TUNNEL VISION

001

"Mama!" Selene said peering around the house for her mother. "Why're you screaming this early in the morning?" Kenya shouted out groaning as she sat up in her bed. Selene skipped in her parent's room as Kenya nodded being awoken from her slumber. "You coming with me today?" The sixteen year old says plopping down on her mom's bed. "It's today?" Kenya asks and Selene nods.

"Sorry baby I can't. My shift starts in a hour" Kenya say turning back to her daughter and the 15 year old's face dampens. "He's going to want to see you Ma" She says frowning and Kenya shakes her head. "No he won't Selene. You know he won't" The mother says trying to find her scrubs in her closet. "Take Solei with you and bring back some of those muffins your daddy likes" the woman says passing her a twenty dollar bill from her purse which Selene gratefully accepts.

"Okay. Bye mama." Selene says getting up from her bed. "Love you to the moon!" Kenya shouts out making her daughter smile at their little mantra. "And back!" she says finishing the mantra and making her way to older sisters room.

She knocks opening the door to be met with Solei sitting at her vanity. "You trying to go see Salim with me?" She asked popping her head through the door. "Good morning to you too Selene. How'd you sleep?" Solei says sarcastically and Selene rolls her eyes smiling. "But yeah. I'm driving though" Solei says grabbing her keys from her desk and Selene huffs.

"That isn't fair lay! I never get to drive" Selene says groaning. "You know damn well Momma and Daddy don't trust you on the highway. Now c'mon" Solei says hopping out of her room. Selene rolls her eyes silently flipping her off making her way out of the room.

She walks into the kitchen as she ignores Solei's calls out for her. "Hey daddy" She says side hugging her father as he walked out from his bedroom. "Hey moon cup" he says pecking her forehead as Selene toasts a waffle. "Where you two going?" He has grabbing one of the girls waffles for himself making her intensely side eye him for a minute.

"We visiting Salim cause this the last time we finna see him until he gets out next month" She explains snatching her waffle back biting it. "Now you know I was about to eat that Amaris." He says deadpanning her and she shrugs leaving the kitchen. "Bye daddy! Love you!" The sixteen year old says departing from the house meeting her sister downstairs.

She gets in the car immediately plugging her phone into the aux. Solei stares at her appalled at the action as '2 on' by Tinashe starts to play through the car speakers. Selene starts to move her body to the beat as Solei rolled her eyes.

"Your lucky I low key fuck with this vibe today"

"So how you been puffy?" Salim said as him and Solei finished their conversation. "Aight. My birthday coming up soon so I gotta plan something for it." She says shrugging. "When's your release date again?" Solei says looking at her older brother. "The 29th" he replied shortly and Selene's eyes light up.

"You going to be back in time?" She asks curiously praying to God that she was right in her suspicions. "Hopefully. If one of these lame ass niggas don't try me" he says looking back on the other inmates who were also visiting their relatives.

"Even if don't let them try anything. Avoid them cause the whole block wants you back home" Solei says and Selene nods. "I'll try. But what's been happening since I was gone?" He says leaning in which earns him a look from the guards as he always makes Selene sigh.