On my Block Fanfiction

Runaway Girl

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jamal yells .
He watches as his cousin Melani dumps  her luggage on the guest bed.
"Long time no see pipsqueak." She pats Jamal on the head. Jamal immediately slaps her  hand away. "I'm not a little kid anymore."
"Yeah Yeah yeah," Melani says rolling her eyes.
"So," Jamal asks nervously. "How long are you staying?  A day an hour, Five minutes?"
Melanie shrugs  "I don't know."
"You don't know?" Jamal yells. "How can you not know ? Do you just go through life not knowing things. "
Melani smiles and pinches  Jamal's  cheeks. "Life is so much funner when it unexpected, don't you agree little cuz?"
Jamal frowns. "No, no I don't agree. In fact life is better when it's completely not adventurous,and expectant" He argues crossing his arms.
Melanie sits next to Jamal, who eyes her warily. Mostly because he's eyeing the hundred dollar bill that must have fallen from the duffel of roller world money he found last month.
"I know we ended on bad terms Jamal"
"Bad terms,"  Melanie, you ran away.
I had to to. She says  Her  long  brown braids fall in her face. She elegantly twist them into a bun on top of her head.
"Why."
She sighs.
'Melani  you can tell me. Your like the big sister I've always had, but never really wanted." Jamal states.
"How kind of you," she says sarcastically. 

Jamal shrugs

"How's  the core four",   Malani says changing  the subject. God  you guys remind me of when I was younger.

Not good. Jamal answers.
What do you mean not good.
Ruby was shot last month. He's fine Jamal continues quickly.  But our other friend didn't make it.
"I'm sorry."  Malani whispers.
"Is that why you left town," Jamal ask?
"No, she frowns. I left town cause I needed out. This place is too small, if you let it, it'll suffocate you. You'll think the whole world is made of  just this place."
"Then why  come back" Jamal asks?
"Cause it's home pip squeak. I love the people and Its always going to be a part of me. Your parents adopted me when I was twelve after my parents died. There's no other place in the world that makes me feel the way this place makes me feel."
"Speaking of which," Jamal starts.
"Does Spooky know your back?"
She stands up not looking at Jamal and heads towards the kitchen.
Jamal follows "I'm guessing that's a no."
Melani grabs a package of  ham and slams it on the table.
"I mean it's probably fine if he doesn't.  You know maybe we should just keep it that way. Lay low. Pack your things back up." Jamal says warily.
"Your mom said, I can stay as long as I like,"  Malani says.
"My mom says things she doesn't mean all the time." Jamal defends.

Melani stares at Jamal with confusion. "Besides, isn't Oscar locked up?"
"He got out a few months ago. Is that sandwich by any chance for me," Jamal interrupts.
Malani rolls her eyes and takes a giant bite, and sighs.
Jamal gasp playfully in horror.
"Tell auntie I'll be back soon ."
"Exactly how soon", Jamal questions?
Malanie shrugs " be creative."
Jamal snatches the sandwich from her hand before she makes it out the door. Then smiles evily.
"Stay away from Spooky, he yells back at her. "  "Please," he adds.

Stay away from spooky. She says the words in her head silently. Thinking maybe if she repeats it over and over again. She might actually listen to herself for once. She knows better though. She never listens to herself. 
The truth of the matter is, she shouldn't have come back to free ridge in the first place.  She'd had a comfy condo in the hills. She was making it just fine as sue chef at Madame Alexanders, but she'd been stupid. She'd messed with the wrong guy. And the wrong guy had happened to be madame Alexander's nephew who'd left her with a swollen lip and promises of more.
  She'd been stupid. She'd thought she'd get an easy in sleeping with the bosses nephew. She hadn't known that the bosses nephew was going to turn out to be a psychotic brat.  If that wasn't bad enough Tyler still thought she was his. He was still waiting for her to come running back.

       So here she was, the only place she knew Tyler couldn't find her. Free Ridge was safe in its unsafety.  Her past was hidden so well, she'd almost forgotten it herself.  But here she was  winter coat wrapped tight  in this stupid cold wind. Like she was sixteen again. Damn life was easy then. Even when it wasn't.
Malani doesn't mean to make it all the way to Mario's house, but that's where she ends up. She hasn't even gotten to knock on the door before it opens Her fist still stuck in mid air.
Ruby, stars back at her.  God, he's gotten so big since the last time she's seen him. Has it really been that long.
Malani, he ask?  "What what are you doing here."? She notices a  pregnant white women standing behind him.
"Um, Your mom and dad are ... fine right" She questions hesitantly?
Ruby just stares at her, his arm in a sling.
"Uh yeah yeah, this is Mario's girlfriend. She's pregnant Ruby says nervously. Mario forgot to use a condom. Mom's not happy about that. I always kind of wondered what happened to you Malani.One day you were here and then you just kind of disappeared. "
Malani nods. Feeling like she doesn't belong and like this is the absolute worst timing.
"Heard you got shot," she says.
"Uh yeah" Ruby answers. "Word travels fast, even to you."
"Jamal told me this morning. How are you feeling"
"Alive" Ruby says. Pissed.
"Hi,"the pregnant woman says coming from behind Ruby.
"I'm helping him work on his feelings. I know how inner city life can be. I mean Ruby's the first person I know who's been shot, but change starts from within the community. We can all make a difference."
"This is Amber, "Ruby says rolling his eyes.
"Amber this is Malani."
"So how do you know Mario", Amber asks. "Is he like an old flame. Because he's mine now she says viciously, then she smiles kindly."
Malanie pulls Ruby closer. 'Your mom is actually letting this crazy ass white women stay here."
Ruby shrugs.  "Shes having a hard time with it, but technically Amber is family now."