Chapter 17

Autumn

"Nana, you up?" My moms yells through the phone.

"Yes ma im up" I say rubbing my eyes.

"Get up Autumn. I'm on the way"

I roll my eyes and get up.

Observing myself in the mirror, i sigh and begin to think.

My eyes were red but they weren't baggy or droopy. My face looks brighter and I haven't even washed it yet. Like I slept well. Weird.

After my hygiene and shower, I pack up the rest of my stuff and put it on the cart.

"That's all baby?" Ma asked resting her arm on her hip as if she loaded my stuff into the car.

I nodded and got into the car.

"You sad the semester over?"

"No. It was stressful"

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger right?" She laughed at my pain.

"Right. That's why i need a drink" i say expecting to see her reaction.

"Autumn you been drinking?" She raised her voice and scrunched her eyebrows.

I shrugged.

"Autumn?!"

"Ma chill. I'm playing"

Being a college student and not drinking is hard. As fuck.

"Chill my ass. Don't play like that"

"OK. Sorry ma.. what you cooking tonight?"

"Me? You grown, you cooking your own tonight?"

"Maa"

"Chill im playing" she jokes.

"Youre not even funny"

"I made lasagna"

I smile leaning back getting comfortable in my chair.

"Autumn, come get this shit out of my hallway" ma yells down the stairs.

I grunt and get up.

"Maaaa. You want me to put all this up now? We just got home, it's been a long day. Let's take a nap" I whine throwing my arms over her.

"Autumn get off me with your stink ass"

I remove my limbs from her torso and grab my bags and take them to my room.

"Ma, can we take a nap now?" I ask coming back downstairs and into the kitchen with her.

"Na, go take a nap. I'm not holding you back. I just wanted you to get your bag off of the floor" she confessed turning to fill up her water bottle.

"Noo maaa" i whine throwing my arms back around her torso.

"I said let's. Meaning me and youu!"

"Autumn, you grown. You don't need me to pat your back while you go to sleep"

"Ma!"

"Autumn go to sleep. You stressing me out" she replies opening the fridge grabbing strawberries.

"Fine!" I agree leaving the kitchen and going into her room.

I take off of my clothes, getting rid of my baby blue joggers and oversized T-shirt and crawl onto my mom's queen sized bed, getting comfortable and throw her sage green and cream cover over me.

"I know the hell you not. What you think this is? A sleepover?" She asks tugging at her covers.

"Yes!" I simply state snuggling into her matching pillows.

Feeling the bed sink, my body eases at the feeling of comfort.

Hearing my mom click Jerry Springer on made me rotate my body in the bed, facing towards the TV.

"Watch this Nana. He the father. Look at that baby eyes. Both they eyes cocked like a pistol" my mom expressed in laughter while eating her strawberries and pineapples.

"Ma that's wrong!" I laugh back, sitting up to match her posture.

"But it's right though" she smirks awaiting my answer.

I secretly nod my head. She was right.

She throws her head back in laughter and holds her stomach with one hand while holding the bowl of fruits in the other.

I take this opportunity and grab the pink bowl eating some of her fruits.

Her laughter dies down and she rolls her eyes at me and takes the bowl back.

"You fat" she grins averting her eyes back to Jerry.

"You ARE the father"

"Told you. I told you" ma says waving her arms in the air.

I smile at her happiness.

Nothing is better than being right here, right now. Me and my moms have been through A LOT of shit. A hundred and one percent of it, I put her through but here we are. Wouldn't change this for the world.

"Kyla Nori and Kayla coming by later on. They wanna take you out"

"Maaaa" I groan.

"What?"

"Why'd you have to ruin the mood?" I whine.

"Quit whining. And I didn't ruin the mood. Your ass needa go out. You always stuck under me"

"It's a healthy habit!" I defend myself scooting closer to her.

"And you love it" I exclaim kissing her all over her face.

"Ah i do. Now go shower. You going out"

"Ma you can't be serious. Tell them I'm sick!" I pout.

"They aren't that bad"

"Ma every time I go with them, it's always 'Ty this, Ty that'" I enlighten her.

"You talked to her lately?" She asks about Ty'Elle.

"No" I answer swiftly, fiddling with my fingers.

"Charlie came by the day before yesterday" she tells me while finishing her last pineapple.

"Really? Why?"

"I'm not sure. Just to check in I guess" she shrugs getting up.

"Did he say anything about Ty?" I ask following her into the kitchen.

"Aumani, call her baby" she says gently.

"I think it's best if I don't" I reply with my head down and making my way to my room to get myself together.

"Autumnnnn!!" Kyla Nori squeals in excitement as I open up the door to her silver Nissan Maxima.

"Kyy" I exclaim back as excited as I could be.

"Kayla" I nod her way acknowledging her.

She smiles back and I sit back and enjoy the ride.

"Ky, where we at?" I inquire sitting up and resting my hands on the passenger and driver seat.

"A friends house" she shrugs unbuckling her seatbelt and getting out of the car.

Getting out of the car, I observe the light blue decoration hanging within a two-story house.

The sides of the stairs were lined with long green leafs standing on stems. Plastic scattered within it.

I adjusted my grey basketball shorts on my hips as I walked up the steps.

"Kyla!" A brownskin dude with an orange shirt exclaimed as he swung the door open and engulfed her in a hug.

She hugs him back and they walk into the house leaving the door open and on us to come in by ourselves.

Well myself.

I shut the door behind me seeing that Kayla was on the couch with her leg over some boys leg.

Another nigga eyed me from the couch diagonally to Kayla.

"Autumn, that's Mari" she waves me over to him.

"He doesn't bite" Kayla adds then turns back to her boy.

I walk awkwardly to the couch and sit beside him.

"I'm mari" he nods to me, breath reeking of weed.

"Autumn" I acknowledge back but not looking at him.

I know these bitches did not .

"So.. Autumn. How old are you?" He asks.

" I'm um.. 21. I'm 21" I answer truthfully pulling out my phone.

"You a youngin" he implies leaning back against the couch.

K Twins

A fucking three man? Seriously?

"Yeah. I guess?" I answer back to Mari so I don't come off as rude.

K Twins

A fucking three man? Seriously?

Kyla Nori

Chill Au. It's just for a minute.

It's always some shit with yall. Yall have fun✌🏾

Kayla

Just vibe nigga damn.

Kyla Nori

Right. Just let me get my rocks off & we'll dip?

IOU ok?

I leave them on read and turn back to the  conversation being held with mari, clearly agitated.

"You good?"

I nod at him and grab at my shorts.

"Youn fuck with dudes do you?" He asks getting it.

"Yall just not for me"

"I got you twin. Why you here then though?"

"Shit your guess just as good as mines" I answer leaning back just as he is.

"Wanna hit this?" He asks holding a blunt between this thumb and index finger.

"Nah" I say dryly and turn my attention back to my phone.

K Twins

A fucking three man? Seriously?

Kyla Nori

Chill Au. It's just for a minute.

It's always some shit with yall. Yall have fun✌🏾

Kayla

Just vibe nigga damn.

Kyla Nori

Right. Just let me get my rocks off & we'll dip?

IOU ok?

Ok???

I look up at her looking at me and assure her.

This is gonna be a long night.