𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇.

thirty.

𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐧. 𝐣𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬
𝙵𝙴𝙱𝚁𝚄𝙰𝚁𝚈 || 𝙱𝙰𝚃𝙾𝙽 𝚁𝙾𝚄𝙶𝙴, 𝙻𝙰.
-

"He been upset ever since the other day when we heard that you got accepted into that school. He been so quiet. You know Eli," My mother told me as I sat on the couch, watching Fresh Prince.

I knew what she was talking about too. Eli had been silent as a mouse. He hadn't insulted Eve like he usually did everyday, he hadn't even asked for chicken nuggets with barbecue sauce. With all of his tough exterior that I saw over the years made me forget that he's just five.

"Imma talk to him." I cleared my throat and got up from the couch, pulling up my gray sweatpants to prevent them from sagging.

I dragged my feet to the twin's room and walked in seeing that only Eli was in there. He was laying on his bed looking at something on his IPad. I assumed Eve was in Essy's room like she usually was. She wanted a room like hers but we didn't have the money for a renovation, so she was just always in there.

"Talk to me, la dude." I closed the door.

"Why?" He asked, his face scrunched.

"You been walking around the house looking like a sad puppy for the past week. You've barely said over twenty words in seven days."

"I don't want to talk to you. I have to get used to not talking to you since you'll be leaving soon."

I already knew that was what he was upset about and I didn't blame him. Especially since our mother was in and out of our lives, all he saw was people leaving as a negative thing. Not as a positive thing like going to college.

"When I go to college you can still talk to me. And I'm not leaving yet. It's still a couple of months." I explained to him.

"You still leaving—"

"Me leaving isn't a bad thing, E. You know how we be watching the basketball games? Lebron James? That could be me in the future if I go to college, play my ass off, and make it to the NBA. I'm not leaving because I just want to. It's to build a future." I sighed.

"If I get rich, I can move ya'll out of here. Get ya'll a house in LA like you always be talking about. But if I stay here, I'm not gone be able to do that."

What I liked about Eli was that he was very mature and smart for his age. Part of it was because he just had to be because that's how we grew up, but he was honestly born that way.

"You're gonna leave and not come back for a long time." He huffed.

"Every holiday I'll be here. Even some weekends if it's not busy." I shrugged.

"You can't be like mom—"

"Never." I cut him off quickly.

I knew that's what this all rooted from.

"If you say so." He sighed dramatically before getting up and hugging me tightly, which caught me all the way off guard.

We never hugged.

After staying and his room a little longer, I finally left and grabbed my wallet since my homeboy, Woo, had texted me that he was outside my house to pick me up.