"Good morning y'all," Ivory smiled as she joined everyone at the lunch table.

"Girl it's bout to be one." Knowledge's aunt laughed.

Asahd smirked as he pulled out a chair for his wife, they had been spending a lot of time together.

Knowledge scrunched up his face then turned to Amber.

"Did you like it?" He asked.

She had tried a Korean soup that his aunt put on out for her.

"It's good." She nodded with a smile, before finishing her bowl up.

LeAnne watched the two interact from the other end of the table and shook her head.

"So when you starting work in Atlanta?" LeAnne asked Amber.

Amber felt herself tense up but tried to relax as she answered the question.

"Once I graduate."

"You moving to Atlanta or you gon do what Jaz does and commute?"

Knowledge noticed the shift in Amber's energy and decided he didn't like it.

"LeAnne why you interrogating her so fuckin' much?"

"My bad cous, I just wanted to hear her plans for the industry." She said with a smile.

"Girl since when you been into journalism?" Ivory laughed.

"Journalism?" LeAnne lifted an eyebrow.

"That's what I'm doing after my gap year." Amber spoke softly.

"You don't think that's gonna distract you from school once you get back on track?" LeAnne asked.

Amber began to speak again until Knowledge's aunt spoke.

"I went on a gap year, I had soooo much fun." She smiled, giving Amber a wink. "And I've gotten three degrees since."

"..and that's good aunty, but we're talking about Amber." LeAnne said, trying to fire up the conversation again.

Asahd scrunched up his face "Why you so invested in her shit? Youn even know her like that."

"Y'all don't know her either.." LeAnne shook her head as she stood up to leave the table.

As she walked past Amber and Knowledge, everyone's phone went off.

Amber watched in confusion as Knowledge's face turned red.

He stood up from the table and began to follow after LeAnne until his dad pulled him back.

"What's going on?" Amber asked one of his cousins as everything became more and more chaotic.

The cousin gave her a sympathetic look before passing her the phone.

Amber watched herself slide down a pole into the splits on a video.

my audition. She thought as she looked and saw this was sent into their family group chat.

"I-I.." she stuttered out as Knowledge walked out of the room.

Ivory came over to her, and wiped the tears that were starting to stream down her face.

"I'm s-sorry." Amber croaked out.

Ivory pulled her away from everyone, and they sat in the living room.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, do you understand?" She hugged Amber, as she began to slightly hyperventilate.

Once Amber calmed down, Ivory continued to hold her.

"I just wanna be able to provide for myself." Amber told her. "I-I don't really have my parents and I don't wanna depend on them. And college won't put money in my pockets right now."

"I understand.. why you think I was in jail Amb? I wanted money too, and we needed quick money." Ivory offered her a small smile.

"I'm gonna go upstairs." Amber said.

Ivory nodded and let her go.

___________________

"Knowledge." She called as she walked into the room.

She looked around the room to see drawers pulled out and clothes hanging out of them.

"Knowledge stop." She said as she realized he was packing his suitcase.

He ignored her and continued folding his things into the bag.

"Mane move." He mumbled as she tried to grab his arm.

"Knowledge why-"

"Nah don't question me about shit. You been sitting here and lying to me Amber.. I'm thinking you bout to be in Atlanta interning and shit for the fucking journalism industry nah yo ass bout to go be a hoe."

This set Amber off, as she slapped him.

"Don't fucking play wimme." She said as he held his cheek.

Knowledge's face softened as he knew the last part was wrong.

"My bad." He apologized.

"Not everyone gotta full ride scholarship plus brand deals, Knowledge. Or hell, even a regular support system. And yea I got the scholarship but I need money in my pockets now."

Knowledge shook his head and began to pack again.

"You got niggas looking at ya naked body and I'm supposed to be cool wit that? Nah you knew I wasn't going, but you continued to sit up here and lie to me. Playing wit my heart."

"Then I had to find out in my family group chat Amb.."

"I didn't tell your cousin to do that." She sighed.

"So how you was gon continue this lie, huh? I'm away to school, being loyal to yo ass and allat, while you down there lying to me. What was the plan?"

Amber stayed quiet while he looked at her, waiting for the answer.

"I was gonna break it off," she finally mumbled, but he heard.

Knowledge chuckled and began to just stuff his clothes in his suitcase.

"Knowledge please." She cried as she held onto his arm, to try and stop him.

"Amber let me go."

"Baby I'm sorry-"

Knowledge stopped after hearing this and turned back to her.

"I love yo ass, Amber and you know that. I love you wit everything in me. I could take care of you."

"Knowledge be for real tho. We're only eighteen and you're going away for school, how could this have worked? We not even together for real!"

Knowledge nodded "Understood."

"Knowledge don't be like that, I definitely got love for you and I love you but-"

"It's understood Amb."

She watched as he zipped up his suitcase and slid on his crocs.

"Where you going?" She asked.

"Imma stay somewhere else." He told her.

"So that's it?"

He scrunched up his face "What else is there to say Amber?"

"I just thought-"

"It's whatever Amb."

Thoughts ?