The Mysterious Way The Universe Works

-CHAPTER ONE-

"Hey, are you and Monroe brothers?"

"You know, you guys sound the same, right?"

"I heard Monroe likes the same bands as you do."

I was so tired of being compared to fucking Monroe. We were the only people in the school who had the same fashion sense but that didn't mean we were related. I'd been compared to him since high school and it quickly got old. I thought that once I got to college, I could get away from it all but unfortunately, he decided to go to the same community college as me. It would have made it easier if I actually got along with him but we couldn't even be in the same room together. I just wished he would disappear from my life, but the universe had other plans.

The great thing about community college was that I didn't have to deal with the cost of living in a dorm room. I could stay with my mom for the reasonable price of $45 a month as well as live my life without her treating me like a child. I paid for my own car, my own bills (Not including house bills), the foods I ate and almost never asked my mom for money. My mom is one of the sweetest people on earth and would give her last dime to anyone who needed it, which is why I always kept silent when I was low on cash or couldn't pay my phone bill. She had done so much for me. I mean, raising a biracial kid in caucasian suburbia had it's challenges and she overcame like the strong black woman she was. I didn't want her to have to keep supporting me financially once I was a legal adult. It had always been just the two of us since my asshole dad decided he wanted a life full of coke and no consequences once I was born. I didn't think anything would change for the next 3 years or so. I was sorely mistaken.

It was around November, A chilling 29 degrees outside. We lived in the midwest so weather as a whole was unpredictable but we all knew that if we got too comfortable with the weather, we'd be disappointed the next day when the forecast would drastically change. I had just pulled into the driveway of our tiny, two-bed room house. I finished all of my classes for the day, feeling physically and emotionally exhausted. I sat for a moment trying to collect my thoughts but still felt this weight on my shoulders so I reached into my bag, grabbing my Altoid Tin. Feeling my heart sink lower in my chest, I opened the tin and put a bar of Xanax on my tongue, swallowing then closing the tin and placing it back in my school bag. It tasted like shit and probably would have gone down easier if I had drank some water with it but I didn't have any near me at the time and honestly didn't really care. I was just trying to stay afloat emotionally and felt like Xanax was the way to go. I took a few deep breaths, slowing down my heart rate as I opened the car door. I grabbed my things and began slowly walking towards the door until I realized there was another car parked next to our house. I stared at the white Malibu for a moment, trying to think who it could be. It couldn't be any of my uncles because they all owned black and grey cars that were beat up. Did mom get a new car? Without telling me? No way. I eventually approached the Mahogany door, placing my hand on the knob, hesitant to see who was on the other side. Suddenly, the door swung open quickly as I stumbled, taken aback by my mother grinning widely at me.

"My Baby's home! Come on, I got someone I want you to meet!" She exclaimed.

"Alright Momma, don't get too excited. Don't wanna wind up in the hospital again." I smiled sheepishly as she hit my arm playfully.

"Boy, shut up," she cackled, "Kellin, this is my son, Jay. Jay, this is Kellin, the guy that I've been seeing." She grinned, pulling me into the kitchen. There stood a man in his late 50s with salt and pepper hair and an ash grey business suit. He closely resembled the man who unwillingly gave up sperm cells to create me, also known as my deadbeat, white-trash father, except he seemed more... pulled up. His wellington shaped glasses framed his face well and as whole, wasn't an unattractive man but I still felt slightly uneasy around him.