Lexi

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I heard the front door open and ran into the hallway. Bubbles was there, bigger than life, and he caught me as I ran to him, and lifted me into his arms. “I’m okay. Just a little harassment, but it backfired on them because of your recording.”

A sob caught in my throat, and he held me tighter.

“I’m good, Lex.”

I felt him look around, and I turned in his arms to see Viper standing in the hall.

“Thanks for taking care of her. Any problems?”

“Glad I could help,” Viper answered. “I’m gonna go back to bed a few hours, since I’m already here.”

“Help yourself to whatever you want in the kitchen. I’ll get her to class and then I’ll probably come home and go back to sleep until time to pick her up.”

“I’ll get her to class. You sleep.”

Bubbles nodded, and I looked at him closer. I could see the exhaustion in his eyes. He was a big, tough guy, but a night of interrogation had worn him out — probably emotionally more than physically. He’d been out of prison long enough he wasn’t used to being caged anymore.

He must’ve taken the same moment to analyze me, because he said, “What’s wrong, Half-pint?’

So, so much was wrong. I’d been afraid they’d keep him, or this would mess with his parole. Mama had gone into total bitch mode and hurt me — again. And the big bed had been so empty without him. “It’d take at least an hour to talk about and I’d rather sleep in your arms than talk right now.”

“If it’s somethin’ that’ll grow into more, we need to talk before that happens.”

“Her mom was a grade-A bitch on the phone earlier,” said Viper. “She accused Lex of trying to pretend she’s white, told her we’re a bunch of crazy-assed motherfuckin’ white boys and she needed to stop trying to fit in with us because she’s an n-word like the rest of the family, and we’ll turn on her when they figure it out. It was brutal, but I was afraid I’d make it worse by interceding.”

Bubbles looked at me, and I told him, “She’s afraid. Everyone’s afraid after Fury and the two in jail seem to have been stupefied or… what’s the word she used. Lobotomized. I tried to tell her it couldn’t have been ya’ll, and had to be Marlin trying to placate ya’ll since he hadn’t been able to keep his promise, but that just seemed to make it worse because in her eyes it’s still the white man keepin’ the black man down.” I rolled my eyes. “I’m sorry. It’s kind of an ongoing thing with her, seeing me as white and the enemy while she tries to remind me I’m not.”

He kissed my forehead. “You’re human, and you’re mine. End of story. I’ve seen your hair out of the shower, before you straighten it, and it’s beautiful however you want to wear it.”

It was too damned early in the morning for this, and I ignored the emotions trying to fill my eyes and pointed to the bedroom. “Sleep. We need sleep.”

He doesn’t usually close his bedroom door, but he did this morning, and I was glad. I like Viper, but I needed some privacy.

When he meant to settle me back in bed, I put my feet down and stood on it. “I missed you so much, I put a plug in to try to pretend you were here, making me wear it a few hours before bedtime, but then I didn’t want to take it out because it felt like you were close when I had it in.”

My eyes finally fully teared up, but I didn’t try to hide them. I’d been so afraid he wouldn’t come home.

I leaned my face into his palm when he caressed it, and a single tear spilled down my cheek.

“It’s okay, Lexi. Zeke used your recording — they were trying to say you ratted, but I knew you hadn’t. Even without the recording, I’d have known, but now two detectives are in some pretty damned hot water with their chief because we have proof they lied.”

My heart turned upside down in my chest and I thought I’d be sick. They’d tried to say I ratted? Fuck, that could get someone killed in my neighborhood.

“It’s fine, Lex. You’re good.”

How did he always know when I panicked? I took a breath and nodded.

“Knees and chest, so I can get the plug out. I love that you wore it to keep me close, and we’ll start putting it in a little while every day, but you need to sleep a few more hours so you can concentrate in class.”

I hit the snooze button and covered back up the next morning. I was beyond exhausted and could just go in an hour or two late.

Bubbles popped me on the ass and told me to get up, and I explained my plan.

He didn’t agree, but he didn’t argue. Once again, I found myself over his lap getting my bare ass spanked, and this time he hit longer and I’d swear a lot harder than the last time. I was bawling by the time he finished, and he turned me over and held me until my tears slowed.

“I know you’re tired, but life doesn’t care. Life says you have to get up and function until you’ve put down enough roots and seniority you can back off. You aren’t there yet. I can go in at noon because I am, and because I’m ahead on deadline, and because no one has made an appointment to see me at a certain time.” He sat me back a little, so he could see my face. “I’ll get up and make your coffee while you shower. While you’re with me, you’ll go to school unless you have a fever, you’re puking, or something else dire is wrong. Same thing with a job, once you get one.”

I shook my head. “I’ll make my own coffee. Go back to sleep.”

He sighed. “You’re pissed and you need caffeine. I can fix one of those things, but you’ll have to work through the other. Into the shower now. You’ll have coffee when you come out.”

I’d showered the night before and put my hair into a bun, so I only needed to do my makeup and put my hair up again. I glared at him. “Took a shower last night. I’m up earlier than I have to be.”

“Cool, then you can look over your notes and be ready for class.”

I glared at him, but he wasn’t sorry. “The rule in this house is you get up when the alarm goes off. If you can wake up twenty minutes later because you don’t need a shower, you should set your alarm twenty minutes later. The snooze thing is a bad habit — one you need to break.”

“My junkie mama has a bad habit she needs to break. The snooze is just part of my wakeup routine, and you’re being a jerk.” I sounded grumpy even to myself, and I moved off his lap to leave, but he stopped me.

“I love you, Half-pint. We’ll talk about this again this evening, when we’re both thinking clearer.”

“When can I start driving myself again?”

“I don’t know. Maybe a couple more days, but I need to be sure it’s safe.” He kissed my nose. “You’ll have to leave at least ten minutes earlier when you drive, to be sure you get a parking space and have time to walk into class.”

The bitch of it was… he was right.

He let me get out of bed this time, and he got up and strolled into the kitchen.

I walked into the bathroom, looked at my tear-streaked image in the mirror, and realized Viper had heard me getting spanked. Fuck. How humiliating.

I washed my face, put a ton of deep purple eyeliner on, pale glittery eyeshadow, and purple mascara. I went light on the contouring, but then changed my mind and exaggerated it. I looked as tired as I felt, and I needed all the help makeup and coffee could give me.

As promised, Bubbles had my coffee waiting for me, but he also had cheese eggs and bacon. I sat to eat with him and Viper, but stared at my plate. Mortified. Viper had heard me getting spanked.

“It’s not a big deal,” said Viper. “You’re a responsible nineteen-year-old, but everyone has shit they need to work on. You have trouble getting up in the mornings; Bubbles is helping.”

I was not having this conversation with Viper, but I needed to explain things better to Bubbles. “We’re learning about good business practices in the morning session. I’ve read the chapter and understand it. I could’ve gone in an hour late. I care about my grades, and yeah, okay, sometimes I’m ten minutes late because I hit the snooze button one more time than I meant, but it isn’t the end of the world.”

“Except it almost was, for you.”

I shook my head. “I could’ve missed the morning session.”

“Then you should’ve told me that before we went to sleep, and set your alarm for later. That’s the rule, Lex — you decide what time you need to wake up the night before. If it’s later than normal, let me know so I don’t think you forgot to set it. I trust your judgement the night before, but not when you’re trying to find an excuse to stay in bed the next morning.”

As it turned out, we had a scalp anatomy quiz first thing, before we started on business practices, so it was a good thing Bubbles hadn’t let me sleep in. No way in hell was I ever going to tell him, though.

I had a Coke during lunch to try to get more caffeine in me, but then I got to do some hands-on stuff after our break, and finally managed to fully wake.

I have to wear black scrubs for class, and I’d started packing street clothes to change into since Bubbles’ house is farther away than my apartment, but I’d forgotten that morning, which meant I’d have to ask him to take me back to Georgia so I could change before work.

Fear clutched my insides when I saw Viper waiting for me instead of Bubbles.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. Zeke needed him to go in and talk to the brass again. A boater found the guy who ran. Dead. Washed up on the riverbank. They just needed his statement. No handcuffs, no arrest. They’ll need to talk to you too, but Zeke wants to talk to you, first. I’m takin’ you to the clubhouse.”

I shook my head. “I didn’t pack clothes. I need to go to Bubbles’ house.”

“You still have clothes at your apartment?”

I hesitated. Not my favorite stuff, but, “Yeah.”

“You’ll pack some stuff to take to the clubhouse, so you can change there when needed. Get on.”

I put my hands on my hips. “You aren’t this bossy at work.”

He chuckled. “You’re a coworker at work. Now? You’re my brother’s ol’lady.”

I shook my head and climbed on behind him.

I hadn’t expected mama to be home, so I hadn’t told Viper to stay in the parking lot or stairwell.

“Well, if it ain’t miss goody-goody high-and-mighty, come to slum it with the black-folk.”

I walked past her without saying a word, and hoped Viper would follow. He did, but I could almost feel his anger.

Mama followed us to the door of my bedroom, and I threw clothes into a sturdy Old Navy bag as fast as I could. I’d planned to change here, but I could wait until we got to the clubhouse.

Mama kept up a litany of put downs, but I ignored her. I was close to having the clothes, shoes, and accessories I needed when Viper said, “Fuck, could you be any more racist? I’m not a damned white-boy. I’m Cherokee, and I have just as many reasons to be pissed at The Man as you, except I’ve decided to focus on the positives in my life instead of just the bad shit. Now get your racist ass out of my face and stop nagging the fuck out of your daughter because she isn’t fitting into whatever box you keep trying to stuff her into.”

Mama was silent a good ten seconds, which probably just meant the drugs were making her slow. She didn’t act high, but she’s a functioning addict and you can’t always tell at first.

“You get your mothafuckin’ ass out of my place! Ain’t nobody coming into my crib and talkin’ shit to me!”

She went towards her room, and I warned Viper, “She finna get a gun and shoot yo ass.”

“Close your door and do not open it. No matter what she screams. Got it?”

I nodded, and he closed the door on the way out of my room.

The next thing I know, Mama is screaming about snakes, and her voice is panicked as fuck, but I didn’t open my door to rescue her. One, Viper was out there with her and he’d told me to stay put, but two? I love my mama, but she’s on her own when it comes to fucking snakes.

She went from screaming to crying, and I couldn’t understand what she was saying. I finally opened my door and peaked down the hallway, but her door was closed.

It opened, and Viper stepped out. “Your mother’s pulling herself together.”

“Was there a snake?”

“I didn’t see a snake. I believe whatever drugs she’s on decided to play tricks on her.”

“I’ve been with her through every level of high and every level of detox, and she’s never hallucinated before.”

“Age and drugs combined can do some strange things to the brain. Are you ready?”

I nodded, grabbed the bag I’d filled, and followed him through the apartment. I was almost to the door when mama’s voice made me jump. I hadn’t heard her coming up behind us.

“You betta get yo ass back home, Alexus Elizabetta. That boy ain’t right. You into freaky damned devil shit.”

She seemed totally sober, and I stopped to take a good look. She was old and tired, but I also saw fear, and that rarely happened with my mama.

“I don’t know what he told you, but you were out of line and you know it. Racism goes both ways, Mama. I’m three quarters white and one quarter black, and that one-quarter only shows in my hair and my butt unless I cook myself in the sun to tan up, and I’m done with that. I’m not trying to be white or black or anything else. I want to do more than just cut hair — I want to be a colorist. I hope you can come to terms with that, and with me, but if you can’t, I’m tired of the constant racist bullshit.”