Jess and Jay

         Lori looked at her watch and rolled her eyes, it was now an hour and 47 minutes past her 16 year old daughter, Jessica’s curfew. She began pacing back and fourth in front of their old television set. Jessica wasn’t usually late for curfew, but ever since she had met these new “friends” things had rapidly began changing in the household.



Lorie had become the single mother of her three children, when her husband had walked out on her and their kids over a year ago. Jessica and her twin brother Jayson were 16, and her youngest, Andrew, was 6. They lived in a small 3 bedroom apartment with an extremely small kitchen, far too small for a kitchen table, their bathroom was even smaller. The parlor was just large enough for the small beat-up couch, and the huge box-like television, that had been shoved into the corner collecting dust.



Lori checked her watch again; Jessica was now an hour and 54 minutes late. “Damnit Jess” she mumbled under her breath, Lorie would never go to sleep unless she knew all her children were safely inside her home, “Jayson!” she yelled to her son. Within moments he appeared in the doorway, Jayson looked so much like his father, tall, slender, with dark eyes that showed no emotion or feeling. He wore a pair of black basketball shorts and a tight-fitting wife-beater.



“What?” he asked looking at his mothers worried face.



“Your sisters about two hours late for curfew, do you know what her plans were tonight?” Lorie asked sitting on the couch lighting a cigarette.



“I don’t know she hasn’t been talking to me lately” he replied sitting besides his mother “Can I?” he asked reaching for her pack of cigarettes. Normally she would deny him, because of his age, but he knew his mother and in this state of mind, he could get away with just about anything. She nodded.



         They say in silence for a few minutes both lost in their own world and were both distracted by the sound of a door opening. “Jess?” Lorie asked jumping up, she angrily walked towards the far end of the house and was surprised to see her son standing in the hallway. “Mamma?” he asked rubbing his eyes. Lorie scooped him up and cuddled her child. “I miss daddy” he began crying huge tears, “I thought I heard him” he added after his mother had covered his face with kisses. “Jay sounds wike him and I keep dinkin’ hes comin’ back to get me” the 6 year began wailing. “Mammas here” was all Lorie could say, Andy had been waking up almost nightly crying for his Daddy.

         

         The three of them sat on the couch together in silence. “I’m going to get her,” Jay announced standing up angrily. “You got work tomorrow Ma, and she needs to stop pullin’ this shit!” Lorie didn’t say a word. Jay grabbed sleeping Andy from his mothers’ arms and brought him back to his bed. He then went into him and Jess's room and opened a dresser draw, he pulled an oversized black Ecko T-Shirt over his head, and stepped into a pair of jeans. He cussed under his breath at his sister for making him go out at this hour. He slipped into his Jordans and grabbed a fitted hat off the wall, he shoved his wallet and cellphone into his pocket aswell as his pocket-knife, he looked over his room quickly and shut the light off. He headed to the door, “Ill be back Ma, try and get some sleep, you KNOW ill find her” he grabbed his hoodie off the coat rack near the door and was now on the hunt for his sister!



         Jay stepped into the cold night and stopped to collect his thoughts, him and his twin had always had a way of sensing things with eachother, he tried to think of where she might be. With nothing coming to him he began walking, aimlessly. ‘Screw her, just go to Smokies crib and blaze up’ he thought. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do, he didn’t really care that Jessica was out late, she was 16 as well as himself, the only thing that DID matter was that his poor mother had work the next day. He began heading to Smokies house, he had slipped through his mothers’ curfew and she was not out and about to do as he pleased. As he got closer to Smokies house he could see the light in the basement window was on. He crouched down and tapped on the glass. Within moments he was surpassed with a huge cloud of marijuana smoke, “Sup Hommie?” Smokie asked eyes completely bloodshot.



“Have you seen Jessie?” he asked taking the blunt that Smokie was passing thru the window.



“Nah Dawg, but try this shit I jus picked up, its called, Blueberry Panic Kush, FIRE!” he said handing out a lighter to accompany the blunt. Jay could smell how strong the aroma was and lit the blunt inhaling the smoke deep into his lungs. Instantly he began coughing it out.



“Damn Kid!” he choked out, looking at the blunt like a foreign object. “How much for the rest of this?” he asked knowing Smokie could sell water to a whale.



Smokie contemplated a second or two, “Jus come smoke it with me you look like you stressin’ the front doors should be unlocked” he said looking out the small basement window towards the front of the apartment building. Jay stood up and headed towards the door, “Wait!” Smokie yelled as jay had began taking a few steps away. “Some cat should be here any second, homeboy, that kid D from the park, he’s coming wit a bitch, can you sell him this bag?” Jay nodded “Make sure you get that dough first though, should be $50, and if homeboy tries commin up with anyone other then a bitch don’t even fux wit him aight?” he asked handing a small baggie out the window.



“No problem fam I got you” Jay grabbed the bag an headed to the front porch, he leaned against the railing closest to the house. He wasn’t standing there any longer then 2 minutes when he could see two silhouettes approaching from about 30 yards away. One larger and taller, another shorter and skinnier, ‘defiantly a bitch’ he thought. He waited silently, he couldn’t clearly be seen from where he stood, which gave him an advantage if anything was to pop off. When the two figures got close enough, he whistled softly barely loud enough or the people to hear. They both turned their head in his direction.



He motioned for them to come closer, the male took the lead. “You D?”, he asked when the male got closer. “Yeah, Sup Fam?” he asked giving daps to Jay, “What you don’t remember me Nigga?” he asked “We played ball a few times down at Coffin Park.



“Yeah I remember ya face, you got that dough?” he asked not even glancing at the female who was still approaching them.



“$50 right?” D asked Jay pullin out a bill from his pocket.



“Yeah” he replied. “JAY!?” the small girl yelled in a panic of a tone and he instantly knew the voice. “JESSICA!” he yelled at his sister.



“What the fuck are you doing here?” they both asked in unison.