The Sanders

9

Stacy
"Okay just calm down, okay?" I said as I watched Seth pace the floor. "Calm down? Call down! Malcom is my fucking brother Stacy! Them bitches got my fucking brother and you want me calm down?" He yelled. "He has a point Stacy." Lena said. "I know he do. But right now, being all angry and screaming ain't Gon get him back." I said. "I know it ain't. Me, Uncle Clevis, and the rest of us will." Seth said. "Can we just get the cops involved?" Lena asked. "The police? If the police get involved we all going down no questions asked." Seth said. "Look my daughter is already researching this whole Mafia and Empire thing up. I don't want another war outbreak and for her to glue pieces together." Lena said. "This is her family too." Seth said. "No this is yall family. I want no dealings." I said.

"You know that's real foul Selena. You get int a situation almost getting killed and the Mafia comes to your rescue but when it's one of us you want no dealings. You showing where your loyalty lies. And I see that you're not a team player." Seth said. "A team player? Seth nobody asked for y'all to help me." I said. "No but we did. Because that's what family do." Seth said before walking off.

Aaliyah
"I keep running into the same thing." I said. Me and Derek were currently in my room. We are at my dad's house while my mom was out with Aunt Stacy. Vanessa had went home early due to her mother getting sick. "Can we take a break from that?" Derek asked as he turned his phone off. "What you mean? This is the most interesting thing I've came across my entire life." I said. "I know this is exciting to you and I know you're passionate about learning more. But can we focus on us?" Derek said. "Us? As in our friend group or us two?" I asked him. "Us two. It's been almost a month and a half that I've known you and all we ever talk about is this stupid Mafia and Empire mess. When am I gonna get to know the real Aaliyah? The one who was just the new girl before all this was taught." He said.

I sat my computer down and looked at him. "Well, what do you wanna know?" I asked him. "Anything you're comfortable with telling me." He said. "Get comfy cause it's a lot." I said. He laughed and took his shoes off before sitting stretched out on my bed. I took off my slippers and sat Indian style. "Well I grew up in an adoption center. I was in there from the time I was born til a few months ago. The whole time I was in there I was waiting to get adopted. But every time somebody came I was looked over. That's how me and Vanessa met. The only difference is after we got older I still had hope and she didn't." I said. "I've asked about my real mom. All I had left of her was a letter. I'd read it everyday hoping that she would be the one to come and get me." I said.

"When Jay came to adopt me and told me that my real mom was gonna be my adoptive mom I had the happiest feeling that nobody could describe." I said smiling which caused him to smile. "Did she ever say why she gave you up?" He asked. "No, I never asked. I'm kind of scared to." I told him. He nodded his head in understanding. "I never really did much while I was in the adoption center. I only sung and drew tiny pictures." I said. "You draw?" He asked. "Depends on my mood. Sometimes I draw, sometimes I paint. What about you? Anything you want me to know?" I asked him. "That's dope and well my parents passed away years ago in a car crash. I stayed with my grandparents my entire middle school life until they passed. And so now I stay with myself." He said. "Yourself?" I asked. "Yeah. The house is in my brother's name but since he's on the road playing ball, I'm there alone." He said.

"Does it ever gets lonely? Not having any siblings to talk to?" I asked. "All day everyday. Every time I go home I'm lonely. I had to teach myself a lot. Taught myself how to cook, drive, clean. Pay bills." He said. "That doesn't sound like much." I said. "Because everything is done for you. You don't have to pay a bill or even cook. You clean your minor messes but that's it. You don't have to drive or worry about gas money because you have people to drive you. It's easier said than done." He said. "Isn't that fun though? Being on your own with no adults stopping you from doing what you wanna do?" I asked. "What's so fun about being robbed out a childhood? Im being forced to be an adult because I don't have one with me. My childhood was robbed from me. I don't have time to do what I want because I'm too focused on what I need to survive on my own. Im not spoon fed." He said.

"Neither am I." I defended. "Im not saying that you are. But you do have a lot handed to you that I wish I had." He said. It grew quiet between us two.  "I really like you Aaliyah. You're smart, passionate, confident, and pretty." He said breaking the silence. I blushed a little. "Thank you. You're actually good looking too." I said. He playfully nudged me which led me to placing a playful hit on his head. He laughed and tried to grab my arm but I caught on to his hair before he could. We ended up in a hugging position and we stayed there for a few minutes. He kicked his lips and looked at me before we kissed each other. Considering that this was my first kiss ever, I didn't know what to do. But it seemed like he did so I followed his lead. He pulled me closer to him and depend his kiss. We were caught in the moment, a very romantic moment until ... "AALIYAH!" Shit.