Pick A Side

Chapter 40

Melanie POV

I rolled myself inside the house to be greeted by Day and Night. They were all jumpy and excited to see me and the baby.

Mille went back and forth from the attic and backyard to set up for tomorrow and I went upstairs.

"You're so boring Nessa, you'on do none."I joked placing her on the bed on her back. I climbed out of the wheelchair and got in the bed.

She just stared up at me, doing that thing like Mille does, with her eyes.

At just three days old, she's already showing signs of craziness, I just know it! Just like Ka'Mille.

"You gonna be a smart lil baby huh. My baby gonna be sooo smart."I giggled, running my fingers through her soft and small amount of hairs. She didn't come out of the womb with a full head of hair, but the small amount she did have was just enough.

"Can I see her before we go?"Marla asked as her and Abigail stood in the doorway. Marla just found them a new house a little ways from here. They finished moving in two days ago and now they just had to bring themselves.

I nodded and moved out of her face so they could see.

They smiled at her. "Is this my new cousin? She's a girl right? What's her name?"Abigail questioned. "Vanessa,"I answered. "That's classy."Marla laughed.

"Yay 'cause Johnathan so boring, he's a boy."Abigail laughed, referring to her cousin, Johnathan, Marla's son, my sister Marla.

"You don't see him enough to say he's boring."I laughed. My family lives in Texas, except Marla, who now resides in Sorrento.

"She gets her facial features from Mille. Some kids are born looking like one parent but grow up and look like the other one. She must have your smarts somewhere in there."Marla said.

"Ion know but as long as she's well mannered I'm good."I replied. They left after a few minutes but they'd be back tomorrow for our get-together. Mille walked in and pulled off the jacket she had on. She hung it up and laid on top of the comforter like us.

"How long we have to wait?"I asked. "Six weeks,"She replied.

"Damn."I mumbled. We turned on our sides to stare at each other. "They fucked you up."She mumbled.

"I know,"

"I'm gon—."

"No!"I shouted, startling Nessa. She looked up at me and looked like she was about to cry. I quieted down.

"Mille, please don't interfere. I want to handle this alone."I whispered. "Look where that got you."She uttered.

"I can get myself out of it."

"At least let me kill one of them."

"Ka'Mille, no."

"Melanie, yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"No."

"Yes,"

"Ha, gotcha."

"Okay fine. You take out Mackenzie."I gave up.

"Mhm."

The room went silent for a few minutes until I spoke up.

"What are you doing?"

"Gathering my thoughts."

"Thoughts for what?"

"How I'm going to go about killing her."

"Oh."

"What you thinkin'?"

"Let's put her to sleep before we talk up of what I'm thinking about."I smirked.

~~~

"Thank y'all for coming!"I smiled, rolling my wheelchair up to the head of the table since it couldn't fit anywhere else.

Today, our getogether was happening. Chad, Harley, Carmen, Terrence, James and Nyla all showed up. Charmaign and Vincent are coming as well but they aren't here yet. All of my sisters showed up. The kids were in the living room watching TV and Vanessa was sleeping upstairs.

"How y'all just gon' eat without us!?"Charmaign yelled as she and Vincent emerged from the patio. They hugged Mille and I hello and said hey to everyone else. They sat in the last two empty seats at the large rectangular table. Mille fixed my plate and sat it in front of me since I was unable.

"Can someone pass the mac and cheese down here?"Charmaign asked.

"Give this to my sus."I scooted the bowl of macaroni and cheese to Harley to give to Charmaign.

For some reason, Harley scoffed but still passed the bowl to her. I looked up when Vincent started speaking.

"What are you scoffing for?"Vincent asked Harley.

"Just scoffing to the fact that you still haven't told your wife about us."Harley spat, getting loud. "Tell his wife about what?"Charmaign asked, pausing mid scoop of getting the mac and cheese from the bowl. "Oh, he didn't tell you he's been cheating on you with me. We have a baby on the way too."Harley spilled.

The backyard grew silent, awaiting someone to interrupt the silence.

"Are you cheating on me, Vincent?"Charmaign asked.

"No, you are the only one I love."Vincent replied.

"What's love got to do with cheating?"Harley butted in. "Bitch, ya man fuckin' me."Harley slammed her hands down on the table with a "duh" look on her face.

"If my man says he's not cheating, he's not cheating."Charmaign got up and went over to Harley and dumped the closest bowl of food, which was salad, on her.

"Your weave looks a little dry."Charmaign doused the glass of liquor on Harley. Harley gasped, getting up ready to fight.

The two of them went scrambling around in the fresh cut grass.

"Somebody break they asses up."I said as I munched on the meat from the red beans. Vincent broke them up and took Charmaign's hand.

"Yo sus! I'ma call you."I shouted after Charmaign but they were already gone.

"How are you taking up for that bitch, Melanie?"Harley screamed, obviously frustrated as she fished the tomato chunks out of her sticky hard liquor filled hair.

Charmaign has always been there for me no matter what, my whole life. It's only right if I'm on her side. Harley just entered my life a few years ago and we've been nothing but coworkers ever since.

"It's Charmaign over all y'all, get this bitch off my property."Mille yelled. I face palmed myself and looked down at the cuts that were slowly healing on my right leg. Chad dragged a furious, hooping and hollering Harley out to her car. He waited 'til she was gone before coming back to the backyard.

"I'm sorry about her."He apologized on her behalf before taking his seat at the table. This getogether did not go as planned but what Carmen said next, bought everyone back to our laughing state.

"She'an had to do the salad like that though! Pass the mustard greens, though, bitch!"

C. Baby