“How was your first day of classes, baby?” Momma asked Hope when she glanced up and saw her walking into the kitchen.
“Okay, I guess,” she faintly smiled as she sat her backpack down on the table before going over to the sink to wash her hands.
“Just okay?” Momma proceeded to return her attention the pot of rice she was cooking.
“Yeah; I mean nothing exciting happened. I just have a bunch of homework and studying to do already and it’s only the first day.”
“That’s how college life is; especially for a Pre-Med student, baby,” Momma chuckled. “Want me to fix you a sandwich?”
“No thanks. I picked up a salad from McDonald’s in between classes not too long ago and I’m still full from it. Where’s Daddy? I noticed his car wasn’t in the garage.”
“Yeah, he and Deacon Johnson went down to the church for a while. They’re preparing for the revival that starts on Monday night. He’s very excited about it.”
“When isn’t Daddy excited when a revival is being held at the church?” Hope chuckled with a shake of her head as she grabbed her backpack.
“You know how your Daddy is. He takes pride in his church and always wants to make a good impression when something big goes on there like revivals.”
“You are so right about that. Well, I guess I’ll go upstairs to start on some of this work unless you need me to stay down here and help you.”
“No, I’m fine. You go on up to your room and stick that pretty head of yours in your books. I want’chu to keep up those straight-A’s you’ve always made. Your Daddy and I are so proud of you.”
Before she knew what was happening, Hope found herself being grabbed up in a big hug by Momma after she practically ran over to her.
“Thanks, Momma,” she sighed while lightly patting her back.
When their embrace was over, she walked into the den and made her way upstairs to her room. However, instead of studying right away, she laid down across her bed on her back while staring up at the ceiling. Even though our parents are pleased with her, she’s not pleased with herself. She began to think about how she has always been labeled the “good daughter” while I’m still labeled “the bad seed”. Sometimes she wishes she could’ve been the rebel instead of me because in her eyes, I have always lived my life the way I’ve wanted to while she lives the life that our parents have always wanted us both to live. But what can she do? After all, it would be a terrible thing for our father, a well-known minister in the area, to have TWO rebellious daughters.
She was about to doze off until she heard her cell phone playing Fantasia’s “Hood Boy”. She knew it could only be one person that she had set her ringer to play this song to.
“Hey, sis,” she smiled.
“Hey, babygirl,” I smiled back. “I was just callin’ to see how your first day of classes went since I remembered you sayin’ that your last one would be around 2:30 each day.” It was going on 5:20 .
“It was okay. But you wouldn’t believe the homework I’m facin’,” she smirked as she rolled over onto her stomach.
“Oh, well then I’d betta not tell ya what I was callin’ about,” I chuckled.
“What?”
“Welllllllll, I was gonna invite you to a picnic that B’s havin’ down at the park on this Saturday for his workers; but since you have a lot of work facin’ you, I’d betta not tempt ya.”
“Quit playin’ with me! You KNOW I’ll be there. Just tell me what time to be ready.”
“Listen at you soundin’ like you can’t wait to get outta that house,” I laughed.
“It’s beginnin’ to be that way for me,” she sighed while glancing out of her window.
“I keep tellin’ you that I have plenty of room here for you at my place.”
“You know good and well that Momma and Daddy aren’t gonna go for me movin’ in with you. Remember that you live in sin 90% of the time that Brian stays over there,” she joked.
“Whateva,” I huffed. “You’re practically a woman now so don’t’chu think it’s about time that you stop livin’ for them and live for yourself? I mean don’t get me wrong…I’m not tryna corrupt ya or nothin’ like that, but you’re a pretty, intelligent, young woman who deserves the right to do what you feel like doin’ for a change.”
“Hannah, you gotta remember that Momma and Daddy are payin’ my way through college and he felt it was best that I stay at home instead of in a dorm because he said livin’ on campus wouldn’t be a good idea because of the many temptations I’d be faced with. They want me to keep up my grades so I can make somethin’ of myself.”
“And I haven’t?” I asked in a sarcastic tone.
“Of course you have. But I’m just sayin’ that I don’t need the extra added stress of tryna explain to Momma but ESPECIALLY Daddy why it would be cool if I could come live with you.”
“I understand, babygirl, and I’m sorry,” I sighed.
“About what?”
“About always tryna fill your head with what I think you should do. I guess I’m no betta than they are, huh?”
“Don’t say that. You’re my big sister and it’s natural for you to worry about me. But enough about all that…are ya gonna tell me what time I should be ready on Saturday or not?” she laughed.
“Drop by my place around 1:00 and we can ride with Milani,” I smiled.
“Alrighty then. I guess I’d betta go ahead and get started with this work since I have two days left until fun time.”
“Bye,” I chuckled.
“Bye.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I had fallen asleep on the sofa while watching tv when I heard my front door opening.
“Relax, it’s only me, boo,” Brian grinned when he saw how quickly I sat up with my fists raised in the air. I noticed that he was toting a bouquet of roses.
I took a deep sigh while grabbing the remote from the coffee table to turn the tv off. Glancing up at the clock hanging above the tv, I saw that it was going on 11:00 .
“What are you doin’ here this late?” I asked as I stood up. However, I already knew that he had either been out with his boys or with some female. I proceeded to walk down the hallway to my room to get ready for bed since I had taken a shower earlier.
“What’chu talkin’ about late, girl?” he smiled as he walked up behind me while I turned the covers back on my bed. After turning on the lamp on my nightstand and tossing the roses down on the bed, he wrapped his arms around me and placed a kiss behind my ear. I immediately smelled the heavy scent of weed on his breath.
“Stop,” I mumbled while trying to push his hands away from me as he kept running them all across my breasts and stomach after reaching his hands up underneath my t-shirt.
“I will once you accept my apology. You know I didn’t mean that shit I did today.” This time he placed a kiss on my cheek while pushing me forward onto the bed.
“And it took you all of ten hours to want to apologize?” I asked while glaring up at him after he turned me over onto my back.
He reached out and pulled one of the roses from the paper wrapper next to us. Without answering my question, he smiled before placing his lips on mine. After kissing me, he slowly raised my t-shirt up just above my navel while lying down next to me and began to lightly rub the petals of the rose back and forth across it.
“Do you wanna accept my apology or not?” he whispered while glancing up at me as he let his fingers of his free hand slowly move down to the top of my boyshorts.
“It all depends,” I sighed as I sat up on my elbows to look down at him.
“On what?”
“It depends on if you’re gonna do right by me this time. I can’t keep goin’ through all this drama with all the females I keep hearin’ about and the way you disrespect me.”
He nodded his head as he began to tug my boyshorts off.
“So aren’t you gonna say somethin’ about what I just said?”
“Nah, boo,” he slyly grinned with a shake of his head as he pulled me closer to him.
“What the hell you mean…no?” I heavily sighed while falling back.
“That’s why,” he smirked after lifting his head up long enough to look at me before lowering it again.
Even though I know Brian ain’t about shit, I can always count on his head game to fix things between us, even if for a little while.
[glow=blue,1,200]***Part 2 Comin' Soon***[/glow]
