Another Lifetime

Chapter Two: Brunch

Monse's POV:
I get home and my dad's smoking and blasting Pac. "Mo, you sure you're my kid? When I was your age I didn't come home until the next night." He laughs. "Shut up man." I give him a hug. My dad was in jail for six months and now that he's back, he's not really back. "Where've you been?" I ask. "Busy." His code for "drop it". I throw my jacket and my bag on the floor and sit next to him. "Ma was a Santo, right?" I ask. "Yeah." He hates this topic. "And you were dating Mila when you got with her? Why'd you pick ma over her if dating a Prophet was easier?" I ask and he look pissed. "When I met her I just felt it." He shrugs. "Ok." I nod. "That it? You not asking a million more questions?" He gets up before I can respond. "Go to sleep, we got plans in the morning." He slams his room door. The day my mom died was the worst day of his life and he hates everyone for it. "I love you." I yell when I pass his room. "Love you too." He sounds annoyed.

Cesar's POV:
"You can't tell Odessa about any of this." I help Jamal clean up. "Come on man, she's my little sister." He throws cups in a black garbage bag. "You know I would never hurt her or cheat on her. Something was different with her." I explain. "Like what? What'd you guys talk about?" Jamal asks. "Nothing, it's not about what she said. You ever have that gut feeling that you were supposed to know someone?" I ask. "No." He shakes his head and goes back to cleaning. "I didn't know I could even feel that way until tonight." I walk past his dad's trophy self. "It was just a kiss, right?" He asks and I ignore my gut feeling. "Of course and it'll never happen again." I feel guilty. "Fine, I'll stay quiet but only if we get this place clean by tomorrow morning. My parents are having brunch here with their friends." Jamal says but he doesn't look happy about it. "You should come!" He says. "Hell nah! I love you man but not that much. Isn't brunch just rich people talking about stocks?" I laugh. "Usually but this is some guy from my dad's high school." Jamal explains. "From the 'Ridge?" I ask. "Yeah." He nods. "Fine." I agree.

**** next morning ****
Monse's POV:
"Brunch? We're going to brunch?" I laugh at my dad. "What, a man can't go to brunch?" He looks serious and it makes me laugh even more. "No, I'm sorry!" I follow him out of my room. "You just aren't really the brunch type." I explain. "What's that supposed to mean?" He asks and I just gesture at him from head to toe. "I'm the one who's gonna make it all interesting." He laughs. "Who's even inviting you to brunch?" I ask. "You're never gonna believe this... Dwayne Turner." He smiles and I'm genuinely surprised. "You know each other?" I ask. "Yeah, I played football with him in high school." He explains. "I actually met his son, yesterday. Lola's kind of talking to him." I say. "You meet his sister too?" My dad asks. "No, didn't even know he had one." I shrug. We're in the car and I'm about to get in the passenger seat when he stops me. "CJ's coming too." He says. His girlfriend, Chantelle aka CJ, is the worst. She's been trying to be my mom for years even though she's only four years older than me. "Great." I roll my eyes and get in the back. When we pick her up it's the same shit. "Momo!" She opens the door and gives me a hug. Why didn't I lock it? "Hey CJ." I don't hug her back. "I haven't seen you in forever! How are you kiddo?" She sits in the back with me and my dad smiles like somethings funny. The whole car ride she just talks, and talks, and talks. "Finally." I run out of the car and wait for them at the door. "Everything ok Momo?" She asks me and I ignore her. Dwayne fucking Turner opens the front door and I forget all about CJ. "Hey man." Seeing them talking gives me a whole new respect for my dad. It all comes crashing down when I see lil Spooky. "You." I hiss. "Monse." He smiles. "So are you just always here?" I ask when we walk in. "I was helping Jamal clean up after last night, he invited me to brunch." He explains. "Just stay away from me." When we get to the table there's only two spots open, one next to CJ and one next lil Spooky. "I thought you told me to stay away?" He whispers. "I refuse to spend time with her." I defend myself. "How do you guys know each other?" The girl sitting across from lil Spooky asks. "We don't." I say. "Oh... ok well I'm Odessa, Cesar's girlfriend." She says and I spit out my mimosa. "Sorry... I don't drink." I try to lie. "Didn't you drink-" Jamal stops himself. "At the party." Dwayne Turner glares at Jamal. "You think I don't know what happens in my own home?" He asks Jamal. The Turners seem so... normal. Not Jamal, he's weirder than he was last night. He keeps talking about Rollerworld... he's crazy. "If I ever run into a bunch of old cash I'll let you know." I laugh. The adults, and CJ, are just talking about the old days. Odessa gets up to grab something and when she kisses Cesar he has a weird look on his face. "You ok?" Jamal asks him. A few minutes later he grabs my arm and lil Spooky pulls me into an empty room. "What are you doing?" I ask him. "I need to try something." He kisses me again and I push him back. "You gotta stop doing that." I tell him. "I knew it." He says. "It's different with you." I tell her. "Yeah, I get it. You know who my boyfriend is, right?" I ask him. "I can take a guess." lil Spooky sits on the bed. "If Latrelle, or anyone finds out about this we're both screwed." I leave him alone in the room and go back to my dad.