• • •

Life was perfect.

Almost a month after Jaxon told me he returned my feelings, and it felt as if I were floating on cloud nine.

Everything was going smoothly, from my relationship to school. I woke up every morning looking forward to what the day would bring.

I'd always tried to keep a positive outlook on life, and the way it was going now did nothing but increase that positivity.

"Kyser can you make me a cup of tea?" My grandma asked, interrupting me from responding to a message from Josh.

Life was almost perfect.

Since my grandma couldn't afford to get a nurse, I was the one designated to come help her during the day. Our energy was off since I still felt a way about the things she said before she had a stroke, on top of the fact that she hid important shit from me.

She tried to say her reasoning behind not telling me about my mother was because she didn't think I was ready.

An excuse since I was an adult now and she still didn't tell me.

I still had yet to have a conversation with my mom, and to be honest, it wasn't at the top of my list of things to do. My resentment towards her had little to do with the fact that she didn't raise me, as Paisley is the prime example of how some people aren't meant to be parents.

It was more of the fact that she sat in the dining room with me and didn't even act like she gave a damn.

I guess I should have those same feelings towards my grandma, but as I said before, she couldn't afford a nurse.

Standing up, I went to the kitchen to put a cup of water in the microwave. She can get a half-assed cup of tea.

When I went back in the living room, I sat the cup on the table and resumed looking at my phone.

My grandma blew on the tea to cool it down, and I found myself wishing she would drink it and burn her tongue.

Jesus Christ Kyser.

"So." She began, "Paisley made bail."

I looked at her with a mixture of shock and disgust, "How?"

Paisley's bail was set at $100,000. I know damn well my grandma didn't have 10% of that, nor did she have collateral for the remaining $90,000.

"Your mama came up with the money and is putting up her house."

I didn't even know she had a house.

She can come up with money to get her disgusting ass out of jail, but couldn't help us out? Hilarious.

Shaking my head, I asked, "Why would y'all get her out anyway? Let her sit there until her trial."

She sighed and looked at the wall, "It isn't her fault what happened Ky. She put her trust in the wrong person and it backfired."

"Are you unaware of the fact that she came home, saw her son dead, then left him here for days without calling someone?"

I was so fucking tired of her defending Paisley when she didn't deserve it.

The irony that she couldn't look at me because I had sex with people to pay our bills and go to school, but she could find ways to justify a mother leaving their child to rot.

"She was panicking. I'm not excusing her behavior, but we don't know what was going through her head in that moment."

There was no point in continuing this conversation, so I focused my eyes back on the t.v., which was playing the news.

I wasn't actually watching it, but anything was better than hearing her talk to me.

The door swung open, and in came Paisley and my mom. She could've mentioned they were on the way so I could've gone home.

It never occurred to me before that they might've been in contact before all of this shit happened, but it was easy to see the sense of familiarity between them.

So I was the only person not worth her talking to.

"Hey Ky." Paisley greeted, like everything was perfect.

I wasn't about to be in the same room as her, so I stood up and looked at my grandma, "Since she's out now, she can help you."

My tone wasn't disrespectful or even rude, yet the woman who birthed me felt the need to say, "Mama why you let her talk to you like that?"

"She always talks to her any kind of way." Paisley volunteered, as if she had the fucking right to talk about how anybody treated our grandma.

"Ky is just upset Veronica. She didn't mean anything by it."

What in the hell?

"And I heard about that old man you brought over here." Veronica continued, "That's over with. You might as well move back in and help out."

My mouth was open in astonishment as I looked at her, "You're serious too aren't you?" I asked, "On which planet do you think I'd listen to anything you tell me to do?"

I was growing angrier with every passing second as my grandma sat there looking like a bump on a damn log.

Picking up my phone I told Veronica, "You gave away that right at the same time you gave me away."

Her response wasn't wanted, so I exited the apartment to go home.

I just so happened to bump into Nasir on the way to my car, with him yelling at me about not calling him in two days.

A quick hello in the parking lot turned into me leaning against my car as I told him about the shit that just happened.

"Why are you so calm Ky?" He asked with a head shake, "You should've been beat they ass. 'Specially Paisley."

I sighed, "I just don't even have the energy, you know? Like I'm so happy right now, I don't wanna let that negativity and stupidity fuck up my aura."

"Fuck an aura."

We were laughing as Eric and his group of friends pulled into the parking lot, stepping out and looking over at us, "You hit yet?" One of them called with a laugh.

"I'll see you later Nas." I said while giving him a hug.

"You can't hear?" They continued to goad him.

Eric looked at us then back to them, "Chill out bro."

"I'm asking him a question and his bitch ass ain't answering and shit."

I saw Nasir clench his jaw in anger, "Fuck you."

When the guy started walking over, it was clear that was the wrong thing to say.

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