Family Lies

Treasure

"Well, well, well. I haven't seen much of you around here." I looked up from my locker to see True standing there smiling. I laughed as I pulled him into a tight hug. "From what I heard around here ain't seen too much of you either," I said with a playful push of the shoulder as we pulled away. "Okay," True said in a short laugh. "How are you? I heard you stayin' with us now." I nodded as I remembered Aunt Donna asking me to talk to my brother. I was gonna let it go… but after True ain't come home last night I felt obligated to see what he was up to. This nigga got a place to stay where ain't nobody but us constantly coming in and out, all the utilities was working, and there was food. Even though it had been quite a while since my brother and I have had the chance to really talk, I was not about to let him jeopardize all the good shit he had going for whatever he was out there chasing. "I am actually. Look I know I broke my fair share of rules and I can't tell you what to do. But Aunt Donna asked me to talk to you." True rolled his eyes as I closed my locker and we began to walk towards the exit then out the school. "She says she's worried about you, True. I ain't never known nobody to care about they kids like that let alone somebody else's... but I believe her. You ain't got yourself into no bullshit do you?"

"Naw Tré come on. You already know what the deal is I'm just out here try'na get at some money."

I nodded while hugging my books. "Oh okay. But just come home dawg. That's all she want. Been by the house to see Dollie?" I looked over to see his shoulders rise and fall slowly. 

"I went by last week. When you was at work. But Ion't think I'ma be doin' that no more." I furrowed my brow. "Really? Why?"

"Well you ain't there no more an—," I cut my brother off, "You was doin' that for me?"

He stopped and held my arm so I'd stop with him. "Of course I was. Look. Dollie ain't never did shit for anybody if it wasn't for herself. But she was always extra hard on you. And when I heard what Raymond was doin' to you and why I figured if I was givin' her the money she wanted—," I stopped him by holding up my hand, "So what did y'all like have a meetin' and talk about some shit that truly had nothing to fuckin' do with y'all?" True huffed. "Yo. I'm ya brother dawg. It got everything to do with me. And you ain't gotta act like that. Mahzya was fucked up about that shit real bad. Why you think she came to stay with us at Aunt Donna's? She stayed with y'all for as long as she did because she loved yo ass to death and you was her best friend." I smacked my teeth. "She stayed with us because Dollie wanted to rub their relationship in my face every got damn day."

"That's really what you think?"

I folded my arms across my chest without saying a word.

"If that's what you really think you stupid. But I know you Tré. You smart mane. You my day one. Literally. My first friend. First muthafucka I knocked out."

"Nigga I laid yo ass clean the fuck out! Where the hell was we at? That was not Dollie house."

"Oh we was at our Auntie house. You really don't remember that place?" True asked like he was so surprised. I shook my head no while checking myself out in my little pocket mirror.

"We was there for a long ass time. Can't believe yo mind that fuckin' bad." I started getting irritated with my brother and pushed my sleeves up on my tight ass jean jacket. "I remember why I always wanna knock you right in yo head," I snarled while jumping at him on the way to the job. "Shut the fuck up. You ain't gone do shit gay Tré."

"I'a beat yo socks off yo feet. Keep playin' with me. Gone have Aunt Donna cryin’ 'Tré what yo black ass do to my baby?'" True cracked up. "Where the fuck we goin'?"

"To my job. I gotta work, duh. And you call me stupid."

"Yo. If you wanna see how I get money I gotchu."