Take Away From Me

2020

It was New Year's Eve, the time of year when I was actually happy about my life. I was ready to kick off into the next year with nothing but continued positivity and growth.

"Rome!" my mom yelled.

"Yes!"

"Come here."

I got up out of my bed, and walked to her room, "Yeah, Ma?" She was sitting up on her bed, wrapped in her fluffy white covers, reading the Kohl's catalog with her reading glasses on.

"Did you figure out what you're wearing for church tonight?"

"Nah, I don't think I'm going this year. I wanna try something different."

Please don't try this at home, aight? Unless you're grown enough to not get ya face smacked the fuck off, do NOT tell a church mother that you ain't gonna praise Jesus till midnight. I'm still surprised I survived.

She frowned with confusion, "Try something different'? We go to church every year to pray and thank God for the new year."

I sat on her bed, "Yeah I know, but we do the same thing every New Year's. I think I'm gonna go to my friend's house and watch the ball drop tonight."

She nodded but I could tell she didn't agree with my decision, "Well alright ...You hanging out with Jeremy and the guys?"

"Yeah."

"How's Kassidy doing? Have you spoken to her?"

I smiled from the thought of just thinking of her. "Yeah, she's doing good. She's enjoying her time up in Florida with her sisters. I was just on the phone with her last night, and she said she's coming back on the third."

"That's good. You must really like this girl since y'all been hanging out everyday."

I made a big cheese, "Yeah, I do. I really do, Ma."

She smiled, "Well I'm happy for you, baby. Have you met her family yet?"

I had to think about it for a second, and was shocked, myself, at the answer, "Nah, not yet."

"Why not?"

"I'm not sure. She just hasn't introduced me yet. I don't know."

"Oh, okay, I'm just asking."

"Oh. But nah, I haven't."

"Well, have you been to her house?"

"Yeah."

She squinted with confusion, "And you didn't meet her parents?"

"Well, her parents are divorced, so I was over her mom's house. But no, I didn't meet her because she wasn't there."

She nodded and said, "I'm asking because I wondered why she would bring you that far into her domain, but wouldn't introduce you to her mom."

I started thinking. I thought about the last time I saw her, and how she snuck me in and out of her house when her mom came home. I didn't think anything of it back then, but when my mom brought it up, it made me curious. I mean, I obviously didn't tell her that I was snuck in, but it seemed like she knew anyway. Mothers can read your mind, like a superpower.

She asked, "What's her mom's name?"

I started getting annoyed from all the questions, "I don't know, Ma."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I'm not trynna pressure her into meeting her parents yet, 'cause it's only been a few weeks."

She put her catalog down, and took off her reading glasses, "Yeah but for one, y'all been hanging out everyday, and two, you've been to her house already."

"Ma, when she wants to, she will."

She put her glasses back on and continued with her catalog, "Alright, no need to get riled up. Just being a curious mother."

My father walked in the room with some sagged down boxers, showing his crack, no socks, and t-shirt. I immediately got up to leave, cutting the conversation with my mom short.

Before I left the room, I asked her, "You making breakfast after church?"

"I don't know if there's any need because, ya sisters are going out to eat after church, and you're gonna be out with the boys, so there isn't much sense of it."

I laughed, "'Much sense?' Ma, I'ma come back home and eat no matter what I do."

"Well, alright now. If I make some food, you better eat it."

"I will," I said and walked back into my room across the hall.

I wanted to hear Kassidy's voice so I called her up, "Good morning, baby girl." I said when she answered the phone.

"Hey cutie."

It sounded like she was cooking with her sisters, from the sound of loud voices and pans sizzling in the background. "What y'all doing?"

"Cooking some breakfast."

"Oh, word? Save me some!"

She laughed, "And how are you gonna get it?"

"Send it through the mail, or put ya hand through the phone?"

"Through the mail? It's gonna be all soggy and what not by then! That would be dope if we could send stuff through the phone, though."

Her sisters were trying to be nosey. One of them asked, "Who you talking to?"

She responded to them jokingly, "Mind ya business!"

I sat on the phone for about two minutes while she was having side conversations with her nosey ass sisters. Damn, I hated talking to people who did that.

My patience was lowkey running thin, "You wanna just text me or call me back?"

"Nah, hold up, I'm about to go in another room so I can talk to you."

"Aight."

The background was finally quiet and I asked, "How's ya morning been?"

"It's straight. My sisters woke me up early so we made some breakfast. I was having a good sleep, too."

"That's wassup. You dreamed?"

"Nah, I really don't be dreamin' like that to be honest."

"Really? I dream almost every night."

"I mean, like I dream, but I never remember anything."

"So you just be dozin' off in the dark?" I laughed.

She giggled, "Yeah, I mean, I guess. I'd rather do that than be dreaming of getting shot in the head, like you be doing."

"Shut up. That only happened like one time."

"I wish you were here with me, to celebrate the new year, though."

"Yeah I know, me too. I'm about to get a plane ride up there right now!" I said, jokingly.

"I promise I'll be waiting for ya fine ass, too."

"I wish I could."

"My sisters would be asking you all these questions like they cops. They wouldn't leave ya neck."

"I'm sure I could take the heat."

"Nah, not my older sis. She'll be mean as hell and ask you mad uncomfortable questions. She love putting people on the spot."

"Nah, they would love me, 'cause I'm just that nigga!"

"'Kay Rome, we gonna see, then."

"Bet. We will."

"So what you doing tonight to celebrate?"

"Uh, I'ma go chill with the fellas tonight. I usually go to church but I wanted to try something different, because I've been doing the same thing since I was born."

"Oh, okay. What y'all about to do?"

"I have no idea, yet. We might go out but most likely we'll end up chillin' at one of our houses, order some food, and watch the ball drop. Just kick back."

"Oh, that sounds cool. When you gonna introduce me to ya friends?"

"Whenever. You never really asked, but I was just gonna get to it eventually. So, when you get back, I got you."

"Okay, can't wait!"

"So, what you got planned for tonight?"

"Me and my sisters are going to church and we're probably gonna get something to eat after."

"Oh, you going to a church down south? You about to be in there all night 'cause southern preachers don't know how to stop!"

She sighed, "Yeah, I know right? I'm not trynna be in there all night. I'ma thank God real quick, and hopefully my sisters are gonna wanna leave."

"I don't care what time it is, I'ma call you and open the new year with you, since I can't do it physically. I miss you. You need to hurry up and come home."

She giggled, "Just a couple more days, bae."

Kassidy and I spoke on the phone for a couple more hours before she had to give her attention back to her sisters. So, I hit Kevin up to see what was going down later.

"We about to pop through this chick crib ona south end of Ranford. Jeremy told me she havin' a kickback. Supposedly y'all knew her."

"Who?" I asked

"Think he said her name was Autumn."

I started thinking for a second then said, "Redheaded light-skin chick?"

He laughed, "Nigga, I don't know. I'm not from 'round there. But he said y'all knew each other."

"Oh, then that's her."

"He said it's 'bouta be straight over there."

"Aight, I'm down then." I laughed, "You bringing Candice?"

He sucked his teeth, "Yeah, I got to. Talking about we needa spend more time together and enter the new year on the right foot. Like, I already spend enough time with her ass."

I kept laughing because he was so tight. "What the hell you gotta girl for if you don't wanna chill with her, especially on New Years?"

He sounded annoyed. "To keep it a buck, it's about to be a wrap for her anyway, 'cause she always on my dick about shit I'm doing. She stay asking me who I'm texting or going through my phone. "

"Shut up nigga, you love dat girl. You been with her since we started."

"Yeah, nah don't get me wrong, that's wifey but sometimes she be gettin' me tight."

"See."

"I don't wanna chill with her 'cause I know it's gonna be some bitches there. New year, new hoes."

"You already got pussy though...ya girl."

"Nah fuck that, I get that all the time."

I laughed, "Yo, you gotta chill, bro. What if she's fucking around on you, like you do on her?"

He said nonchalantly, "Aye, she prolly is, to be honest. I don't trust these hoes."

"Shaking my head. Whatever you say, bro."

The guys pulled up at about ten. Of course, I was best dressed without even really trying. I'm just that negus. My Black "Get This Money" hoodie, gray joggers, and thirty-five degrees KD Sevens was a dope combination. My skin fade was still a couple days fresh, so I ain't trip. I wasn't trying to impress anyone, anyhow.

I heard Dwight's loud voice when he rolled down the window yelling my name, hyped as always. The way his dreads flapped all over the place when he stuck his head out the window was funny. The bronze color of his hoodless zip up jacket, with the imprinted orange and blue New York Knicks logo stood out through the darkness. For once, he rubbed off on me. I was happy, and nothing was taking me down from that high.

He gave a big cheesy smile, showing all his teeth, and yelled, "MY NIGGA, Rome! GET YO ASS IN THIS CAR. WE 'BOUTA FUCK SHIT UP TONIGHT UNTIL 2020, NIGGA!!"

"Yo, you crazy, my boy," I laughed and dapped in him up on the way the back seat.

"Girl" by The Internet was bumping through the speakers. Jeremy turned his head and smiled, saying, "What's good, kid?"