JinXeD🔱 {Book 2}

Part 20: Insight

|{Harlem Bell}|

Harlem has always been a creature of habit.
He woke up at the same time every day, took his meds, did his regular morning routine, and then went to school/practice. But apparently his stepfather was a creature of habit too, except instead of routinely doing something productive, Kayan liked to smack Harlem's mom around.

He laid quietly and listened to his mom sob in the next room. His heart hurt to hear her crying like, but he was going to stay out of it this time. As difficult as that was going to be, he wasn't gon do shit.

That decision only lasted all of two seconds before he was on his feet, and running out of his room in rage. He found Kayan smoking in the living room with his feet on the coffee table as he watched porn, with a beer on his other hand.

Harlem quickly slapped the beer out of the man's hand and grabbed him by the throat, slamming him hard against the nearest wall. "I warned you to keep your hands off my mom you dirty piss of shit!" Harlem yelled. He pulled the man's back slightly off the wall, then slammed him right back.

"Get the fuck off me you little shit! I should kick your ass out on the street!" Kayan barked , wincing from the pain of being slammed.

"THIS IS MY HOUSE MUTHERFUCKER! Y'all staying with me! I pay all the bills around this bitch, I should kick your bitchass out!"
Harlem yelled at the top of his voice as he felt frustration seep into his body.

He lost his temper and punched the man with all his might, then watched him fall to the ground. He heard his mom open their bedroom door behind him, but before he had a chance to turn around, she hit him over the head with something. Harlem fell to the ground, gripping his head.

"Stay the fuck away from my husband!!" Harlem's mother yelled at him.

She was covered in bruises and blood, one of her eyes was swollen shut. Yet she ran to the man on the floor to make sure he was okay.

Harlem wasn't even surprised to be honest, this wasn't anything new. After his father went missing, his mom had fallen at the bottom of a Hennessy bottle and never came back up. She'd met Kayan a few years later and the man had introduced her to drugs. He started hitting Harlem not long after that, he used to call him all sorts of names and Harlem's mother would just take her husband's side. But when puberty hit and Harlem grew more than a foot taller than the man and started to hit back, Kayan stopped and turned his fury to his wife. Despite Harlem's efforts the woman wouldn't leave, and he couldn't bring himself to leave her here.

So yeah, he wasn't fucking surprised by any of this shit. He was going to mind his business tomorrow though. He was going to damn try.

He got on his feet and went into his room to get ready for school.

——

Thirty minutes later Harlem stood outside, waiting for Zaya to come pick him up. He smiled when TJ's text entered his phone, TJ was agreeing to meet him later, which automatically improved Harlem's mood.

He and TJ James had been texting back and forth for two days now, and chatting with that boy was the highlight of Harlem's day each day. TJ wasn't like anybody Harlem had ever met, which was what intrigued him the most about the boy.

Before that party a month ago, Harlem would always steal glances at him, watching him without bringing attention to himself. So imagine his delight when TJ had walked over and asked him for a smoke that night. That had sparked a conversation that led to what was easily the best night of Harlem's life so far.
Yeah they were both high, but still.

Zaya pulled up shortly after and Harlem wanted to laugh when he saw the expression on her face. This had to be the second time she was nearing the hood and she looked so fucking scared, rightful so too, because her pink convertible car made her stick out like a ho in a black church. Anyone who so much as glanced at her would know she was bougie as hell.

However no one was finna say or do shit to her as long as she was here for him, Harlem was something of a royalty around this neighborhood. Everyone in the neighborhood knew Tyrone James as a street legend that ran the streets for decades but was never caught, he didn't even have a record from what Harlem had heard. But you couldn't mention Tyrone without Harold Bell, Harlem's father.

Harlem's dad had been Mr James's partner for years before they'd eventually fallen out, but his pops had pulled his own weight, he had the respect and loyalty of a whole gang of people who still followed and protected Harlem till this day...even though he didn't need or want it. His whole life his dad's people had been pressuring him to take over the man's businesses and legacy, which would've been okay if it didn't come with baggages. They were convinced his pops wasn't just missing, that Tyrone killed him, and they wanted Harlem to take over and exact revenge, but he didn't want to be sucked into his dad's nasty past by any means, he just wanted to play ball and live a quiet life.

Harlem was about to climb into Zaya's car when another car pulled up right behind them. The loud trap music that was blasting outta the car already told Harlem who it was before he even turned around. "I'll be right back." He said to a nervous looking Zaya and went to speak to his cousin, Trouble.

Harlem dapped Trouble up when he got to him, and said "what you doing here man? I gotta go now or imma be late for practice."

Trouble took a hit of his large blunt that resembled a pipe and blew it out on Harlem's face.

"Stop fucking around man, my coach is gon kick me out if I smell like weed. What you want?"

Trouble grinned and took another hit. He had on a tank top that was white once upon a time, and a basketball short that was holding on to dear life, and in the middle of both laid a silver pistol for the world to see. Trouble made Harlem nervous, because he was always starting shit and fucking everything up, he'd been in and out of jail so much that every cop in town knew him by his first name. He didn't get that nickname for no reason after all.

"See i been hearing a lil rumor bout'chu lil cuz," Trouble chuckled. "They say you been fuckin with a nígga on some fag shit, but that ain't..."

"What! Who said that?" Harlem interrupted. His heart raced in fear that masqueraded as anger. "They lying!"

Trouble looked at Harlem for a long time, just observing and looking for any sign of weakness, when he was sure he couldn't find one he laughed out loud. "Yeah that's my boy!" He gripped Harlem's shoulder playfully. "See i never doubted you for a second, which one why I put two in that lying ass nigga head, feel me? Ain't no way a Bell finna be sucking dick, I knew det!"

Harlem swallowed nervously, and nodded.

"Aight imma see you later lil boy. Call me if anyone fuck with'chu, ANYONE!" Trouble declared and left.

"Are you okay?" Zaya asked Harlem when he got into the car a minute later.

Harlem forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah I'm aight."

Zaya shot him a suspiciously glare before flipping her hair and asked, "have you taken your meds?"

"Are you my fucking doctor? You have a medical degree I don't know bout?!" Harlem snapped. Zaya shook her head no. "THEN BACK THE FUCK UP WITH ALLAT SHIT!!"
He yelled, causing Zaya to flinch and look down.

Harlem realized what he'd just done immediately and exhaled. "I'm sorry baby, I'm sorry. C'mere." He pulled her close and hugged her.