7

~~~

"dad tell me more stories about when you and daddy were younger."

"you actually care about those stories i tell you?"

"yes, they're interesting..tell me about that picture on the fridge of you and daddy at a wedding. is that you guy's wedding?"

"oh..no. that was a friends wedding i forced daddy to go to for our first official date with your uncles."

"was uncle kimmy there?"

"of course, kimmy was there with jarad."

"i miss them. uncle kimmy predicted that my tooth would fall out."

"that's kimmy for you."

"was uncle miles there?"

"yeah..he crawled out his little man cave and i got him to tidy up and come."

"what about grandpa jordan?"

"grandpa?"

"he told me he's my grandpa because his back is getting worse and worse each year."

"jordan is a weirdo, he's your uncle, not your grandpa. he's not even that old."

"and what about daddy? how did you convince him to come?"

"well..."

Okay, so Stoke and I haven't been able to spend quality time together which is a little unfortunate because of the shit come up of events.

But regardless we have time now and I know exactly where we're going. Last week he wanted to hang out this week and I agreed (of course) because this week is Michael and that other bitch's birthday, Vaginal Infection. I know Stokeley doesn't want to come because of everything that's happened and his ex and my ex are getting married but honestly i'm there to eat and dance and somewhat support Michael because even though he gets on my nerves, he's alright.

Everyone else had already said they wanted to go, well other than Miles and Stokeley, but that's 10 against 2. Majority rules people. We're going to this wedding. Plus it's a good way to find peace between everyone, we're all grown, everything is in the past. Whatever is to come is to come as it is. Fuck the past.

I told everyone that the wedding is later today and to get dressed up and ready, and not to tell Stokeley that we're going to a wedding, and not even mention anything that has to do with a wedding. I want him to be surprised, even though it will be a mad surprise, he's not just going to leave the wedding. I won't let him.

"Stokeley." I said. We were on FaceTime and he was excited that I had a "surprise" for him later because of our date.

"Yes, Jah."

"Are you excited for later today?"

"Of course, It's our first official date."

"Yeah?" I said, "Wear something nice."

"Why wouldn't I." He said.

"Stokeley, wear something nice." I said again.

"Okay Okay. What durag you want me to wear?"

"No durag. I wanna do those dreads, baby." I said.

He groaned and then pouted, "I was going to wear my favorite durag for you."

"Aw.." I said. "Ain't life a bitch."

"Fuck you, Jah." He says jokingly.

"I'm waiting." I teased.

He went silent before grinning, "So it's like that?"

"It's like that, Stoke."

He chuckled. "Where's this surprise anyway?"

"Wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, kid."

"Give me a hint?"

"No hints."

"Ugh..fine." He says.

I see Kim and Jarad walk in hands intertwined, laughing about something. They both had clothes bags. Probably shopping for the wedding.

"Anyway, I'm gonna talk to you later, Jah, I gotta get back to work.. I love you."

"I love you too." I responded before I hung up.

"Where have you lovebirds been?" I asked.

"Shopping, nigger. I haven't been to a wedding in a minute." Jarad says.

"You are not wearing a Fallout Boy T-shirt to a fucking wedding, Jare, please." Kimetrius says.

"Why? Fallout Boy is amazing. I want them to all see how much I have love for them." Jarad argues back.

They continued to argue back and forth about the t-shirt. It's just a wedding just wear something nice it doesn't have to be anything great. I don't even think we'll be there the entire night.

I just decided I should wear a suit without a shirt under because none of the shirts I had even looked good with it. Oh well, my chest is beautiful anyway.

"Good news , guys!" Dimitri runs in excitedly holding holding his phone bringing all of us to his attention.

"What is it?" Dex asks.

"The bar! It's at 3 stars." He says.

"It's literally not even April yet, why are you pulling a dumbass April fools joke?" Jordan says.

"Guys, i'm not even joking. Look.." Dimitri says holding the phone towards it. We all lean in to see the rating and he's right...its sitting at 3 FULL stars.

"Holy Moly." Royce says. "Fina fucking lee."

"Thanks to me. I finally nailed how to make our signature shit drink." I said.

"Yeah thanks to Stoke, if he didn't quit like the other 15 employees, you would've actually been eating shit off the floor in a Mcdonald's alleyway because you went bankrupt and held a world record of the lowest rated bar, sitting at negative 19 starts and a quarter." Dex says.

"Very vivid thinking." I said.

"Anyway, i'm excited for today. I'm ready to fuck some hoes." Royce says.

"Y'all going out?" I asked.

"Yeah. Aren't you going out with Jah today?" Royce asks.

"Yeah..how you know?" I said.

"He told all of us the secret place y'all going. Shit bouta be lit as hell." Royce says.

"If he doesn't storm out." Dimitri says.

"Why would I storm out?" I asked curiously.

"I don't know..because it's going to be so amazing you want to leave and start punching stuff." Jordan says.

"Yeah, you'll be on your Birdbox shit." Dex adds.

"You watch that movie too?" Dimitri says to Dex.

"That movie hella weird, after I watched it I went outside with a blindfold and Symere was tryna get me to take off the blindfold and I was like hold up nigga." Jordan says.

They go on and on about this box braids, bird brains, bird shit movie. I honestly don't know what they're talking about but it's weird Jahseh told everyone about where we going on our date but not me.

I mean it is a surprise, I shouldn't be snooping and trying to figure it out and ruin the surprise. Whatever it is, I'll most likely like it. Anything Jahseh gives me I love so it's not even a problem.

"Jahseh, everyone has been teasing me about the surprise you got for me, can you just give me a hint?"

"No hints, Stokeley." He says. He was wearing a dress suit without a shirt under, and some black jeans and a choker, his blue dreads in a high pony tail, of purple. In the sunlight it looked purple, in the dark it was blue.

"Why are you so dressed up?" I asked.

"Why are you not, we have reservations nigga. It starts in like 1 hour."

"Reserva- What?" I asked. "We have a reservation? We going to Olive Garden? or-or a fancy expensive restaurant?"

"Not exactly, but we have reservations."

"Jahseh, you're killing me bro." I said wrapping my arms behind him and resting my head in the crook of his neck. "Why won't you just tell me?" I mumbled.

~~~

"why are you stopping? what happened after that?"

"well i'm stopping because i don't remember what happened in that timeframe."

"what do you mean you don't remember?"

"that event happened 17 years ago, pretty hard to remember things from a long time ago."

"you're right..but what do you remember?"

"i remember....that it's getting late and it's time for you to take ya ass to bed."

"what? we were just getting to the best part of the story."

"yeah, i'll tell you the rest tomorrow, i promise."

"fine. goodnight, dad, i love you."

"i love you too, gekyume."

~~~