Bunny

62

Isaiah picked me up along with the bag I'd packed to stay at his place for the night.

He reversed out of my driveway.

"Are any of your other friends going to be there?" I asked.
"Yea, Dre, Langston, Kareem. Kevin has some family thing so if he show up at all it'll be late."
"Okay..."
"You nervous?"
I didn't answer.
He snickered. "I told you nobody's gonna bother you."
"I know...but still."

We arrived in Westdale after about fifteen minutes and you can always tell by the gradual change in scenery. The amount of people standing outside on their front porches and holding conversations. Most of the homes didn't look that well kept. I felt bad about how their neighborhoods and homes were completely ignored by the city council and state representatives as a whole. It didn't make sense for them to live like this.
I looked at Isaiah and just remembered this was where he was raised.
I don't think any child should be put in these conditions.
But when it's all you can get...

We turned down a street and I could already hear music blaring.

I saw people walking down the road in the same direction and wondered where they were going.

We approached a house that had a front yard filled with cars and more were parked in a line down the street.

"Tell me this isn't where we're going..." I begged Isaiah.
"I can't 'cause then I'd be lyin'."
The entire city is at this house. I am going to faint.
"Come on, I'ma be next to you the whole time." he promised and got out of the car.
I took a deep breath before I got out too.

We walked together towards the house and I messed with my hands as we did.
Until Isaiah took one of them and held it in his.

I could hear all of the voices from outside and the music that mostly dated from the 70s to the early 90s.

We got to the house and I saw LJ, Kareem, and Dre sitting together in lawn chairs with plates in their laps as they spoke to one another. The yard was full of several people conversing and I even saw 'Rest In Peace' and 'Justice for Deion' signs in the front yard.

Isaiah walked us over to his friends.

"What's up, man," said Dre and he and Isaiah did their handshake.
Isaiah got to LJ and Kareem too.
"You alright?" he asked Dre.
"I mean...no. But I'll be alright at some point. Gotta be."
Isaiah nodded.
"What's up?" LJ greeted me.
"Hi..." I said quietly.
All four of them laughed fondly while they ate.
I didn't know why.

"Zay!" I heard someone yell.

A guy I've seen before was walking over.

Isaiah let go of my hand and the two slapped theirs together before pulling one another into a hug.
I'm pretty sure this was Marcus.
"What's up, bro?" said Isaiah when the two let each other go.
"Nothin' much. Weird bein' here, man. I saw bro the day before they took him out. He was right about to graduate."
That made me sad.
"Man, my brother was on the honor roll and had AP classes. He wanted to go to college. He was gonna do somethin' with his life." Andre stated.
"R.I.P. to the homie, man." said LJ. "Shit's crazy."
"R. I. P." the rest agreed.

"My mom inside if you wanna say hey." Dre told Isaiah.
"A'ight, I'll talk to her."

He looked at me. "You wanna come with me or stay out here?"
"I'll go with you." I agreed.
"Alright." We headed towards the inside of the house.

I listened as everyone told Isaiah hey while we walked past and some of them looked at me. I knew that they knew I wasn't from here simply because they would've recognized me if I was.

We walked into the house and maneuvered towards the kitchen.

"Hey, Zay." some lady greeted.
"Hey, auntie."
It was more possible for her to be my aunt than his.

She looked at me. "Who's this you have with you? Girlfriend?"
"Yea."
"Oh, nice to meet you, sweetheart. My name's Lorraine. I'm Andre's mom. Everybody calls me auntie."
"It's nice to meet you too. I'm Willow." I smiled.
"Pretty girl." She smiled back.

"How you doin'?" Isaiah asked her with a gentle touch to her arm.
"As well as I can be."
"I'm sorry."
"I always wanted him to get out of here. But this wasn't what I meant." She joked the pain away.
"Well he in the best place he can be now." He hugged her.
"Yea, and that's all I gotta remember." she replied.

Another lady entered and put her hand on Isaiah's back.
She was older than Lorraine.

Isaiah turned and looked at her. "Hey, Miss Dot."
"Hi, my baby." She and Isaiah hugged.
"This is Willow." Isaiah introduced me to her and I grinned.
"This your girlfriend?" Miss Dot asked.
"Yea."
"I know that's right!" she laughed and shoved him which made him laugh too.

"It's nice to meet you, pretty girl." Miss Dot said to me.
"You too." I smiled.
"Isn't she pretty?" Lorraine added.
"Beautiful. How Isaiah's silly ass got her, we'll never know."
"Damn?!" Isaiah replied and I laughed.
"Don't you 'damn' me. Your ass is silly."
I tried to keep my laugh down.
"Come over here and get you somethin' to eat. You know better than to walk around my house without a plate." Lorraine stated.
"Ain't gotta tell me twice." Isaiah said and grabbed a plate then went to the counter.

I just stood there.

"Go on." Lorraine insisted.
"Oh...um..."
I took a plate too and followed Isaiah.

"Seem kinda soft don't she?" I heard Miss Dot say.
Damn it.

"You okay?" Isaiah asked me.
"Yea, I'm fine."
I had a question.
"Who's Miss Dot?" I wondered.
"That's Andre grandma."
"Oh. Why does everyone call Lorraine, auntie?"
"Because she's like everybody favorite auntie. She feeds you and takes care of you and other stuff."
"That's nice."
"Your neighborhood must not be like that." he scoffed.
"I've never spoken a word to my neighbors before. My dad does."
"Shy ass." he laughed.
"Leave me alone." I laughed too.