𝖲𝗍𝗋𝖾𝖾𝗍 𝖠𝖿𝖿𝖾𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇

𝟨𝟩 | 𝖡𝖫𝖠𝖬𝖤 𝖮𝖭 𝖬𝖤

CORINNE FELT LIKE SHE WAS in limbo. The world around her was moving in slow motion and she was trying to play the role of herself and was failing.

Everybody knew something wasn't right because of how out of it she was. She had slept the entire plane ride, in the car. She only woke up to eat and when they made it to the hotel, she went right back to sleep. She had been forced into playing Uno in Kenneth's hotel room with Mariah, LJ, and Treale while Kenneth and Terrence watched football. They were about ten minutes into the second game when Demon called to check on her.

"What yo goofy-ass do to her?" LJ answers the phone the second time he called because Corinne had zero intentions of answering. "Give me my phone." Corinne says putting down a red 2, 3, and 4. "You ready to talk?" He asks. "No." She mutters. "Well Ion give a fuck if you ready or not...you gone talk about it." He says. He knew better than to say what it was. "No, I'm not. Just like I be letting you do you...you finna let me do me."

"You don't be letting me do me. Do I gotta get a flight to Houston?" He asks. "You can get a flight to hell. I told you I was straight. We'll talk when I get back." Corinne shakes her head. "Corinne."

"Adonis. I'm so serious. Leave me alone or I will find somebody that will." She says. "You talking all-out yo ass like I won't be in Houston in the morning."

"And? What you think gone change? Everything gone be the same. And if I don't want to talk to you on the phone, what make you think I'mma talk to you in person? I told you I was straight."

"No, the fuck you not. You tryna deal with this alone and you don't have to. I'm not finna let you."

"I'm not alone. I'm with my family. I know we got two different definitions of what important is but we on the same page about family. So I'm good. I'm not alone."

"So they know?" He asks, making her roll her eyes. "I'mma see yo difficult ass in the morning." Demon adds before hanging up. "This why yo ass be getting treated so bad," Kenneth tells his son. "On God. Rin giving his ass hell." LJ adds. "So why y'all arguing?" Mariah asks. "I'm finna tell you to catch a flight too." Corinne mumbles. "Yeah, what you ain't telling us?"

"Is it my relationship or yours?" She asks. "Ours," LJ tells her. "You pregnant or some?" Kenneth asks. "No, not no mo'." She says, putting out her cards. "Don't play like that," Kenneth says. "Wish I was." Corinne thinks looking down. "So how much y'all wanna bet on if he coming or not?"

"He not coming." LJ shakes his head. "Shorty...he most definitely coming," Mariah says. "You think he coming?" Terrence asks his sister-in-law. "He
said he was coming. He coming."

$ $ $

The next day Corinne felt a little better, physically. Her cramps weren't as bad or frequent and the bleeding wasn't as heavy, but she felt the same mentally. She still wasn't there. She was numb. She didn't want to be sad anymore but she knew she couldn't be happy so she settled with not feeling anything.

They were all carefully watching her. She had her headphones in listening to music as a distraction. She felt guilty for what she said to Demon and knew she would eventually have to apologize. A text notification came from Demon reading What bay y'all at?

She responds and goes back to listening to her music and mindlessly watching them golf. "Ooh, part two?" LJ asks when Demon walks up. "I'll be right back," Corinne mumbles before getting up. "I want my money," Mariah tells Kenneth while Corinne stands up. "We'll be right back," Corinne tells them making Jacobi notice she was leaving. He starts reaching for her from his mother's lap. "You wanna take him?" Coriah asks making Demon look at Corinne. "I'll take him outside." Mariah jumps in, grabbing the baby. No one questioned Mariah because everybody knew Jacobi was attached to his aunt and she was trying to win his love.

They all make it outside and Mariah goes one way with Jacobi while Demon and Corinne go another. Corinne made sure they could still see each other because people were wild cards and they were in a different state. "Come here." Demon tells her, leaning against the multi-tone grey brick wall on the front of the building.

"You can say what you gotta say from over there." She crosses her arms. "Come here." He requests again. "We came out here to talk. Talk." Demon reaches out, grabbing her arm to force her into a hug. "I'm sorry." He whispers, wrapping his arms around her. "I bet." She mumbles, closing her eyes tightly to prevent herself from crying again, yet it didn't work. She wasn't sure if she was crying over the baby or him.

She didn't want to shed any more tears over something she couldn't fix or change and those were things she couldn't change. She couldn't make Demon change the type of person he was and bring back a baby she could do nothing to save.

"This not your fault. This on me." He tells her. "It's not your fault either. This nobody's fault." She couldn't blame anyone and that was the problem. It wasn't her fault. It wasn't his. It would've happened regardless of if he wasn't being a bitch."

"No, I should've told you how happy I was." He tells her, feeling guilty about his absence when this was happening and how broken it left her. "It wouldn't have changed anything." Her voice waivers making her get out of his grip. "You don't know that." He says watching her wipe her eyes.

"I know you want to blame yourself for everything because you like to be in control of everything and everybody around you but it's not your fault and you couldn't have changed anything." She tells him. "I low-key wanna tell you to keep that same energy that you had last night but I won't."

"And I'll tell you to keep that same energy you had two days ago." She tells him. "I'm sorry. I'mma do better, I promise."

"You ain't saying nothing but a word." She shakes her head leaning down to pick up Jacobi who was running towards her. "Corinne."

"No, you always say you gone do better but never actually do better. I'm over it." He could see how fed up she was in her face. "I'mma do better."

"We'll see, Adonis."

♥︎♥︎♥︎
a/n: imma update again tomorrow but did y'all want them to have a baby or would you have rather them waited until she was out of high school?