^^ Armoni (Stephanie's Dad)

Stephanie Riles, NY 📍

The look on Ashanti's face made my heartache. I came to New Jersey not only because Que asked me to. But because I knew Ashanti was here. While I was in that house back in New York they never spoke of her. Never mentioned her name and treated her like an outcast. I've been trying to build a connection with her for such a long time. It's like every chance I get my dad stops me.

I knew that here in Jersey would be my only chance to build some type of connection with Ashanti.

"I've always wanted to be in your life. They were the ones keeping us apart." I told her breaking the silence.

"How? How exactly were they stopping you?"

"They never spoke about you, never mentioned your name, I never seen you leave your room and everytime I would go to your room you were sleeping or your door was locked. And you always told me to go away. I was just trying to be there for you."

She didn't want to look in my eyes.

"Steve." I said to her. She looked up at me quickly.

Steve was the name of the crab that Ashanti's Dad got her when she was younger. Before my dad met her mom. Before her dad went to jail.

How do I know this? Many ways. When Ashanti and I would go to school and my dad and Indonesia went to work I would sneak back home. School wasn't that far from our house anyways. I would go in Indonesia's room and go through the photo books. There were so many letters and writings from her father in jail that was never given to Ashanti. In the letters it talked about their old days. I cried reading those letters. She only acted the way she did because he missed her father, and her mother was slowly neglecting her for me. I felt like shit.

I brought some of the letters with me. Before I snuck off to Jersey I went back in her room one last time and grabbed the them.

"How do you know about Steve?" She asked me.

"Hold on." I reached into my bag and took out four envelops with a string around them. "I think you should see these."

—————————————————————

Ashanti Renèe Robinson, NY📍

"What is this?" I asked taking them from her.

"Just read it."

I took the string from around the envelops.

To Ashanti Renèe, My beautiful sunshine.

I opened up the envelope and unfolded the paper inside it.

Hey princess, just me again. I haven't got any letters back from you yet. Just been thinking about you. I hope you're okay.

My dad. He was thinking about me the whole time he was in Jail. I never got a letter from him. My mom. She kept them from me.

I really hope you're not angry at me. I promise to make it up to you when I get out of here.

He thought I wasn't writing back because I was mad at him. I read along as tears down my face.

I'll buy Steve a new tank. I know you love that crab. How is he? I remember when we first got the lil guy. Steve was such an odd name but you liked it. And you know whatever you liked I loved. Don't be sad baby. I know you're sad. But just don't think about it. I won't be here for long. Besides most people in here I know. I love you Ashanti. xoxo, dad.

I closed the envelope back and cried in my hands. I couldn't control myself. I felt weak in front of Stephanie. I left her arm come around me before I heard footsteps running towards.

"The fuck you do to my bestfriend bitch." Jo'nae asked her.

"Relax." I said lifting my face up and wiping it. "She didn't do anything." I sniffed and searched my bag for tissues.

"Oh, my bad." She said to Stephanie.

"It's fine." She responded with a hand wave.

"What happened bae?" Jay sat beside me on the blanket that Stephanie and I were sharing.

"Just reminiscing about old times." I wiped my face with the tissue I found and put the letters together. I put them in my bag before zipping. I was for sure reading the rest later.

We sat there in silence for a minute.

"Let's do something." I said to them.

"Like what."

"The water." I said tapping Jay to help me up. He helped me and we all headed to the water.

I stood at the shore and let the cold ocean water his my feet. Que, Demarcus, and Stephanie ran into the water. They all took turns drowning each other. I know that sounds crazy but that's what it looked like.

"So what is she like?" Jo'nae asked me.

"What do you mean?"

"Her vibe. Is she cool? Cuz if not I can easily tell Que ass to go right on home with her."

"Yea what she said." Jay added on.

"Guys she's fine. There's no bad blood between us. There never was. Just miscommunication." I said.

"Your right a lack of communication can fuck up a lot." Jay added.

"What do ya mean like connecting and shit?!" Jo'nae asked. I nodded. "Yea well let me find out she do some grimy shit and my fist can connect to her fac-"

"Jo'nae!" I said cutting her off.

"Aye, I'm playin." I laughed and shook my head.

"Let's get in." I said walking more into the water with them.

We were at the beach for a long time. We had so much fun. Running in and out the water, splashing each other and playing volleyball with some other family that was already there. Before we knew it the sun was going down.

"The sunset in the Bahamas?!" Demarcus asked as we walked back to the car with our things. We all looked at him.

"No fucking duh! it's on earth right?!" Jay said to him.

"Aye, i'm not dumb I just thought it was always daytime over here."

I laughed. "That's impossible De. It can never be daytime all day."

We got in the car and drove back to the hotel. Once we got there we all went to our separate rooms and showered. We met back at me and Jays room to chill since it was the biggest. We ordered room service and was sitting around eating and joking.

"Bro, remember when Jay's ex girlfriend got lice." Demarcus said. Just as he said that a lady walked in. She was white with long blonde hair and she wore a uniform.

"You guys needed refreshments?" We nodded and she started to put ice in our cups.

"Bro, yuck let's not even bring that shit up." Jay said continuing the conversation.

"Nah g, she used to have that shit bad fr. She always was the main shit talked too. And always got her ass beat, like how you get yo face fucked up and you got lice like pick a struggle ma." We all laughed.

"That's that white people shit." Stephanie said. When she said that the lady looked over at her. "What?"

She shook her head and walked out the room. We all looked at Stephanie and bust out laughing.

"She'll fit i jus fine." Jay said.