𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲 & 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲

𝟬𝟱.

𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟰,𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗹𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲
𝗔𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝟵𝟯𝟬𝟳
𝗗𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗮𝘀 , 𝗧𝗲𝘅𝗮𝘀
𝟴:𝟮𝟲𝗽𝗺

𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮

   I took off my uniform hat, holding it against my stomach as I walked through the living room towards the back of the apartment where the bathroom was. I hunched over the toilet, and began vomiting yellow stomach acid — I had been feeling sick yesterday morning. I first brushed it off as a hangover but I hadn't had a sip of alcohol since the night Shaniyah and Essence came by.

   I knew I couldn't be pregnant, I took my birth control shots faithfully. You can't get pregnant on birth control, right? Right, yeah, it's just a stomach bug.

   "Brianna Jane," My grandma called standing in the doorway holding a screaming Junior. "Aren't you supposed to be working til 10:30?"

   "I got sent home," I said between deep breathes. "I'm sick."

   "Mhm," She glared bouncing Junior. "You better not be pregnant Brianna. We don't have room, Kelsiey already dun left Junior here two days."

   I rolled my eyes, "It's a stomach bug."

   "That better be it," She warned leaving the bathroom. I got up walking over to the sink washing my face, and brushing my teeth. I looked down at my Burger King hat, trying to remember when the last time Hassan and I had did anything. You could never be too careful right?

I went to my room sitting on the bed, I took out my iPhone 8, scrolling through my messages looking for a hint as to when the last time we'd had sex was.

"The eleventh," I mumbled. Damn, a home test couldn't be taken until 10-14 days after. The not knowing would eat me up the next two weeks.

   I sighed still sitting Indian style on the bed, Junior's cries began to grow louder through the thin walls in our two bedroom apartment. I popped in my AirPods, grabbing my lyric book trying to write the next verse for my song ; graduation was now tomorrow night and the showcase would be tomorrow morning. I licked my lips singing over the last verse I had jotted down.

i come from lots of trauma.
i didn't grow up with a mama.
daddy had to be a single father.
and then one day I was a foster.
no mom, no dad, yet I prospered.
my brother's my biggest supporter.
without him there wouldn't even be Brianna.
ain't met a person stronger.

CHORUS REPEATED , I highlighted and bolded. I tapped my pencil against the paper, thinking over my next lyric. I ran my fingers through my hair when my phone began ringing.

4E 🖤❗️ would like to FaceTime.

I smiled a bit as the phones connected. Hassan appeared on the other end with a grin.