ASHLEY

28

   I wake up wrapped in long, slightly muscular arms. The desire to go back to sleep strong but needing to be ignored. When I finally open my eyes all the way, I find Angela's feet plotted on my face. Memories of her and Isaiah's kicking battle fresh on my mind now. I swear the two of them act like siblings. For the most part it's cute but the rest of the time they can drive me up the wall acting like two little kids.

   Both of them seem sound asleep and I'm thankful when none of them wake up after getting up from the suddenly crowded sectional. Making my way to the bathroom, the shower is turned on to a comfortable temperature and step in. Strubbing the sleep from tired brown eyes. Bath & Body Works shows gel lathered into my soft brown skin. After spending a good hour in the tub I dry off and make my way back to my room to get dress in my favorite metallic grey shorts and a simple black sweater. Its Sunday and I'm not going anywhere today.

   The only thing I feel like doing is laying in bed all day.

   "Good morning," I snap my head up at the sound of Aunt Jackie's voice. Her chunky body stands in my door frame dressed in capris, a white shirt, silver sandals, and a stern look. I'm guessing the stern look is because when she came home from work this morning she found Isaiah sleeping on her couch, bundled up with me and Angela across the couch. Aunt Jackie has only seen Isaiah in photographs. Isaiah and I haven't been dating long and so because of Aunt Jackie always working, he hasn't been over late enough or early enough to catch her before she went off to work.

   I clear my suddenly parched throat. "Good morning Aunt Jackie."

   "Don't 'Aunt Jackie' me. You know how I feel about boys being in my house when I'm not home. Anything could have happened," I know Aunt Jackie is just trying to look out for me and lead me down the right path but I know what I'm doing. That's why she let me have a boyfriend in the first place. I'm responsible and I have boundaries. I wouldn't bring a boy in her house and have sex with him, especially while my little sister is still in the house. That's disgusting and unfair to Angela to have that image in her head.

   I plop down on my bed. Aunt Jackie mimics this. "Last night we went out and things got a little carried away. I didn't want Isaiah to go home in the state he was in and do something crazy. Then have his mom hating me. I swear nothing happened."

   She looks me over skeptically. "You mean to tell me you were out partying and you got that boy drunk."

   "No," I answer quickly. I'm not lying. It wasn't the alcohol that did it. "Okay. We went to a hookah lounge with some friends. I didn't have much. I wasn't going to drive home like that. I'm not stupid."

   "Good."

   "How are you off right now?" I ask, changing the subject to a more lighter topic. I am curious. Aunt Jackie works all the time. Too much. She needs to take some days off or shorten the ones she has. We had an uncle much like her. He would be turning over in his grave right now if he knew how hard Aunt Jackie works herself. I've tried more times than once to get her to take a break but it's just something about working that reels her in every time.

   Maybe it's her escape. We all have one. Her's is just not a good one. If something were to happen to Aunt Jackie...

   I don't even want to think about it. I can't. Not after my parents. It wouldn't be fair to us.

   "Oh well one of my co-workers really needed the extra time and my boss wanted me to take a break. He can't keep me out of there forever."

   "You work yourself too hard. You do need a break."

   "Story of my life. You want to wake those two knuckle heads up and go out to eat since I have this rare day off?"

   We haven't had a day out to enjoy each other's company in a while. It should be fun. And an added bonus is that Isaiah gets to spend some time with Aunt Jackie to get to know her. "Sure. Let me go try to wake them up." Angela for sure is a heavy sleeper and trying to wake that girl up is like going on a suicide mission. What with her waking up fighting.

   Surprisingly it's not hard to wake Isaiah up. He jumped up with the slightest touch. Sleep still evident in his tired eyes. Making me feel just a little bad for waking him up out his sleep. He had a rough night. Getting high. "What time is it?" Voice low and grogily.

   I shrug. Looking down at my iPhone, "it's time for you to get up. There's an extra toothbrush under the sink in the bathroom. We can stop by your house to take a shower."

   "Where are we going?"

   "Out with me," Aunt Jackie explains coming in the living room. She turns her attention to Angela, punching her to wake her up. Angela's head pops up looking confused. She throws Aunt Jackie's hands off her. "If you weren't just waking up I would punch you in your gut little girl. Get up and get dress so we can go out."

   "Go where?"

   "Out. Get up!"

   Isaiah runs to the bathroom and freshen up. The drive back to his place is filled with me singing along to Company by Tinashae. Very off key I might add. Oh well. This song is lit and plus I loved the video as well so whatever. "I'm nothing like a girlfriend. I'm not like someone I'm suppose to be."

   "You really like that song."

   "Yup. You can't ever be the type of guy to just show up. Treat it like a meet and greet. And then we go up!" Screaming the lyrics is rewarded by a playful scowl. Deciding to play along, a kiss is given.

   By the time Isaiah is washed and dress it's ten o'clock. Man did he get dress fast. See, I would have to take a couple of hours. Especially if I were going out with his mom coming along. You can't just dress however you want when meeting with your boyfriend's family. Not to try to play yourself off as a different person but because it's out of respect. The tan pants, Hawaiian collared shirt and Jordans Isaiah change into proves he understands this just as much as I do.

   We sit back in the car. Ready to go. Isaiah taps me on my exposed thigh, thanks to the white and blue floral dress I changed into before leaving my house. "I'm sorry if I was out of character in any type of way last night. Damn, I should have been more responsible. Drinking and smoking."

   "Don't apologize. We had fun last night. You were cool. Just promise me you wont get hooked on that stuff. It's not something I do often. I rarely do that crap."

   "I understand."

   "I'm serious.

   "Babe I know."

   The last thing I need is Isaiah getting hooked on drugs or something. I would never forgive myself.