And...The Rest...

Why so complicated?

“Excuse me?” I put the bags down and got my hand loose. “You wanna say it again bitch? I will lay yo dumb ass out on your lace front if you ever say that about me.” I got up all in his face.
“Dude, chill out, all I said is you’re hot, New York girls are not really hot, especially not after having babies because after they become hoes.” He started laughing.
“Bae lets just go-”
“No I am not going, Johnny go somewhere else with our daughter please.” I said, I was pissed off. He put Josey back in her car seat and put her on the table somewhat close to us.
“Now bitch repeat what you said one more time, I dare you you dumb mother fucker.”
His dumb self repeated it.
I tagged him in the mouth I don't know, 5 or 6 times. I broke his braces and I broke 5 teeth in his mouth.
I broke his nose and I broke his leg and arm but before I could do some real damage Johnny grabbed me and picked me up. He couldn’t pick me up from the jump because I kept pushing him away.
The kid when I was finished was all bloody. They ended up calling an ambulance and I was almost arrested. When the cops arrived Johnny took Josey home to his mom and came back.
The cops respected Johnny and how he was so calm and explained to them what happened. I was sitting on the curb outside in cuffs looking around.
“Officer, I can explain to you the whole situation. My girlfriend and I had exams today because we needed to get them done so we could graduate and move into the house we bought. But my friends walked up to me and her and started flirting with her and calling her names. And they were touching her and she just had it. My girlfriend is not one to let someone do whatever they want. And if you checked the cameras you would see that. Officer I just want my girlfriend back. I can't take care of our daughter without her.” He said.
“We will check the security cameras in the school and we will be right back.”
Before they left to go back into the school they uncuffed me and made me and Johnny follow them into the office and made us sit there. 25 minutes passed by and they finally came out.
“Jonathan, your story was correct according to the camera system. It perfectly aligned with what you told us. We will free you both but no promises that the boy she hit will not press charges.”
Johnny nodded and finished off the conversation with a thank you and we left. We started arguing in the parking lot near the car.
“What the fuck is wrong with you Liv? You were so close to being arrested! You really think you’re setting a good example for your daughter?” He started screaming at me in the parking lot.
“I am setting an example for my daughter to never let men like that asshole to make her feel low about herself. And if I find out that there are men making her feel that way in the future, I will start cutting throats. And you yelling at me won't make me feel any better.” I got up in Johnny’s face too. All he did was look down at me and had this pissed off look on his face.
“Women these days are losing their voices and the only way to make people see that we’re still here is through violence. It's the only way we got the attention we needed. And at this point, I don’t want my daughter growing up and not having a voice.” I started to back up and walk away.
Johnny came behind me and hugged me from behind. We just stood there in silence. People drove by confused but never stopped. Johnny finally broke the silence.
“I hear you loud and clear baby…I hear you…” He said it so softly it sounded like he was crying.
What he said overwhelmed my body with emotions. I turned around and hugged him. I squeezed the hell out of him and hid my face in his shoulder.
“Bae we both got to do our exams.” He said softly.
“I don’t want to.” I let go and I held his hand.
He smiled at me and we started walking back into the building. We went into separate examination rooms to take our tests. I took 5 tests that day and Johnny took 6. I sat in the main foyer area while he finished up. I waited for a while on my phone listening to music on my airpods.
Johnny finally came out 2 hours later.
“Guess who just got a hundred on the hardest regents exams in Cali??” He yelled out to me walking down the hallway.
“Oh my goddd!! You aced the science regents? I am so proud of you!” I ran up to him, hugging him. “And I passed all 5 exams I took today!” I smiled and kissed him a bunch of times and squeezed him.
“I am proud of you, we have 2 more exam sessions and we graduate!”
He was excited. I was excited. If we didn’t graduate high school we couldn’t move into our house. So I am trying extremely hard to pass.

“We should go get something to eat to celebrate. And I don’t mean drive thru, like sit down, eat, maybe that really expensive Italian place you’ve been wanting to go to that judges on your appearance?” He smiled and laughed a little towards the end.
“No, we are not spending that much money there! We are on a budget. We just bought a million dollar house bae, we are not spending $1,000 on dinner tonight. I promise we can go the night we get our diplomas and officially graduate.”
I am not a fan of wasting money. We just bought a house that was worth originally $2mill but the seller dropped it down to $1mill. I wanted to make sure that our financials were straight before we spend big coins on dinner.
“You’re right, you’re smart honestly…date night set for graduation night…but seriously I am starving and I want food. Can you make empanadas or spaghetti?”
“You just went from Spanish food to Italian food.” I laughed. “But yes I will make both, I know you work tomorrow so I will make extra so you can take some to work and brag that your girl is the best cook in the world.” I said as we started walking to the car.
“But we need to stop at Target huh?”
I nodded. We both got in the car but this time he drove. He drove to Target. When we were inside the store he told me no more baby clothes.
Of course I bought 4 more outfits for Josey. But I did buy all the ingredients for dinner and I bought stuff for snacks. We were checking out and mad people were recognizing Johnny.
“YO THATS JOHNNYBOI!! HIS MUSIC IS LIT!!!” Someone in the crowd yelled.
We looked at each other and laughed.
“I’m not that famous yet I don’t understand why people bugging.” He laughed and I laughed with him.
We finished checking out and left.
When we were done putting everything in the car I heard 4 gun shot bangs. My instinct was to duck. Johnny pulled out his glock.
There were more and more gunshots and people screaming. Johnny ran next to me and hugged me.
He whispered to me “Are you ok?”
I nodded back in response sitting on the ground between the cars.
We heard more and more gunshots but this time we heard glass breaking and car alarms.
“Liv, listen to me. Get in the back seat when I look at you and nod. You will lay in the back seat and I will be driving us out of here.” He whispered to me in the deepest and scariest tone.

Johnny peaked out and saw no movement. He gave me a nod and was quiet. I got in the back seat and laid down and Johnny got in the driver seat quietly. He turned the key, put the car in neutral and sped off as fast as he could. When we were a couple blocks away from Target and was at a stop light I climbed in the passenger seat.
Johnny looked over at me and held my hand tight.
“Thank you for trusting me. You trusting me made this so easy to escape.” He leaned over and kissed me. I kissed back and smiled. This stuff didn’t really faze me much, I was around shootouts a lot growing up.
The light turned green and he sped off. We arrived at the house within 5 minutes.
We brought everything inside and I started cooking. Johnny’s mom needed to go to work so she left Josey in the kitchen with me while Johnny was figuring out financials on the island near me.
“Bae, I don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t think we would be able to pay off the house if I just worked.”
“Well no shit, I already have 3 jobs lined up right now, I am babysitting the neighbors kids which I can bring Josey for them to play with, clean up that family's house, and I will be a construction contractor next week. So if I am correct we will be fine, plus I will have some time on the side making music with you.”
“This is why I love you, you’re always ahead of me. AND since when were you into construction sites?”
“When they offered me $79,000 a year starting off. I say since you are working for Ron’s studio part time and working as a construction worker too, and me being your company's contractor and a babysitter for the neighbors, I see no issues paying off the house. We will end up fully paying it off within 3 years. I am sure Ron wouldn’t mind you taking Josey to the studio with you, but I can take her with me wherever.” I said as I am making empanadas.
He gets up and hugs me from behind.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
I put the empanadas in the oven and I put the spaghetti noodles in the boiling water. Johnny let go of me but grabbed me by the waist and sat me on the island and kissed me.
Josey ruined the moment and started being fussy and cranky. I warmed up a bottle of breast milk for her and handed it to Johnny. He fed her while I finished cooking.
I made three plates of food. I gave Johnny a plate of spaghetti and empanadas. I made his mom a plate and wrapped it up putting in the fridge. I texted her that I made her a plate of food and it’s in the fridge. And I made myself a plate sitting next to Johnny.
Josey fell asleep mid feed so he put her in her car seat. We finished eating and he washed the dishes. I cleaned the counters and the stove.
Johnny finished doing the dishes before I finished cleaning the counter and I went upstairs where Johnny was rocking Josey to sleep. I grabbed Josey from him and I fed her again before putting her to bed.