Midnights Lotus.

16 - be honest,

"How's school goin?" Lotus asked her siblings as they walked through the mall. It's been a few days since her family flew down to visit, and she was happy to see them to say the least—her siblings mostly.

There had been tension between her mother and her, but she tried her best not to let it get to her. Since she had been there, she nearly criticized everything that Lotus did, it was beginning to irritate her. She tried to remain respectful, just for the sole reason that her grandmother always preached even though she didn't raise her, she was still her mother. Lotus believed that to be bullshit, but never said anything, only to keep the peace.

"Shit it's goin'. I'm bout ready to graduate," Sheik said, cutting into his steak. Teyah nodded her head in agreement, taking a sip of her lemonade.

"Y'all almost there, I better receive an invite to y'all graduation too. I gotta show up and show out," Lotus grinned.

"We miss you, you needa come move out to California." Teyah pouted, Lotus shot her a look, and quickly shook her head. "Oh my gosh, you and mama just needa sit down and talk. We know she crazy, but she loves you."

"Yea'." Lotus scoffed, stabbing her fork into her salmon, "Only when I'm doing something beneficial for her."

"I mean I get it why you don't wanna leave though, you can't just leave Gigi and G'daddy by themselves." Sheik said. Lotus wiped her mouth with the napkin, and sat back in the chair.

"Right."

"Are you ever gonna move out though?"

"Possibly, I got folks that's always stopping by so I think I might need my own privacy—not that they care though,"

"Aww she tryna have her li'l boyfriends over," Sheik started laughing, Lotus playfully rolled her eyes and tried to keep herself from smiling.

"And if I was? I'm grown. Speaking of boyfriends though—y'all in relationships?" she raised an eyebrow, looking between her siblings. They both exchanged glances with goofy grins on their faces.

"Yea I got me a li'l shawty back home. She missing the kid," Sheik shot her a cocky smile, both Teyah and Lotus sucked their teeth, nudging one another.

"Boy whatever! Nobody missin' ya' li'l long headass. Is she at least cute?" Lotus laughed.

"Duh! I'on date ugly girls—"

"I mean I don't know about allat'." Teyah shifted in her seat, folding her arms on the table. "The last girl you dated was hit like a backwood," Lotus threw her head back and began cackling, as Sheik flicked off Teyah.

"Fuck y'all, y'all some haters." he glared at them both.

Both Lotus and Teyah's laughter finally died down, as they catch their breath. The siblings all sat there, silence falling over them. "I really did miss y'all, even if I didn't seem like I did at first. It was just—unexpected." Lotus spoke, breaking the silence at the table.

"Sometimes I wish our family was still together," Teyah sighed, playing with her nails.

"Yea well our family wouldn't be so fucked up if pops ain leave us." Sheik said, slouching down in the chair, an annoyed expression now on his face.

Lotus remained quiet, not wanting to speak on the situation much. Though their dad was still in their life, it was no secret that he was the actual reasoning for the family splitting up.

"I don't give a fuck Albert! You can't be coming into the house late throughout the nights! Where the hell do you go after you get off work!?" Lotus heard her mama yelling at her daddy, in the next room. She deeply sighed and turned over on her other side, throwing the pillow over her head to block out the obnoxious shouting that her parents were doing this time of night.