Ghetto Love Birds™ {Princeton Fan-Fiction}

VI. The Family

Summer

I stared down at the note then looked up to look around.

No one in sight.

Instead of going in the house I slowly backed down the front steps of my home and started sprinting to Papa's Barber Shop. The shop wasn't too far down the way. If there's anyone who needed to know about this it was Papa.

Just as I was in the mist of beginning to run someone grabbed my hand, instantly yanking me back. I looked back and nearly had a heart attack.

June.

"Shit! What the fuck man?!" I said holding my heart. "Where you heading?" June nonchalantly asked.

"To see my Papa. What are you doing around here? I haven't seen you since the party." I pointed out. "I be around Princess, but word is you shouldn't even be out the house." June pointed out on my side.

"Shit." I sucked my teeth, "So, what you finna tell on me papi?" I flirted as if someone didn't just leave a lowkey death threat on my door step. "I couldn't care less. But you were in such a hurry I just wanted to make sure you straight." June shrugged leaning on his Benz.

"I'm always straight, I'ma Santiago." I said with all the pride in the world.

If its one thing Papa taught me to be proud of, it was my name. I promised to never disgrace it.

"You're also a female." "And what the fuck-" I cleared my throat, "And what is that supposed to mean?" I asked, throwing my hands on my hips.

"Meaning...I was just making sure you were straight." June repeated, pulling me towards him. "So are you good?" He asked, slowly licking his lips causing my pussy to drip.

My voice automatically soften, "Yea..I'm good." "Then why the rush?" June snatched the note right out of my hand. He read it and looked back down at me.

"Who wrote this?" I took a step back, "I don't know, I found the shit on my door step." I explained snapping out of June-Land.

June looked around for a minute. "Gimmie your phone." I unlocked it and handed it to him. He dialed a number and gave my phone back to me. I looked down at screen. "It's my number...call me if anything jumps off. Doesn't matter the time or place just call but..no bullshit." June said shaking his finger at me. I just nodded as he handed me back the note.

"June not to be rude or anything but, I really gotta go." I stressed. "I gotta get outta here too but, you safe up and stay off the streets." June said as he took one last look at me before hopping in to his Benz and driving off.

Damnit June. Why now?

I stood there sighing.

Wait, what am I doing? I gotta go.

I thought as I continued down the next block to Papa's shop.

I can't believe I let that fly ass nigga June distract me like that. He's been catching me on my worse days lately too...fuck it. At least I know he's still around.

I burst into Papa's shop.

"Woah Summer. What's the matter?" Uncle Rello asked, putting his haircut on pause. "Uncle Rell where is Papa?"

Uncle Rello was Baby D's pops. He wasn't my real uncle but because him and Papa went so way back we looked at him as family. All of our dads used to hangout back in the day and make runs together.

"He's in the back what's wrong?" He told me pointing to Papa's back room. "I just need to talk to him." I said as I went in the back of the shop and knocked on Papa's door.

"Who is it?" "Summer." The door immediately opened up.

"Summer, what are you doing here babygirl?" Papa asked standing aside to let me through the door. "Papa I found a note outside the house." I explained, giving him the note. Papa read the note and closed the door to his office.

He sat down in his seat and wrinkled his forehead.

Meaning Papa was in his thoughts.

"Where have you been to babygirl?" Papa questioned staring at the note. "I went to Mula's house to hangout with the girls, then the library and came home."

I couldn't tell him I went to see Dominic. Papa might kill him.

Papa nodded, "Did you go in the house?" I shook my head,"No, I came straight over here." Papa picked up his phone to make a call but slammed the phone down. "You're Mama isn't picking up. Come on babygirl we have to check the house."

Even though the house is only a couple of blocks away from the house Papa insisted on taking the whip.

We pulled up to the house and everything seemed to be normal. Papa went and opened up the front door.

"SURPRISE!"

"WINTER!?" We shouted all jumping into a tight family hug.

Although thought Papa and I wouldn't admit it at the moment we were both relieved to find not just Mama but Winter in the house as well.

Papa grab Winter's head and delivered a loving kiss to her temple.

That's how much pride Papa had in raising us. Female hustlers. Go-getters. Santiago's...

"Alright Papa, enough of this mushy mushy shit. I'm home can we please turn up? Like the good 'ol days?" Winter laughed as she put on Diddy's Finna Get Loose. Papa rubbed my cheek and winked at me, letting me know shit was going to be okay.

That wink secretly meant, "Babygirl you don't gotta worry about a damn thing 'cause Papa's gonna catch this mo'fucker and when I do I'ma shoot him dead." I swear my Papa still one of the smoothest nigga's alive. But I'ma always play my part 'cause shiiiit, just like Winter I'm growing up too.

"Oh I think that's a challenge baby." Mama said snapping her fingers at Papa.

"I don't know why y'all acting like your 'ol man still don't got it?" Papa said hitting the smoothest two step known to man while Winter and I hit the Milly Rock.

I gotta stop getting so caught up in this street shit and remember..it's all about the family.

Blood will always be thicker than water.