Chapter Text
As Kia heads to her locker at the end of a long Monday, she was grateful that she had not seen Mariana all day. She wasn't really excited about heading back to school today, but she also wasn't someone who liked to hide from people.
Lena and her grandmother, uncle and even her father had told her to never hide from anyone. No one, but Kia was starting to feel like the situation she had gotten herself into was even more dangerous than she realized.
The weekend for her had been different. Very different. But not in a bad way. She really liked Mama Debbie and Fran and their home. Even if she had still been kinda weary with Mama Fran, she still ended up liking her. She liked the board games they played, and she felt like they were very easy to talk to. Part of her wanted to spill to Mama Debbie, but she just couldn't get it off her tongue.
But the young teen had already started the letter when they stayed over at Stef's apartment. Which she didn't really hate either. She didn't want to really admit that part of her didn't really fully mind the blonde. Maybe her opinion changed after meeting her mama's, but whatever it was, she just didn't want to be taken off guard if the woman changed. She didn't.
Kia was stressed, for sure. And she knew she had to find a way out of this situation. Part of her wished she could kinda talk to her Aunt Tess because she did miss the woman. She also missed working at her salon, prior to when she had been stealing from her, which she felt terrible about. How could she not?
Despite Kia enjoying her weekend, it felt different with out her Aunt Tess around. She used to love when the woman came over on weekends and they'd have cookouts and the woman would do her hair and they'd watch movies.
Kia didn't fully realize what kind of adult Tess really was, though. Yes, she had always treated her well, and she had treated Diamond well, too. Always and Tess had always been there for them, especially when Lena fell into a deep depression.
But ever since she showed Diamond that video of the cops beating Rodney King, Kia was somewhat conflicted about the woman. Initially, she understood why she did, but Diamond had been so upset, and the little girl was still having bad dreams about it.
Now, of course, Kia felt worse considering Diamond found the gun, and she had done everything to try to convince the girl that it was fake. But Diamond was not dumb, never had been, and she knew way more than she let on.
FLASHBACK
"Kia, why don't you just tell Mama and Stef what trouble you got into? They will help you." Diamond says to her older sister as they are fully awake now in Stef's spare bedroom. Both of them had really enjoyed the day, and they loved Stef's cozy apartment. It smelled like the beach and they could hear and smell the ocean water that was nearby.
"I'm not in any trouble, Diamond. Stop worrying, I told you the gun was fake. It's not real."
"Kia, I know I'm little, but I know the gun wasn't fake. I touched it." The girl whispers as Kia sits up in bed now. She looks right at her little sister, who sits up as well, and the glow from the nightlight allows them to see each other's faces.
"Diamond, you said you didn't touch it. You can't touch something like that. Ever. You could have gotten hurt."
"Kia, how can I get hurt if it's fake?" Diamond asks as the girl sighs and leans against the headboard now. "You can tell Stef what happened,she won't yell like Mama does if you are worried. And she won't put you in jail. I asked her and she said no. She knows you are scared."
"Diamond, you shouldn't be worrying about this stuff. You are too little okay. I'm taking care of it. I'm going back to school on Monday. My job is to make sure you are okay, alright? I won't do anything stupid. I'm gonna get away from Mariana."
"But Stef and Mama can help you, Kia. Stef isn't a bad cop. Even if you can't tell them, you can tell Mama Debbie or Mama Fran. You aren't alone, okay? I love you."
"I love you too, Diamond. And I'm sorry. I am. I was stupid."
"It's okay. We are human and make mistakes. Just promise to tell them so they can help."
"Okay, I will."
FLASHBACK ENDS
Of course, Kia had still not said anything, but she was in the middle of her letter and had more to confess in it. But she hated how her little sister knew more than she realized, and she also knew she had to go to her Aunt Tess, get that gun and get rid of it.
Ironically, it was only a few days before Lena found out about the gun and Kia, of course, had found a place in Tess' home and hid the gun. She knew her mother wouldn't go over there, but with Stef being a cop, and Tess getting in trouble with the law a handful of times, Kia knew it wouldn't be long before someone would find it or she'd need to move it. She just had to figure out when to get it, because most of the time Lena had eyes on her like a hawk and now so did Stef.
Tess had been happy to see Kia, of course, and told her she could come by anytime or at the salon. The woman still didn't give a shit about Lena, and still had every intention of kicking her ass back along with that fucking cop. She watched them; she saw them get closer and closer, but little did she know Mrs. Adams was going to show up at her doorstep sooner rather than later.
With all that was spinning in her head, Kia threw her books into her bag to head home, but knowing today she wouldn't be able to move the gun since Lena was picking her up.
"Kia, long time no see. Where have you been? We missed you all last week." She suddenly hears Mariana say and, looking beside her, she sees the girl with four others quickly surround her.
Kia knew there was no way she was gonna dodge this girl at all, and she still didn't want to look like a pussy, no matter what. She really just wanted out of her damn group and didn't want to take part in any of it. None of it.
It just seemed that Mama Debbie's words and even some of Mama's Fran stuck in her brain and she honestly wanted more weekends, like the one she just experienced. Even if she was still very conflicted about Stef, the ice was slowly melting.
"Oh, hey. Yeah, my grandma got really sick. We had to take her to the ER and stuff. I had to look out for my sister all week and stuff and help at home."
"Oh damn. That sucks. She okay?"
"Um, yeah, she's home now. But I've had to do a lot around the house and stuff for my mom. So that's why I wasn't here." She lies, placing her books in her bags, but Mariana continues to stare hard at her.
The Latin girl wasn't sure if she believed Kia or not because to her it was funny how she disappeared right when they were supposed to rob the Korean store and her aunt's salon. To her, none of that shit added up. At all.
"Yeah, I mean I get that and all family comes first. But, mija, we are your family now too and we were counting on you. You set us back, ya know, since you were a no show. And that's not cool. My uncle is really pissed because we lost money."
"I'm sorry Mari. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to mess things up. I really didn't. You guys shouldn't rely on me, because I'm really going to need to take care of my grandmother more and help with my sister and stuff while my mama is at work. I have your gun, and I'll give it back. And I have the rest of the stuff from my Aunt Tess' shop." She says, and Mariana looks at her, popping her gum. The other girls laugh now and close in on her as Kia stares back at Mariana, unsure of what she was gonna do.
Kia really could have told her mother what she had gotten into and she knew Lena would have taken care of it and taken care of Mariana and all this shit. But she wanted to handle it on her own. But she was having doubts and could now see this was gonna turn bad.
"Kia, I don't think you get how this works. You are in this group, in this family. And we gave you a job to do. You don't just say you are busy and can't do it anymore. That's not how it goes. I vouched for you with my uncle. So you need to do this shit we told you to do. You cost us money, my uncle's money and he's not happy and neither am I. So here's the fucking deal since you fucked up our plan. We had to alter it and step it up. Tonight YOU are robbing that bodega, and you are gonna empty the register at your aunties salon. Plus, them cops work tonight and the one you need to shoot will be there." Kia can only feel her stomach turn because she knew Mariana was not kidding, and she had no idea how the hell she was gonna get out of this.
"I don't see her anymore. I told you her and my mom aren't friends anymore, Mari. I'll shoot a different cop." She says, and the girl looks hard at her.
"That's not how it works. You shoot her. And in terms of her and your mom not being friends anymore, ya know, I dropped my little sis at the elementary school this morning and I saw that cop with your little sister. Dropping her off. So what's that about?"
"I don't know, but I know her and my mama don't talk anymore."
"Look, I stood up for you with my uncle this week, saying something must have happened because you're cool. And you lying to me? You lying real bad too, Kia. I don't know. Don't say much about you being in our group and all. Like I can't trust you. You said you wanted this."
"I do. But things are bad with my grandmother's health and I can't just leave her or home."
"That's a fucking personal problem, Kia. You want to be in this group, in this family, you do what we say. That's how you show loyalty. Tonight you shoot that bitch, and you rob that fucking Korean store. So get that fucking gun and you meet me at that Dunkin. And, you don't show this time, then it's gonna be real bad for you." Narrowing her eyes at Kia, Mariana and her girls walk off as Kia lets out and sigh feeling her stomach turn even more.
She had no idea what the fuck she was gonna do as she makes her way out of the school looking for her mother. But she doesn't see her, only Diamond and Stef who are happily waiting for her. This just made things worse, way worse than she ever thought.