Mercedes's Pov
I get woken up out my sleep by Lei. I softly smile and sit up. "Hi stinka butt." She smiles as she grabs my cheeks. I play with Lei for awhile before getting up and freshen up. Bria and Kaitlyn come bursting in the room. Bria pouts. "We want Jay." I sigh and unlock my phone and dial his number as I hand the phone to Bria. Kaylie walks in the room and asks. "Who she talking to?" I mouth Jay and she nods her head. I sit on the bed and Kaylie says. "We should have a girls day just me and you." I say. "You know Lei not gone stay with him." She responds with. "She can go too." I get up,grabbing Lei and walking in her room. I get her dressed and get her hair bucket to do her hair. I get her pacifier and give it to her while I'm doing her hair. I finish up with her and get dressed myself.

Jay looks at me. "Where you and Lei going?" I say. "With Kaylie she wasn't going to stay with you." Bria says. "Uncle Jay we want pizza." I say. "They really like you I see." He makes a smart remark. "They suppose to They're my nieces." Kaylie asks. "Since when?" He glares at her and turns his attention back towards me. I grab Lei and her bag and make my way downstairs. We get in Kaylie's car and she drives off. She says. "We're going to the mall and getting our nails done." I say. "Okay that's fine with me." She continues to drive and she asks. "You still want to be just friends with him?" I sigh. "I do." She says. "You don't I can tell by the way you act towards him." I say. "I have three kids to look after I can't be thinking about a relationship." She glances over at me before focusing back on the road. "I understand that and you know you don't have to do it alone." She sighs. "You deserve to be happy and maybe he's going to be good for you." I sigh. "I'll think about it I mean they really love him." She buds in. "Except Lei." I slightly laugh. "She don't like nobody." She pulls up to the nail shop and we all get out,walking inside. We sit down and wait to get our nails done. I think of what color to get as we wait. It's finally my turn to get my nails done and I sit Lei in my lap.

I finish up with my nails and pay as I wait on Kaylie. She pays for her nails and we make our way towards the car. We all get inside and she says. "We're going to the mall." I say. "Ok." I look on the backseat to check on Lei and she starts smiling at me. I smile back as I turn around in my seat and stare out the window. My phone vibrates as I look down and get it out of my lap.

I get irritated and we pull up to the mall. We get out and I get Lei and put her on my hip. We walk in the mall and look around in a few stores. Kaylie nudges me. "Ok Wassup with you?" I look at her as I hand her my phone. "My dad." She gets really upset. "What the fuck he can't do this." I shrug my shoulders not really caring what he does since he left us. We look around in a few stores for a few hours until Lei starts getting fussy. We decide to leave and go back home. When we pull up in the driveway I look back and see that Lei is sleeping. I get out the car and get Lei out also. As I'm walking up to the front door it swings open. Jay looks at me. "I'll go and lay her down." I say. "Thanks,but I got it she might wake up." He steps to the side and let's me in and I make my way up the stairs and into my room. As I lay Lei down and surround her with pillows Jay walks in the room. "I just came to let you know I'm gone." I smile softly. "Thanks for watching them today." He says. "No problem and anytime." I walk in the bathroom and strip out my clothes and turn on the shower. As I'm waiting for the water to get hot Bria runs in the bathroom . "We had fun with uncle Jay today." I smile. "I'm glad you did." She asks. "When's dad and mom coming back?" I turn towards her. "Idk." She gets sad. "Why'd they leave us?" I pick her up and hug her. "Idk but I'm here." She hugs me back tightly. "I'm glad you my sister." I say. "Me too." I put her down and decide to take my lace front off so I can wash my real hair and let it breathe for awhile. As I take my braids down I step in the shower. As I let the hot water hit my face I start scrubbing my body with my dove body wash and make sure I'm clean. I wash my hair before getting out the shower. I finally finish up and step out the shower turning it off. As I dry off I put on my pajamas and do my hair routine for wash day. Tired from the day I had I get in the bed under the covers and fall asleep.
2 weeks later
It's been 2 weeks since my dad left and I'm still pissed that he left me with 3 kids,but I wouldn't trade my sister's for the world. I haven't really talked to or seen Jay but I'm not really tripping. I mean we're just friends.
Someone shakes me violently making me mad all of a sudden. I yell. "Leave me tf alone." Kaylie says. "Ooh you said a bad word."I mentally slap myself and open my eyes while rubbing them. All the girls are sitting on my bed and Lei makes her way over to me. Kaylie asks. "Can I do your hair today?" I shrug. "I don't care." She gets all excited. "I got the perfect wig for you." She walks out my room to go and get her hair products and the wig I'm guessing. Bria asks. "Where uncle Jay?" I shrug my shoulders. "I don't really know."
I grab my phone and decide to text him because I knew she was going to bug me about it all day.

To say I was a little hurt was an understatement but I mean what can I do about it I was the one who wanted to be just friends. Kaylie comes back in the room with all her hair products and the wig. She looks at me. "Okay what's wrong?" I shake my head telling her nothing. She says. "Don't lie." I sigh and show her me and Jay messages. She gets mad. "No the hell that nigga didn't." As she starts on my hair she gets on her phone and call Mike I'm guessing. I can't really hear what he's saying but I can hear her. She hangs up the phone and finishes my hair. She hands me a mirror so I can see my hair. I softly smile and get up to hug her. "I love it." She smiles. "Girl I know." We got the kids ready and we was out the door and inside the car. We decided to take them to the park and tire them out. I sit at the bench as Kaylie sits across from me. "Why you look sad?" I say. "He got a girlfriend." She sighs. "I'm sorry I know you feeling him." I look at her. "I can't do anything about it I mean it is what it is." We chill at the park for a few hours until they get tired. We get all the kids and leave to go home. After we arrive I run the kids a bath and get them ready for bed. I put them to sleep and get ready for bed myself. My alarm goes off and I get up getting ready for school. As I'm getting ready for school I decide to take a quick selfie.

I get dressed for today and yell Kaylie's name. She comes running in the room. I hand her my phone and say. "Take my pictures right quick." We walk out the room and I walk in my dads old room and sit on the couch as I pose.

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@MercedesMarie: Mood all 2022 🖕🏽
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BaddieKaylie: photo creds but bestie 😍😍
Datniggajay: big head 😍♥️
I grab all my school things and walk out the room,going to check on my sisters. I get their backpacks and lunch ready as they eat breakfast. We all leave out the house heading to school. We drop the kids off and Kaylie drives to our school. She asks. "Have you talked to Jay?" I say."no I'm good on that." She parks the car and we get out,walking inside. I feel someone staring at me and I look around to see who it is. Not seeing anybody I shrug it off. As we're walking to our class. I sit in my seat and get out my notebook as I wait for the teacher to enter the room. Jay comes and sits next to me. "Hi Cedes." I decide to ignore him and he softly grabs my arm. "Don't be ignoring me." I roll my eyes before saying. "Your girl wouldn't like me talking to you." He smacks his lips. "Man what girl?" Mike buds in. "You know the girl you call yourself talking to nigga." I shake my head as Jay looks at me shocked. "Look me and her just friends." I say. "You don't have to explain yourself to me." He gets frustrated with me. "But I do Mercedes." The teacher walks in the room and starts class. I focus on what the teacher is saying and take notes until it's time to leave for the next class. As I'm gathering my things up to leave Mike stops me. "Cedes let me talk to you." I look at him. "Wassup." He looks at me for a few minutes before saying anything. "You and Jay need to stop bullshitting fr." I shrug not really caring. "That's him." He says. "That's both of y'all." I roll my eyes. "He got a girl." He mugs my head playfully. "You know he only did that cause you told him you just wanted to be friends." I sigh. "Yeah I know he was hurt." We walk out the class and down the hall to our next class.
End of school day
Me and Kaylie drive to get the kids and we all make our way home. I look out the window and decide to text Jay.

We all get out and go inside and start doing our night routine. I make sure the kids are sleep before getting into bed myself. Kaylie comes and lays across the end of my bed. "What are you going to do about Jay?" I say. "We talking tomorrow before 1st period." She squeals excitedly. "I'm happy for you." I roll my eyes playfully as I turn on my side and start to fall asleep.

Jay's Pov
I wake up the next morning by my phone going off. I see Mercedes picture pop up on my home screen and I slightly smile. I decide to pick up and hear Bria voice.

Phone convo
Me: wassup niece
Bria: uncle Jay can you come over
Me: Sure but is your sister okay with it
Bria: yea she is
Me: ok I'm omw
End of convo
I hang up the phone and get out my bed doing my daily routine as I finish up and get dressed. My phone vibrates indicating that I got a notification.

I grab my keys off my nightstand and head downstairs. I walk out the door and get in my car and drive to Mercedes house. I pull up at her house 30 minutes later and get out heading up to the front door. I knock on the door and Bria opens the door. "Uncle Jay." I softly smile at her. "Hi big head." She lets me in and I ask. "Where your sister?" She points upstairs and I head in that direction. I walk in her room and see her and Lei dressed. I ask. "Where you and Lei going?" She says to me. "With Kaylie she wasn't going to stay with you." Bria says. "Uncle Jay we want pizza." Cedes says to me. "They really like you I see." I say. "They suppose to They're my nieces." Kaylie asks. "Since when?" I mug her and turn my attention back to Cedes. They make their way out the room and I go to where Bria and Kaitlyn are. I order them a pizza and we play hide and seek for awhile. The pizza comes and I put on a movie so we can watch it. As we eat our pizza Bria says. "Can we play again Uncle Jay?" I say. "After y'all eat." We finish eating and I clean up their mess. I play with them for awhile and the front door swings open. I look at Cedes and see she's holding a sleeping Lei. I walk over to her.
"I'll go and lay her down." She says. "Thanks but I got it she might wake up." I step to the side as she walks pass me. Kaylie says to me. "Cedes really likes you, but she has to put her sisters first." I say. "I understand that." I make my way upstairs and into Cedes room. "I just came to let you know I'm gone." She says. "Thanks for watching them today." I say. "No problem and anytime." I walk out the room,going downstairs. Bria stops me and says. "Thanks for today Uncle Jay I had fun." I smile at her and walk out the door. As I walk to the car my phone vibrates in my pocket. I get in my car and decide to text Jas back.

I drive off and make my way home. As I'm pulling up at my house I see Mike's car. I get out and Mike dabs me up. I sigh. "I was starting to talk to this girl,but I started to feel bad." He asks. "You felt like you was cheating on Cedes?" I nod my head as he says. "You should nigga." I say. "She made it clear she didn't want me." He says to me. "No nigga she got to focus on her sisters." I say. "I understand that." He asks. "You sure about that?" I sigh. "Yeah I am." We play ball for a few hours until it gets dark. Mike leaves and I go in the house to shower to get ready for bed. I wake up the morning and do my morning routine,getting ready for school. Mike blows his horn and I grab my backpack and phone and head outside. I get inside as he pulls off and drives off to school. He asks. "You heard from Cedes?" I say. "Nah I think she mad at me." He says. "She probably is." The rest of the car ride was comfortably silent as he pulls up in his parking space at school. We get out and head inside. I make my way to my class and as I'm walking inside I spot Mercedes. I decide to sit next to her. "Hi Cedes." She ignores me for some reason. I softly grab her arm. "Don't be ignoring me." She rolls her eyes before saying. "Your girl wouldn't like me talking to you." I smack my lips. "Man what girl?" Mike buds in. "You know the girl you call yourself talking to nigga." I look at Cedes shocked. "Look me and her just friends." She says. "You don't have to explain yourself to me." I get a little irritated. "But I do Mercedes." The teacher walks in the room and starts class.
I focus on my lesson and take a few notes. The bell rings and I grab my things walking out the room. I spot Kaylie and approach her. "Why Cedes think I got a girl?" She responds with. "When she texted you the other day some girl texted her back from your phone." I smack my lips. "Man that's not my girl." She says. "Tell Cedes that." The rest of the day goes by fast and it's time to go home. Me and Mike meet up and walk to his car. He says. "Cedes still want you." I sigh. "She made it clear she just wants to be friends." He says. "Because she don't want to put the burden of raising three girls on you." I say. "I'm gone help her regardless." My lights up indicating that I got a message.

He pulls up in the front of my house and I grab my things and get out,walking up to the front door. As I'm walking inside the door swings open and my mom walks out. I walk pass her and go upstairs in my room.