Hood Love 2: JoJo's World

4

[Media: Zyena & Zuri Langum]

Raquel

I woke up to the sun blazing through the windows of the room. I heard laughter before turning over to my sister and two females now staring at me. I rubbed my eyes sitting up. What the fuck was I, a science experiment. One left the circle approaching me. She sat in the computer chair and rolled over toward the bed. "Hi, I'm Zuri." She stuck her hand out and I looked at her then it, without shaking. "...Um-hi." I still didn't shake her hand. This wasn't that type of party. Plus, why the fuck y'all watching me in my sleep, real weirdo energy.

"Zuri get over here so Lo can finish your make-up and we can go. She clearly ain't gone shake ya shit, put yo hand down." The one across the room spoke. She and 'Zuri' shared facial features, so I took it they were the twins. I still didn't know this family.

Zuri rolled across the floor in the chair back over to her sister who was still looking at me in disgust before turning back to the mirror to continue her own make-up. I could see her glare at me through the gigantic ass mirror. I stood out the bed, grabbed my phone off the charger and headed for the bathroom. As soon as I hit the door frame of the room, they spoke. "Lo, no disrespect, but yo sister is-" they faded.

After finally finding my way to the bathroom, I stared at myself in the mirror. Tears formed in my eyes as the sun passed through the patio doors, bouncing off the mirror. I closed my eyes, letting the tears fall. I hated seeing myself so weak. I guess I wasn't like my father after-all.

Splashing some water on my face, I quickly brought myself together. I wiped my face with the bottom of the t-shirt and straightened myself out. The last thing I was gonna do was let these girls see my tears. I exited the bathroom and headed back to my sisters room. When I got there, she was the only one left.

"Hey- you okay?" I nodded, sitting on the bed, determined to not break. Not even in front of her. "Well, we're all about to go out. Zuri, the one you met, and her sister Zyena, the one who was over here, are our cousins. Those are uncle David and Ta'Meeka's twins. Zuri is a sweetheart, the sweetest one we got, and she didn't mean you any harm. Neither did her sis Zy, but you fuck with her baby sister and she's all bite. I know you don't see us as a family, but we are around here. We hold one another down against anybody. Same for you when you ready to accept this family with all our flaws. Blood or not, we couldn't be any closer." She grabbed her purse and phone before I could respond and headed for the door. "-Oh, if you wanna go, you got like 20 mins to get ready and meet us downstairs." She left her room closing the door behind her.

I debated going out with them to get away from this house, but I didn't know them and they clearly weren't my biggest fans, so I left it. I laid in the bed scrolling on twitter for a while Before I came across a tweet that made me laugh. I prepared to send it to Jojo's dm before remembering he should've been here by now. I jumped out the bed and headed downstairs. Once I reached the main level, I stopped. I crept around passing through the hallway and pass the kitchen. There was a man moving about. I didn't recognize him so I kept moving. Slowly and quietly. "Well good morning to you too." He never once turned towards me. He continued moving things in the cabinet.

"Oh-uh Hi." I did an awkward wave, but he still had yet to turn around. I didn't understand how he heard me. I was light on my feet, the floor didn't creak and I hadn't made a sound. "I'm Uncle B, Brian. Yo peoples downstairs in the family room. Try not to creep around here niece, everybody here is ready for anything. Might get yourself hurt you sneak around the wrong corner." Again, he never once turned around. I nodded and walked normally toward the stairs.

I paused at the stairs as the one they call BJ walked in. "What's up 'Quel, Lo Lo lets go!" I heard multiple footsteps coming from below. My sister came to the stairs first. "BJ my mama said stop-"