You Vs. Them (Jhene Aiko and Kendrick Lamar)

chapter 2

Miko POV

I found Abe at the table counting the cash I had made for the night. "You sure you not stripping sis?"he asked. I gave a smile and yawned. "Don't play with me Abey." He pulled out the box where we kept the other money. It was under the floor board in a pop tart box the only place we knew SHE wouldn't look. Finally we had enough for all the bills that were piled up, plus enough for a week's worth of food. Abe and me separated the money into piles:

rent $550

lights $200

water $150

food $250

"Can't wait till we ain't gotta live like this no more Mimi." "I know Abey, I'm gone get us out of here." He stretched. "Go to bed, I'll be up in a bit." I told him. He ran up the old creaking stairs. I'm surprised he ain't fall through them shits were so old.

I didn't bother sleeping at night, on most nights I would stay up and wait for her, sometimes she would come home other nights she wouldn't. I had a feeling this would be one of those "don't wait up" nights. I pulled out my purple notebook from my back pack. Me and Kendrick were working on a song together. "Stay Ready/What a life"

I touched the pencil to the pad humming the melody of the song, starting to write down everything that came too me. Most of it didn't go but i'm sure in the long run, it could be used as something else that would bang just as hard.

I stayed up for hours writing and finally dozed off at the table. I'm so glad it's Friday. Everybody can sleep in and I don't have too worry about them asking for food cause i can go grocery shopping when they are sleeping.

Its such a hassle bring this age and tying to take care of all this shit. I wish my brother were here. Jake would the care of everything, i hated that I got caught up that night cause if I hadn't he wouldn't be in prison.

I remembered back to that night. It was at this same table where I tried explaining to my dad what happened to his work and what happened to me. Jake sat beside me Abe was on the other side. I was crying like a bitch in the middle.

"fuck you crying for? I should be crying, you know how much work that was?!" "He hurt me daddy!" "Shut up!" he screamed quickly snatching off his belt. I cringed and grabbed on to Jake. "DON'T TOUCH HER!" Jake yelled standing up and blocking the hard leather of the belt against his own skin. He hissed out in pain, but didn't cry. "Close ya'll eyes". he told Abe and me. Its what he told us once he knew he was about to do something bad. We did what we were told. Everything around us sounded like it was crashing down and when we opened our eyes Jake was being taken away in cuffs and dad was on a stretcher.

After that they forced Mama into rehab in order to keep us she was doing good until dad got out. I pulled my phone out and checked the time, 12 midnight. I sighed, Guess she not coming home.

I woke up super early to go to Ms. Rosie's house to use her car. I would go grocery shopping, drop off all the bills, and run anymore errands that i had to for the house. I loved Ms.Rosie, she was always looking out for us when Mama trifling ass wasn't. She let me borrow the car after she forced fed me a muffin, she said it hadn't looked like I'd eaten in weeks. That much was probably true, I don't really eat, there's never enough. I did what I had to do and hurried back home returning Ms.Rosie's car. I went in the house and all of my siblings were gathered in the kitchen. Why were they up so early? I sniffed the air, who cooking food? I walked in, "Hey baby." Abe looked at me with sad eyes. Guess she came back when I was out. I shook my head. "Hey Mama." I said not really wanting to speak to her. "Mommy made us cakes." Sweet-pea said all excited with a huge smile on her face. "Yea, she said she was taking us to the movies later." one of the twins said, they sounded alike I couldn't tell them apart. " Alright guys go wash up." Mama said the younger ones ran upstairs, Abe and me stayed back.