Welcome to the Neighborhood

FIFTY-SIX

BEY POV

She hasn't seen the sun in days. I feel bad but not that bad.

I couldn't just let her get away with going to some dangerous party without telling me, lying to me about where she knows she is, running away, and God knows what else.

She hasn't been talking to me. I tried to talk to her but she doesn't want to listen to me.

I don't let her go to Aaliyah's house but I let Aaliyah come over. I only let her because I know why Aaliyah's acting the way she's acting, she doesn't want to be away from Blue for more than a couple hours.

I was surprised to hear Blue knock on my door, especially since I'm forcing her to go to therapy later today.

"Come in!"

She walked in my room and stood in the doorway. "Hey mama." She must want something.

"Hey baby, goodmorning." I was just going to go along with it.

"Can you take me and my friend somewhere tomorrow?" I knew it.

"My friend and I. Which friend?"

"You don't know her, she's a new friend. Can you?"

"Is this a friend or more than a friend? Sit down."

She closed the door and sat down on my bed. "She's just a friend mama."

I can already tell this girl is more than a friend. Aaliyah would beat Blue up for hanging out with some other girl.

"What's her name?"

"Kai. It's really Kaia but everyone calls her Kai."

"And where do you want me to take y'all?"

"That African American museum."

"Hm. That sounds like somewhere you take someone on a date, doesn't it?" I'm not dumb.

"I wouldn't know, I've never been on a date. Can you take us or..?"

"Yeah, I want to meet her." I hope she's not another Nia.

"Okay. I'm going to my room." She stood up, this was the longest we spoke in a long time.

"You have therapy today, don't forget."

"No I don't, I'm not going to that."

"Like hell you are. You need it."

"I'm not the one that needs therapy, it's you. You're the one that needs to speak with a mental health professional and deal with all your problems because you have a lot of them."

"And you don't?" I'm just glad we can have an actual conversation even if we're arguing.

"No, I really don't. My only problems are the people that raised me."

"Person." If we're being honest, I'm a single mother and the only one raising her.

"Yeah, person."

"I'm not the person you need to be mad at, it's your dad."

"You can't even be disappointed in someone you have such low expectations of. What does that nigga do besides go to court and chase young girls? He's a selective deadbeat."

I would've told her to watch her mouth but it was funny.

"Still, your anger is incorrectly directed. You don't know everything that goes on because I don't tell you. When have I ever acted like I don't care about you? You're my whole fucking world Blue." She knows that.