Does He Do It Like I Do It

Chapter Nine

The sound of the alarm going off jolted me out of my sleep. My heart was racing from thinking that maybe someone had broken in. I ran across my bedroom floor and grabbed my Harley Quinn baseball bat from behind my door and tiptoed out to the hallway. I peaked in my parents room but it was too dark for me to see anything. I heard my dad's grizzly bear snore and breathed a sigh of relief. He tossed back one too many drinks before bed last night so I knew he was going to sleep in this morning. However, he is the man of this house and should be keeping me and my mom safe from this intruder.

"Guess it's up to me," I whispered.

I continued to tiptoe down the hallway until I got to the carpeted staircase. Take them slowly one at a time, I descended them. I could hear whispered curse words and the sound of the intruder trying to put the code into the alarm system. I took a deep breath then jumped out onto landing.

"You picked the wrong house to break into, mother fucker!" I yelled. The intruder yelped and dropped what sounded like to be keys and a bag. I was thankful I ran track back in Albany because I effortlessly leaped over the banister and landed on the love seat that was in the sitting room. I dashed to the wall where I knew the light switch was and clicked it on. I was about to swing the bat as hard as I could but stopped.

"Mom?"

My mom held up her hands to block her face from the blow she thought she was about to get. She let her guard down when I spoke to her.

"Oh Roxanne, it's just you," she said, sounding relieved.

"Just me? You're the one sneaking in here like a burglar or something." I took a pause and noticed she had on the same outfit she wore yesterday. "Why are you sneaking around here? Where were you yesterday for the desert?"

"Don't you worry your pretty little head about that, okay? Is your father awake?"

"No, he drank five glasses of scotch last night. I doubt he'll be up any time before three, if that. It's already past twelve."

"Good, good."

She bent to pick up her things then scurried up the steps. I went to the alarm system and put in the code to stop the annoying sound from blaring into my ears. As long as the system was going off I was sure the police would either be calling or showing up here soon. We'd been using the system for years, I have no idea why my mom couldn't put the code in like she had done so many times before. It was some weird shit going on with her and I didn't like it. Hell, it was something weird going on with both my parents. My dad never drinks the way he did last night unless someone dies or his favorite football team loses a game. Neither of those happened as far as I'm aware. I shook my head and went back up the steps and into my room. I heard the baritone of my dad's voice echoing in the hallway letting me know he had woken up, probably from my mom coming in the room. Not moments later both their voices were booming from an argument. I fell backwards on my bed, wishing I could be anywhere but here.

My phone rang and vibrated on my dresser. I quickly got up and grabbed it to see who it was. A smile spread across my face.

"Hey Naheim!" I said excitedly.

"You sound hype as fuck," he teased.

I sucked my teeth. "I mean ... I was just watching something exciting on my phone, that's all. Nobody's excited because you're randomly calling," I lied, trying to play it off. "Didn't we just see each other yesterday? You missing me already?"

"I always want to be around you, Annie. Felt that way since I met you."

I bit my bottom lip. "But you didn't even know me."

"A nigga ain't gotta know you to feel that energy. You feel me?"

I nodded my head up and down then smacked myself in the forehead. Why am I nodding like he can see me?