Zoie
Walking into the house, I sat my book bag on the living room chair, and headed for the kitchen. I'm starving. "Hello Zoie." I turned around to see James standing behind me. "What are you doing here?" I asked grabbing an apple and walking past him to go back into the living room. "Your dad went to go get some more beer, and asked me to sit here just in case you came while he was gone. Something about you lost your house key." He said eyeing me. "Oh." I said biting my apple and sitting in the recliner. "About the other night." "James I don't wanna talk about you fucking my mother. Matter of fact? Why you hanging around my stepdad like you ain't fucking his wife?" I asked turning to look at him. He put his head down and didn't say anything. "Exactly." I said taking another bite of my apple. "It wasn't even like that Zoie. I don't want her at all. I'm in love with you and she knows it. Or at least she thinks she knows." He said sitting down on the red loveseat. "What in the hell are you talking about?" I asked. "She came over and said that she'd noticed I was looking at you too hard. I told her that she was being ridiculous and she told me that if I didn't want you then I had to prove it by having sex with her." He said making me laugh. "And how the hell does that prove anything?" "It doesn't but Zoie she said she was gonna tell the town about her suspicions and I can't even have my wife doubting me for a second. Not until I can divorce her and be with you." He said grabbing my hand. "Zoie, I love you." He said looking me in the eyes. "I love you too James." I said kissing his lips when I heard a key turn in the lock. I sat back in my recliner and continued to eat my apple as if nothing had just happened. "Zoie! You made it! Thanks man." My stepdad came walking in with my mom right behind him. She liked from James to me then back to James. "Problem?" I asked looking at her. She shook her head and walked in the kitchen. "Zoie." My stepdad called my name as if to say cut it out. I nodded and walked away going to my room. "So how long you plan to hold that over my head." I looked up from my desk to see my mama standing in the doorway. "Cut the shit Trish." I say going back to my homework. "No Zoie you cut the shit! I'm your mother and you're going to start treating me as such or you can get the hell out of my house!" She snapped making me laugh. "Your house.. YOUR house? Bitch this is Ray's house. Get out of my room." I got up and closed the door, and sat back down at my desk. "Ray!! I'm sick of that little disrespectful heifa!" I heard her yell going back down the hall. So! She shouldn't have been messing with my mine. I don't wanna share him with Carolyn and pretty soon I won't have to. "Zoie. Open this door." My stepfather knocked on my door. I knew she was gonna go tell but I don't care. I would treat her like a mother if she acted like one. She ain't raise me, Ray did. And they weren't even together then. She just up and left one day and then came back years later like everything was all good. But it wasn't then and it damn sure ain't now. "She came in here starting with me." I say opening the door, he was standing there with tears in his eyes. "Zoie please. Sometimes I don't know what to do. I do all I can to keep y'all from at each other's throats. You have to respect her. She is your mother." He said coming in and sitting on my bed. "Who has to sign all of my papers? Who has custody of me? I don't know why you let her back here. She has done nothing but give me hell since she came back and run to you playing the victim." I say, wiping the tears from my face. "Zoie bell you have to give her a chance baby. Ignore her but don't curse at her okay?" He hugged me and kissed me on the forehead. "I won't let anyone hurt you, not even her." He said walking out of my room. I smiled. "Hey daddy? Can I go spend the night with Lexi? We have a project to work on." "Okay." That was too easy. I smiled and packed a bag thinking about how I was gonna be in my man's arms tonight.
