LOST ONES.

𝟎𝟎.

5 YEARS AGO

"Y'all have to go live with your grandparents because I can't keep doing this." Monique shook her head as she put the car in park. She turned around looking at the twins— Salim and Saylor.

She was beyond upset with them. She didn't know where she went wrong with raising them. Monique went over and beyond for the twins and she didn't understand why they didn't comprehend it.

Monique wanted for the two to just go to school and be good kids. She wanted for them to get good grades or join sports, but every time she looked around Salim and Saylor were both getting suspended. It became too much to the point where they'd get expelled from every school and Monique would have to move.

She was tired. She's finally found a job that she liked and paid extremely good. She wasn't leaving. If that meant the twins had to leave then that's what it was going to be.

"Why can't y'all just be like Saint? He went to school didn't get into fights, got good grades, and went off to college. He's making mommy proud. He ain't putting more stress onto me. Why y'all gotta be like this?" Monique wiped her tears that fell onto her cheek.

"Ian like Saint, I'm my own person. School ain't for me and I told you that plenty of times, momma." Salim shrugged not knowing what else he could possibly do.

"Do you even try? You just go to school and do what? Be a class clown which gets you nowhere in fact. Youn even try."

"You don't know that! I—"

"Who are you yelling at? Watch who the fuck you talking to Salim. I'm not your damn brother and I'm not your sister. I am your mother and you will respect me! I did not raise you and your sister to be like this."

"You ain't understanding. I walk in class and sit down. I get out paper and a pencil, do the bellringer on the board, but I just don't get it. The teacher could explain something and I still won't get it. Momma school ain't for me. We been knew this since I was in elementary school, but you keep wanting for me to try and try just so I can be like Saint."

"I just refuse to believe that my kids are dumb!" She yelled immediately regretting what came out her mouth.

"Bet." Salim chuckled. "Youn gotta worry about me no more. I promise you, you don't."

"I didn't mean to say what I said, Lim. Your sister and you are a complete pain in the ass. Can't you see? Y'all go to school and cause problems. Y'all fight thinking that's the only way to solve things then y'all get expelled from every damn school. On top of that y'all don't never have good reasons."

"You don't know that. Have you ever asked us what we did to get suspended or expelled? Or did you just believe what the school said? Huh?"

"I don't have to know! Saylor, hello! Why can't you be like Saint?"

"Like Salim said, we are our own person. You think we try to fight? You think we don't try to learn at school? We do, but we don't get it, and you just want for us to so badly be like Saint. Then to call us dumb is ridiculous. If you want us to go be with our grandparents then we will." Saylor spoke putting her phone in her pocket.

"No, we not going with them."

"And where the fuck are you going to go? Y'all don't got no daddy and don't nobody else fuck with y'all because of the way y'all act. I just know for a fact that my parents gone get y'all right. They don't play."