HARDAWAY | trilogy

V2 - Chapter Thirteen.

𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐀 𝐉𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐙

Fresh off of work from doing a eight-hour shift from morning into evening, you would think I would come home to silence, but no; as soon as my wheat colored Jordan Thirteens touched the floor of entrance, Banner and his friend accompanied the living room like every night with their thick smoke of weed engulfed the air and loud rap music. I had on a red, funnel neck jacket and tan, high-waisted fitted jeans. All of their eyes landed on me when I walked in. Shaking my head, I shut the door and footed passed the clowns.

Deciding to check on my sister's, I sauntered to Marisol's bedroom first. I knocked lightly before pushing the door open and she laid on her bed on her phone and listening to music through her headphones. Clearly loud because she does not avert her eyes on me.

"Hey," Standing by her bedside, I nudged her to draw her attention. She looked at me and removed her headphones, "did you and Jasmine eat today?"

"Earlier; cereal. Jasmine only wanted noodles. I fixed her some."

"That's all y'all wanted?"

"Earlier, yeah. Now, no. I took out some meat. It's in the sink waiting on you."

"Woow, you waited on me to come cook?"

"Um, yeah. I wasn't cooking it." She responded, putting her headphones back over her ears.

Leaving her bedroom, I walked to Jasmine's bedroom beside mine. She watched television and jotted down words in a small notebook with the purple, nightstand lamp turned on. She quickly closed the book when spotting me, and my eyebrows knitted.

"Writing something nasty?" I inquired playfully as I walked in her room.

"No. Just. . . writing."

"Okay...." I respond awkwardly, "Hungry?"

"Cooking?"

"Meat is already in the defrosted so why not?" I replied before leaving her room and going to my own.

It's not plain anymore as it was when I first moved in. Decorated with a yellow and gray six-piece comforter set and my fragrant body lotion and body wash on the dresser and the flatscreen smart television. Launching my bag on the mattress, I went to my closet, and grabbed a change of clothes after my shower. Stripping from everything, I wrapped the towel around my body and went to the bathroom. A hot shower and body freshly washed, my hair is wet against my skin and lavender towel wrapped around my body, footing back into my bedroom.

Towel helped dry my body and I moisturizing my skin with Aloe Fresh Vaseline lotion just as someone knocked on my door. Quickly I wrapped the towel around my body and opened the door; only to come face to face with Banner. He leaned his tall and lean body on the doorframe as his eyes cruised me in the towel before looking in my eyes.

"You're by my door. You're standing by my door."

"Meat defrosted. Hope you cookin' cause ya Mama want her plate for when she come in the mornin."

"Yeah; I'm aware. Bye."

Closing the door in his face, I finished moisturizing my skin then dressed my slender body in a yellow, fitted and cropped tank with elastic waistband lounge shorts. Going to the front of the house, most of Banner's friends were gone. Only his two main homeboys AD, and Stash were on the couch. Smoking weed and Outlaws playing from the stereo speakers continued when I sauntered into the kitchen. Unthawed pack of Pork Steak rested in the sink and clearly awaited to be fried.