The Poet

7

Giana

The next morning I woke up to the smell of cinnamon and bacon. A smile spreads across my face, and I turn over to see a peacefully sleeping Rafael next to me. I wonder when he got naked. Is he naked? I shake my thoughts and start my wake-up routine. Roll it. Smoke it. Brush your teeth. Grab your kit and wash your face with me. Splash and lather and splash some more. Pat. Pat. Pat. There's beauty galore! I made this song up in high school to keep me up in the mornings, and it's stuck with me since. It's changed over time but still the same concept. I hear music downstairs, which means Momma Ana is in the kitchen cooking something amazing. I check on the boys, and they are nowhere to be found. I go into my room to grab clothes from my closet to get dressed and then head back to my mom's room. As I walk in, I see Raf stirring a bit and yawning. I walk into the room, closing the door behind me. "Good morning, sleepyhead," I say, walking to his side of the bed. He reaches his hand out, and I take it. He pulls me into the bed and stuffs me in a blanket burrito, and tickles me.

I laugh and yell for him to get off of me, but his hold on me is super tight. He starts shushing me as he holds me close to him, cuddling into my neck. "I have to tell you something." He says in a hushed tone. His morning voice is something I could listen to all day long. "What is it, Ra?" I ask, waiting for him to tell me whatever was on his mind. "Close your mouth!" He says super quick, pulling me under his blanket. "OH MY GOD! RAFAEL, I AM GOING TO MURDER YOU!" I scream, trying to fight for my life to get out of the worst Dutch Oven I've ever been in. Our friendship has reached the pranking point. It's on now! I get out of the blankets, but I'm too late. Rafael locked himself in the bathroom and started the shower. That asshole! I storm into my room and grab my Nerf blaster from my closet. I load it up and wait by the bed for him to finish his shower. "Think you can Dutch Oven me and get away with it, huh? Nah, not today!" I say to myself. I crawl under my mom's bed and get into position.

He walks out in his towel, still wet and steamy from the hot shower he took. "Damn. I need so—never mind." He says, grabbing his clothes and going into the bathroom. He was singing and slicking his wet hair back, so I figured now would be great. I crawl out, aim, and, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" I scream, letting off rounds as Rafa ducks behind the door, leaving his towel behind. "Lee, do you yield?!" I yell with a smirk. "Yes, I yield!" Rafa yells back, laughing. I walk into the bathroom and hand him his towel. "Look at you in your half-naked glory!"

I say, dropping the towel in his hand. "Ha! Yeah, you thought you were gonna see some cheeks, didn't you?!" He laughs, throwing his wet towel at me. I laugh, put it in the hamper, and get dressed. I could feel him watching me, but I didn't care. It's not like I'm naked at the moment. We play fight from the bedroom to the kitchen, stopping when Momma Ana yelled at us. "Hey! Hey! Y'all better not be fightin' in my kitchen!" She says, sounding just like her mother. Rafael pulls me into a soft headlock and pretends to choke me out as I fake pass out in his arms. "VICTORY!" He says, running into the living room. I stand up and hug my best friend and tell her good morning. "I see you too are chipper this morning!" She says, batting her lashes.

I roll my eyes at her implication and make coffee. "Where are the boys?" I ask, taking a sip and giving a cup to Rafael as he sits at the table. "They said they were going to a friend's house for breakfast and then coming back to get ready for their game," Ana says, pushing me to sit down and putting mine and Rafael's plates down. My brothers play in a summer basketball league at the youth center. Sometimes the coach sets up games where recruits come and watch them. If we get there early enough, we might get a chance to see a celebrity too. Last summer, Meg Thee Stallion and Ice Cube watched the events. I think Megan performed for the game or something. Being prospected in their freshman year of high school is huge for the twins, so they could be getting looks from everywhere to go anywhere if all goes well. The front door opens and closes as we all talk at the table. "Boys?" I call out, but no answer. Rafael gets up and pushes us behind him. I grab the knife from the countertop and put it in his hand.