Affinity

Chapter 22: You Knew This Whole Time

" Hurry up little girl." Jaelyn yelled through his closed bedroom door as I got dressed and got myself together.

" I'm coming, damn!" I swear I had only been out the shower all of two minutes before he came and yelled in here. After breakfast Rah had decided to go into work since it was a Friday after all and get some hours since he would definitely be taking the whole weekend off. The plan was to meet up at home after Jay and I went by my parents and Papa's store. So here I was rushing to get dressed as my brother waited impatiently, yeah I was referring to him as my brother now, it was only right.

Rah had brought me clothes earlier so I threw on the jeans and one of his t-shirts he knew I loved wearing. Now if only this man had remembered the hair products too.

" Brother!" I yelled from the top of the staircase waiting for him to materialize.

" Yes." I couldn't ignore the kool-aid smile dancing on his face, it suited him.

" Do you have any hair products? I'll literally take anything." He thought for a min before responding that there should be some deep conditioner in his hall closet. I ran to the location and lo and behold here was some crème of nature deep conditioner unopened; somebody must have had a braid phase. I wet my hair, combed through the conditioner and brushed my natural hair into a low ponytail, this would do. I accomplished all this with Jaelyn's brush, might as well take it since I used it right? Right. We all knew the best bristles were on boys' brushes, they were of the hardest and best quality, perfect to illuminate their waves and slick down our edges, so...yup my justification was sound. I wiped the excess conditioner off of it and slipped it in my bag, fam was fam after all.

" Ard. I'm ready." I announced as I skipped down the stairs and into the living room where Jay sat watching television.

" Good." His eyes lingered on the chain and I spoke on it, " Rah got it for me. Said Travis loved me like a sister too, seems in actuality I had three brothers all along." A somber statement knowing that only one remained alive and sane.

" You are a very lucky woman, I hope you know that." His words were heavy and I hung my head in ungratefulness, maybe I hadn't taken the time to realize the people around me until they were either taken away or removed from their hiding place my own memory had banished them to.

" Stop that wallowing, I'm here now and that's that." There was finality in his tone as he placed a kiss on my forehead before heading towards the door, there was no room for argument. I followed him out the door and we made our way to our parent's house.

" Hope you know I'm coming in with you." He intoned pulling up to the house and taking the key out the ignition.

" No argument over here." I threw my hands up and started to get out the car when Jaelyn reached over and shut my door back.

" Forreal yo? You and Rah gon stop preventing me from exiting cars, I'm a big girl."

" Cut all that. Look, they haven't seen me since I was kid, they don't know that you know who I am, so take it slow ok?"

" Ok." I agreed while in my head thinking 'yeah ard.'

I walked up to the house and knocked on the door, Jaelyn flanked my right side. I hadn't seen my parents in at least two months, I'd been dodging their phone calls when Jaz didn't force me to answer. Since Travis' death I'd kept my circle small, my parent's pity and worry was something I didn't need. If I was honest I was pissed the fuck off at them right now and I was having a real hard time tryna figure out how to not show it from the get go, but it wasn't really working out.