Caught Up

Four |Santana

It's Saturday and Jasmine says a lot of people are heading to the pool this afternoon. I don't know if I want to go. Nyema and Julisa are hoes and they're not my crowd of people. Jay told me not to hang with them anymore. He didn't have to tell me twice. I wanted to fit in but not with them. Jasmine is cool but if she's going to keep hanging with them I need to find some new friends.

Dad had to work early this morning, and Odalis left already. I stood in front of the stove flipping pancakes while checking on the bacon too.

Jay and Cavonte sat at the table with plates in front of them. Talking while waiting for me to finish cooking.

"Ciara gave me her number." I heard Jay say.

"Word? You just gonna hit?" Cavonte asked.

"What else 'imma do with her?"

Cavonte laughed at his friend and I shook my head. Flipping the bacon over I said, "Take her on dates. I heard a lot of people are going to some pool today. You should take her."

Jay snorted. He hated the idea of taking girls out or spending money on them. Says it makes him look soft. "If I do that she gonna think I wanna cuff. She cute but she ain't that cute to be my girlfriend."

"Stop fronting Jay. Ciara is real pretty."

"Alyssa is real pretty too." He challenged. Alyssa, Alyssa, Alyssa that's all I hear around here. What's so special about her? She's a cute dark skin girl but what's so special about her? I don't think she's Cavonte's type.

Cavonte gritted his teeth, "Shut up. You know we just friends."

"Friends? Didn't seem like that when you was kissing her."

He kissed her. I bet he barely even knows her and he kissed her. Or she kissed him. I just felt a stab to the heart. I love him and it kills he doesn't see me that way. He sees me as his sister.

I was so worried about their conversation I made a mistake placing my right hand on the burner when I put the pan of bacon on the counter.

I screamed and quickly moved my hand, "Ow!" Tears threatened to pour from my eyes. Jay rushed to my aid quickly grabbing my hand, "Shit. Santana how the fuck you burn yourself?" His question rhetorical.

My palm is blistered and it's bleeding too. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I cried.

"It hurts Jay."

Jay turned on the faucet and quickly placed my hand under cold water. I winced.

Cavonte brought over paper towel, "I'll clean it. You should get a bandage or something."

Jay left my side to go get a first aid kit.

My crying slowly ceased as Cavonte cleaned my hand gently. I kept sniffling. "Ouch." I winced.

"Santana you're clumsy as fuck. I thought you would have grown out of that by now."

"Shut up." I muttered. Forcing back my smile.

"Ah. Shit lemme turn off the stove before the pancake burns too." He left my side.

When he came back he continued to clean my wound now applying alcohol. It stung.

"I remember the time you were like six I think. You loved playing with them white ass Barbie dolls. You loved the cars too. Remember the day you were playing on the sidewalk with the Barbie doll car and you started racing it and you tripped falling face first into the sidewalk and you were still sliding." He laughed as he recalled that day.

I groaned. That was the most embarrassing thing ever. I even had to go to the hospital for my nose because the skin was peeled and my chin was cut too.