Stepped

Chapter 1

Summer

“I really think that this experience will be a good thing. You’ve been the only child around here, since forever. And now, you’ll have company.”

Reclining on our sectional with a throw pillow in my lap, I was trying my best not to roll my eyes at my mama. She was really standing in front of me, trying to sell me on the idea of her boyfriend moving in with his son. And I was not a happy camper.

“Ma, I’m eighteen years old. And in all these years, I have yet to ask for a sibling. So, I don’t understand why you’d think that I want to live with some random people,” I rebutted.

My mama sassily rolled her eyes, as she waved me off. “You’re so damn dramatic, Summer. You literally go to school with Breeze. And I’ve been with Ricky for the past two years.”

“Right. But that’s been a y’all thing, ma. The most me and Ricky do is say hi and bye. I don’t know him, for real. And then, you spend entirely too much time at work, for those people to move in here. I’ll literally be alone, in a house filled with strangers.”

“Summer, come on.” She sighed, gripping her forehead.

“You’re definitely being a brat, right now.

Besides, this is why Ricky is moving in.

To lighten the load. I won’t have to do doubles at the hospital, anymore.

He’ll be taking over the mortgage payments.

In fact, he’s taking over all the bills.

We’ll have more money for vacations. Shopping.

And you’ll go off to college with a nice savings. Everybody wins.”

Sitting back, I shook my head, realizing that my mama’s mind was made up. One thing about it, Array loved money and nice shit. We both did. That’s exactly why she worked her ass off as a nurse practitioner and charge nurse.

We lived in a two-story, four-car garage, 4500 square foot lakefront home, equipped with a boating dock out back. It was my mama’s dream home that she’d purchased ten years back, when the rates were beautiful. According to her, anyway.

Array was an overachiever, who’d been a nurse since before I was born. She was now 41, with expensive taste, and thought that she was a cast member on The Real Housewives of Atlanta. I’m talking real diva status. Except she was all natural.

With a medium, shapely physique, light brown skin, unnaturally white teeth, my mama was a sight to see.

She was fine and knew it. And she literally carried herself like she was some type of celebrity.

Hair and makeup was always on 10. Even when she was headed to work in her scrubs, they were always pressed straight from the cleaners, and was gonna hug every curve on her body.

Keeping up with the Joneses, mama drove a Mercedes G-Wagon, and had just passed down her 3X BMW SUV to me, after paying it off. So, I knew with Array, it was always about the money.

And now, me, her only child. The apple of her eye. Her baby. Was about to be placed in an uncomfortable position, because Tricky Ricky wanted to move in, and pay for shit.

“Ma, I just really don’t wanna do this,” I groaned, thinking of how my life was about to completely shift.

To me, everything was perfect as it was. My mama worked a lot, which gave me free reign over the house. I could wear what I wanted. Smoke my weed. Have company, after sneaking them by the blind spot on the cameras.

Basically, after my mama left for work, I became a grown ass woman in my own house. And there was no way that I could do me with Ricky and fucking Breeze hanging around.

Breeze

“Okay, so, when we go in here, don’t be saying no crazy shit,” my pops warned.

I lightly chuckled, as I peered at the house we’d just pulled up to. The muthafucka was nice, and was just up the road from the home that we’d been renting for last few years. It was about twice as big, and had a G-Wagon parked out front.

“Ole man, quit tripping. I’m chilling,” I promised, as I was still buzzing from the blunt I’d smoked. “Aint nobody finna mess this up for you. I know that your tricking done finally paid off. So, I aint gon show my ass til we at least fully move in.”

He cut his eyes at me. “You aint funny, lil’ nigga. My tricking finally paid off,” he mimicked. “Me taking care of what’s mine is hardly tricking.”

I hooded my eyes. “Then what else do you call it?”

“It’s called that I got a woman, and she’s worth providing for.

And she won’t sit her ass down and stop pulling doubles, unless I can do more.

Then I’m tired of not being here every night, cause I gotta keep a eye on your wild ass.

Something had to give. So, we finna try this family shit.

I know that you don’t give a damn, but this woman is the one.

Which means that there aint no more waiting for our kids to leave the nest. It’s happening now, and one day when you find a muthafucka that you can’t be without, then you’ll understand my position.

Meanwhile, go in here and smile. Play nice. ”

I shrugged. “Hey, I’m cool. So, let’s go in here and be fake with ya gal and her stuck up daughter.”

Pops shook his head. “You just make sure to keep them thoughts to yourself. Besides, what makes Summer stuck up?”

I shook my head, as I thought about it.

To put things into perspective, I’d been living with my pops since I was 15.

Before then, I’d been living with my mama, back in 5th Ward, which was one of the oldest hoods in Houston.

My mama and daddy hadn’t been a thing since I was like three.

By the time I was seven, I had four other siblings, and my daddy was the most decent out of all the baby’s daddies.

He was the only consistently present father, unfortunately.

My pops paid his child support religiously and picked me up every weekend. It wasn’t until I was 13 did I realize that I wasn’t fully benefiting from the money my pops paid in child support.

With my mama having two other deadbeat baby’s daddies, my child support was used for everybody.

And even with my mama working, there was never enough money for any extras.

I often had to call my daddy for the simplest shit, like money for McDonald’s or field trips.

Despite his hefty payments, I couldn’t get anything directly.

And by the time I was 14, I realized that life would be better out in the burbs with my pops.

The fucked-up part about it was that my mama knew that my pops could provide the better lifestyle, but wouldn’t agree to let me move, because she couldn’t part ways with that thousand-dollar child support.

Thankfully, I had a real father, who didn’t sit on his hands when I expressed wanting to live with him. Instead, he went through the courts, and they eventually allowed me to decide where I wanted to live.

I was geeked to finally move in with my pops, but went through a culture shock, when I transferred to the school in his neighborhood. Those suburban kids lived in completely different realities and it took me a while to adjust. Everything was different. Especially the girls.

Girls at my school were bougie. High maintenance.

And sneaky as fuck. Now, when it came to Summer…

she was the latter. She was literally one of the best dressed girls in the school.

Often rocked designer bags like she was a grown woman with a full-time job.

The muthafucka literally drove a BMW, and had my main nigga Harlem sprung.

The way Summer often handled my boy would have me urging him to put her in her place, but the nigga never listened. Instead, when she said jump, he said ‘how high’ and I just knew that it could never be me.

“That girl takes most of Harlem’s allowance every week. And the gym teacher gotta fuss at her about participation, because she don’t wanna break a nail. If that aint stuck up, then I don’t know what is.”

My pops smirked. “Well, she looks just like her mama. So, I’m sure that she’s a little conceited and bratty. But you spoiled too, lil’ nigga.”

“Nah. I be chilling,” I swore, as we both eased out of his Porsche SUV.

As we approached the house, the double doors were pulled back and Ms. Array greeted us with a smile.

“Hey, bae.” She puckered her lips, and my pussy whipped pops eagerly moved in to kiss her.

Once he pulled back, she focused on me. “How you doing, Breeze? You ready for me to give you a tour of your new room?”

***

“So, are you coming over tonight or nah?” Brion questioned, as she leaned against my red Camaro.

Leaning on the hood with my arms folded, I studied her profile.

Brion was a slim, yellow girl with a pretty face.

The typical suburban girl in every sense.

And I’d introduced her to fucking last year, and she’d been hooked ever since.

Meanwhile, I was committed to nobody, and often slowed the pace between us, whenever I felt like she was getting too clingy.

“Ion think that we gone be able to link this weekend,” I admitted, before I noticed Harlem approaching us.

“Why not?” She pouted, poking out her bottom lip.

“’Sup?” Harlem spoke, as he stepped around Brion and briefly bumped fists with me.

“Hey, Harlem,” Brion cleared her throat.

“Hey, what’s up?” Harlem smiled.

I sighed, while gazing down at Brion. “Hey, let me chop it up with my boy, right quick. I’ma catch up with cha.”

She sighed. “Alright. I'ma text you.” She basically threatened me, as she turned to walk away.

“Yeah, alright.”

Harlem chuckled.

I cut my eyes at him. “The fuck is funny, nigga?”

“You, bro. Why were you looking at that girl like that?”

“Cause. She be getting on my nerves. I remember when she used to be so scared of the dick. And now, she can’t wait to give it up. Then her parents aint never at home, seems like.”

He narrowed his gaze. “That’s a good thing, right?”

“Nah. Hell, nawl, actually. Just because her people aint at home, don’t always mean that I’m finna come over, but she can’t seem to understand that.”

“Oh, yeah? So, you aint creeping over to her house this weekend?”

“Nah. We actually moving.”

“Moving?” Harlem frowned. “Damn, and you wasn’t gonna say nothing? Do you gotta transfer? What about basketball? How far are y’all moving?”

I snickered. “Calm down, nigga. I’m just moving to the gated side of my community.”

“Oh, I was ‘bout to say—”

“With ya gal.”

“Wait, what?”

I chuckled. “You heard me, nigga. Me and my pops is moving in with Summer and her mama. Starting this evening, after I get home.”

“You’re serious?”

“Yeah. I wouldn’t lie to you.”

“Well, damn. I know that your dad is dating her mom, but I wasn’t expecting this,” he admitted.

“Hey, me neither.”

“Right. And Summer never said nothing.”

“Well, we were both just told yesterday, honestly. And she just kept rolling her eyes the whole time we were there. So, she probably aint too excited about the situation.”

“Yeah, she probably is feeling aggy, right now. Especially when her mom is always at work, and she pretty much does whatever she wants.”

“Yeah? I really didn’t consider that. But if that’s the case, then she really aint got much to worry about. My old man is the type to mind his business. So, she can honestly do whatever.”

Harlem nodded. “So, when I come over I won’t have to pretend that I'm not heading to her room?”

I scratched my head. “Look, Ion know ‘bout all that. If that’s what her mama allows, then yeah. You know my pops never tripped about me having company. But…that might be different, since we’re sharing a house. So, I don’t know. I gotta see how this shit goes my damn self.”

“Yeah, I guess we both gotta see. I just hope that your dad doesn’t start snitching. Messing up our program.”