The Price ࿊f Peace

☮️: 007

Somewhere in Oakland

Syara watched as Kisses answered a DM from her homegirl who was asking where she was. Kisses was smarter than to give out there location for some small shit, so she informed her that she was out.

The girl asked that Kisses come and help her with something really quick. Kisses sighed.

Syara leaned off of her shoulder, already knowing she would say yes to the woman. Kisses has a problem with overextending herself to all of her friends. She was the definition of solid and you could call on her for anything at anytime and she'd be there.

Syara loved and hated that for her friend. It was because of her constant need to help people that she always ended up in bullshit.

She couldn't even say anything to her about because she did the same for her friends. The difference between them was that Syara only did it for the few people in her bubble. She had to teach herself to stop letting people take advantage of her kindness when she was young.

Foster care was never known for its warmth and fuzziness. Nor was juvie. Or the Blaine Street Women's jail when she got older.

She was always in there for fighting, then 4 months for drug possession, then an assault with a deadly weapon charge for 11 months at 16. She was tried as an adult for that one. She had enough mugshots to fill a folder.

As of late, she had been slower to anger, trying to keep her nose clean. The last time she went in, she had to come out and start all over. She was sleeping on a beaten up, roach infested couch in the trap for a month before Kisses forced her to move in with her family for a little bit until she got back on her feet.

It was a humbling experience, but it taught her a lot. She started a savings account and a checking account. She was managing her money well, and she had two sources of income, she'd gotten her high school diploma and even made it to her prom. She was in college now, community while she saved up for her dream college.

Berkeley.

Her grades were more than good enough to go, but she would have been on her own, so she took the year to go online to community college and save up.

She'd be transferring halfway through her sophomore year, but she needed to be in shape for track before she even went.

She was fast. Definitely. She was fielding offers and scholarships from a few universities, but she wanted Berkeley more than anything. And it was local too. She could stay in her apartment and still go everyday.

"I'm finna go help her real quick, tell Camarro I'll be right back, okay?" Kisses asked her. "I'll only be like 20 minutes, tops." She promised before scurrying off.

"Be safe, Kisses." She reminded her, walking to her side of the car to grab her purse from the backseat.

"Mhm." Kisses sounded, rushing to pull her seatbelt on.

Syara stepped back, watching as Kisses backed out of the parking space and sped off in the other direction of the house.

She glanced around the neighborhood, stalling before she had to go back inside. She was enjoying the silence for a moment. She grudgingly walked back into the house through the front door and locked it behind her.

Both Marro's babymama and his mother were speaking in loud whispers and Yalena was crying a little.

Syara looked around the room awkwardly before biting her lip and walking up the stairs. She had to force herself not to cringe as she heard the muffled sobs. She breathed out a heavy sigh of annoyance. She was ready to go home and they still hadn't done the cake.