Lost.

14.

BRYSON.

The next couple hours, me and Von just sat listenin to gossip while playin 2k. After Prairie ass called herself hittin me, I took it upon myself to gone and remove myself from around her.

It wasn't shit against her, personally. All my anger is towards ma duke. Like I was tellin my sister, i'on gotta answer to our donor like she do. When I got put in da system, the family I got placed wit wasn't no better than my mama.

Shit, if anything they was worse. Abuse, neglect, sexual assault—Them sick motherfuckas used to have me wishin' I was dead. Until one night, I got my ass up and dipped in the middle of the night. I ain't have nowhere to go, no food to eat, no money. I'an have shit but the clothes on my back.

All I knew was dat I was leaving. And once I left, I never wanted to go back to dat motherfucka. So I didn't. I handled shit on my own up until I was legal. Met Von a lil before dat and we been kickin it every since.

Where dukes come in at? Exactly. Nowhere. She ain't never been in my life but i'm pose to just bow down and respect da lady? How dat shit een make sense.

But Prairie don't understand dat shit. She'on understand how hurtful it is to be put up in da system but look back and see yo mama raising other kids without a problem.

Fuck it doe. I ain't have no control over that shit so why constantly dwell on da bullshit. I love my mama but I can only do dat from a distance now.

Von passed me the blunt before he shook his head, claimin da game was cheatin. I chuckled.

"Nigga, you trash." I said, shit talkin.

"Fuck you."

"Bryson! Come here." Kim yelled. I paused the game and got up.

We so damn smacked, I ain't een smell Kimberly cookin. I walked in the kitchen and sat on a stool as she walked over to me holdin a fork.

"Here. Taste this." She said, as I bit the steak off of the fork.

"Say on yo mama you just made dis." I said, gettin up after she walked away.

"Why you actin surprised? You know I does dis." Kim boasted. I looked in all the pots on the stove and rubbed my hands together.

She had made baked potatoes, steak, broccoli, shrimp, and baked macaroni. This shit about to hit. Kimberly called everybody in the kitchen and we all sat down. Kim sat a plate in front of me and herself before sittin down.

"Preciate it, baby." I said.

"You muthafuckas bipolar as hell." Von told us as he shook his head.

I looked over at Kim, who was lookin down smirkin. I shook my head and began eatin my food. Prairie smacked my hand and gave me a stern look. A look dat reminded me so much of dukes.

"We didn't bless the food, yet! Fat ass." Prairie said. I put my hands up in surrender, wit my fork still in my hand. I sat it on my plate as we all linked hands.

"God, we thank you for this meal that we're about to consume. I pray that there's many more days and nights in our future for us to do so as a family. I ask that you watch over and protect my boys, Von and Bryson. And in return, we'll give you all the praise and glory. Amen." Prairie said, openin her eyes.

We all said amen and dropped hands. I couldn't help but to look over at Kimberly again. Even doe she don't want me in her business, I plan on keepin her away from her lil nigga.

I'on know why or how I ain't blank on dawg the first time I seen him. Kimberly ass got me all fucked up. Like I said, I grew up on respectin women but da respect I got for Kim is on a different level. The shit is frustratin.

I knew if anything jumped off, I was gone be the nigga dat got all the heat. That shit don't een nearly make sense, especially cause all i'm tryna do is look out.

That domestic violence shit ain't no joke. It's bout a million mufuckas dat done lost their life cause of it. By the time somebody een think about leavin da relationship alone, their partner done already caught on and the shit just don't end up lookin too bright for one or the other.

In Kim's case, by da time she figure out dis shit ain't love, it's gone be too late. Then everybody gone be fucked up, talkin bout what should'a went down when we can end all dis shit right now.

It ain't een bout ol dude. I got bodies and i'on mind addin one more. The point is, if he end up doin da wrong shit one day, instead of it just bein one less body on dis mufucka, it's gone be two. One dats gone be well mourned, might een fuck everybody up mentally.

I shook my head as I lit a blunt. I heard everybody laughin, which caused me to look up.

"Fuck y'all laughin at?" I asked.

"You over there high as a bitch, and still smokin. While you eatin, nigga." Von said, chucklin.

"Dats the best time to be gettin smacked. While you eatin, on what?" I asked.

"Hell yeah." Von responded. Kimberly's phone rung as she rolled her eyes.

"Hello." She answered, agitation clear in her voice now.

"Who dat?" Von asked. Kim held the phone up as we all looked at it. It was her ex nigga.

Von took da phone out her hand. "Aye. What you callin my sister for?" He asked.

"Fuck off her line wit the goofy shit." And wit that, Von ended the call.

Von ass be heated wit dis nonchalant ass aura. Especially when he into it with somebody. He don't say too much cause niggas don't need to try to guess his next move. If he wana scrap, he gone let you know dat so you won't try to front yo shit. Just like me.

But all dat threatenin shit? Niggas know it don't hold no weight. Our goal is not to have niggas scared of us, it's for them to be aware of who we is and what we capable of.

"What he wanted?" Kimberly asked. I shook my head.

Here Kim go wit da dummy shit again. Von looked up at her wit the quickness. Jhasi sighed, already knowin how dis fina go.