𝑾𝑰𝑪𝑲𝑬𝑫 𝓖𝓪𝓶𝓮𝓼

65 SPENCER AVE.

September 7, Thursday.

Peering into the solo cup, a ring of dark liquor circled the bottom. I knew I wasn't getting any sober anytime soon. I wanted to, but ever since I started going to parties at the ripe age of 15 I just couldn't slow down. I'd been wall sitting next to this girl who's eyes of a doe never fail to glance my way. This block hadn't aged a year and I've been coming to 46 Pine St parties since forever, and from what I know I haven't seen the chick before. Finally she waves, so I shrug and decide making conversation just to pass time won't be so bad. "First time?" I scoot closer.

Tucking a blonde strand behind her ear a grin tugged at her cherry stained lips. "Maybe." the flashing lights painted her pale skin. She was cute, but I can't keep up with love. I got a girl back home and she's enough for me to deal with already, so for the most part I kept my distance.

"Abel it's 2am, Toni is waiting in the car." My cousin rested his hand on my shoulder.

"We'll let's head out then." without thinking I dispose of my cup and we leave the party behind. On the way down the steps I dug out the keys from my camo vest and tossed them to Henny. "You drive that way Toni and I can head in and out." He mumbled a response that I didn't bother to confirm. Sliding into the backseat I pulled my phone from my pocket.

"You good Hen?" Toni looked over at him.

"He's just sober." As he started up the ignition I leaned forward. "You know where those apartments we used to live in are? Pass those and after the second light turn left into that neighborhood."

***

Henny parked out front on the curb and buried his face in his phone. Toni and I hopped out, but before we went in he stuffed something in his pocket and closed the car door. "Stella home?'' I ask as we head up the wooden steps. The nights cold air chilled my neck and arms.

"Pretty sure she's with my mom." He knocks on the door. Stella and Toni are both my half siblings, but we don't ever mention it. We just address each other as if we were full. We have the same dad, which is why we are here now. Nobody answered so he tried the door and to surprise the janky paint chipped door creaked open, so Toni pushed in and we went inside. "Julius?" he called out while I held my breath cause my heart was practically in my ass. Nothing was said until we heard glass settle on a surface.

"Antonio?" a raspy voice echoed around in another room not to far off from the entryway.

Toni glanced back at me before turning the corner. I followed right behind him. Memories of my childhood began flooding back, the walls looked exactly like they did when I was growing up. Toni and I used to sit right in the doorway where we just stood and complained about school or talked about parties that were going on down the block. But the worst memory flooded back when I found myself in the kitchen staring back at exactly what fucked my life up in the first place.

"Abel?" He squinted.

"Yeah, What's up." I took a seat at the round wooden table across from him.

"Now what the hell do both of you want?" his eyes flew between the two of us as he grasped his beer bottle for another swig. His greasy ponytail slipped off his shoulder as he threw his head back for every drop of beer left.

"Watch your tone." Toni set the pistol right in front of me. "We just want to talk, I think I'll let Abel take the wheel here."

"Where's my mom? What'd you do to her?" My voice got lower with each word. The day my mother left this very house, crying, dragging a suitcase behind her. I thought she just needed some time to herself, but once I grew to understand it was his fault, I wanted him out of my life immediately. And that was the root of my problems.

"She went her own way," he glared at me with a heaving chest just as when he'd yell at me to turn off the same tv show Mass Makk and when he'd argue with my mom. The way his eyes turn pure evil infuriates me even more.

"So you mean to tell me, you abused our mothers for years and you even abandoned my mother for another woman! You had a family, and you left it for another one. Little did we know you've been cheating on my mom from the start. You wicked bitch," Toni backed me up. We were only 13 when we were sat down and talked to about one another. Toni wasn't to blame, so I never held him against anything. If anything we chose to stick together and rebel against him together. Stella was just a baby when everything happened, so she never hung with us.

Julius rose from his seat banging his fist on the table. His lip caved in just like his bushy brows. "You don't know shit! So get your little asses out of here and don't come back," he yelled. My hand automatically gripped the gun, my finger rested upon the trigger.

"No shit Sherlock, don't you think you should tell us something we don't know?" Toni barked back. Julius stood glaring at him, waiting to bite. Toni's hand laid upon my shoulder as he leaned down. "Pull the trigger." My arm rose, gun in hand aiming directly at his forehead.

"Abel.." his dark eyes locked mine, the flames of rage surged beneath his skin, but his eyes were lifeless and cold. There's no way a guy like him would ever truly love my mother. The heat crept up my neck boiling every ounce of blood in my face like the sun was scorching me. Pull the trigger lingered in my mind and my finger went for the kill. The weight of the world lifted off my shoulder, but it still didn't feel like I had everything I needed. I just hope he didn't beat me to her.

"A, you good?" Toni's voice snatched me from thought. My mouth can't find any words, neither can my mind, so I simply nod in response.