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His smile turned into an angry pout as he nodded his head.
“You should just let me cut it off, Zee.”
“Noooo,” he shook his head in panic.
“I don’t know why y’all keep insisting on cutting his hair. It’s obvious that he doesn’t want to,” Aneesah said as she walked in wearing her cheer practice uniform.
“I’m just playing with my boy. I don’t want him to cut his hair either, but we gotta do something about this,” I brushed my hand over his curly hair. “I’ma get him braided up real soon.”
My mom walked in from the other entrance that led to the kitchen. She’d definitely been in the den because a leopard blanket was draped around her. She had on a cheetah bonnet, a short zebra print night gown, and red, fur slippers. That was her standard, everyday at home attire.
“You must have found him a new hair stylist,” she said while going straight for the food.
“No, I didn’t find nobody new,” I replied. She stopped taking plates out the bag to look at me in disdain. Before she could start popping her shit, my other siblings began trickling into the room. They greeted me with hugs and love that usually served as a distraction from whatever I had going on, but nothing could take my mind off the news I got a few hours ago.
“Let me talk to you in the kitchen, Mama,” I said once my siblings were seated at the table and digging into their food. Aneesah was grinning at me because she was already privy to what was going on in my life. It was her and Aspen who’d clued me in last weekend, so I had already talked to them about what was going on. We had our own group chat separate from our younger siblings and it had been a lot more active since Aspen went away to college in Baton Rouge.
“I was just about to say the same thing,” she pursed her lips as she stared at me irritably while walking away.
“So you back fucking with that bitch, huh?” She turned to me and questioned as soon as we entered the kitchen.
“Hol’ up, we not gon’ do that disrespectful shit. For real.”
“I can do whatever the fuck I want when it’s concering my children! That girl played you, so if you’re dealing with her again that’s crazy. But ya’ know what, you can do what you want but please leave Zee out of it. He’s a baby and he can’t defend or speak for himself.”
My eyes tightened as I glared down at her.
“Man, you know damn well Lourdes wouldn’t do shit to hurt an innocent child. Don’t go pulling shit out yo’ ass because you don’t like her. Ion’ even fuck with her like that and I wouldn’t go that far to say some stupid shit like that. And if you think Zee can’t speak for himself then you don’t know him that well. Even if he doesn’t say something his actions will and he’s always loved being around Lourdes. She’s the only one he lets do his hair…now think about that and ask yourself do you really think she’d do him something?”
“That was the past. You never know what somebody will do when they’re mad or jealous.”
“What makes you think she’s either of those things?”
“Because Naz is back in the picture and I know you won’t stop dealing with her just because you're entertaining Lourdes again.”
“Say, just let me lay everything out because you got it all wrong.”
“Alright, go ahead, Armias,” she crossed her arms with a boot in her mouth.
“First off, stop trying to make my situation with Naz more than what it is. She’s the homie and I care about her, but you know I’ve never had deep feelings for her. If I had, we would've been more than friends long before I ever met Lourdes.”
“Boyyy, don’t act like you haven’t been treating that girl like your woman lately.”
“Yea, we have been dating recently but it’s not on no exclusive shit. You’re talking about her like I’m in love and can’t do without her in my life.”
“Chileee, that’s messed up. Lourdes must suck a mean dick to have you talking down on Naz when she’s done nothing but hold you down and stick beside you.”
My face balled up in disgust. “Again, stop talking because you sound crazy. Like I said before, Naz is the homie so I’m not talking down on her. I’m simply saying how I feel about her and I’ve always been 100% honest with her. It ain’t like I’m telling her that we go together or that I’ma marry her one day. I’ve never been the nigga to sell dreams. I don’t even know why you’re so stuck on Naz because you don’t even like her for real and she’s irrelevant to this conversation.”
“I brought her up because I thought you were with her now and that Lourdes was in the past. But go ahead and tell me how she won you over after doing you dirty.”
“I’m not back messing with Lourdes, but we will be in each other's lives forever.”
She was dumbfounded for only a few seconds. Then astonishment overcame her and she gasped.
“Awwww lawd,” she bent over, clutching her knees. “Nooooo!” She stood up with her hands over her face. She turned away and threw her head back. “I know this boy not trying to tell me that this girl is pregnant!”
“Say, all the dramatics not called for.”
