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"Samira what?" Ski interrupted.
"I just- wanna be happy again." She spoke. Jahseh took a deep breath.
"You're not happy with us?" Jahseh questioned. Samira sighed before speaking.
"Jahseh you know what I mean. For like half of my life I've longed to see my dad again. Yes you guys have made me the happiest I've ever been in 11 years but I think I'd be happier with him." She explained.
"Really Samira?" He sighed. He scratched his forehead before opening his mouth to speak.
"... it's us or him." Samira's mouth opened slightly. Her dad interjected.
"She said she wants to stay here, so she's gonna stay here." He spoke, standing up. Jahseh clench his fists. His eyes filled with anger.
"Nigga sit the fuck down!" Ski interrupted, holding Jahseh back.
"Samira? Who is it? Us or him?"
"Really Jahseh? A ultimatum?" Samira spoke, her voice full of disappointment. Jahseh simply stared at her waiting for an answer.
"Fine. I'm staying with my dad. And that's final." She out her foot down. A single tear brimmed Jahseh's right eye.
"Okay." He nodded.
"But Jahseh, this can't be my last time seeing you-"
"No." Jasheh mumbled, walking to the side of the bed to grab his stuff. Ski did the same.
"Jahseh please. We can keep in touch.. please Jahseh please." She continued to beg.
"You made your decision." He picked up his bags and made his way towards the door. Samira gripped his arm. He shook her hand off.
"Good luck." He said coldly, walking out. Ski followed. He slammed the door.
Jahseh swung his bag onto his shoulder Ski was still packing his stuff.
"You sure vro? We should go see Samira first." Ski asked while placing a pair of jeans in his bag.
"She made her decision. 'ThAtS fInAl'." Jahseh mocked samira.
"Nigga. You know damn well you wanna go see her."
"No I don't. She wants to stay so imma just let her be." Jahseh said taking his phone out his pocket.
"Then what are you gonna do when you get home?" Ski asked.
"I think imma just get things right with Don. I need to start making money again." Jahseh spoke.
"You gotta be joking. Like Don Don.... the one that jumped Sam? The one that killed her Grandma? The one that tried to fight you?" Ski has some frustration in his voice. Jahseh simply nodded.
"Look vro, I understand you're hurt, but you can't just cut her off because she has priorities." Ski began to explain before Jahseh interrupted.
"She chose the nigga that caused her all her pain over me."
"My nigga, you're not listening. She has feelings too. She's gonna do what she wants to. So there's no point in fucking walking around all sad and shit. Y'all could still be friends. The very least you could do is say goodbye." Ski explained.
"Whatever nigga." Jahseh said picking up the rest of his things and opening the door. Ski did the same and followed him out the door.
They made their way out the hotel and into the streets. The train tracks weren't too far from where they stayed so there was no need for an Uber.
•••
Samira sat down at the large dinning table and placed her napkin in her lap.
"Samira! Come watch Cars with me!" Tyler yelled from the top of the stairs.
Her father's "new family" accepted her pretty well, except for his new wife. Strangely enough, she never saw Shalise around the house.
Tyler reminded her so much of Roni. How enthusiastic and jittery he was made Samira think of Roni every time he saw her.
It had finally come to her that she was becoming just like her dad. If she were to stay, she would be causing the exact same pain to JoJo and Roni that her dad had caused her. Though this is true, she'd be worse than her father because she had left with no warning. She hadn't said goodbye to anyone.
This guilt ate her alive. Although she longed to leave, she couldn't just leave her father like that.
She checked the time on her phone, from what she remembered they would've been leaving for the train in just an hour.
"Dad I'm gonna go somewhere. I'll be back eventually." Samira announced running up the stairs to gather her things.
"Samira wh-" Her dad began, but stopped as she ascended up the stairs.
After only 3 minutes she reappeared downstairs and headed for the door. She opened it and practically sprinted down the street.
She checked the time and realized that the train would come by in only 30 minutes, and it was a 45 minute walk.
She knew that she was entirely too tired to run the whole way, but she could not give up. She also knew that she looked like a crackhead, running up the streets with a duffle bag on her back.
She continued to sprint down the sidewalk. Both of her ankles began to burn. She could see the steep hill which the train tracks were on in the distance.
"Come on bro, we gotta hurry." Ski said throwing his bag on the train. Jahseh nodded and threw his bag on the train after Ski. They both climbed on the train. Ski noticed Jahseh staring at something before he shut the train door. Seconds later the train pulled off...
Samira looked at the time on her phone, 12:29 just one minute before the train would've left. She saw Ski and X climbing into the train car. She waved her arms in the air frantically, in search for their attention.
Jahseh gave her a cold, heartless stare from the train. Just as the time struck 12:30, he shut the door. Seconds later the train pulled off into the distance.
