𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬

𝟎𝟏

Ja'kori looked down at his arm; self-inflicted cuts danced along his left arm as he examined his body in the mirror.

A sigh of frustration escaped his lips.

"Why do I keep doing this shit," Ja'kori mumbled to himself as a knock on his bedroom door cut his examination short.

"Just a sec!" Ja'kori yelled as he scrambled around his bedroom for a hoodie. He found the scars embarrassing.

Once Ja'kori found a hoodie to put on he quickly pulled it over his head and put his arms through the sleeves, lastly, he adjusted how the hoodie looked on his body before opening his bedroom door.

"What?" Ja'kori asked as he pulled his bedroom door back some so he could get a good look at the person on the other side of the door, it was Aubrey.

"You look different," Aubrey replied, her voice barely above a whisper but Ja'kori heard her.

Aubrey's voice was so soft and quiet that she was asked repeatedly in public and in school to speak up which usually resulted in her social anxiety spiking through the roof.

Aubrey wasn't shy around family or friends, she was actually a very fun and loving person just like Justice but at the same time very blunt and standoffish just like Asaiah. If you spoke to her she would speak to you, she never yelled unless someone provoked her.

Ja'kori shrugged as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Why you say that?"

Aubrey shrugged. "I don't know something about you looks off."

Ja'kori furrowed his brows as he thought of all the things that could be "off" with him.

"Oh." Aubrey snapped her fingers once she remembered why she came up to her brother's room in the first place.

"Tatianna's downstairs," She said before walking to her bedroom and shutting the door behind her.

Ja'kori shook his head keeping his thoughts to himself, he jogged down the steps and as he hit the floor he could see Tatianna standing outside through the small glass window right above the front door, hugging her small body.

It was now the beginning of November, it wasn't necessarily freezing outside, but it was indeed chilly.

Ja'kori unlocked and opened the front door before poking his head out to speak.

"You ain't wanna come in?" He asked.

"I knocked on the door but your weird ass sister just stared at me and went upstairs." Tatianna scoffed as she rolled her eyes.

"Watch your mouth, Tati," Ja'kori spoke with sternness in his voice as he leaned his body up against the front door.

"Whatever." Tatianna sighed waving Ja'kori off.

"Are you going to let me in? It's cold as hell out here." Tatianna's body jerked as she spoke.

Ja'kori moved to the side making an opening for Tati to come inside his home.

Tatianna stepped inside and her shivering body instantly relaxed once she felt how warm it was inside.

She began taking off her boots and jacket while Ja'kori shut and locked the door behind her.

"Are your parents here?" Tati asked as she made her way over to the Karina-Louise All Gray Upholstered 2-Piece Sofa the couple had bought when they had very first moved into their dream home.

The two-story home came with 6 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms, 3 bedrooms were already in use by the family and the other 3 were just guest rooms. Justice and Asaiah had a bathroom in their bedroom, there was a bathroom in the main hallway, Ja'kori and Aubrey had a Jack and Jill bathroom separating their bedrooms from one another, and lastly, there was a bathroom in the basement.