All About The Benjamin's - Teasha Adams (free ebook reader for ipad txt) 📗

Devon

"Yo' Devon!"
I looked up only to see my best friend, Justin, staring at me like he'd just seen a ghost. "You straight?"
I looked away from him and down at the microphone in front of me, "I'm good." I said. "I'm good."
Justin lifted his eyebrown and frowned, "You been starin' at that microphone for a couple of minutes Dev'." He argued. "You a'int actin' like you good."
I glared at him. "I said I'm straight."
Justin shook his head. "You a'int been right since Lyric got out the hospital. What's goin' on?"
Carlos, my manager also known as my step father, tapped on the glass. "Devon, take five."
I sighed and removed the headphones from my ears.
I stepped outside of the studio with Justin following close behind me. "Look Devon, it's cool if you don't wanna tell me."
I grabbed my car keys. "Take a ride with me."
"A'ight hold up."
In just minutes, Justin and I were riding through lower Manhattan talking about everything. I told him about Lyric's pregnancy, her Grandmother's death, everything. Half of the things we talked about, he already knew.
I looked over at Justin, "So?"
He sighed, "I'ma put it like this. You can't blame Lyric for blocking you out. Since I'm yo' boy I gotta be honest with you." He leaned back in his seat. "Ever since you and Lyric been together, all it's been is drama with you."
I glared at him. "You supposed to be making me feel better."
"Yeah by telling the truth." Justin said. "Think about it Dev'. Since y'all been together she's been raped, kidnapped, and beaten half to death but she still took you back. Then when you found out Gossip was pregnant, she excepted the fact that you had a baby outside of your relationship." He paused. "Then she was attacked by some of yo' crazy fans, who by the way don't like her because of Gossip. Then last but not least, she went on national television and told the world this story about how honest you are and how you don't lie to her, only to find out that you lied to her about everything." Justin looked over at me and shook his head. "Then on top of all of that, she just found out that her grandmother was murdered on the same day she found out she was pregnant. Now with all of that said, do you understand why she might have an attitude with you?"
I frowned, pulling the car into the parking lot of a chinese restaurant. "Whose side are you on?"
Justin chuckled. "I a'int on nobody's side, I'm just keeping it real."
As much as I hated to admit it, Justin was right.
Too many times had Lyric been hurt as a result of my stupidity, and time after time she reluctantly took me back. I felt sorry for her in so many ways, but there was no way that I was giving her up. If that meant that I would have to give up career, then I was more than willing to do it. I just wanted my life to turn around and fix itself, but I knew that wasn't possible.
"Yo' Dev' you straight?"
I looked over at Justin and shook my head. "I don't know what I'ma do. I wanne give Lyric her space and all, but I don't want to let her go through this by herself."
"You gotta know when to let go, otherwise she'll never be able to take time out and get her head together." Justin paused as we went into the chinese restaurant. Luckily, there were only a few customers inside so I didn't have to deal with the whole "Oh my god it's Devon!" ordeal.
We picked a booth in the back and continued our conversation.
"Hopefully with Hazel signing with the label, Carlos will give you some time to get your head together. Then maybe you can spend some time gettin' everything put together."
"I know right."
Justin shrugged his shoudlers. "Just sayin', but how's everything with you and Gossip?"
"Don't even bring up her name right now." I commented. "I hate that girl so much, it's ridiculous. That's another reason I can't spend anytime with Lyric, Gossip always find a way to squeeze herself in my plans. For instance, you know Lyric grandma funeral this weekend right. Lyric decided to have it in Hawaii, so she could release her ashes into the ocean or whatever, but here's the thing. Gossip called me last night and said that I need to take December for a couple of weeks so she can go down to Athens to visit her parents."
Justin frowned. "Why she can't take her?"
I shurgged. "Same thing I asked, but she answered by saying that her parents were still mad at her for dropping out of college and having a baby by me. It's almost been a year--seriously."
Justin sighed. "That's yo' babymama." He laughed.
I shook my head. "It's not funny Jay, you know how I feel about that."
"What you gone do?"
I sighed. "I'ma pick my daughter up tonight and hope for the best."
Justin shook his head. "Yo' life a mess."
"Don't I know it."
************************************************************************************************* Just like I said, I ended up going to Gossip's apartment and getting December. To be honest, I didn't know how she would respond to me. I haven't really spent time with her because right after she was born, I got shot and ended up staying in the hospital for a couple of weeks. She was born two months early, and she was always in the hospital. unfortunately, she probably didn't have a clue who I was. That scared me, but at the same time I was curious to know how she would respond.
When I got to her door, I used my key to get in.
Gossip was folding clothes up and putting them inside of her suitcase, and my daughter was fast asleep in her carseat. Gossip looked up and me and smiled. "Glad your here. Her things are in her room, packed up already. I left a list of things that she needs everyday. Her formula is in the bag in the kitchen, and her diapers and all that other stuff are in the diaper bags. if you have any questions, feel free to call me."
"Wait--You a'int even done packing yet."
"I am now." She zipped her suitcase closed, and dragged it behind her out of the door. Before I knew it she was gone.
I went over to December, and picked her up. Even though she was sleep, I just wanted to hold her. The more I stared at her, the more I realized how much she looked like me. Hopefully when she get older, she won't have her mother's attitude. I'm just praying she won't end up like her.
I placed a light kiss on her forehead before carefully sitting her back down in her car seat.
Just as I picked up her car seat, my cell phone rang. I looked at the caller i.d and saw that it was a call from Lyric. I sat the car seat back down and answered the phone. "Hello."
"Ummm, it's me Lyric." She responded softly. "I was just calling to let you know that I had a meeting today with my professor. I probably won't be home until around eight o' clock."
"Eight?" I asked. NYU's campus wasn't that far from where we lived unless traffic was bad, and even then I didn't see how she was gettin' home at eight o' clock.
Lyric sighed and took a deep breath, "Devon, I really don't have time to talk to you right now. I'ma just call you later and let you know where I'm at." With that, she hung up the phone without saying another word.
I stared at the screen for a moment trying to figure out why she hung the phone up on me. Lyric had never been the type to be so disrespectful, but lately it's been different between me and her.
I understand that we havin' our problems right now, but that doesn't mean that I can't be concerned about her. At the end of the day, she's still my girlfriend and she's still pregnant. Honestly, I can only hope that Lyric anger for me doesn't take her far enough to hurt the baby. I can only pray.


Lyric

Man, I don't know how I'ma make it through these next couple of weeks. This Saturday will be the last time that I'm ever able to see my grandmother, and then I will literally be the only thing left of my family. If I have other family members I wouldn't know. The only other person I knew about was La-La and even then she's only half related to me through my dad.
All my life, it's been about loss. Even before I was born, I was surrounded by nothing but hatred, and evil. Because of my dad's side of the family's hatred for my mother, I was never able to know that other half of my family. Because of the distance from Atlanta to Hawaii, I never knew my mothers side of the family aside from my grandmother.
My grandmother had been raising me ever since my parents passing when I was six years old. Now that she's gone, and I've been sheltered so much, I'm unsure how to make my own decisions. Between this baby, Devon, and this funeral I'm not so sure I'l make it into next month.
I sat my phone down on the king sized bed that Devon and I shared, and pulled my NYU hoodie over my head and reached for Devon's Car key to his Porsche. I sighed and looked at myself one more time in the mirror. I know my grandmother is probably shaking her head at me right now, but at this moment I don't really care. After I talk to my professor and the Dean of Students, a load will be lifted off my shoulders. Lets hope this goes the way I planned.
*************************************************************************************************
As soon as I stepped onto campus I knew I was about to make a terrible mistake. This was my life that we're talkin' about, not some fairy tale story that someone made up. This was real.
Reality was that I couldn't continue to further my education because of what happens in my "private" life. I can't come to school pregnant and expect not to be on the cover of newest tabloid addition. My life had become everyone's business, and its been stressing me out.
Sometimes I can't help but wonder where I would be right now if I'd never met Devon. Would I still be at UGA? Would my grandmother still be alive? I can't help but help about it from time to time.
I took a deep breath and made my way to the dean of students.
There must have been at least twenty students out in the waiting area waiting on their appointment with the dean. I had already scheduled my appointment with the dean last night, so the thought of waiting didn't bother me. What bothered me was that I was about to make a decision that could literally affect that rest of my life. Yes, I wanted to graduate from NYU and become a writer, but I didn't know how to handle the pressure of school when I have to deal with fifteen million other things. I haven't been as focused in class as