Own You

Chapter 1

"Mom, I don't understand. Why are we moving all the way to Chicago?" I ask my mother as we grab snacks from this quaint rest stop in the boonies of Illinois.

"I told you, Mya, we'll be better off out there than where we were. Besides, you'll be in an enormous house and going to a better school. I'm sure you'll make new friends too. Child, you ought to be thankful," my mom says as she hands me her items.

"I know mom, I am a little excited but, we don't know anybody in Chicago besides Mason and Jamal. And why are you giving me your snacks again?"

My mom sighs before she speaks.

"I know this all happened fast, but I trust Mason, and I'm happy. We both want to help you as much as possible since you'll be an adult soon. Jamal is in a great college and now you can choose where you wanna go, too. It may take some getting used to, but this new family can work. Now, grab whatever else you want and go take them upfront. I need to use the bathroom."

As my mom saunters off to the restroom, I think about how we have been traveling for miles nonstop. I still can't believe my mom is married. A few months ago, my mom tells me she's met a man, and she's happy. And, before I knew it, he was proposing to her. Mason Munroe was a decent man, he never seemed shifty or like a liar. I don't feel uncomfortable around him, but I feel like things have moved really fast.

Mason and my mother got married only a week ago and now we are heading to Chicago with the last of our boxes. We used to live in Kansas City, but Mason insisted that my mom and I live in a better environment. Mason is filthy rich, with more than one place of residence. Chicago is the site of his Steel business, so he thought it would be the best place for us to settle in as a family.

As I peruse the shelves of the small store, I can hear Mason's son Jamal complaining. As he stated many times, he hated the fact that he had to spend his college break driving from Kansas to Chicago. Jamal was handsome and athletically framed. Much like his father. His brown skin was flawless and looked as if God carved him from marble. It didn't help that his smile was perfect. Showing off his movie-star good looks.

"Pop, I'm just saying we could've hired a moving truck for this. Or had their stuff flown across the country. Why waste time on this impromptu trip across two states?"

Jamal was grabbing things, seemingly at random, and stuffing them under his arms. The store clerk offered him a basket, but Jamal declined, citing how filthy all the baskets were. His attitude was the worst and I hate the fact that we had to get along. I have no interest in knowing such an evil person. I walk towards the slushy machine in the back, but it says it's out of order. Jamal is grabbing some energy bars behind me when Mason responds to his question.

"I told you, taking this trip is a way to help you and Mya bond. Her mother and I want this to be an actual family. You two barely got to know each other since we started dating."

Mason grabs some items from Jamal and takes them to the front counter.

"What's there to bond about? I'm a grown man and she's still in high school. I'll be done with college after another semester and starting my business."

"That may be true, but you are still my son. I'm married to her mother and whether or not you like it, you'll both see a lot of each other."

I take my things to the counter as well, and Mason smiles at me. He's been trying hard to bond with me and I can't say if I actually want to. Like Jamal, I don't quite understand why we need to be close when we are both at weird stages in our lives. Jamal shoves me slightly, so he can put his items down on the counter. His elbow connected with my ribs, but I've learned by now not to accuse him of anything.