the nurses' station. "Bye, Rielle! It's overtime season, plus the holidays are coming up. If you start now, you and Mister Man, you claim to be dating, can be in matching pajamas this year."
I shook my head and rolled my eyes as I pushed the med cart over to my last and final patient's room. As I reached up to knock on the door, I heard her sniffling and her baby crying. I sighed softly as I walked in the door to see her baby crying on the bed and her pacing the room. I immediately walked over to the bed, picked up her sweet baby boy, and rocked him softly, trying to soothe him. I know I should have asked first, but given the state she was in, I figured she wouldn't have minded anyway. Once I calmed the handsome little one down and placed him in his little bed, I walked over to the mom in need and placed my hand on her back.
As a Labor and Delivery Nurse, It's my job to make sure mom is ok. Yes, check on the baby too, but at the same time mothers go through things unseen all the time and then fill out a screening to rule out their depression just for them to say they are fine, and next thing you know they end up harming themselves and the baby. So, it's my job to make the mom as comfortable as possible and as stress-free as possible so she can function while she is here in our care. I love my job; it's very rewarding as a nurse to work alongside a wonderful team and wonderful doctors. I've seen so much and done so much; it just humbles me. I truly can't wait till I can start a family of my own. And Rachelle is right; I need to see where me and mister man are headed if we want to be in those cute matching pajamas by November and December.
"You doing ok?" I asked my patient as I continued to rub her back.
"Yeah, I just got off the phone with my sister; she upset me a great deal. Sorry about that."
"Honey, no need to apologize. I just wanted to make sure you were ok; I don't need anything happening to you and the little one while you're in our care, girl. I am here to give you your pain meds and to evaluate you before shift change. Is that ok with you?" She nodded and sat on the bed, smiling at her son.
"Scale of 1-10, how bad is your pain?" After she told me her pain scale, I went to grab her meds, examined her from head to toe, and walked out, making sure to close the door. As I walked to the front, I sat, charted, and gave report to the next nurse on duty. I smiled, looked at my best friend and colleague, and waved goodbye to them while Rachelle, my best friend, flipped me off. I laughed and left the building, proceeding to my car.
--------
"THEY DON'T MESS WITH RIELLE HOE DO WHAT'S AFTER FEBRUARY AND MARCH!"
I sang loud, repeating the words of Glorilla as I got off on my exit to the house; that's my girl, I love her down. Today has been a day, but lawd am I sure glad that it's over with. It's time to turn on my jams and set the mood just for me when I hit this door. As another one of my songs came on, my phone started ringing. Slightly irritated, I answered the call without seeing who it was. "Hey, I was just calling to see if you made it home safely. You usually text me to let me know when you leave work, so I just wanted to check in." I smiled from ear to ear hearing my mister man on the phone. Even though we aren't official, I really like him, and he always makes my day, other than my best friend, who also gets on my last whole nerve. I rolled my eyes at the thought of him.
"Yeah, I'm good. I'm sorry for not keeping you in the loop. I was in such a hurry to get out of that place; today was a day. I appreciate you, though, for calling me and checking in." He chuckled softly, making my spine tingle. We talked for a good while til i turned onto my street and drove down the road. My smile faded a little bit as I approached my driveway, seeing an all-black Mustang with tinted windows sitting there now next to my car. I rolled my eyes and cut my engine.
"Let me call you back once I get done getting settled in and doing house chores." He gave me a simple "ok" and an "I'll miss you," making me smile from ear to ear like a Cheshire cat.
BANG BANG BANG
Rolling my eyes and opening my car door, I looked at him, crazy for knocking on my window.
"The hell do you want, Kastopher!" I laughed, knowing how he felt about that name, as I walked up to the door, readying my keys to unlock and open the front door with him hot on my tail.
"Bruh cool that shit foreal, that ugly as name..." He mumbled under his breath as he went silent behind me.
I turned and looked at him as I walked backward into the house, kicking off my shoes at the door as he watched my every move.
"It's not ugly. I love it, and you do too!' I laughed as he straight-faced me.
"Yeah, whatever. What you got to eat in here anyway? Ya boy is hungry!" I kissed my teeth and made my way up the stairs.
"That's all your greedy ass do is come here and raid my shit. It should be some leftover pasta and sandwich meat in there to make something. I'm about to shower, make yourself at home... as if you already don't."
"I heard your SpongeBob built ass." I laughed
"Spongeboooob! He could never. He wished Sandy looked like me with your Larry the Lobster wanna be built ass.”
I laughed, got my clothes out, headed to the bathroom in my room, and started my shower.
"Please, Larry the Lobster got all he knows from me. He could never amount to the mass in my muscles...."
His words trailed off. When I looked up, he had just come around the corner as I was getting undressed and was only in my bra and pants. I jumped and closed the door, laughing at the expression of disgust he had on his face.
"I look good, why you playing?" He scoffed. "Scuff all you want. I look better than your last little friend, what was her name? Beth-"
"Don't you dare say that crinkle cut looking bitch name." I laughed because I knew how much he hated her and she tried to do him dirty.
I jumped in the shower as we made casual conversation with him outside the door. Once I got out, I dried myself off, still leaving my body damp, as I oiled myself down with my smell goods, got dressed in shorts and a tank top, and walked out to no one in the room. I grabbed my robe, wrapped it around my body, and headed downstairs to see Kris stuffing his face with food. I laughed as I walked over to the couch and dropped onto it.
“What's so funny?” He asked me with a mouth full. I shook my head.
“I see old habits didn't die hard for you. Slow down, the food isn't going anywhere!” I laughed and pinched his full cheeks. He swatted my hand away and straight-faced me.
I laughed and smiled as I looked at the television, thinking about the time we first met. There was no way in the world you would have looked at us and thought we would like each other one day and become the best of friends, given how much we hated each other. All because of my cousin and how she had these neighbors she used to go to when her mom would be out having fun.
My cousin never obeyed the rules, and besides, they had kids, so why not. I just so happened to go over there one day and keep her company and play with her when she decided to go and play with the neighbors kids, I use to always to think my cousin was to grown for her age at the time and let me tell you, that heffer is doing what she use to do but now just at an appropriate age and doing what our old school auntie use to say 'Grown folk stuff'. I laughed at the thought.
---------
Younger Rielle's POV
"Want to go play with the boys over there?" My cousin Talia asked me as I was sitting on the bedroom floor, lining up the dolls and making a runway for them. I looked up in question and tilted my head to the side as if to say, 'Boys?'
"Boys? What boys?' I questioned what was already in my head as I stood, walked over to the window, and saw two guys outside playing basketball. I shrugged, agreeing with her.
"Sure, why not? Do you know them?" I asked her as we started to put our shoes on. She nodded her head.
"I met them a few months ago; they are so cute!" She exclaimed as she walked to the window again. "That one with the red shirt on is Kristopher; he is 12, I think, and his brother there is Kyrie. He said he's 14, and that's right up my alley. I just love an older man."
I bulged my eyes; I was only 10, and my cousin was only 13, so with Kyrie I could understand, but she was just too hot for her own good, just liked the attention. Don't get me wrong, my cousin is a pretty girl, but she most definitely let the compliments go to her head, and you can see it, but the brother was also older than me. They wouldn't want to play with a 10-year-old.
"Talia, I'm only 10; they're not gonna wanna play with me; they're just gonna look over me," I stated as we started out the door.
"You're with me, relax, girl. They like me anyway." She stated matter-of-factly. I just sighed, closed the door, and followed beside her as we walked across the street.
"Hey y'all!" Talia spoke as they turned and smiled at her.
"What's good, Lia? Who's your friend?" They got who she said was Kyrie, asked. At least I think that's his name. I waved my hand, too shy to say anything. My mom was a little on the strict side, and if she found out I was outside with older boys, she would beat me white.
"She don't speak? She deaf or some shit?" The other guy said, looking at me in annoyance.
"For your information, that's my cousin. She came over today. Her name is Rielle. She stated, resting her weight on one leg with her arms crossed. "Say something else about her and see we won't fuck you up."
My eyes went wide as she so easily let the bad word slip from her mouth, but as quickly as the expression came, it went away and got replaced with disgust with the boy who had insulted my existence.
"Nigga shut up, always talking shit, be nice for once. Sorry about him, he's just rude to the females he likes. That's Kristopher with a K. Not a Ch." Kyrie laughed and was pushed over by Kristopher.
"Man, I could never and most certainly would never. She's what, all of 5? That's pedophile behavior and a case on my head. Hell nah!" He shivered from the thought and pushed me out of the way with his body as he proceeded to throw the ball, missing the net. I stumbled a bit, but I caught myself and stood straight, retorting back a comment. "That's why your ugly ass missed, shooting blanks and dreams." I surprised myself when I let the word slip out of my mouth, but I wasn't gonna let that stop me, and he sure wasn't gonna pick on me. My mama taught me better than to let someone bully me. I walked over and grabbed the ball from him as I pushed back harder with my body, making him actually hit the ground, shoot the ball, and make the net.
"DAAAAAAAMN! Your ass got bodied by a girl bruh. I like her!" His brother clowned him as he laughed, making him get up and push me back, making me fall on my knees and scraping them. Before I could react, my cousin was on him like white on rice, and I jumped in as well. All I remember is someone pulling me off and an even taller figure pulling her off. Before I knew it, I was in the back seat of my dad's car, and Lia was getting dragged back in the house whiole gettinb hetr but whipped by her mom. I looked over and saw the boys going into the house with their mom yelling at them, something along the lines of not hitting girls, and that's what his ass gets.
"Im sorry dad..." He looked at me in the rearview mirror, started the car, and drove off.
"I'm not mad, but you know if your mom would have been here..." I nodded my head and looked out the window, watching the houses go by. I laughed, which caused my dad to laugh. "You and your cousin did a number, huh? You girls are gonna be trouble. You mark my words."
--------
I smiled and shook my head. Not knowing the road Kristopher and I would have to go down to get to this point. Thus, us becoming and having a beautiful friendship.
That's my best friend, and I wouldn't trade him for the world. Yes, the road was hella rocky, but after a few years he eased up on me. At one point in time, I swear he liked me, but he denied it so good I just left well enough alone. Besides, he always said I was the sister he never had, so that was all I needed to know.
"Fuck you smiling for?" I shook my head and stood up, grabbing his plate and taking it to the kitchen.
"Thinking about how we first met and how I beat that ass that day." He kissed his teeth and lay back on the couch laughing.
"YO Lia got that ass whooped that day, shit my mom tore my ass red for putting my hands on you." I laughed
"Them was they days, who would have known you would have ended up being my bestie," I said as I laid my head on his leg and tuned into the TV. He laid his arm on my waist, letting his hand fall onto my tummy. I didn't really find it weird because we had been doing this for years.
I felt my phone vibrate. I pulled it out and saw there was a message from Mister Man, whose name is Braylon.
"I miss you! You gonna FaceTime me later?"
I smiled and replied before I could send the message. Kris grabbed my phone from my hand and read the message aloud.
"Who is this Braylon nigga?" I sat up and snatched my phone back, pressing send.
"This guy I been talking to." I smiled and bit my lip, looking at my phone and seeing him typing, which made me smile even more.
"What you been? How long is that?!" I shook my head
"For a few months, maybe 6." He gasped and placed his hand on his heart.
"And your airhead ass is just now telling me? So much for a best friend." He sat back dramatically. "So when imma meet dude?"
And there it goes, that damn question. All he gonna do is embarrass me anyways.
"Maybe next week. He plans to take me to dinner and wants me to wear my best. I think this is the one, Kris, I really do." I trailed off and looked up at him. At first, I thought I saw an annoyed expression on his face, but he quickly replaced it with a soft smile and a head nod.
"We gone see, aye, I'm finna ride. You still coming by the crib tomorrow since you off, ma been asking for you." I smiled and nodded as I walked him to the door. "Besides, don't wanna keep Brandon waiting for you to call." I kissed my teeth and laughed, hugging him. He held on a little longer than he usually does and nudged his face in the crook of my neck, taking in a big sniff. It made my spine tingle, and I pushed him off.
"The hell you got going on?" He jumped back like he hadn't noticed what he just did, but laughed it off and walked up to me, pushing me against the wall, looking at me.
"Lemme get that ma..." I looked at him like he was crazy, making him fall to the floor laughing,
"The face you made, your ass is so easy to fuck with, I swear. Let me get my ass outta here, man. Niggas is blowing my shit up now so I got things to handle, I'll catch you tomorrow, Love you big head." I shook my head, said bye, and told him I loved him too, then closed and locked my door and headed up to my room once I made sure everything was good downstairs. Once I got in bed, I called Bray, and we talked while he worked and I watched TV.
That Kris plays too damn much.
