Unaccustomed: Urban

Accustomed to Pain

I starred in the mirror at my self.

"Damn! Who is that?" I turned my body, examining every inch of myself.

"Kaia if you don't get out that mirror..." My mom threatened. I laughed.

"Don't hate shawdy." I told her. She rolled her eyes.

"Hate on what? Baby everything you got, you inherited from me." She said. I scrunched up my face.

"I can image you out there poppin it for the dollars now." I said.

"Don't try it baby girl. Yo momma had the niggas falling at her feet with bell bottoms and a turtle neck." She said. I screamed at the thought.

"Yo.... Ma you wild'n. I got to get to class." I laughed, grabbing my purse.

"Okay. Love you." She said.

"Love you too Ma." I kissed her cheek before walking out.

My mom is like the best friend I can ask for. I wouldn't trade shawdy for the world.

I was in college: a sophomore. However, I refuse to move out of her house. We're inseparable. Ever since my dad left, it's been me and her, and you can say we kind of grew interdependent.

I sat through class quietly. It was just a lecture. That's basically all most professors do. I only had classes on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday's, and today was Wednesday.

I left class and decided to stop by my best friend's house. It's where all of the people I fuck with always are.

"BestFriend!" Sariya exclaimed as soon as she saw me. We hugged.

"Y'all see each other everyday. Fuck y'all so happy about?" Snipe asked. Everyone called him Snipe, short for Sniper. I referred to him by his government.

"Shut the fuck up Josiah." I flicked him off.

"Tried that. You was on some other shit remember?" I just laughed, walking with Sariya into her room. We both laid across her bed.

"Y'all are going to end up together." She told me. I rolled my eyes. She always tells me this.

"We tried remember? Shit didn't work out." I reminded her.

"It wasn't y'all time yet." She shrugged.

"And it never will be." I stated. She rolled her eyes.

"You so damn stubborn. You need love Kai." She said.

"Love? That word don't mean shit to me." I stated.

I stopped believing in love a while ago. Every nigga that told me he loved me lied.

My daddy was the first nigga that told me he loved me. He left.

My brother told me he loved me. He tried to kill me in my sleep.

My first love, Lace, told me he loved me. He put his hands on me.

My Ex Thai told me he loved me... he had me out here looking stupid.

Josiah told me he loved me. He got tired of me though... he needed space.

"I know you're broken, but you don't have to stay broken Kai. There's things that you can do... people you can talk to." She said.

"I don't need those people knowing my business. I'm good. Well, I'll be good." I told her. She sighed, deciding not to argue with me.

"You have grown accustomed to fighting the pain. Shit is going to hit you one day, and I'm warning you now. You gone loose yo sanity." She said. I didn't even reply before the door opened to reveal Jordan.

"We finna put this green goddess in circulation. Y'all coming?" He asked. I stood up immediately. He laughed. I followed him out the door, but I turned around when I noticed Siriya wasn't following.

"Wassup?" I asked.

"I'm straight. You go though."

"I'll take mine and your pulls." I told her she just laughed, shaking her head. I closed her door, walking into the living room where Josiah, Jordan, Len, and April sat.

"You actually got Kai to come out and play?" Josiah asked.

Jordan shrugged, "Looked like Ri was chatting on some sap shit."

"Just like Kai, running from her feelings." Josiah said.

"We both know ion have those." I told him.

"How you gon-"

April cut him off. "Snipe light the shit up. Don't nobody want to hear y'all go at it." She said. He did as told.

Everyone knew when we started, there was no off. We were both on go, both hitting below the belt, both trying to hurt the other: by any means necessary.