Love Thy Neighbor ~ Part 4

Remember When Cocoa Did It All?

I looked around and of course I noticed that Shaka wasn't there.
Y/n: "Wait-"
Cocoa: "Hold the roll Lena. A member of our beautiful family is missing. Where's Shaka?"
She said looking at Moz. He counted the kids and then rolled his eyes.
Moz: "Shaka, get down here!"
Shaka: "I can't!"
He said hiding upstairs.
Mazzi: "My goodness. I wonder what's gotten into that boy?"
Moz and Cocoa both gave him a look. That's when I remembered...the prank war. I looked at Mazzi and mouthed 'what did you do?' He just shrugged cutely. I knew he had done something.
Moz: "Boy get down here now before I come up there and make you regret it! Nothing physical. No, you know, she doesn't- WE DON'T believe in spanking."
He said looking at Jess. She nods as Shaka comes around the corner. The McKellans couldn't see him yet because of the angle but Me, Jess, and the crew could. I covered my mouth as he walked down the stairs. He was completely blue and was wearing a brown robe.
Ami: "Look! It's Shaka Smurf!"
I tried not to laugh.
Cocoa: "Shaka, this isn't funny."
Shaka: "I know. Blame Mazzi. He put blue dye in the soap."
Y/n: "I thought you said it'd be fine and you wouldn't interfere with the interview."
I said getting a little upset with him. He stood up in Shaka's face.
Mazzi: "That's what you get when you declare war. Now blue boy has blue-"
Shaka: "I'm gonna kill you!"
He jumps onto Mazzi and they're fighting. I could hear my name mentioned, but I didn't know which boy said it wand why. I furrowed my eyebrows a bit in confusion. Moz tried to separate them but ripped his pants in the process.
Jade: "Uh- Dad, are you wearing Spanx?"
Moz: "What? Uh uh, they make them for men now. They do."
Cocoa: "They're amazing."
Ami tries to pull Mazzi back, but she grabs her hair and pulls the wig off of her head.
Ami: "MY WIG!"
Y/n: "Guys stop!"
I said walking over to them. The boys keep wrestling and end up knocking the side table over.
Cocoa: "THAT'S ENOUGH! EVERYONE JUST SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN!"
We all quickly get ourselves, more like themselves, together and sit down. I ws just trying to quickly sit anywhere and ended up sitting on Shaka's lap. He wrapped one arm around my waist, and I couldn't tell if it was because he was scared of his mom or he just wanted to.
Cocoa: "Jess, I am so sorry. I can't keep this up any longer. I am not 'The Woman Who Can Do It All.'"
Jess: "Look Cocoa, no woman is okay? Every woman struggles, just like you. That's why I wanted to come to your house. To see the truth of it all, instead of you coming down to the studio. Look, this is what people need to see."
Cocoa looked around.
Cocoa: "Oh, okay. Well, if I can keep it real, I'll do the interview."
Jess: "Real is all the matters. All right Lena, start rolling."
I got out of Shaka's grip to get up and move but Jess stopped me.
Jess: "I'd lie you to be in it too. You seem to be just as much a part of this family as the others."
I thought for a moment. The McKellans really have been like my second family. I guess I can accept that.
Y/n: "Okay."
I went and sat back on Shaka's lap. I looked at Mazzi who looked upset while looking away from us. Like I said, something's still up with him.

~Time Skip~

It was pretty late and I was just chilling in the boys room. I was staying the night anyways so I wasn't worried about sleep. I was laying against the head board while Shaka was asleep in my lap with his arms wrapped around my waist. I was just messing with his hair. Now Mazzi was leaned against his headboard reading a book. I have been so curious about what ha been bothering him so why not ask now.
Y/n: "Hey Mazzi?"
Mazzi: "Yeah?"
He said still looking at his book.
Y/n: "What's bothering you?"
Mazzi: "Hm?"
Y/n: "What's bothering you?"
He looked up from his book finally. He just looked at me before he looked back at his book. I sighed.
Y/n: "How about this...why did you prank Shaka first?"
He didn't react at all.
Y/n: "Mazzi...all you're doing is proving my point."
Mazzi: "Proving what point?"
Y/n: "That there's something bothering you. You won't tell me, but you can because Shaka's asleep and we can keep it between you and me."
He looked over at me from his book. I gave him a slight shrug. He sighed and finally shut his book.
Mazzi: "Don't get mad."
Y/n: "Uhm, okay.."
Mazzi: "I'm trying so hard to get over my crush on you and I may be taking my jealousy out on Shaka, but I just don't get it. After all he has done to you and all the problems he has cause you, you still let him back in. Why?"
I looked down at a sleeping Shaka. He is right. Like the conversation we had earlier, we do have compromise in our situationship, but there has been a lot of hurt.
Y/n: "You know Mazzi, I don't really know. Maybe I loved him for so long that I've been blinded or something, but what I do know is that somehow we figure out how to communicate and solve our problems. He hasn't ever physically harmed me like my mom did, and when he wasn't there, I still had you guys to come to which eventually led me back to him."
He looked away sadly while I sighed.
Y/n: "Look Mazzi...I love you, with all my heart, I do... but it's just not in the same way that I love Shaka."
He looked at me.
Mazzi: "I know, I know. I need to be happy for y'all."
I smiled weakly.
Y/n: "I know you'll find someone else and be just as happy as us."
He smiled back.
Mazzi: "Yeah, I guess."
He turned his lamp off and laid opposite of Shaka and I. I shook my head upset that he's upset but happy that I now know what's going on with him.