NOVA.
The front door of Caio's apartment opened as he walked through shutting the door behind him, "So you did come last night?"
"Yeah. Where were you all night?"
"Doing grown folk things."
"You was doing the nasty?" I made a face of disgust. He sucked his teeth and tossed his hoodie on the back of the couch.
"Nah. I was making money moves."
"Mm," I ran my fingers through my hair.
"What happened with you and ya little friend?" I blushed thinking of how Jahani kissed me and shook my head.
"Nothing, Nothing." Caio slit his eyes at me.
"Whatever just make sure you using contraceptions and being smart."
"Always."
"Well, what're you doing today?"
"Nothing. I need to go get an oil change, probably hang out with India and chill."
"Hm, you not going to see your little boyfriend?"
"Chillll. It's not even like that, you know how I be."
"Mhm. Well, I've got to leave in like an hour to go handle this dumb shit then imma be back here around 11. You coming back?"
"Probably, you need groceries."
"Do it for me."
"Tuh," I rolled my eyes.
"You and Carter the only ones who be eating my shit."
"Mm. You mean Carter."
"Whatever. I needa find that nigga anyways."
I flipped my phone in the palm of my hands and stared at Caio as he was moving around the apartment, "Mom called me this morning." He instantly halted in his movements, his jaw slacked and eyes nearly black.
"You answer?"
"The second time."
"Why? What she want?" He leaned against the island, stiff.
"To talk. She misses us an-"
"She wouldn't if she acted like a mother when it was time to be a mother." He rolled his eyes.
I parted my lips to say something but bit on my tongue. Caio was coldly silent while he was stuck deep in thought. Our mother always played absent in Caio and I' life, she constantly chose toxic relationship with dirty men over wanting to be a mother. As we grew older and things got worse our Nana took us in and raised us, things didn't last long with Caio being in the household as he began selling drugs.
Occasionally our Moma will come around after whoever was her partner for the month and beg for help asking for a fresh start. The door was unlocked and Noah crept inside, Caio' best friend since they were kids. He glanced between the two of us peeping the thick tension. "I don't want you talking to her no more, all she going to do is sit there and guilt trip you." Caio lit a blunt and inhaled sharply. "Fuck that bitch. She chose what she wanted and she got that shit, she can't come back when it's convenient for her."
I stared blankly at the wooden floors, "Ok."
"I'm serious, Nova."
"When are you not?" I rolled my eyes and he glared at me intensely. "She's family, Caio. Our blood. You can't just turn your back on family."
"That's not my fucking family, Nova. You and Nana are what I got and that's how it's going to fucking stay. Noel chose her fucking family."
"You're so irritating." I grabbed my jacket and slid into my shoes before leaving the apartment. Taking the elevator down and towards the parking garage, I climbed into my Jeep and turned over the key. Seeing that I could use some gas for my tank, I made my way towards the closest gas station.
It wasn't that I didn't understand where Caio had been coming from on why he didn't like Noel. But she was our mother and there was some amount of respect that came with that title that I thought even Caio would have. Talking to Caio about Noel made him cold and I didn't know why—I'd been too scared to ever ask. Everyone had been. My phone rang in the cup holder to see that it was Jahani, I allowed it to continue to ring before pulling near a pump. Grabbing my wallet from the glove department and walking inside to the cold gas station where an overweight white man sat with a loud game playing from his phone.
I grabbed a RedBull from the fridge before going to pay for money on the pump, "Can I get 25 on pump 3." I slid over the money and walked out. From my phone I texted India that I was on my way to her apartment while filling up my tank. She texted back and said she was in the midst of a dick appointment causing me to roll my eyes back. I didn't want to go back to my Nana's house and be bored the rest of the day and going back to Caio' wasn't an option.
The only other person in my contacts that I knew wasn't busy I dialed, "Yo?"
"What're you doing right now?" I picked at my nails.
"Nothing, why?"
"Because I'm bored."
He stifled a laugh, "What you want?"
"Meet me at Moe's." I ended the call and drove off.
•••
"So why you pissed? You seeming to do a lot of things behind Caio back why not talk to Noel." I rolled my eyes at Carter, picking through my fries.
"Because..."
"Because what? She's not only his mom."
I shrugged my shoulder, "I'm just not trying to piss off Caio any further and that's a whole other situation."
"So how did you even meet ole dude?"
"At a house party."
"You like him?"
"It's not even like that, we really just friends."
"Friends, hm?"
"Yep."
"Ok."
"Ok?"
"Shits not going to last long."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It's going to cause a lot more hurt than anything."
"Like I said it's not even like that. You know I don't do relationships." Carter scoffed.
"How come?"
"I don't have time for a motherfucker to not be on the same energy I am, and if somebody hurts me imma have to fuck them up." I grinned with irritation lacing my voice.
My phone began ringing, I flipped over my phone to see that it was a call from Noel. Nibbling on my bottom lip and looking up at Carter who was looking at it as well. Sliding over the green icon, "Hello?"
"Hi baby! How are you honey?"
I smiled softly, "I'm good, how are you doing?"
"I'm...doing, baby." There was a lot of noise in the background.
"Where are you mommy?"
"I'm just around...in and out of town. I'm in the city now."
"You are, where? I wanna come and see you."
"No! No, no. I'm not in such a good neighborhood I don't want you coming all the way over here. Caio will kill me." She chuckled uneasily. "But I can come and see you. Still staying with Nana?"
"Um, yeah."
"You think you can loan your Moma some money for a little while? I can get it back to you...I just need a little to get me through these next couple months."
Scratching the back of my neck and looking up at Carter who was acting as if he wasn't ear hustling. "How much?"
"Maybe 300, If you can."
"I'll see what I can do."
"Okay. Thank you, thank you. I'm going to come by your Nana house around 10, Okay? I love you, okay? Mommy really loves you, Novs." A stray tear rolled down my cheek and the call ended. Thumbing away the tear and clearing my throat as I stared a hole into the table.
"You wanna go?"
"Um, you good on a ride? I've got to run to the bank."
"Yeah."
When I arrived home Nana had been in bed asleep and I was sitting anxiously in the living room waiting for Noel to come by the house. My head quickly lifted up when I noticed a Chrysler pulling into the driveway, standing up and adjusting my clothes on my body with the money in hand. Unlocking the front door and standing on the porch while Noel ran up the walkway, "Hey baby!" She hugged me tightly and kissed my forehead.
"Hi." Looking past her at the car at some dark figure. "That Deon?" I gulped and she ran her hands down my arms.
"No, no. He's back in jail, unfortunately, messed up his probation but how've you been?"
"Maybe we should sit down and talk."
"Oh, I don't have that kind of time. I'm supposed to be leaving town tonight."
"Where are you going?"
"Chicago, just for a few weeks with Craig."
"Who?"
"Don't worry about it, Novs. But did you get-"
"Yeah." I handed her over the money as she thumbed through it.
"I love you baby, take care of your nana and tell your brother I said hi. Okay?" Nodding as she kissed my cheek and ran off to the car.
Just like that she was gone.
