Page 9 of Search My Soul (Taylor Family Saga #3)

“What the hell is your fat ass doing here?” My mother, Rochelle, grumbled as she stood in front of the screen door. If it weren’t for my siblings, I would never set foot in this hellhole. This house brought nothing but bad memories.

“I’m here for West and Riya.” I pushed my way into the house without waiting for her to let me in. We went through this every couple of weekends, so I had grown to expect her crass behavior.

“Wessie, Ry! Get your asses down here!” I hated the way she treated them, but I wasn’t the least bit surprised because she treated me much worse.

It was one of the main reasons I made it a point to come and get them every other weekend.

My parents’ relationship was complicated, to put it mildly.

My father bounced between his stable of bitches, only coming back here whenever things weren’t working with the other ones.

I loved my father even though he was far from perfect.

Out of the two of them, he was the only one who showed us some type of affection.

“Sista! You’re late!” Riya fussed as she attacked me, throwing her arms around my neck.

I almost went down because I hadn’t expected her to be so heavy.

As I stepped back to observe them both, I realized they both seemed to have grown overnight.

Weston, aka West, used to be a short little pipsqueak, but now we were about the same height.

He stood off to the side with his face buried in his phone.

At twelve years old, he was starting to become more reclusive.

I blamed it on puberty because I recalled going through the same thing.

“Are you ready to go? I went to the grocery store earlier, but now I’m starving.”

“Hmmpf. I doubt that.” Rochelle huffed under her breath. I chose to ignore her because I refused to allow her to get under my skin. I’d given her way too much power over me in the past. Instead, I watched her walk out of the room, knowing she was probably about to go out for the night.

“I’m ready! I’ve got my bags packed and my charger in my pocket.

We can grab some wings or Chinese food on the way to your place.

I don’t care what we eat. I’m sure it’ll be better than—” West made this weird noise that interrupted Riya’s words.

I squinted my eyes, glancing between the two of them.

They seemed to be communicating with each other in silence.

As much as I wanted to drill them about it, I chose to keep quiet for the moment.

They were keeping secrets from me, but I would get to the bottom of things.

After they placed their things in my trunk, we were on the road. Truthfully, I couldn’t get away from my mother’s house fast enough.

“So, how has school been?” I asked, peeking at the two of them from the rearview mirror. West never lifted his eyes from his phone, but Riya and I were close, and she loved to talk.

“These girls at my school have been getting on my nerves. Shayna has an attitude with me because Aiden asked me to be his girlfriend. I told him no at first because I didn’t want to deal with the drama, but he kept asking.”

“Is he ugly or something?” I inquired while trying to focus my attention on the road. People loved to drive like they had no damn sense after four in the afternoon.

“No, he is gorgeous. Probably one of the finest boys at our school,” Riya replied.

“Okay, so what’s the issue? And what does your friend have to do with this?” Shayna and Riya had been friends for years. People often thought the two of them were sisters because they rarely saw one without the other.

“Aiden is a transfer student, so he’s only been there for a few months.

He and I have three classes together, so we see each other all the time.

We’re both in AP classes. Anyways, Shayna and I both saw him at the same time, but I never knew she liked him.

When he started to flirt with me, I told her all about it.

That’s when she started making these shady comments about how he was probably just being nice to me or whatever.

” I could feel myself getting angry because one thing I hated more than anything was a shady ass friend.

I listened intently so I could hear the whole story before I voiced my opinion.

“When I asked her what she meant, she kind of laughed it off. Then, when he asked me out, her whole demeanor changed. We normally met up with one another for lunch and fifth period, but she started hanging out with this other group of girls. I tried to ask her what was wrong, but she brushed me off. Then, later that week, there was a rumor that I was a man stealer. I was confused about it because I wasn’t even talking to anyone, but then her name was mentioned.

Turns out she liked Aiden too, but he wanted to go out with me instead.

I thought we were better than that, but she completely iced me out.

Now she and those other girls keep picking on me.

” My ears were hot as I listened to her because all I could think about was beating one of those bitches’ asses.

“Have you told your teachers or your guidance counselor about what is going on?” I would try the politically correct way first before I took things into my own hands.

“The guidance counselor was on her side. She basically said it was messy for me to go after someone my friend liked. That’s why I told Aiden I couldn’t be his girlfriend.

I didn’t want to lose my friend over a man.

Now, I don’t know what to do because I don’t think I could ever be friends with her again. ”

“Hell no. You never give a bitch more than one chance to play in your face. If all it took was one incident to make her act funny toward you, then that should tell you all you need to know about her. She isn’t a real friend, and you don’t need those kinds of people around you.

If Aiden hasn’t made a pass at her, then she has no right to be upset with you.

Especially if she never told you she liked him.

“You haven’t done anything wrong, and I’mma go up there and slap the taste out of that guidance counselor’s mouth when I see her.

She had no business choosing sides in the situation, and she sounds just as delusional as Shayna.

I might go have a talk with her bald-headed momma too.

You know I don’t care for bullies.” I kept getting into fights at school because the girls used to make my life a living hell.

I’d be damned if I allowed the same thing to happen to my sister.

“No, no. I already know how you get, and I don’t need that. I promise, it isn’t that big of a deal. Things will eventually blow over, so you don’t have to worry about me.” Ry never liked for anyone to make a fuss over her, but as her big sister, it was my job to look after her.

“I’m not tryna hear all of that. If someone is bothering you, then we are going to address it.

Kids nowadays don’t know how to end a friendship and move on.

If she had an issue, she should have come to you about it.

And if this is the kind of advice your guidance counselor is giving, then she needs a new profession.

I don’t care for the way she handled the situation, so I’m going to go up there and have a word with her. ”

“Thank you, Sissy. All I want is for them to leave me alone. I’ve never been in any drama, and I don’t want to start now, you know? I want to enjoy these last two years of high school, and I refuse to fight over any boy.”

“Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. Unfortunately, it’s how things are when you’re dealing with teenagers.

One minute, you’re best friends, and the next, you’re beefing over a boy.

Truthfully, it has nothing to do with the boys at all.

Girls will hate you because you’re beautiful, and it makes them insecure about themselves.

Especially in our case, because we have a little extra meat on us.

“Some people dislike the notion that a man may be attracted to a woman who is thicker. They want us to have the low self-esteem that they do, and when we don’t, then they try to humble us. I can’t explain why it is the way it is, but I’ve lived through it all my life.

“I’ve had friends and even my own cousin try to get with my boyfriends or talk down on me to my crush because they were jealous.

It’s weird, but you’ve got to know that you are beautiful and as deserving of love as anyone else.

Don’t ever let anyone make you feel less than or make you doubt yourself.

” My thoughts drifted to my teenage years, and I wished someone had told me the same thing.

Instead, the people in my life made me feel as if I should have been ashamed because of my body.

“I still don’t know how you can still be cool with Kamesha. If Ariel or Amara ever did me dirty, I would whup their ass every time we were at a family function.”

“Language, Ry. Don’t play with me,” I warned.

“My bad. What I’m trying to say is that I wouldn’t want anything to do with her. She is the kind of family member you keep away from your man because she can’t stand to see you have something that she doesn’t.”

“Family is family. It doesn’t make her actions right, but I’ve healed from it. She just is who she is.”

“Well, she’d better be glad you’re so forgiving because she would need plastic surgery after I finished with her. Once a hoe, always a hoe.”

“Ry,” I groaned.

“What? I’ve witnessed you beat plenty of bitches up for less. I don’t believe family should get a pass when it comes to disrespect. She might be Mom’s golden child, but she’s a grimy bitch and everyone knows it.”

“I’m going to wash your mouth out with soap, girl.”

“I’m just speaking facts. I can’t help it that I like to season my words.” I rolled my eyes as she smirked.