16. Rico
Rico
I break into a smile as soon as the black screen fades into an office. Haze leans into the camera, her own smile waning as she narrows her eyes.
“Rico–”
“It’s just a scratch,” I say. “Occupational hazard.”
“But… it’s your face. Are they–”
“Dead? What you think?” I smirk. It’s funny how she doesn’t think it could be Snow. I’ve always noticed how much one infantilizes the other. Neither feels the other can do much on their own, and yet the way they go about compensating for that makes no sense.
For years, Snow kept Haze in the dark about what really was going on in their home. So many times, Fredo and I would share a glance at how Haze would lament on shit that either never happened or wasn’t true, though neither one of us ever corrected her.
And now, Haze sends all types of articles and self-help books and long-winded rants about keeping Snow clean, if the tropical air is best for her supposed “sickly” nature.
Yes, they’re fraternal twins. But they act like they don’t share most of the same DNA.
I think the disconnect comes from having separate birthdays.
Snow turns thirty tomorrow, while Haze turns thirty the day after.
Which is why we are on a video call. Her present from me came the day before, and whether or not we were in the same city, she always wanted me to watch her open it.
“No killing while you’re watching Wyn,” she scolds. “I know she’s pushing your buttons–”
“Your sister is safe. You talked to her yesterday, no?”
“For a little… she doesn’t tell me much, only wants to talk to Deucey about that damn imaginary friend of his… I think she’s mad at me.”
“Why would she be mad at you?”
Haze shrugs, averting her eyes. “She’s probably mad I made her go to Belize with you. It’s not like you like her for real. Plus, her birthday is tomorrow, and I know you’re not gonna do anything special–”
“Who says? Nan’s baking a cake today. We singing and shit.”
Haze giggles. “Nan ain’t baking shit. And you for sure aren’t singing. For real, Rico. Do something nice for her. We turn thirty.”
For all the years I’ve known Snow, this will only be the second birthday I’ve spent with her.
The first one, she turned sixteen and we were together.
That summer was a mess, since I couldn’t be as reckless as I needed to be, while still putting in major work.
Me and Ty-Ty ended up having to lay low, and by the time I got to my phone, I had missed it.
But that didn’t stop me from getting her a chain.
She was always so understanding back then. She never acted jealous, or tried to go upside my head like the homies’ bitches. Nah, Snow was my good girl. Always waiting for me. Always holding it down. No one knew who her nigga was, they just knew she had one, and she wasn’t going.
How would it be once she went back to the States? She couldn’t stay here forever. Snow had a life, a career, a family. Is she gonna get back with Cochise? Am I gonna have to go back on my word and murk a First Nation Prince?
“I’ll do something nice for her, Haze. Open your gift; I gotta make sure Nan’s birthday dinner is straight, too.”
“I always forget they share a birthday,” Haze mutters, bringing my gift for her to the camera. “Do they get along? Probably not.”
I smirk, thinking of Nan refusing to speak English around Snow. She claims it’s to help her learn, but I know it’s just her playing mind games. “They’re cool. Snow’s doing well here. When do you think she’ll be okay to come home?”
Haze opens one side of the box with her nails. “Whenever you come back, just bring her here. I’ve talked to PC about easing her back into recording, and it’s nothing to clear out the guest room for her. So it’s really up to you–ooo! Thank you!”
Haze really shouldn’t have said that.
If it’s up to me, she’s staying indefinitely.
Haze takes the Milky Way Lego set out of the shipping box and swoons, before beaming at me. “I’ma do this with Deucey. He has this new imaginary friend named Mars and it’s all he talks about.”
I lick my lips and crack my knuckles. “How you know he imaginary? Ain’t he a little old for that?”
“That’s what I said, but there’s no kids named Mars in his school. One day, after talking to Wyn, it’s ‘Mars’ this, ‘Mars’ that.”
I shake my head. Fucking Snow. I’m sure she wasn’t even being malicious.
“He’s gonna love it. I love it. Thank you again, but I wish you were here.” Haze pouts as she places my gift out of the camera.
“But you just said when I come, I gotta bring Wynter. What if she not ready yet?”
Haze’s face crumbles slightly. “But you just said–”
“Being cool here don’t mean she gon’ be straight back home. I’ma take her to San Pedro. If she cool there, then I’ll start planning to come back.”
“Okayyyy,” she sings, just as Miele bursts into my office. Her eyes are big as she runs over to my window, peering out of it.
“I gotta go, Haze.” Used to me being brief, she only nods as I end the video call to give Miele all of my attention.
She turns away from the window to face me. Only one of her eyes has makeup on it, while the opposite cheek is pink. She’s been getting more into makeup lately, the more time she spends with Snow, much to NiNi’s chagrin.
But we don’t say anything. We want her to do all the normal girl bullshit she didn’t get to do when she was younger and stuck in a hospital bed.
“H-how are you doing today? How’s your eye?”
I shrug. “I’m straight. What’s wrong?”
She gulps audibly and starts biting the skin on her thumb. She’s acting like she did when NiNi caught her coming back from San Pedro to meet up with a nigga.
But Miele hasn’t been on any sneaky shit in months. In fact, ironically, since she’s been up under Snow, Miele has been on her Ps and Qs.
“Promise me you won’t overreact.” She cuts her eyes to the window before looking back at me, but I don’t have time for this.
Not when I know Snow is on the beach with Mars.
I stand up and round my desk, just as Miele shoots her arms out.
“Promise me!”
I stop, because I never wanna manhandle my cousin. She knows it, too. She knows I won’t move until she gets out of my way.
“I promise.”
“And mean it!”
“Miele,” I sigh. “I won’t overreact.”
She narrows her eyes at me, before engulfing me in a hug.
I hug her back, resting my chin on the top of my head. “You’re scaring me, ChiChi.”
Instead of answering, she begins to take steps back, pulling me with her.
Once I can look out the window, I see why. And I must stiffen, because she squeezes me tighter.
“You promised,” she muffles, but I barely hear her.
Besides, I lied anyway.
“What the fuck,” I blurt, my scar tingling the more I glare at the scene unfolding in front of me.
There are three people on the deck, when there should be two.
Mars.
Snow.
And… fucking Pooh.
“Let go of me, Miele.”
She only does so because of my tone, and I’m out of my office before she could think to try to grab me.
What in the entire fuck is this nigga doing here?
Rick–
“Nah,” I say aloud, powerwalking through this fucking house to the back deck.
They’re all smiles, Pooh saying something to make Mars light up.
“That’s his grandson–”
“Bullshit!” I hiss, snatching the doors open and raining on their fucking parade.
“The fuck you doing here, nigga?!” I’m on him immediately, grabbing the front of his shirt.
He smirks before pushing me off him.
Before I can swing, Snow jumps in between us, placing her palm firmly on my chest.
“You’re scaring Mars–”
I push her palm off me. “You defending this nigga?” I ask, because I can’t fathom–
“I fucked Pooh.”
It comes back to me immediately.
Her grin as she described that fuckass Hundred Acre Wood, his private dwelling within The Hive.
I did a good job forgetting when she cut me deepest. But seeing her now, in front of him, making sure I can’t get to him, brings it all back.
She fucked my biggest opp. And bragged about it to my face.
“Ricky–”
I snatch away from Nan, too, and back away from them.
Everybody on this fucking deck is playing on my top. And the smirk on Pooh’s face tells me he’s enjoying this.
“Ricky. I invited Pooh Bear for my birthday. I can’t have my only son here for my birthday? Who knows–”
I scoff, keeping my eyes locked on Pooh. Nan knows that manipulative shit don’t work on me. Nothing is keeping her ass from hopping on a plane and going to see him. She thinks I don’t know that when she be doing her lil’ tours around Belize, that Pooh be meeting her in Belmopan.
It’s not like they haven’t seen each other. And how chummy he is with Mars, I now know that he always knew about his grandson.
“You been knew huh? About Mars?” I ask for confirmation.
Pooh smiles fully, straightening out his shirt. “I’ve always told you, she was my mama before she was your grandmother. Y’all not a team, son.”
“Mars, let’s–”
“Nah.” I finally flick my gaze to Snow. Her eyebrows kiss, like I’m the one being unreasonable. Like she always does.
She don’t even remember her slip of the tongue. She couldn’t, the way she holds my gaze. Acting like I don’t know her biggest transgression against me.
Fasho.
I hold out my hand and shift my gaze to Mars. “Let’s go inside.”
Mars looks to Snow, but I keep my eyes on him. She must nod, because he inches up, and places his hand on mine.
Without another word, we walk back inside. But we go past his room, toward mine.
Where I have a screen door that leads to a patio.
Miele slips in behind us.
“What are you doing?” she asks lowly.
“We going to see NiNi.”
Miele gasps, and takes my other hand.
“Rico–”
I squeeze her hand, silencing her.
Thankfully, she listens. She doesn’t know the full story, but NiNi has his own issues with their father, so she’s familiar enough.
Just like she knows why we going to see NiNi.
Them muthafuckas are prolly having a grand old time laughing at my expense.
Luney fasho gon’ have the last laugh.