The Kids In Gold

Answers

Back at the table, Tylisha is still sitting in confusion. Her eyes bounce back and forth between Cuda and Kay. "Hey, what's going on??" she asks, curiously. "HEY!" she screams as no one answered before.

Kay gets up and runs from the table and through the doors of the food court.

"What the fuck is going on? Who was that?" Tylisha continues. Cuda clears his throat as Baby sits back down, placing her head on her folded arms. Her sobs grow louder as Cuda reaches over and places his hand on her shoulder.

Tylisha gets up and storms away from the table. Cuda takes her seat and comforts Baby with his arm around her.

Kay's POV

My hearing is muffled as I chase after Zamani and my mind is lost in what I just saw. She couldn't have got too far.

I look out into the distance and see the jersey getting further, casually walking away as if there's no cares in the world. I spend the rest of my energy catching up to her and grabbing her arm. "Zamani, stop. Where are you going?" she stops and turns around towards me. Her eyes now glued to mine and I can hear the words she isn't saying, but that's not enough for me. I'm stuck between wanting to hit her in the fucking face and just grabbing and squeezing her. The stare is intense and there's no budging from either side. "How long have you been back?"

She finally gives something.

She let's a slight click out of her mouth and shakes her head. "Don't make me lie to you" she speaks. Her voice makes my heart melt as I missed it so. But I hesitate.

"So don't lie to me"

We're back at the stalemate. She places her hands in her pockets and looks down. I see the fear in her body. I stretch my arms out and hold her body to me as she releases cries out onto my chest. It brings a tear to my eye as I embrace her emotions. "Gorgeous, it's me. Your best friend. Let's go to the car, okay?" I feel her nod on my chest so I grab her hand and lead her to where I parked.

After getting into the car, I open the glove compartment and give her tissues to wipe her eyes. "Tell me what happened, love. I'm here to listen, okay?"

Zamani takes a few deep breaths and composes herself. "I got tired of running, hiding"

"Where did you go?"

"Down to Texas"

Texas... texas.. I think to myself back on all of our conversations, looking down at my arm. What's in texas?

"You went to your mom's?" I ask after a moment of pondering.

"Yeah"

"And?"

"And she did the normal. She flipped on me. Said I only come around when I'm in trouble and I need to change my lifestyle. Giving me hell, so I came back after two weeks. Laying low.. you know"

My fists ball out of anger that she never even dropped a hint that she was back. Here for all of her ups and downs and pains but I guess that's not important right now. I can't be selfish.

She's looking out of the window slouching in the front seat.

"I like this new look you got going" I play in one of her curls. Her blonde hair hanging from the toboggan reaching down further than before she left. She turns to me and I see the smudged make up from her freshly revealed tattoo and she cracked a slight smile.

"I missed you, I really did" she says to me.

That brings a comforting warmth to my heart. But I decide to focus on the deeper issue. "You know Baby missed you too"

She scoffs.

"I'm serious, she did. She was tore the fuck up gorgeous"

"Bullshit. She's boo'd up. Fuck are you talking about. And when did y'all become so buddy buddy? What is that shit?"

"Mani, stop. She meant a lot to you so I just befriended her on your behalf"

"Ain't nobody ask you to do that shit"

"You didn't ask shit. You didn't say shit. You just up and fucking left. But what did I do? I just held you down like you ain't disappear without a trace. Not a damn word. What was I suppose to do? Huh?"

She looks at me and turns away, stepping out of the car.

Fuck.

Zamani's POV

There's a million different places my mind is going right now and I want it to stop. I'm afraid and I don't know what to do but I know I should've never came back. My feet are starting to hurt and I've walked ways away from the mall parking lot where my car is so I sit on a bus stop to rest.

An all blue Camaro pulls up to the side of the road and rolls it's windows down. There's a girl looking at me with big sunglasses on and a long, pink and green infused color wig hanging around her light, brown skinned face. She's obnoxiously smacking gum between her plump lips and rounded button nose. "Need a ride, pretty?" she speaks from the car.

I don't give her a response, instead I pretend to not hear the girl.

"Shorty, come on" she waves me over. I let out a sigh and get into the car hesitantly. "Seat belt" she looks at me behind her glasses until I oblige.

"Thanks"

"Where you headed, cutie?"

"The mall. I have a girlfriend"

The girl laughs. "No you don't, I'm Odyssey"

"Zamani"

"That's cute, we're almost at the mall. Take my number?"

I reluctantly give her my phone and she places her number in and I put mine into hers.

"Here you go" she says pulling up to the parking lot.

I take my toboggan from my head and walk to my car. I slow my strides down as I see Baby sitting on the trunk of it. "So who was that? Is that where you've been? While everybody is worried sick about you?"

Her blabbering on topics she doesn't know is so annoying, making my body cringe. I grab her face between my warm palms and plant a big, passionate kiss on her lips to shut her up. "I'm back, okay? That's what matters"

Her arms wrap around my body.

"Come home with me" I speak to her. She nods her head yes.

"Thank you" she looks up at me and clutches my waist tighter.