* Jamar POV*
Life in Harlem is bad. It just seems like my life is ending, I swear. My momma is dead. My daddy in jail for killing her.
I'm 16 and one of my sisters are 18. Her name is Monica. I call baby girl sometimes because she's shorter than me. I'm 6'4 she's 5'8. We kind of look alike though. #teamprettydarkskin is what we represent. My sister is cute as hell. She has long hair and brown shiny eyes. I would say she's thick in all the rights places but that's my sister you feel me.
My other sister is the oldest. Her name is Janel and she bossy ass hell but I guess she do all that shit for a reason. Me and Monica live with her so I guess you can say she out legal guardian or some shit like that. She is a 24 year old young intelligent lady. But I swear on everything I love her. She does so much for me and Monica. Yeah, yeah that's my lil'ma.
*Janel POV*
All these damn bills. What the fuck, Jamar another referel, Jamar Mon'kel Richardson!!! "What Janel, you always tripping damn it leave me alone, it's hard okay shit I'm trying my fucking hardest!", He screams as he runs out the door. I can't stand it when he does this. I love him and want the best for my little brother. I swear he keeps falling I'm a make sure he go private. I hate to do it but i will do what I have to for him. I know how he been through hell and back, but that shouldn't be a excuse. I want the best for my brother and sister but at least better.
*****Phone Rings*****
I answer the phone to my long distance boyfriend with all this on my mind.
Janel: Hey baby (sadness in voice)
Allen: what's wrong beautiful, everything okay; baby u can tell me, Janel, come on let's talk.
Janel: Monica and these damn people problems she all in the street. Jay (Jamar) and his grades. Want the best for them but all this fucking fighting has to stop.
Allen: Janel you and them both can come stay with me and keep me company. I got plenty of room. There is ball courts on almost very corner and a good school up the road for them. And jobs everywhere down here that pay good for you. W can split the bills so it will be less on me and you
Janel: okay baby we will be down in about two weeks I gotta find out how to tell them and I have to send there skool a two week notice.
*Monica POV*
I love Harlem. It's where my clique is, my best friend Sha'neek, and my family like my aunts uncles and cousins. It's the last place where I saw my momma and daddy together and apart. My momma stayed asking me for money. I know she used it for drugs even though she didn't tell me I knew for sure the money is what kept her coming back. But that's only how I got to saw her. Now she's in a better place with Jesus. I never been feeling right ever since I found out she been fucking my brother for seven years.
My daddy was amazing, he took care of all three of us. Then came the day he shot and killed my momma and went a away. He has five more years to serve. Maybe he will come back and finish wear he left off.
___________________
I tell Janel I'm gone as I finshed getting dressed. I throw on my purple basketball shorts, my t-shirt that says "fly like me", and grab my purple grapes and walk out the house.
I see Sha'neek up the road. I walk up there and catch up with her, we carry on a conversation about what we gone wear on the first day of school in about 4 weeks. We make our way down to Mr.Robertson's store and brought a new basketball because last week sum pussy ass nigga stole out ball.
We finally see the court over the hill. The closer we get the more ready we are. We start takin out headphones and puttin hair up. We played alone until the boys came. When they came we got a game going. They took their shirts off, I guess they were showing off because it was more girls around today. If they are they are show grabbing my attention. On my team I and Jay, maleek, Rodney, and Shane. On Sha'neek's team she had Ronell, Brandon, treyshawn,and Tracy. We beat that ass 108-65. Yes I picked a good team as you can see!
Me and Sha'neek hug while the guys shake hands. Me, Sha'neek,and jay tell the rest of the fellas we'll catch them around later. Us three walk back to our street. It start to get real dark Sha'neek be tripping sometime but her momma be tripping to she was like "oh shit! Jay and Monica, I got to get my big booty black ass home, it's getting dark I'm going to catch y'all tomorrow sometime." Sha'neek jogs off while me and my lil brother makes our way to the house. We take our earbuds out and walk in my room ( he was giving me my red headphones back).
We both just plopped on my bed and he hit the power button on my remote for my TV. It was on the local news channel. It was a pretty looking news lady on the screen. Jay like ,"look Monica, there go my fine ass wifey." I look at him with a bitch please look and tell him," nigga please."
They lady says, "hello Bob how are you tonight. We have breaking news. It's was a shoot out a couple minutes ago on lakeland avenue and just of the blink of an eye our investigation crew and the police where dead on the seen. We only know for sure one victim is dead. It's a young lady. Her name is Sha'neek Vanessa Woodland. *shows her picture* That's all I here before I go into shock.
I screamed to the top of my longs. Jay pulled me close. I don't know or care what he is saying. My head is in his chest as Janel walks in. I hear her sounding kind of mad. "Monica Jaylen Richardson, what the fuck is wrong with you screaming in my damn house got me thinking something is wrong!" All I say is, "SHA'NEEK NO NO NO NO WHY!" Janel runs to the bed side and hug me and Jamar.
