Innocence

🗝️Honesty is Key🗝️

H•A•K•E•E•M

I walked into the house and locked the front door behind me. I thought French kissing was dead, but Ariel showed me otherwise tonight. If her little brother ain't come knocking on the car window, I would have had her laid out in the backseat. She wasn't ready though, fucking around with me she would be hooked, and I ain't want that. I turned the corner, heading towards Zelda's room, but the sound of the TV reminded me of Moani. I turned around and went to the living room, seeing Jess on the couch.

"Where's Moani?" I raised a brow.

"She's in her room."

"Oh, you know why she wasn't at school today?"

She shrugged, "You should ask her, she wouldn't tell me."

I squint and turned on my heel. I had to know what bullshit she pulled to miss out on school today cause mama ain't play that shit. If I was sick, she would force me to go to school, anyway. Even if the nurses called her, she'd insist on keeping me there til the end of the day.

I ran upstairs and burst through her door like Big Bird, "So why you ain't go to school." I turned on the light.

She lifted her head and rubbed her eyes, "Hakeem, what're you doing?" She dragged.

"Asking you a question. Why you wasn't at school?"

She sat up and groaned, "You're so annoying. I was at the police station."

I tilted my head, "Word? For what?"

"They think I had som to do with Kenneth's murder and Dynasty's disappearance." She waved me off.

I walked in and closed the door, "Wait, why?"

She sighed, "They found Dynasty's diary and they think I wanted her all to myself."

I shook my head, "But that shit don't make sense. How old was that diary?"

The door opened and Zelda walked in, "Oh is this a family meeting?" She sat on Moani's bed.

"Naw, but I needed to talk to you too."

Moani huffed, "Can y'all get out and talk?"

"No, cause I ain't done talking to you either."

"Uhm, what can I help you with?" Zelda crossed her legs.

"I heard something about you." I pointed.

"Hakeem, your stupid ass lectures ain't finna work on me." I closed the door, again. "And you ain't got to close the door just to talk to me." She rushed to the door and grabbed the knob.

I looked down at her, "Short stuff, I don't think you want my mama hearing the shit Ima talk to you about."

Her eyes rounded, "What?" She released the doorknob and turned to me.

"You ain't fuckin' with that nigga Darren or any nigga at that. So, I suggest you find another outlet."

She huffed and sat back down, "Boy, I would never fuck him. I lick for a living now." She made a peace sign and licked between her fingers.

I cringed, "Zee, you know damn well you like dick more than pussy. If you wasn't going to fuck him then why you came in here to talk to Moani?" She blushed, "Exactly, I ain't stupid." I crossed my arms.

She chuckled, "Nah, trust me, I'm not interested in whatever y'all gummy worms got to offer. I nut more with a girl than I ever did with a boy. You boys can't eat or fuck." She stuck her tongue out, revealing her piercing.

I smirked, "Who you was fucking with? Cause them not the right niggas. Not every nigga blessed with the skills like me." I shrugged.

She talked she was stating facts. The way girls gripped my hair when I ate them and scratched my back when I fucked them told me that I knew what I was doing, plus I loved what I did. She must have forgotten about all the stories I told her when we were younger.

Moani wrinkled her face, "Hakeem, no! Get the fuck out of my room." She covered her ears. "I don't want to hear all that."

I put my hands up, "Okay, okay, my fault. Zee, it's obvious you wanted something if you're sitting there trying to talk to my homeboy."

"What is that something you think I wanted?" She bit her lip.

I looked at her blandly, "Never bite your lip like that again. Made you look ugly as fuck." Her phone rang, and she hid it under her thigh. "Who's calling you this late?" I squint my eyes.

I walked over, "Nobody." She bucked, and I tussled with her until the phone fell on the floor, "No Hakeem!" She pleaded.

I picked it up, "Cause I swear on my life if it's Darren ima beat the fuck---" I cocked my head to the side. "Who is Jason ?"

She looked at her toes, "It's my brother."

"Auntie had a baby? When? You lying, she would have told us."

Moani sat up again, "A baby?? How old is he?" She asked.

She tried to reach for the phone, but I dangled it over her head, "She just didn't want you guys to know this time."

"That don't sound like my auntie." I defended.

Moani pitched in, "Right, cause auntie loud self can't hold nothing in."

"She's changed since the last time y'all saw her, now give me my phone back." She held her hand out.

I tossed it on the bed, "Ima call her and ask her was—"

"No!" I scrunched my face. "She doesn't want to talk to you." Zelda yelped.

My eyes narrowed, "Come on Zee, you capping for no reason. I know she wants to talk to her favorite step-nephew."

"And niece!" Moani added.

She plopped down, "Her number changed so many times, anyway." She folded her arms.

"I can get her most recent from mama. What you hiding?"

"Nothing. I'm not hiding anything. Just don't call her Hakeem." She stuttered.

I smirked, "Okay, Zelda, I don't know what the fuck you up to, but I swear on granny grave Ima find out." Her lip quivered.

Moani cringed, "And you know he don't play about granny." She shook her head.

Zelda folded her arms, "Okay, Hakeem I don't care.  You can do your whole investigating shit but you ain't finna find any dirt on my fucking name!" She stormed out the room.

I looked between the door and Moani, "Did I say something offensive?"

She shrugged, "No, not really."

I nodded my head and shook my finger, "Yeah, that's exactly how I know she's hiding something."

"Well, maybe it isn't any of your business to know." She defended.

"Yes it is. Cause I know it's something that deals with me."