18

Bethany

Christmas Eve

Janet bursted into the bedroom. "It came on time!"

She held two envelopes in her hands. "What came on time?"

She handed me the two envelopes. I unfolded them and read through both of them.

"Aw! He's going to be so happy JJ!" I matched her excitement as I looked upon our foster license and the papers that told us Kendrick was under our care.

We had the last person come and visit yesterday. Well she met JJ and got to know her, I was knee deep in gift wrapping paper and wrapping the kids gifts.

So for that purpose the kids were at my mothers house.

"How are we going to give it to him?"

"How my mom used to give me money. Wrap it like a scroll, stick it in a roll of paper towels and just for his excitement stick some cash in there to." I shrugged.

Janet stared at me. "That is not a bad idea at all."

She disappeared and I knew it was to get a roll of paper towels. When she came back she followed my steps and then held it out for me to grab.

"No. Hell no. I wrapped about 50 dang presents yesterday."

"I cleaned up!"

"Great for you baby, but I am not, I repeat am not about to wrap that. I love him like he's my own but if you not wrapping it, it seems like you need to stick it in the back of the tree, cause I'm not either." I instructed her.

JJ pouted at me. "Fine. I'll be back."

My phone buzzed.

GayGil 🌈You think she still hates me?

I rolled my eyes as I texted back.

To: GayGil 🌈She never hated you. She was just taking her anger out on you. If you wanna make it right you better come now, she's in a good mood.

He texted back quickly.

GayGil 🌈How good of a mood we talking? Cause I'm pulling up.

To: GayGil 🌈The Jolly good spirit. I'll open the door for you. 

Janet came back into our bedroom and smiled to herself. "I just can't believe that this happening. Best Christmas ever."

The door bell rang and I jumped up. "I'll get it!"

I rushed down the stairs and opened the door for Gil. I hugged him, we hadn't seen much of each other since Janet got salty with him like 2 months ago.

They are both so damn stubborn, they hadn't spoken to each other, leaving me in the middle, just you know, being a innocent bystander.

"Merry Christmas Beth." He told me as we let go of the hug.

"Merry Christmas GillyPooh." I pouted. "It's been too long. Y'all can't keep this up."

Gil nodded in agreement. "I know, I know. She's just been avoiding the hell out of me."

I sighed because it was true. Janet would make up the dumbest excuses to not talk to him.

"I know. Come on. It's about time y'all got over this. Plus you've missed out on so much."

"So much like what?"

I gave him a sly look and sipped some imaginary tea. "I fought Tika."

"What?" He asked as we walked through the living room. Janet was coming down the stairs and they saw each other.

"Gil!"

"Dunk!"

They corny asses ran to each other and hugged tightly.

JJ sniffled like she was crying. "I'm so sorry."

"No, Dunk, you don't have to apologize." Gil assured my girlfriend. "I shouldn't have did that the way I did."

"No, I shouldn't have kept that from her to begin with it's not your fault." Janet admitted.

I got sick of standing there awkwardly.

"Oh my gosh. This is way too gushy for me. Please stop." I cut through the conversation.

"Oh hell no. Don't talk to me! How the hell did I not know she fought Tika?" Gil got mad and turned to Janet.

Janet shook her head. "Because I told her not to fight her."

Gil looked at me. "Why y'all fought?"

"Cause she likes to write checks her ass can't cash." I answered smartly.

They both looked at me and I shrugged as JJ spoke. "Her temper has calmed a lot since holidays have come up."

Gil chuckled. "Well shit I hope. Where's Princess Nadia and my Roach?"

I frowned at him calling Kendrick a roach. "Easy on Kendrick, and they are at my moms."

"The crack head?" He asked me with a scared facial expression.

I looked at Janet in shock. "You told him?!"

Janet looked between us before looking away. "What? That was too juicy not to tell!"

Rolling my eyes, I corrected Gil's assumption. "No, they're with my birth mother, Judy."

He nodded. "Oh okay. So tell me, fill me in. Don't miss a detail. I want to feel like I was at the scene itself when the fight broke out."

JJ opened her mouth, I guess to start the story but the doorbell rung.

They both looked at me and I smacked my lips. "I guess I'll get it."

I walked to the door and opened it.

Ralph stood at the other side. He frowned when he saw me. "Damn it, I thought Janet was gonna open the door. I was ready, had my pick up line and everything."

"You gone quit flirting with my girlfriend before we have to fight Ralph Angel. I'm not kidding either." I mugged him.

He laughed as he pushed passed me after I closed the front door.

"Whatever." He came in contact with Janet and immediately beamed with joy. "Baby momma!"

Janet looked at him and rolled her eyes playfully. "Hey Ralph."

Gil looked confused and almost hostile. "Hello, I'm Gil, Janet's first baby daddy and you are?"

"Her newest baby's daddy." Ralph shot back quickly. "Janet let him know."

I laughed at them going back and forth and Janet facepalmed herself. "I am no ones baby mother except Bethany's."

"Yeah let them know. Gil, this is my brother Ralph Angel. Ralph Angel, this is Janet's best friend Gil." I introduced the duo.

"Girl bye, this ain't yo brother. He too dark!" Gil exclaimed.

Ralph being Ralph, had an immediate comeback. "Alright you tan looking marshmallow, don't try it."

Janet and I stifled our giggles.

"They're play brother and sisters." Janet clarified.

"Hmm. Sounds more like it. Okay Dunk, come to the strip club with me today. It's a whole Christmas theme performance happening. You in? What'd you say?" Gil asked my girlfriend.

JJ shook her head. "I'll pass, I'd rather spend the night with Beth."

"You can go." I gave her a pass.

Her head turned to me quickly. "Uh why? Don't you want me to stay here? Tomorrow's Christmas."

"Strippers really be getting it in man I tell you. I wish I would be shaking ass on Christmas Eve decorated in some fucking Christmas lights and a damn Santa hat." Ralph imputed into the conversation.

Gil scoffed. "People love seeing holiday ass. You're sleep bro."

I ignored their statements and responded to Janet. "Well I have to do some more shopping, which is why Ralph is here and by time I get done running around I have to go get the kids from my moms. By then it's going to be late and you might as well have your fun. Who knows when we will get to again once their school year starts."

Janet nodded in understanding and Gil asked me a question. "So you don't care that your girlfriend is about to be at a strip club?"

"No, why would I? If I tell her she can't, she'll just go behind my back and do it. She might as well get it all out." I shrugged it off.

Ralph nodded. "Yeah, look at Tommy for example."

"Bad example." I quickly spoke cutting him off. "Come on Ralph, the quicker we hit the stores the quicker we can get out of the stores."

"Alright, but after this shopping fest, I want to eat." He gave me a condition.

I nodded. "Fine whatever." I turned to JJ and gave her a kiss. "I'll see you tonight and be good. Well as good as you can be with Gil."

<><><><><>

"Okay what's up with you letting my baby moms go to the strip club?" Ralph spoke as I drove. "Cause Tommy ass wasn't allowed to even say the word strip around your ass."

"Cause if I wasn't allowed to say the word strip, his ass wasn't either. Please don't bring him up right now. Plus that's not even the main reason I let her go."

"Okay what's the real reason?" He asked me.

I shifted in my seat as I merged onto the highway. "Janet's been down my neck all December. I haven't been able to go get the gift I ordered for her. So you were my distraction to get away because if I would have said I was going by myself, she would have hopped in this car."

"Ou what'd you get my baby moms?"

"Things." I responded timidly.

"Why can't I know?"

"Because you tell my girlfriend anything she wants to know and I don't want her to know what's under the gift wrapping paper until tomorrow."

He huffed. "Mane alright whateva."

"Nah don't get mad now." A laugh slipped from my lips. "You won't tell me who yo girlfriend is and I been trynna figure out what you got to hide."

"Whatever, I'll tell you whenever I feel like telling you."

"Funny." I pointed out. "Cause I feel the same way when it comes to this gift."

He pointed the finger at me. "B.T, stop talking to me."

"Say less." I smirked as I made a response I knew would piss him off.

We rode in silence for a while before I plugged my phone up and started playing Beyoncé's '1+1'.

"If I ain't got nothing... I got you!" I turned my radio all the way up and began singing.

Ralph didn't tune into me and instead stayed on his phone. I yanked it out of his hand, and he yelled.

"Bethany! Give me my shit back!"

I sped up on the highway and looked at him. "Don't you ever just wanna end it all?"

"Da fuck did you just say? Hell no. You always on some suicidal bullshit. Slow down!" Ralph tried to get me to slow down.

My car hit 100. "Sing with me or else we die."

"Huh?" He didn't hear me over the music.

"I said sing with me or else we die nigga!" My voice got louder.

"Bitch you then lost your entire shits!" Ralph's hands held on to the dash board and one to the door handle. "Bethany chill out!"

"I said sing nigga!" I yelled again.

"Man! Cause baby we... ain't got nothing... but love!"

Ralph singing caused me to bust out laughing, I slowed a little as I took my exit. I swung into the mall parking lot and stopped as I parked.

When I turned my radio down I spoke. "You was scared Angel?"

He huffed in anger. "Crazy ass bitch." He got out the car quickly and I couldn't help but keep laughing.

I got out my car and locked the doors as we walked towards the mall.

"Ralph Angel, I'm sorry! It was just funny to fuck with you." I admitted as I grabbed his cheeks.

This dude popped my hand. "Girl move. You crazy as hell and I'm telling Janet! She gone beat yo ass."

"My girlfriend doesn't run me." Ralph sent me a look. "Okay sometimes she does, but still what is she going to do? Ground me?"

"Whatever. Let's just get this damn present and bounce, and I'm driving us back, I'm not playing."

I shrugged. "Okay, doesn't pay me no difference."

We walked into the jewelry store and I sat my phone and keys on the glass table. Ralph yanked them when I wasn't paying much attention to them.

"Yeah, Boonk Gang whole lotta gang shit." He mumbled to me and I laughed.

"Shut up with your childish ass."

He pointed at the Caucasian lady approaching us. "Yeah yeah. Shut-up and get my baby moms gift."

—

Okay, y'all know how I do...

A filler chapter then a chapter that try's to yank y'all edges back. So I'm coming through with my second chapter, butttttt, it's going to be later today.

Can't say I'm not coming through with the double wazoo update if it's still on the same day but at a later time. Lmaoooo, I need to stop bending my own rules.

Anywaysssss, imma go now.... see y'all in the comment section next chapter! Cause I know y'all finna comment. 😛💀