Brown Sugar

9. Not Gone Cry

-Brooklyn-

Listening to Booby cry to me all night last night, begging me to stay with him wasn't easy. Of course a few tears slipped from my eyes but for our relationship to thrive I have to stay strong. As far as seeing Salem again, I have my own plan for that. Booby may say he's ready for this child but he isn't and if anyone knows that to be true, it's Aundrus and I. The boy can barely take care of himself for a long time, let alone another human being.

After looking over my color coded notes for the last time, I closed my notebook and climbed down from the stool, pushing it up to the island.

"Good morning baby." Booby spoke groggily and embraced me from behind, resting his head on my shoulder.

"Hey." I replied as loud as I could, my was voice still quite hoarse from crying all night. My lips met his for a kiss before I turned away and headed into the kitchen with Damon.

"Big head" I said behind a cough as I reached next to him to grab the strawberry Special K cereal.

"Pussy nigga! Woo, oh my bad." He countered behind a sneeze, before handing me two bowls, spoons, and the milk after he finished using it.

"Uhm, whatever." I rolled my eyes and fixed two bowls of cereal for Booby and I. For a brief moment I could actually feel Damon's eyes burning holes through my back. Although my heart was crying for help at the sign of someone noticing my sorrows, I shut off my emotion and kept moving.

"Sis?" He muttered to himself as he followed me into the living room with his bowl of cereal. As a good host I'd rather keep Damon out of my personal problems but, as his friend I need to vent to him so I can assure myself that I'm doing what's best for me.

"Thank you baby, I 'preciate it." Booby thanked me as he took the bowl out of my hands and made room for me next to him on the love seat. Although I took my seat a few inches away from him, he still managed to get closer to me. This is one of the things that annoy the hell out of me with him. He will see that I don't want to be around him but will ignore all of the signs and continue to smother me until I'm not mad anymore.

"Uhm..."

If the circumstances were different, then maybe the sound of spoons clinking to bowls, birds chirping, and background music from the 2k menu wouldn't be the only noise filling the room. It felt rather sickening, almost enough to make me vomit.

"So..." Booby cleared his throat finally breaking the excruciatingly awkward silence, "Brooklyn, I talked to Salem a minute ago and uh, she got a doctor's appointment on tomorrow morning."

"I'll wake you up, what time is it gonna be?" I asked, feeling slightly ashamed. Pride aside, this is important and has to be discussed.

"8:30, but I...I want you to be there too." He cracked a hopeful smile and softly caressed the part of my thigh exposed from my silk night gown, making my heart skip a beat.

"I'll be right by your side baby." I smiled back without trying. In the back of my mind I knew I'd have to email the teachers of my morning classes to let them know that I would be missing class.

"Thank you." He responded with a kiss on my cheek before he left the room to shower and get ready for his afternoon class.

"The fuck was that?" Damon asked, practically throwing his bowl on the coffee table.

"What?" I asked, but I knew exactly what he was referring to.

"Brooklyn Giovanna Clarke, get on the balcony right now." He said sternly. I sat my bowl down on the coffee table as well and exited onto the balcony as Damon held the door open for me. He came out with me and slid the door closed slowly and quietly. I picked up the piece of a blunt I had last night from the small table and reclined in a chair hidden from the inside by the curtain. Damon took his seat in from of me and shielded the fire from the wind as I lit the blunt and pulled from it.