You Before Me [dave east]

| twenty eight

Xiomara;

I stood in the kitchen making airplane noises as I fed Maya her baby food. She hated the flavor but she ate it anyway since she wasn't a fussy baby. She hardly cried in the middle of the night either, only when she was  hungry or she needed her diaper changed.

"Morning," I said, seeing Alonzo stroll into the kitchen.

Last night he was getting ready to leave again but Dave took his car keys and made him stay home. Dave thinks he got through to him but telling by the glare on Alonzo's face right now, he was going to keep acting out again and again until I finally talked to him.

He ignored me, taking out the milk from the fridge. I couldn't say it didn't sting because it did. I just missed when I actually had a relationship with my little brother and he wasn't always giving me the cold shoulder but unfortunately things have changed and Alonzo wasn't trying to adjust with it.

He wouldn't say it but I knew he hated that I got married to Dave and that I had Maya. He doesn't even play with her because he hates that my focus is somewhere else.

As much as he's a teenager and he should be grown up about it, I can't help but understand my little brother. He's one of those people who don't do well with change so instead of adjusting, he chose to shut everyone out and go on a completely different path. Now he feels forgotten.

"So where have you been staying anyway?" I asked, trying to start a conversation but I also make sure to tread carefully since he's a ticking time bomb at this point.

"Not here." He responds smartly.

"Look, I understand how you're feeling but acting out like this isn't the way to go about it, Alonzo." He was so lucky he had an understanding big sister. "You need to stop smoking all that weed and you need to stop doing shit to get you arrested, okay? And you especially need to learn how to stay home because those new friends you found yourself hanging around with— well they aren't your friends, they're bad influences."

It's like ever since his friend Ximena disappeared, he hasn't been the same. She moved away last year with her abusive ass daddy and it really took a toll on Alonzo.

Dave walks into the kitchen rubbing his face tiredly with no clue what was going on.

"Maybe I'd stay home if I didn't have to listen to you and this puto fucking all the time."

Dave pauses in his tracks after Alonzo said that meanwhile I was speechless. "The fuck you just say?" His eyebrows are pushed together in confusion. "Zo get yo' fucking brother, man. I ain't going jail for no fucking assault today."

Dave shakes his head, heading towards the pantry.

"Zo this nigga just said he gon' beat me and you ain't even gon' do shit?!" Alonzo yells at me. "What kinda sister is you?"

"Nigga don't talk to yo' sister like that or I'ma deck you in yo' shit for real. I'on give a fuck who you is, don't fucking test me."

"Zo!" Alonzo yells at me to defend him after Dave said that. It's like he couldn't talk back to Dave so he was taking his anger out on me.

"Nah cuz' you wanted to disrespect a nigga in my own home calling me out my name and shit cuz' you got too ahead of yourself. Try that shit now see what the fuck gon' happen to yo' stupid ass."