A Love Like This (Book 1) (2 page)

I peek out the bathroom door,
 
“
Shut up Keisha!
”
 
I say and throw my brush hitting her right between the eyes.
 
I freeze for a moment terrified.
 
I try to tell her that I didn
’
t
’
 
mean to hit her but she isn
’
t trying to hear it.
 
Keisha lunges for me.
 

“
Keep
 
playin
 
and
 
I
’
ma
 
fuck you up,
”
 
she says.
 
I squeal with laughter
and run towards my mom.

“
I didn
’
t mean to hit you!
”
 
 
I yell.
 
“
You better watch your mouth girl,
”
 
Dana says to Keisha.
 

“
Sorry
Momma
but she started it.
”

Outside our family home Keisha is the most mature reliable woman I
’
ve ever met.
 
But something happens to her when it
’
s just the four of us.
 
She becomes a big kid an
d we end up fighting the way
we did when we were little.
 
 
Nickie
 
looks up from her book.
 
 
“
I can
’
t believe you two are fighting.
 
Leila
’
s about to leave for school, what are you twelve?
”

“
Oh shut up
 
Nickie,
”
 
Keisha says.

“
Rude,
”
 
Nickie
 
scoffs and goes back to reading.

“
Ya
’
ll are working on my nerves.
 
Keisha
 
get
 
on out of
 
here and go see about them kids
 
of yours.
 
“

“
Why I
 
gotta
 
leave?

“
Girl
 
don
’
t
 
start with me.
”

“
Fine, bye
 
heifa
 
go on
 
to that snooty school.
 
You
’
ll fit in just fine,
”
 
She says and
 
pushes my pillows off the bed.
 

“
Why do you always do things just to annoy me?
”
 
 
I ask, as she picks up one of the pillows from the floor and tosses it at my head.
 
Most of the time I ignore her when she
’
s being irritating or I teach her kids a bad word to get back at her.
 
I don
’
t know if it
’
s the emotion of the day, or the smug look on her face but this time I really want to punch her.
 
My fists are balled at my side ready to strike. I
’
m pretty sure she
’
ll beat the shit out of me if I hit her but I
’
m feeling brave. Mom is somewhere fluttering around doing God knows what so I don
’
t expect help from her.
 
Nickie
 
stops reading and looks over the top of her book in silence.
 
It
’
s like watching David and Goliath having a stare down.
 
Keisha and I both have pretty terrible tempers but if there is going to be a scuffle I know
Nickie
 
will be the first one to run.

Keisha
smack
s
her lips and smiles,
 
“
O
h you mad?
 
Poor boo
 
boo
 
did big sissy get you all upset?
 
She hugs my neck with one arm rustling my hair with the other.
 

“
Stop, I can
’
t breathe don
’
t mess up my hair,
”
 
I protest with my arms flailing.
 
Finally, I give up and hug her back.
 
I
’
m going to miss my older
sisters but of course I
’
d never say it.
 
Keisha holds me at arm
’
s length and looks at me for a moment.
 
She smiles but her eyes are sad.
 
She hugs me once more before walking away.
 

Next it
’
s Momma
’
s turn to
 
say good-bye. The four of us
 
stayed up half the night talking about everything from Keisha
’
s shot gun wedding to my mother
’
s dream of becoming an architect when she was younger.
 
My mother hugs me tight.
 
 
“
I
’
m so proud of you baby,
”
 
she whispers in my ear before pulling away.
 
“
Your uncle
’
s waiting to take you to the airport.
 
Daddy
’
s at work and I can
’
t go.
 
I got an appointment at the casino.
 
My palm
’
s been itching all day.
 
You have a safe trip and call me when you get there.
”
 
 
She hugs me again.
 
Remember what I told you baby girl.
 
 
Don
’
t take no
bullshit from nobody and DON
’
T come home pregnant.
”

“
Just because Keisha decided to have five kids before her twenty-fifth birthday doesn
’
t mean I
’
m going to follow suit.
 
I
’
ve got a plan for my life and being some random boy
’
s baby mamma is not part of the plan.
”
 
 
I say
 
resolute with my nose scrunched.

“
Yeah child I know.
”
 
Dana says before kissing my cheek and walking out of the bedroom.
 

Nickie
 
get
’
s up and helps me rearrange my pillow.

“
You know she
’
s sad you
’
re leaving right?
”

“
Who Momma
?
”

“
No Keisha,
”
 
Nickie
 
says,
 
“
she
’
s not very good at expressing herself.
”

We look at each other seriously for a few seconds then laugh shaking our heads.

“
Nick you always try to see the best in people.
 
Well some people are just rotten.
”

“
Rotten or not she
’
s your sister.
 
When all else fails we
’
re all each other has.
”

“
You
’
re so dramatic,
”
 
I say rolling my eyes.
 

Nickie
 
follows me into the bathroom and climbs up on the counter near the sink. She opens and sniffs bottles of lotions and oils while I undress.
 
I
put on a
shower cap and turn the water up as hot as I can bear.
 
 

I
 
yell over the roar of the shower.
 
 
“
How are your classes going?
”
 

They
’
re ok.
 
I had to drop a course this semester because Damian needed me.
 
You know how he gets when I
’
m away for too long.
”

“
Yeah I know.
”
 
 
I
’
m happy
 
Nickie
 
can
’
t see the look of disgust on my face.
 
Damian is rotten.
 
He
’
s seven years older than
 
Nickie
 
and he controls her every move.
 
She was a year away from completing a bachelor
’
s degree in women
’
s literature at Long Beach State but Damian decided that nursing would be a more lucrative career so
 
Nickie
 
dropped out of the literature program and started a nursing program at a community college.
 
Everything she does somehow revolves
 
around Damian.
 
Before
they started dating
she wore her silky ringlets in a short cropped afro but Damian didn
’
t think it was feminine enough so
 
Nickie
 
grew it out.
 
He even picks out her shapeless lifeless clothes.

I step out of the shower and start toweling off.
 
 
Nickie
 
looks over at me,
 
“
When did your boobs get so big?
”

“
I got them around puberty you
 
perv, stop looking at me.
”

“
Hey, you
’
re naked, and they
’
re the biggest thing in the bathroom.
 
What am I suppose to look at?
”
 
 
Besides, no one would ever know you have that body.
 
You should wear more flattering clothes.
”

“
I know you
’
re not talking to me about fashion.
 
You look like a schoolmarm most of the time.
”

“
My man is happy with the way I look, ok.
”
 

“
So what you like doesn
’
t matter?
”

“
Whatever please
 
don
’
t
 
start bashing Damian,
”
 
Nickie
 
says waving me away.
 
She puts the lotion down and slides off the bathroom counter.
 
“
Aren
’
t you scared?
”