Watching from the Sidelines

Chapter 15

"What's up Ray?" Tony asked when he came inside the house, "Hey baby", he said giving Brittany a kiss.

"Hey Tony", Raven replied.

"Hey", Brittany said, "You want something to eat?"

"I'll eat something later babe", he said sitting down at the kitchen table across from Raven.

"Yo, what's up with you Ray? Who you mad at baby girl?" Tony asked studying her face.

"I'm good", she said looking away.

"Naw, you ain't good. Who did something? My brother?" He asked, "I knew it", he said when she didn't reply.

"Yo, what-" Tony stopped in midsentence when he heard the front door close, "Yo, J!"

"What's up?" he mumbled walking into the kitchen.

"Come here", Tony said pointing at the chair next to Raven, the only seat left at the table.

"Aye, I'm good", he said putting his hands up as if surrendering, and backing out of the kitchen to go to his room.

"Boy, get your ass in this kitchen and sit down!" Tony yelled.

JG walked back into the kitchen, and sat down in the chair next to Raven.

"What's up?" JG asked.

"What's wrong with my baby girl over here? What you do to her?"

"You asked her?" JG asked looking at Raven.

"I'm out", Raven said getting up.

"Naw, baby girl, you family. We about to talk this shit out", he said waving for her to sit back down.

"I-"

"I, what?" he said cutting her off, "Sit down".

Reluctantly she sat down.

"Now back to you", he told JG, "Don't give me no bullshit answer like that, straight up", he said.

"Mane, she tripping over some shit her friend told her about me", JG replied.

"What shit?" Tony asked.

"Mane y'all treating me mean, yo. Acting like I'm the bad guy or something".

"Naw, I just want this shit straightened out", Tony said.

"Yo, I was at this party couple months back. I got fucked up, I could barely walk. Her lit friend", he said pointing at Raven, "was all over a niggah. We got into some things, and she caught feelings. You see that was a one night thing for me. You can't turn no hoe into no house wife. I wasn't even checking after that girl. She on some other shit, talking about I played her", he said angrily.

"Tell me how the fuck I played her, yo!" he yelled.

"Yo, you better calm your ass down", Tony said.

"Naw, this shit been pissing me off. That's why I went over there and checked that bitch. She got one more thing to say to me dog, I swear I'm fed up. This shit happened in January. I don't see her acting stank towards these other niggas she done been with. She know they would get in her ass, but I ain't bout to put my hands on no female".

"Ray, you ain't got shit to say about this?"

"No", she said wiping away her tears. She sat back and folded her arms across her chest.

"So, you good?" he asked.

She nodded her head.

"Then why you crying ma?" Tony asked.

"She lying, yo. She still mad. See, that's what I don't get about females. They say they don't want you, but as soon as you with another female, they want you."

"I know you're not talking about me, because that's the reason I don't want you now. You mess around with all these females, then want to be all in my face. I'm not stupid", Raven said.

"You ain't stupid, but you naïve as hell. I bet Nadia told you that shit too. You got your head stuck so far up her ass, that you can't see what's right in front of you. Ain't no females, been coming by, and ain't none done called or texted me. Tell me what females I been messing with", he said turning in his chair to face her.

"Boy, calm down. Back up off of her, before she punch your ass", Tony said laughing.

Raven smiled, and JG and Brittany laughed along with Tony.

"Aye, but listen baby girl, J telling the truth. Look like your lit friend telling you all this, because she want what you got. I ain't saying J an angel now, but he ain't around here dogging females out either. He know better", Tony said smiling, "You got me?"

"I got you", Raven replied.

"Ya'll good?" he asked looking from JG to Raven.

"Yeah", they both said.

"Good", he said rising from his chair, "Bae, I'm about to take a shower and go to bed", he said kissing Brittany on the forehead.

"Okay, I'll be there in a few", She said standing and grabbing her and Raven's plates from the table, "Jaron you hungry?"

"Naw, I'm good. You can go ahead and go to bed, I got the dishes", he said taking the plates from her hand.

"Thank you", she said walking out of the kitchen, "Goodnight!" she called back.

"Good night!" they replied.

"Aye, you good for real?" JG asked putting the plates in the dish washer, and closing it.

"Yeah", she said looking up at him when he came to stand over her.

"Come here", he said pulling her out of the chair and against him.

He leaned down and kissed her on the lips.

"Listen, I'm sorry for talking to you like that, but you have to trust me. Nadia the biggest freak at that school. I ain't tell you, because I ain't think it was nothing to tell. She was the one all on me. I ain't what she say I am. You know I been feeling you, stop listening to that girl. You with me Ray?" he asked looking down at her.

"Yeah", she said smiling up at him.