21| Better than your weed brownie?

The grieving process is something you get through, not something you get over.

Anthony's POV

Michael and Alessia are talking about a video game when the bell rings.

"Damn, late for class..." Alessia sighs.

"We all know you don't care," Michael says.

"Mrs. Li is a bitch. Always sending me to the assistant principal for my clothes." Alessia says.

"At least the assistant principal lets you chill in her office until second period," I say.

"I have an A, so no point in going." She says.

"I'm gonna head to class. I actually need to pass." I say.

"We all know you just want to see Kathy," Michael says.

"Why don't you just ask her out already?" Alessia asks.

I roll my eyes and flip them off. "Fuck you guys. We're just friends." You wish you were more. Shut it.

They start making kissing noises, and I walk away. "Immature assholes," I murmur.

I open the door to my classroom and see Kathy isn't there. The teacher continues to teach while I sit at a random desk.

I subtly grab my phone and decide to text Kathy.

Sunshine:

Are you sick? Nerds usually don't skip

I sit through the 45 minutes of class, and Kathy still hasn't texted me back. Why are you so worried?

I look at the time and decide to skip the rest of the day. I head towards the side exit and get in my car. I use my hacking software and find out where she lives. You're kind of being stalkerish right now.

It's better to be safe than sorry. Now that she's a part of my gang, she also has our protection. If a rival gang attacks someone a part of the Red Claw, it's my responsibility to ensure no one's after them. Or they'll end up like Will.

I drive straight to her apartment complex and park near the entrance. I walk in and enter the elevator. Once I arrive on her floor, I knock on her door.

I hear shuffling on the other side, and the door opens slightly. She's wearing her sweatshirt's hood and doesn't meet my eye.

"Is everything alright?" I ask with concern. "You didn't show up to school. And it's none of my business why, but I just got worried."

She hides her hands in her sleeves and just leans into my chest. I hear her sniffle, and I immediately wrap my arms around her. "Hey..." I say gently, shifting to move inside.

I swallow any nerves I have and move us to her couch. I stabilize her on top of my chest, but she keeps her face in the crook of my neck.

She chokes out a sob, and I feel my heart break for her. I rub her back and console her in silence. "My mom..." She trails off.

"She's been gone for three years, but today always hits the hardest." She says, clinging to me.

"You don't owe me anything, Sunshine. You have the right to keep things private." I say, wiping a stray tear with my thumb.

She closes her eyes, and I just let her be. "I'm still not over it." She says, moving to blow her nose.

"Grieving will never completely disappear. It just takes time to learn how to live with it." I explain, hoping she knows her feelings are valid.

She returns to my arms, and I kiss her forehead. "I'm really sorry about the text I sent you. It seems insensitive now..." I say.

She snorts and gives me a half smile. "It's okay. You actually made me laugh." She responds.

I brush a stray strand of hair from her face and ask, "Is there anything I can do?"

She shakes her head but reaches for the remote to the tv. "You being here is enough." She says softly. She plays Brooklyn Nine-Nine and adds, "This was her favorite show."

I feel myself smile and ask, "What is this show about?"

Her jaw drops, and she momentarily stops tearing up. "You've never seen this show?" She asks.

"Nope," I say with a shrug.

"It's one of my favorites! It's a comedy about the NYPD, and it follows the characters' obstacles in that job force. And, of course, there's romance and tension between the main characters." She says.

"To be loved by someone like Jake." She sighs dramatically. Who the fuck is Jake? Probably one of the main characters.

I smile, and she catches my expression. "What?" She asks, biting back a smile.

"I've never seen you so animated," I admit.

"It's only because I feel comfortable opening up to you now. You're lucky I don't hate you." She teases.

"I'd hope not. I do enjoy your company." I confess, feeling my heart pound in my chest.

She bites her lip to stop the response she was going to blurt out and just wraps her arms around me. Everything feels alright in her arms. Admit it. You're right. I did fall for her.

"I remember when I was younger, if I came home sad, she would always make me these red velvet brownies. I loved that red velvet used cream cheese frosting instead of regular frosting." She says, recalling a memory.

"Why don't we make some right now?" I ask.

"Aww, you're sweet. But I don't have all the ingredients." She says, shrugging.

"I'll buy them. Just text me the list, and I'll be back in less than 20 minutes." I say, seeing her surprised expression.

"You don't have to do that. I'm sure you have other things to do, right?" She asks, raising an eyebrow.

"You are my priority," I respond. "Have you eaten?" I ask.

"I had a grilled cheese sandwich." She lies, slightly scrunching her nose.

I reluctantly pull away from her and look through her refrigerator. "You have to eat something," I say softly.

She looks at me and pouts. Aww, she looks adorable. Not the time.

I raise my eyebrow, and she sighs. "I'll make something while you buy the ingredients." She says, getting off the couch.

"Deal," I say, smiling.

After she texts me the list, I walk back to my car. I park near the entrance of the store and walk in. 15 minutes later, I finally paid for all the ingredients and returned to her place.

I knock on her door, and she gasps when she sees what's in my hands. "Is that for me?" She asks, slightly tearing up.

"Of course, Sunshine," I say, handing her a present. Before I could put down the grocery bags, she pulled me into another hug.

"I love it, thank you." She whispers.

I press a soft kiss on her forehead and ask, "Are you ready to bake?"

"Born ready." She says with determination.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

When the brownies are done baking, she pulls them out of the oven. "We have to wait a few minutes before we apply the cream cheese." She says.

I smirk and say, "I know something we could do while we wait."

She laughs and lightly punches my arm. "Shut up." She says, slightly blushing.

I grin and say, "I love your laugh."

"I like your smile more." She replies.

"Only for you," I say with a wink.

She playfully rolls her eyes and starts to take out the cream cheese. We cut them into smaller squares and started decorating.

When we're done, she says, "Let us feast."

I chuckle and taste the brownie. "Wow, this is delicious."

"Better than your weed brownie?" She asks.

"In my defense, Michael didn't tell me there were drugs in it!" I say.

She laughs and continues to finish her brownie. She gasps and says, "You should take some for Jasmine and your mom." She grabs a to-go box and adds some in.

"Are you sure?" I ask.

"It's best if I don't finish it all. Have to keep my rock-hard abs." She says jokingly.

After I help her clean up and wash the dishes, it's almost time for me to pick up Jasmine. She walks me to her door and says, "Thanks for stopping by."

"Anything for you, Sunshine," I say softly.

She bites back a smile and says, "I bet my mom would have liked you."

"I bet I would have liked her too. She raised a strong and smart daughter." I say.

She wrapped her arms around me, and at that moment, I just wanted to stay here forever. "If you ever need anything, I'm here for you," I say.

"I know." She says, kissing my cheek.

Thanks for reading! ❤️

Byeeeeeeeeee! 👋