Finding my Happiness

Smoke & Drink Pt. 2

2 Hours Later

"Shit I'm hungry Jazz what you got to eat?!" Danny exclaims as I hit him in the arm.

" Shhhhh! Everyone is sleeping stupid!" I whisper loudly as we try to close the back door quietly.

"Damn you right my bad." Darryl says trying to quietly giggle.

We try to walk very cautiously to the kitchen, but I swear the house just wants to be a snitch today. Every step we take, a loud creaking noise escapes.

But then I just think to myself and wonder why the fuck I gotta be paranoid in my own house? What the Michael's are gonna ground me? Bitch please!

"This is dumb why we have to sneak around? Isn't this your house?" Darryl asks as he tip toes inching closer to the kitchen.

" Yeah but do you want old man Michael cussing us out?" I whisper back.

" You right. Hurry and bring your ass in here." Darryl says finally making it into the kitchen and pulling me along with him.

" Damn chill out! I'm not no fucking rag doll!" I shout in a whisper.

" Cry baby. Now what can we eat I'm hungry." He says opening the refrigerator door as the light from the inside seeps out, radiating his face. Defining his strong jaw line and cheek bones to a T. If Darryl wasn't such an asshole I would be attracted to him too.

Not realizing I was staring at him the whole time, he throws a loose grape at me, waking me up from my train of thought.

" Hey creep come over here and let's eat these grapes." He says shaking his head as he closes the refrigerator door.

" Bitch." I mumble under my breath.

I see him sit down on the floor near the sink ripping open the bag of grapes like a fucking caveman.

" So eating a bag of chips wasn't on the menu?" I ask sitting down next to him.

" I might have the munchies but I gotta keep this body right." He says stuffing a hand full of grapes in his mouth.

" For what? You not going anywhere." I answer back while I grab a handful of grapes myself.

He looks over at me and smiles at me mischievously.

" Oh so Jazzy wants me to stay now? That's so sweet." 

I roll my eyes and playfully shove him.

" Nigga please. You know what I mean."

" Yeah that you want us to stay cause you looooove us." He says matter of factly.

" yeah of course. Michael Jackson. The version that is just all of you in one. The different versions of you are a different story." I say popping a grape into my mouth.

" But Danny is the exception tho right?" He says rasing one of his eyebrows.

He's not wrong.

" Shut up Darryl." I say snatching the grapes from him.

He quitely chuckles. " Don't be ashamed everyone knows you have a thing for him. I mean why wouldn't you. I'm basically him. I'm attractive, so is he."

" I'm not wanting to talk about my love life thank you."

" I don't know I hear wedding bells in the distance."

" Say one more thing and I'll cut your fucking tounge  out."

Darryl puts his hands up in the surrending motion.

" Alright damn. No need to get hostile."

" We'll you ruining my high." I say as he grabs some more grapes from the bag.

" Well clearly you don't have good luck with men. I'm just trying to help that's all." He says and I begin to quitely laugh.

He looks at me confused as he pops another grape in his mouth.

" What's so funny?"

" You saying you're trying to help. Bitch please."

" It's true. Jazz did you forget I grew up with an abusive father? I know all about toxic men."

I look at him and underneath the hard attitude he shows I see a lost boy in the sea of his brown eyes.

" Well you turned out fine. How come you didn't become more of an asshole that you are now?"

" For one I'm only an asshole to you little sister. And two I wanted to be nothing like my father. I saw how he treated my mother. That's not how you treat a woman." He says eating another grape.

I scoot closer to him, shoulder to shoulder with each other.

" I'm sorry you went through that. I heard the stories about your dad. I can't imagine."

" It's fine. I live with it everyday. Wonder what the old bastard is doing now since I'm dead." He says shaking his head.

His dad died about 4 years ago. I don't know if I should tell him or just let him find out himself.

I don't realize I stay quite for awhile with a worried look on my face. Darryl soon realizes.

" Jazz why you looking like that?" He ask snapping me out of my thoughts.

" Oh I was just in my own head that's all. Nothing for you to worry about."

" Mhmmmm." He says not convinced but continues to dig in the bag for more grapes.

" Can I ask you something?" I turn looking at Darryl.

" Yeah what's up."

" why did you defend me at the block party foreal? You didn't have to get involved with my shit but you did. Why?"

He deeply sighs and looks back at me.

" I might be a bitch to you but with me being her for only a matter of weeks I care about you just a little bit."

" Wow you really are high."

" No I'm serious Jazz. I never stood up for myself ever and.... Well since me being here you are... my family... but don't tell the others I said that. I'm not getting soft or nothing."

Family?

I smile and he rolls his eyes.

" Damn it I should have never said that."

" No you can't take it back now twinkle toes!" I say poking him in the chest.

" Whatever. Come on let's get some chips these grapes aren't doing it for me." He says getting up from the floor.

" See I told you. I bought some Doritos let's eat those with some—-".

"Hot sauce?" He says cutting me off.

I smile getting off the floor.

" What you know about Doritos and hot sauce?"

" Girl I'm black. I invented that shit. Grab the chips."
He says digging in the cabinet for the hot sauce.

" Yes sir."

If it's just me being high right now, the feeling I have with just hanging out with Darryl is just like I'm hanging out with a brother. He's an annoying mother fucker, but it's like what he said.

We're Family.