Castles ~ (Royce)

Chapter Twelve// The Art Of Peer Pressure

"Everyting negative - pressure, challenges - is all an opportunity for me to rise."

Kobe Bryant

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While Rayan was getting Jacob used to his new home, Chresanto was doing something completely different.

"Aye Roc, you seen Latifa from across the street ? damn I'd hit that." Ej said after changing the song on the radio.

The duo we're sitting on Chresanto's porch smoking, listening to music and drinking

Kool-aid. After falling out with Jacob, Chresanto scrapped the whole idea of trying to quit smoking. He was in pain. His head, his heart, everything! And if smoking took the pain away, smoking what he'd do.

"She's alright." Mumbled Chres before sticking his blunt back between his lips.

"Alright ?!? Boy I swear you blind, her hair, her eyes and her a- n*gga is you gay or something?"

This struck a nerve for Roc, he didn't know himself. His insides felt as if they had sunken to the core of the earth. He thought about Jacob and his constant urge to protect him, to hold him, to love him. But he isn't gay...

"Psshhh no, she a Thot!"

Now, Ej might not be book smart but he wasn't stupid either. He knew his best friend and how on edge he got when he questioned his sexuality, even if it was just a joke. He also saw the way his eyes out up when he brought the quirky teen (Jacob ) to his house and how his whole demenor changed, but ignored it.

Letting the convosation drop there, the two friends sat in a comfortable silence.

***

When Ej left to check on his brother, Chresanto entered his home to here shuffling, being as protective as he is he pulled out a pistol that one of his friends gave him after a drive thru. For protection.

Slowly, he entered the house creeping through the corridor until he heard sniffling. It was coming from his mothers room. Since the door was left slightly ajar, he peered through to see his mother sobbing on the phone to someone.

" I can't do it anymore mom, I barely have enough money to do anything . I make enough to pay bills and that's it. I have no life mom, the kids are growing up and I'm getting old and still don't have anyone to love me !"

Chres felt the lump in his throat get bigger and bigger and his eyes welling up. No one like a to see their mother cry and look so fragile. Usually she's the one bringing everyone through the tough times, not letting everyone else know she goes through them too. He wanted to run into the room and just give her a big hug and tell her it's going to be alright but something told him to hold back just a little bit longer.

" Chresanto ? Oh I don't even know where he's headed. He's just like his daddy, he ps got good intentions but just doing the wrong thing. I honestly can say by the looks of it he's heading down the same root as Romelo and I don't like it one bit."

Rocs mood went from sad to angry instantly. He would never be like his father or in other words, sperm doner. He was going to treat his mother just to say 'I appreciate you' . He didn't care whether his method was all wrong, it was just something that needed to be done.