What Makes The Heart Grow Fonder✔

9❤️

"There's the student union right there."

Devin's older cousin who attended Akron U thought she'd take the day off to show her baby cousin the campus. Since they're family, of course she wanted Devin to come to the same school she was, so it was her duty to make The University of Akron look like the best college in the country.

"Everything is pretty much in walking distance, restaurants, clothes shops, the stadium."

"Speaking of stadium," Devin said. Football is another main reason why it's taking him so long to decide. "What the team look like? They good?"

She shrugged and continued to drive to the next destination. "Ehh, they win occasionally, but they ain't the coldest. But they shol' would be a lot better with you on the squad." She winked.

Devin laughed. "You really want me to go here huh Alise?"

"Of course! We're starting our own little legacy."

Devin looked out the window at the rest of the campus. It wasn't very huge and he didn't mind that. Maybe this is the place for him.

"Don't you want to be close to home anyway?" She glanced at him.

He shrugged, "I just wanna go somewhere where I'll get to the pros the quickest."

Alise didn't say anything, but kept driving. She wondered if she had done enough to persuade him into coming here.

"You hungry? Let me treat you to lunch while you're in town." She smiled. Might as well kick it with your cousin since you don't get to do it that often, she thought.

Devin🏈

Pulling up to one of the best steakhouses I know of, my parents were getting out of their car at the same time coincidentally. Damn, now I gotta hear their mouth.

"Auntie? Uncle Ray, what y'all doing here?" Alise asked happily and gave them a warm hug.

I on the other hand wasn't happy, actually I was very annoyed. I had to mentally prepare myself for all the shit that was gonna fly out of their mouths.

They hugged her back, in a fake way. My mom had on that fake smirk that she gives people when she meets them for the first time.

"Alise." She said, and then focusing her eyes on me.

"How have y'all been?" Alise smiled and nodded, just happy to see some family. She couldn't see that they weren't as happy as her.

"Fine." My mom took off her sunglasses and swung her hair.

The thing that me and Sabrina shockingly have in common is that we both come from rich families. The only difference is that my parents were boujee as hell and hers were amazingly humble.

I guess Alise had finally sensed the tension. She was standing there with that awkward look on her face. Alise is such a sweetheart and wouldn't hurt a fly. All she wanted was to enjoy this short moment of speaking with family she hadn't seen in over a year, and they're acting...boujee...as usual.

"Well," Alise gasped. "I was just about to treat my little cuz to a nice big steak, wanna join?"

My dad spoke up, "no, thank you." He said sharply and put his hand on my moms back.

"Oh, ok." Alise said, apparently heartbroken.

"Devin." My mom said, "You're here, in Akron, with Alise...what might you be doing here?"

Everything that flew out her mouth was stuck up.

"Looking at the University." I responded in a low tone.

Alise spoke up, in her normal happy voice. "Yeah! I'm showing him around the campus so that hopefully we can get closer next year when he enrolls." She smiled at me.

She held her sunglasses tight in her hand and squinted at the both of us with that damn smirk of hers. With them two constantly on my neck, I don't have as much freedom.

"Is that true son?" My Dad said.

"Yes sir."

"I thought we had agreed that you were enrolling into Virginia Tech."

I sighed and looked the other way. I could feel Alise looking at me.

"I said Virgina Tech is an option. But I'm leaning towards Akron U now."

From the time I was little, my parents always made my big decisions for me and I never had a say. Now that I'm 18, all I want is for them to let me go and experience life on my own, making my own choices.

My mom cut her eyes at me, "excuse me? As long as we're paying," she pointed back and forth between her and my father. "You will be going to the school of our choice, which will be Virgina Tech." She ended sharply.

I looked down and sighed softly. I always respected them both and never gave them attitude. Damn right there has been times when I wanted to cuss them both out and find my own place to live until college, but no matter what I still showed respect.

"But, Auntie," Alise cut in nicely. "It's Devin that has to sit in class each day. Shouldn't he have a say in what school he will go to?"

My mom looked her up and down with her hand on her hip. "I don't believe I was speaking to you Alise. This is about the wellbeing of my son, and that doesn't concern you."

"He's my little cousin, it does concern me! You've dictated his whole life since he was little, the least you can do is let him go to the college of his choice!"

She stepped forward and pointed directly at her. Everything was just going south so fast. "You listen to me, what I do with my son is none of your business. How dare you speak to me in that manner. You just go worry about how to keep that boyfriend of yours since you can't have kids."

"Momma!"

Alise was crushed. She never thought that anyone would dare throw that in her face and break her heart, and from her own aunt.

My mom is a nice person and all in spite of her boujeeness, but when you opposed her in any way, that's when she'd get completely cold hearted.

I love both of my parents, but sometimes I'm embarrassed to even say we're related.

I get little to no freedom, and when I do I have to beg for it. Like for football, I begged them to pay for me to join freshman year. I didn't have the money to pay for my uniform and dues and shit, and they were the only way.

They hardly ever come to my games. My dad comes more than my mom because she didn't want to be around messy and loud people in her $2,000 blouse. I'd try to tell her to wear regular clothes to a game like normal fucking people, but then she'd be like what's normal clothes? So I'm used to her not showing up.

My dad came to about 6 games total ever since I started freshman year. Although he was present, he wasn't very supportive. Let's just say I'd rather him stay home.

They both want me to be in the medical field, but I'm barely passing science class so I know I ain't gone be no good doctor or some shit.

I wanna be a baller, that's it. And it's not because I have to, I'm not living in the hood trying to make it out or need to buy my momma a new house. I'm playing because I love it, I don't need the money. I'd play professional football for $30 per hour. Money is something I already got. I just wanna live my life the way I want to.

"Let's go, get in the car Devin. You won't be returning to this pathetic excuse for a city."

I did as I was told, but of course after I gave Alise a big hug. Who knows the next time I'll see her.

"Love you cuz."

She hugged me back tighter and I could feel her soul crying. My mom said some hurtful shit.

"Bye." She said lowly and watched us all get in the car.