We Come Alive

The Truth

Tuesday afternoon, Madison was sitting in her car waiting on her phone in the back parking lot. She finished scrolling through her Instagram feed when she heard the passenger door open. Madison looked over to see her boyfriend Andrew climbing into the car.

"Hey." Madison greeted.

"Hello." Andrew sighed as he leaned back in the seat.

Madison started the car up before pulling out the parking lot. As they left, she saw him wave to his friends who were walking through the parking lot. "You hungry? We can stop."

"No." Andrew cleared his throat.
"I need to get home. I have some homework to finish."

Madison smiled widely. "Oh! You're gonna do your own homework?"

Andrew laughed sarcastically. "Unless you want to do it. I'm super tired and would rather take another shower, sleep, and eat."

"Fine." Madison sighed. "But I'm not going to be doing this often, you know. Just leave your bookbag in here and I'll do it."

Andrew smiled. "Thanks babe."

Madison pulled the car over in front of a light blue two story house. She unlocked the doors and looked over to Andrew.

"Thank you." He smiled as he leaned over and planted a kiss on her lips.

Madison kissed him back before saying her goodbye to him. She watched him climb out of the car and head towards the metal back gate that lead to the backyard.

Andrew closed it behind him and only got a few steps before he heard her car drive off. Andrew sighed as he zipped his jacket up and rolled his sleeves up.

Andrew walked across the backyard and climbed over the fence. He landed on the other side that was a back dirt path behind all the houses. He kept walking down it until he got to a street. Andrew put his hood up and walked down two streets until he got to a brown house with the windows open and two cars outside the home in the driveway.

Andrew walked up the door and walked inside. When he did, he saw three women standing in the kitchen cooking and talking while they listened to the radio.

Andrew walked over to the shortest woman and touched her shoulder. "I'm home, ma." He said.

"How was school?" His mother, Amber, asked.

"Fine." He answered as he walked out the kitchen. When he walked out, he was stood in the middle of the living room where there were four men watching the television and two kids on the floor doing homework. Both of them girls. One 11 and the other 13.

Andrew walked down the short hallway until he got to the last room on the right. When he walked in, he turned the light on and instantly heard a groan.

"Turn it off!" He heard a groggy voice say.

Andrew chuckle. "Nah. You gotta get up anyway. You gotta go to work."

Andrew looked around his room and saw how messy it was. There were clothes on the floor, shoes piled up in the corner, the closet door opened with all types of items pouring out of it. Andrew looked over at his bed, that was actually a large bunk bed that he shared.

Andrew's older cousin Adam, who was 20, dragged himself from underneath his blanket and glared at Andrew.

Andrew ignored his glare and sat at the desk that was across from the beds. He sat in the swirly chair and faced his cousin.

"Your little rich girlfriend drop you off?" Adam teased. "You gonna bring her around here?"

Andrew sucked his teeth as he looked out the window at their backyard. It had over grown grass, toys hidden in the grass, their bikes laid out there, and the clothesline hanging across the lawn with rugs and clothes hanging from it.