Chasing Reality [sequel to Autistic Innocence -J.M]

Chapter 36

Chance's P.O.V

"Now I just know you not up coloring no princess picture at five in the morning all by yourself." I laugh as I walk into the small kitchen to see TJ sitting on a stool, entirely too focused on coloring in a princess picture out of one of Blessing's many coloring books.

"Man, screw you, I got skill." He barley glances up at me before continuing his task whole heartedly.

It makes me laugh a little harder as I walk over to his fridge and pull out the orange juice.

"And why exactly are you, a grown ass man might I add, coloring in that picture this early with your daughter no where in sight." I chuckle as I grab a glass from one of the cabinets and pour the orange juice into it.

"First of all, don't try to play me." He starts off, making me roll my eyes. "Second of all, not that it's any of your business nosy ass, but my daughter happens to love the pictures I color for her. So every morning I get up earlier than her to color in a page so I can put it in her lunch box for school." He explains, not taking his eyes off the paper.

I raise my eyebrows at him.

"Every morning?" I ask.

He nods. "Yeah, I hate waking up early but it's worth it when she tells me how much she loves it when she gets home." He shrugs.

"Man, you going soft fool." I nudge his shoulder, careful not to mess him up cause I know he'd hand my ass to me on a silver plate if I were to do that.

"Yeah whatever, lets see how you end up once you got a little girl." He smirks up at me and I just roll my eyes and put my now finished glass in the sink.

"What you doing up this early anyway? Deejay don't got school for another two hours." His attention is now on me.

I shrug before answering, "I got a couple things I need to do real quick." I keep it short but he gives me a pointed look.

"Yeah? Like what." He puts down the yellow crayon in his hand and picks up the pink one.

"Like minding my own business, same thing you should be doing." I smirk and then laugh when he flips me off.

"Nah but for real bro, no bullshit, you better not be tryna get involved with nothing, you hear? We been doing alright and now that Clarence is out, we need to stay low for a little bit longer, alright? Just don't do nothing stupid." He tells me.

"Man, when was the last time I done something stupid?" I give him a look.

"Uh, you let your girl go?" He gives me a look as well.

I stop what I'm doing and just stare at him as my response.

"Stupidest move of them all." He shrugs before going back to coloring.

"Man fuck off, that's why you can't color for shit because everyone knows that Princess Tiana's tiara is yellow with a green stone, not the other way around Jackass," I mutter as I walk out the kitchen and then out of the small house, not before hearing him holler something back at me about not knowing what I'm talking about when in fact I had seen the cover of the coloring book Princess and the Frog themed a couple inches away from his arm.

Laughing quietly, I finally get out into the cool morning air and check my surroundings before making my way to my destination.

************

Finally getting to the place I used to call home before just calling it a place to stay, I take the key out of my pocket but decide to test the doorknob first and sure enough it was open.