Love Overrated

Love Overrated

Latasia Nadia

Chapter One - Kaylee

Momma said you’re a pretty girl, what’s in your head; it doesn’t matter. Brush your hair, fix your teeth. What you wear is all that matters. -Beyoncé

I was sitting at the train station, freezing my ass off in the pouring rain with tears coming down my face as I held onto my little sister. No seventeen and fifteen-year-old should have had to go through what we’ve been though. I sat and reminisced about the horrible things that use to happen to my sister, Brittany and I while we were growing up, living with our father.

             
“Please dad stop, you’re hurting me,” I cried out, as my father spread my legs and licked my private area.

He did this every night when he came home from work. It was a daily routine. When he first started fondling me, I was ten years old. He would lick my cookie and make me suck his penis. After he had taken my virginity when I was fourteen, I wasn’t good enough for him anymore, so he started doing it with my sister. Brittany was only twelve at the time. There wasn’t much I could do because we had nowhere to go and no family to turn to. Our mother, Sasha, died right after having Brittany. Nate, our father, said she suffered a heart attack right after delivering Britt.

                “Oh my God hunny, it’s pouring raining out here, are you two okay?”  A nice lady stopped and asked us.

“Yes, we’re okay thank you,” I lied, just to get her to leave us alone. I was too embarrassed for people to see me that way.

“Where are your parents?” she asked us as she put her umbrella over Brittany and me.

“Our mother died, and I don’t know where our father is,” I answered shyly, only telling half of the truth.

She told us to stand up and come with her. I didn’t know where she was taking us, but I prayed it was some place nice and warm. It seemed as if we had walked for about five minutes before we got to a decent looking house.

“Come inside, it’s not much, but it’s better than being out there in the rain. By the way, my name is Jackie.”

“Thank you so much Ms. Jackie,” Brittany said as we walked into the house.

I quickly looked around the room. From what I could tell it was a beautiful place. It was clean, a little on the small side, but it was nice. I couldn’t complain it was a mansion compared to the hellhole Brittany and I had escaped.

“Please call me Jackie. Draya!” she called up the stairs.

“Yes, Ma,” Draya answered.

“How many damn times do I have to tell you, if I'm calling you it means I want you,” She yelled.

I heard Draya coming down the stairs huffing and puffing. I get so tired of seeing people disrespect their mother. I just couldn’t understand why they did it. I would give anything just to hug my mother one more time and tell her how much I loved her.

“Yes, Ma,” she said while rolling her eyes at Brittany and me.

“This is Brittany and Kaylee, show them Rashaan’s room. I know he's not coming home tonight because I had already talked to him before I left work. Do me a favor, there’s a box of clothes in the basement, bring it to me please?”

“Come on, I’ll show ya’ll to the room,” Draya instructed.

We followed her up the stairs and to the room Jackie said we could sleep in for the night.

“Make yourself comfortable,” she said before she walked out.

“Look Brittany, we are just going to sleep here tonight. Tomorrow I will figure out somewhere for us to go and how to get us some food.”

“Okay,” Brittany said as we started to get undressed.

There was a sudden knock at the door that stopped both of us in our tracks. We looked at each other and quickly covered up our nearly naked bodies.

“Come in,” I called out.

“Here I have some dry clothes for you two. You can use the shower downstairs. When you’re finished with your shower, come in the kitchen, I prepared you girls a meal,” Ms. Jackie stated.

“Thank you so much Ms. Jackie,” she would never understand how thankful we were. I couldn’t remember the last time someone did anything helpful for me and Brittany.

“No need to thank me, baby, I’m just doing what any good person would do.”

She walked out of the room and closed the door behind her. I looked around the room taking everything in. It was impeccable which let me know that Rashaan was a clean person.

“Brittany go take a shower, I’ll be down in a minute,” I told my little sister.

After Brittany left out of the room to go shower, I broke down crying. I had to be strong for my baby sister, but there wasn’t much more I could take. I felt like I was failing her as a big sister. I dropped to my knees and prayed for strength and guidance. After I finished, I walked downstairs to the bathroom. The door was open, so I knew Brittany was out. I just didn’t know where she was. I started to panic. I looked in the living room, and she wasn’t there. Suddenly, I heard laughter coming from the kitchen, so I made my way in that direction. Brittany was sitting at the kitchen table laughing with Draya and Ms. Jackie.

“Child why you look like you done seen a ghost, what's wrong with you?” Ms. Jackie asked me.

“I’m sorry; I just couldn’t find Brittany,” I said, in embarrassment.

All three of them laughed.

“I’m okay Kaylee, go get in the shower, and then come eat.”

Brittany assured me that she was okay, so I left to go take a shower. After the shower, I joined the ladies in the kitchen to eat. After talking to Ms. Jackie and Draya, I felt very welcomed. I only told Ms. Jackie certain things about us that I felt I could tell her without being judged. We cried and laughed until all of our eyes got heavy.

"Okay girls, I have work in the morning, so I'm going to bed, Kaylee and Brittany I expect to see you both tomorrow when I get off."

She kissed all three of us on the cheek before disappearing into her room.

Chapter Two – Rashaan

I didn't plan to go home, but I couldn't stay at my shorty’s, Ashanti, crib. She was nagging the hell out of me, so I bounced. I walked into the house and went straight to my mother's bedroom. It was necessary I checked on her and my little sister, Draya, when I got in the house.

              “Hey baby, I thought you weren't coming home tonight,” my mother asked me as soon as I opened her door.

              “Ashanti was pissing me off; I didn't want to hit her, so I left. I'm telling you, Ma, she almost took me there.”

              "Well, I'm glad you didn't hit her. I don't need you locked up. Listen son, a friend of mine and her sister is sleeping in your bed."

I looked at her like she was crazy. I didn't play that dirty shit.

"You can sleep in my bed if you want and I'll take the couch," she sounded dumb as fuck, but I would never tell her that.

"Ma that’s crazy; I'll take the couch, I'm sleepy so I’ma go lie down," I gave her a kiss and told her that I loved her.

Not even a minute after I sat down on the couch my phone started ringing.

"What Shanti?"

"Why you leave babe, I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything I said, please come back," she begged through the phone. That’s the crazy shit I be talking about, one minute she's cursing me out the next minute she's back in love. I don't have time for the games.

"Nah I'm good, I’ma holla at you tomorrow. I'ma about to get some shut eye."

"Whatever," she said before hanging up on me.

I've been fucking with Ashanti for a hot minute. At first shorty was cool, but now she won’t let me breathe. I ain't gonna front I love her, but her ways are a turn off. I got up to grab one of the extra blankets my mother kept in the linen closet, and I heard someone coming down the stairs.

"What are you doing up Draya? You got school tomorrow," I said without looking back.

I wasn't paying attention because I was reading the text message I had just got from my boy Ja'kari.

"Sorry, but my name is Kaylee," I turned around and saw the most beautiful, angelic, innocent face I've seen in a long time. She caught me off guard, and I was at a loss for words.

"My bad, I thought you were my little sister," I said when I finally found my words.

"You must be Rashaan, your mother and sister talked about you a lot earlier tonight. Listen you can have your bedroom back, just let me just use the bathroom. I will wake my sister up after I’m done and we can sleep on the couch."

She turned the corner to go to the bathroom before I could tell her I was okay with sleeping on the couch.

If my mother knew them and trusted them to be in our house, then they were good. She came out of the bathroom, and before she could try to rush up the stairs, I stopped her.

"Y'all can sleep in my room. I don't have a problem with it."

"Thanks," she pushed past me and rushed up the stairs.

It was like she was scared of me. I made a mental note to talk to my mom and Draya the next day about who the girl was. I laid back on the couch and drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Three - Kaylee

I woke up the next morning to someone knocking on the door.

"Come in," I called out.

"Hey baby! I'm wanted to let you know I have to go to work. Draya is downstairs with my son Rashaan. She didn’t go to school today. She will introduce you to him. I will return around five. When I get home, we will sit down and talk. Does that sound okay?" she asked me.   

I told her it was okay. After she left the room, I sat up in bed and looked at the clock. It was a quarter to nine. I slept so comfortably. If it weren’t for Ms. Jackie knocking on the door, I would have slept a little longer. I thought back to when I went downstairs to use the bathroom and ran into Rashaan. Ms. Jackie had told Draya he wasn't coming home. I wonder why he changed his mind. I didn't want to be a burden on anyone, so I decided Brittany and I weren't going to stay. I was going to let Brittany sleep till whenever she woke up, since there was no telling when we would be able to sleep in again.

As I sat on the edge of the bed, I started thinking about my best friend, Kyanni. Yanni and I have been friends since the second grade. She lived around the corner from where I lived with Nate. I haven't seen her since Brittany and I ran away, almost two weeks ago. She had also been busy with her boyfriend Kari. I missed her something terrible. Before Ms. Jackie found us at the train station, we were sleeping anywhere we could lay our heads. I was stealing food from the deli and the grocery store to make sure we ate. I was also putting in job applications at every story that was hiring. Being that I had just turned seventeen, no job would hire me because the minimum working age was eighteen. I decided to go downstairs to thank Draya and let her know we wouldn't be staying. I crept out the room quickly and quietly making sure not to wake Brittany up.

"Sorry to interrupt your phone call, but can you tell me where Draya is?"

Taking a closer look at Rashaan I noticed, in the light, he was cute as hell. He was the color of Carmel; he had a perfect set of white teeth. I knew because as soon as I came walking into the living room he started smiling. The waves on his head were so perfect I could swim in them. Although I thought he was sexy as hell, I was only looking. I didn't have time for a boyfriend or anything else. I had been through a lot, and I couldn’t give my attention to anything except keeping Brittany and me alive.

"She's in the shower. You can wait for her in here with me," he said before going back to his phone call.

I acted as if I was watching the Maury show, but I was listening to his conversation. He was in an intense argument with, who I assumed to be, a female. He hung up the phone, and I felt him staring at me. I felt so uncomfortable. I wasn't used to things like that. I looked a hot ass mess. I was wearing some hand me down clothes with my hair in a sloppy ass ponytail.

"Kiylee, right?

"Actually, it's Kaylee," I corrected him, but never took my eyes off the TV.

"My bad, how old are you?" he asked me.

I wanted to tell him the truth, but the age eighteen just slipped out of my mouth.

"Ra, leave her alone!” Draya yelled walking into the living room with nothing, but a towel wrapped around her body.

I started laughing.

"Draya take your ass upstairs and put some clothes on!"

“Come with me upstairs Kay. I know Rashaan is bothering you," she stuck her tongue out at him and started walking towards the steps. I shrugged my shoulders and followed her upstairs to her room.

“I was just looking for you to tell you I appreciate you and your family for allowing me and Britt to sleep here last night. I don't want to be a burden on y'all so when Brittany wakes up we’re going to get going. Thanks for everything."

"It wasn't a problem. My mother doesn't want you guys to leave yet, please stay at least until she gets home from work?"

I thought about it for a second.

"Okay, we will stay until Ms. Jackie gets back."

After Draya and I had finished talking, I went back into Rashaan’s room to check on Brittany. She was just waking up when I walked in the room.

"Good morning sunshine," I said.

I walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. Brittany was never a morning person, so she just looked at me like I was crazy.

"Wassup Kay, listen I was thinking…" she didn't get a chance to finish because I interrupted her.

"Thinking about what?"

"Maybe we can go down to the welfare office and tell them our situation. Maybe they could put us in a homeless shelter or something."

I saw the tears start to well up in her eyes. That was the reason why I knew I couldn’t cry or show emotion. I had to be strong and hold it together for her.

"We can go tomorrow. I know that you are sick of living like this; I am too. However, I promise I'm going to figure this shit out. The welfare office may not be much help since we are both minors, but we will go up there and talk to them. Brittany I’m going to do my best."

I walked around the bed and hugged my sister as she soaked my t-shirt with her tears. After we had got ourselves together, we joined Draya and Rashaan in the living room.

"Thanks again for letting us sleep in your room, Rashaan, you can have it back now," I told Rashaan, “Oh, this is my little sister Brittany, Britt this is Rashaan," I introduced the two to each other.

We spent the entire morning in the living room watching movies and getting to know each other. I didn't get into too many details about our life because there was no happy ending. Being that both Britt and I had already shed our tears for the day, I didn't want it happening again; it was very hard to talk about our lives.

"Y'all hungry? I'm getting ready to order some pizza," Rashaan asked Draya, Brittany, and I.

"Nigga you know my ass is hungry," Draya laughed and threw the couch pillow at him.

"Matter of fact I gotta make a run to the store anyway, so I’ll go pick it up. Kaylee, you wanna take a ride with me?"

His question threw me off guard. Why did he have to ask me to ride with him? I looked over at Brittany, who just shrugged her shoulders. What's a little car ride going to do?

"Okay, I'll ride. Britt I'll be right back, you good right?"

No matter what, I had to make sure my sister was safe at all times.

"Yes Kay, I'm okay," she rolled her eyes.

I guess she was embarrassed that I was treating her like a baby. Oh well, she was a baby, my baby. I stood up and followed Rashaan out to his car.