Deetra

18.

| Juan in the MM |

Sage P.O.V.

I had no idea what was going on in my head when I agreed to take in Javon's little girl. All I was thinking about was how he had my family's back - therefore, I felt I had to do something for him in return, which ended up being to take care of his daughter. Everyday I had a chance to, I'd spend a whole day with her. After a while it was like she knew me. Her nanny, Aaliyah, was teaching me how to take care of her and shit.

I was visiting my dad at one of his clubs in Atlanta to talk to him. My dad owned a lot of different clubs in the cities he usually went to - Atlanta, L.A., NYC, Chicago, Houston, Philly, and of course our home, Baltimore. It was just a cover up so the Feds wouldn't expect nothing is what he told us.

I saw him in the V.I.P. with a couple of his friends and two girls by his side.

"Dad, can we talk?" I asked, seriously.

His head shot up at me. "Gimme ten minutes."

I shoved my hands in my pockets. "I need to talk to you now, man." I said, sternly.

"Y'all hold up," He told them, getting up. "My office." He said to me.

I walked to his office. I waited in front of the door for him to catch up and unlock it. Once he did, we went in, and he locked it back up and slipped the key into his pocket. He sat in his office chair, and I sat in front of him, across the desk.

"You always find a way to surprise me with these visits. Why you don't be calling?" He said with a chuckle.

"Apparently you got yo' number changed." I said with a slight attitude.

"You a little slick in the mouth I see. Watch ya'self lil man, you know ain't afraid to beat yo ass." He said pointing  his finger at me.

"Dad, Dee got shot last month - and before you start bitching, we handled them already."

"She alright?" He asked lighting up a blunt.

"She good, she posed to get off her crutches. The point is, you wasn't there at the hospital."

"You know I be busy."

"Dad, the last time you was in Baltimore was New Years, and you ain't even see Dee." I said.

"You came down here to tell me I'm a bad father, is that it?" He said.

"I never said that."

He stood up and walked around his desk. He picked me up from the collar of my shirt. He threw me against the wall with the collar of my shirt in hand.

He spoke with his blunt still in his mouth. "I know when someone insulting me, I ain't dumb, Sageon. I bust my ass everyday out here try'na keep shit together and your ungrateful ass calling me out, who you think you are?"

I stared at him. He loosened his grip on me. I pushed past him. Once I got to the door, about to leave, I turned to see him making his way to his desk. I spoke, remembering why I came in the first place.

"One of the dudes that took Dee and them in, helped them out but he ended up dying. He has a daughter and I'm try'na become her legal guardian." I said, finally.

He stopped in his tracks, looked down, then turned around. "You try'na play daddy to another man's child at 20 years old - The same nigga who's responsible for my people being shot at-" He raised his voice.

"Aside from that shit, he helped us out." I said sternly.

He calmed down and adjusted his suit. "So what, you came down here for my advice or some?"

"Yeah."

"I thought I was a bad father." He chuckled taking a hit.

"I'll take what I can get." I smirked.

He scoffed, which was followed by a small laugh. "Be there."

"What you mean?" I asked, stupidly.

"Exactly what I said."

~~~

Juan P.O.V.

I was with Avery at a recreational center that had a court in it. We were practicing handles and shooting and just catching up.

"You made the team, huh." He asked passing me the ball.

"Yeah." I grinned and shot and made a three.

"How you gon' play when you have PTSD?" He asked passing me the ball.

"I don't be thinking bout the people in the crowd anyways, doctor said I'd be alright long as I take my meds." I said making a three.

"Your team trash bruh." He laughed.

"Nah, we got a cool team. Everybody pretty chill." I said when he passed me the ball, shot and missed.

He got my rebound. "It's still trash. Come on now, make these. Scouts ain't looking for no missed shots." Avery said, bounce passing the ball to me.

"Shut up, man." I grinned, making a three.

"You made some buddies?" He asked passing me the ball.

I chuckled and smiled, thinking about Deetranada. "Yeah." I said making a three.

"Nigga, why you smile like that?" He laughed.

"No reason, man. The whole team is cool." I said.

We switched positions. "They got you smiling like that?"

"Nah, remember that girl I was talking to you about, the one that told me the house was gon' be shot up - Deetranada?" I passed him the ball.

"Yeah, why?" He said making a three.

"Well we been talking and hanging out."

"Bruh what happened to Drea? The girl you were on FaceTime with, I thought y'all was something?" He laughed, shooting the ball and making the three.

"Drea cool and all but ain't shit to talk about with her. Now Deetranada, I can talk to. But you seen Drea, she hella fine. But you ain't even seen Deetranada yet."

"Nigga you a dog." He laughed making his shot.

"We ain't together yet." I shrugged.

"Do Drea know about Deetranada?"

"Nope, but Deetranada knows about Drea."

"I don't know a lot of girls that's cool with that." He said.

"I'on even think Deetranada even try'na go there with me, but I feel like we close to taking it there."

"Then what you gon' do about Drea?" He laughed.

"I don't know yet, I ain't think that far into it." I shrugged.