Family Lies

True

June

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this bullshit," I mumbled while following Tré through the Philadelphia airport. She turned and locked our arms together. I looked down to see that our skins were actually so close that they were rubbing together. "Are you touching me?!" I asked, disgusted. "Don't act like you don't love me, True. I know you do. Come on, we'll have so much fun! We'll get to meet our cousins and Aunt Dot says she has so much planned for us already." I rolled my eyes while shaking my head. "Yeah. I do love you. And that's the only reason I'm here— to make sure you good," I reminded her as we headed towards the baggage claim area. When we got there we grabbed our suitcases and then went to stand at the curb where people were waiting to be picked up.

"True? Treasure?" I looked to my right and I saw him. Irving. Immediately my mind told me to steal off on that nigga. But Tré's hold on my arm grew tighter like she was nervous or something.

"Irving?"

Tré knocked me a little and I looked over. 

"Have some respect, bruh," she whispered and I shook my head no. I looked back to see him walking closer. "Yeah. Wow, Treasure. You look more like your mother than your mother does," he pulled her away from me and into a hug and my mouth fell open. This stupid nigga. Tré chuckled. "You think so? Most folks think I look so much like Aunt Dot. I know I do." Phew! "Right," he tried to play it off as he pulled away.

He looked to me. "What's good, True? How you?" He attempted to dap me up but I stood with my arms at my sides. "I'm straight. This you?" I walked toward the truck he was standing next to when we first saw him. "Yeah," he responded like a bitch with hurt feelings as he popped the trunk. "Gimme your bags Tré," I said while putting mine inside before hers. I let her get in the front because I ain't trust myself not to knock his ass out from the passenger seat. Hell, the thought of choking him out from the backseat even snuck up on me a couple times along the ride but I just looked out the window to keep me distracted.

The longer we rode the more I thought about how we'd been riding forever. We'd rode outside the city for at least thirty minutes before we pulled into a long driveway. "I don't remember it bein' this big," I said quietly. My sister turned around in her seat confused. "Huh? You remember spendin' the summer here like Raymond said?" I just nodded before getting out and going to wait at the trunk.

"Why don't you two get inside? I'll get your bags. Dot can't wait to see you. It should be open," Irving said and Tré grabbed my arm and ran for the door so fast she was practically dragging me behind her.

"Hellooooo?" She called out when we got inside. Dottie poked her head out of the kitchen and smiled so hard. "Heyyyyy baby!" She jogged over and snatched my sister up into a hug. "I missed you girl! I been in here cookin' all day you done gave me an excuse to sit down," Dottie said with a giggle as she kissed Tré on the head before letting her go. She looked to me. "Hey boy. Can I get a hug?" She opened her arms and I fought the urge to roll my eyes as I walked into them. "Hey," I said as her arms squeezed me and for a moment I relaxed in them. She kissed my cheek before pulling away to just look at me for a second. "I got a couple somebody's I want y'all to meet. Divine! I.J.! Come here!" She called out as she pulled us further into the kitchen and she took a seat at the table like she was tired.

A few minutes later a boy who looked like he was just starting to grow into that big ass head on his shoulders came into the kitchen with headphones around his neck. I could hear that he was bumping Ja Rule on his way over. 

"Yeah, Ma? Who's this?"

"This is Treasure and True. They're family. They gone be stayin' with us this summer. Twins this is my youngest, I.J," Dottie introduced us. "Hey, I.J. Aunt Dot has told me a lot about you."