Hard Knocks

Xavier

"What's good, y'all?" I announced busting through the door. I hugged and kissed everybody on the cheek, except for one.

"Nigga don't you knock?" Star said scrunching up her face.

"What's up, baby?" I asked my girl Ellie as I gave her a sloppy kiss and sat on her lap. Me and Ellie been together for a year and a half now, and I love this girl past death. Now, Ellie is Samoan and Black and was thick as hell. She had long brown straight hair and it stopped at the beginning of her butt. She from South Central, and ghetto as hell, but I love her.

”Get yo big ass off me X!” She yelled slapping me on my back.

”What you niggas doing at my bitch house?” I asked. Everyone busted up laughing except for Ellie. She was punching me in my back and slapping the back of my head.

"Comforting crybaby over here." Reece said giving me a look, but I just ignored it.

”Ahh” I groaned as I hopped out of Ellie lap because them last couple punches light weight hurted. She got up, got something out the refrigerator, and went to her room. I sat down in the chair and started texting my man Miles. When I looked up everybody was staring at me. "What?" I asked raising my right eyebrow.

"Who the fuck is you calling a bitch?" Star asked with an attitude. I just mugged her. I couldn't stand Star, she always had something to say. She couldn't keep her mouth closed, and she was rude as hell. Now, Star was caramel with braces and had black and blonde singles in her hair that goes all the way down to her ass. She was hella skinny, too, but had curves like a motherfucker. And she had some nice sized breasts. Her and Ellie has been best friends since they was in the second grade and they both from South Central.

"Best friend! What's up, mami?" I yelled ignoring Star's question and jumping on Reece. Reece was dark skinned and had some thick thighs. She also had singles, but they stopped at her mid back. Reece is my best friend with the biggest ass in the world. Her ass is Big Booty Judy big...naw it ain't that big, but it's pretty phat and sit up right. Me and Reece tried to be in a relationship and everything, but it didn't work. We knew too much about each other and she was like my sister. We fucked a couple times though, but, that was it. Now, we're just strictly best friends.

"Come on X, your heavy!" Reece said laughing and pushing me. Star mugged me and started tapping away on her phone.

"Hey Mom!" Star yelled running to go hug Ellie's mom, Kilani, but everybody call her Mom. "Hey Star." Mom responded hugging her. Me and Reece got up and hugged her too. "Hey Mom" I said hugging her and taking the bags out her hand and setting them on the counter. "Hey babies" she responded hugging Reece and I back. The girls started helping Mom put the groceries up, while I walked to the back of the house to Ellie's rooom

Ellie

"Ellie! What's wrong, baby?' Star asked rushing over to my side using her key to get in. I jumped into her arms and cried in her shoulder. A few moments later, Reece rushed in and I put one of her arms around her neck and set my chin in between their shoulders. The whole time I was crying I was looking at what changed my life within a matter of 5 minutes, sitting on my table. After a couple minutes Star pushed away. "Ok, El, what's wrong? Why are you crying? she asked looking me in my eyes, with a concerning look covering her face. I looked at Reece she had the same expression. I looked down at my stomach, then nodded my head toward the table. Reece picked it off the table.

"What's that?" Star asked nodding to what Reece was holding. "It's a pregnancy test." Reece responded looking at me. I just looked down at my stomach.

"You pregnant?" Star asked looking at me in disbelief. I nodded and busted into a new set of tears. Reece set the test back down on the table and hugged me, while Star just stood there shaking her head. "It's ok" Reece said rubbing my back. After I calmed down, Reece pulled away, and I looked at Star.

"Sttttaaaarrr. Don't be like that" I whined pulling on her left arm and pulling her down on my lap.

"Out of all people. He's an asshole, and he isn't ready for this type of responsibility. Not to mention, but he's very immature and I don't like him." Star stated getting out my lap. This was not the reaction I was expecting out of Star. She was suppose to be happy that she was going to be an aunty, and tell me not to worry about anything.

"Ok Star I know you don't like X and all, but you not bout to-"

"Ok ladies! Lets all just calm down. Star, knock it off it is not about you right now." I interrupted Reece. She was ready to get up in Star's ass, and they're both a force to be reckoned with.

"So what are you going to do?" Reece sighed plopping down in the couch on the left of me.

"What do you mean?" I asked making a face. "You know, are you going keep it, adoption, abortion, what?" Star elaborated moving her arms in a circular motion.

"Oh. I'm definitely going to keep it, but what about X?" I asked poking my bottom lip looking over at Reece. I mean, she's known him all her life, so she would be the best person to answer this question.

"Ellie honey. Xavier should be the least of your worries, he will be ecstatic when you tell him you pregnant. He has always loved kids, and when you tell him he bout to have his own. Next thing you know you will be married, and popping out some more." Reece said laughing. I chuckled and looked over at Star and she was typing on her phone. I swear she's such a drama queen sometimes.

"Look Reece, I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I was just looking out for her and telling her I feel. I didn't mean to offend you or X in any way. I love my best friend and I just don't want to see her hurt, that's all. Y'all know how X can be sometimes." Star said finally looking up from my phone. "It's cool. I understand." Reece simply stated. I got the pregnancy test from off the table and put it in my pocket. It was nothing but pure silence now and everybody was on their phone.

"So, what are you going to name it?" Star asked putting her phone down. Reece looked up from her phone too. "Well if it's a boy I'm obviously going to name him after X. If it's a girl, then I don't know." There was another silence and everybody went back to their phones.

I looked up to see Reece smiling a thousand watts at her phone. "What nigga you texting got you smiling like that?" I asked her.

"Now I would would say Del, but she got that BJ smile going on." Star stated.

Reece looked up from her phone and gave me that are you serious look. "Oh my bad. I forgot."

"What's good, y'all" Xavier loud ass yelled busting through my front door. He gave Star and Reece a hug. "Nigga don't you knock?" Star said mugging X.

"What's up baby?" he asked giving me a kiss and sitting on my lap.

"Get yo big ass off me X!" I yelled slapping his back. He leaned back and wrapped his left arm around my neck and I wrapped my arms around his waist.

"What you niggas doing at my bitch house?" X asked in all seriousness. Everyone started laughing. I even saw Star laughing a little, which surprised me because they absolutely hate each other and anything X says irritates Star. Anyone other time she would have been ready to beat his ass. Once he said that I tried to push him off me, but he wasn't moving. So I just started hitting him on his back and slapping his head. After a while he got up and glared at me.

I too got out the chair, got a bottle of water out the fridge, and went to my room. I sighed and laid down in my bed. I set the bottled water on my nightstand and just stared at the ceiling. 'Am I ready for this?' I thought. 'Is X ready for this? Is our relationship ready for this? I'm only 15! I can't take care of a baby right now.' I groaned and rolled over on my side. 'This fucking sucks.' Just then my phone started ringing. It was Terrell. I don't have time for his bullshit right now, so I just ignored his call.

I rolled back over on my back, and moments after I rushed to the bathroom. I pulled the seat up and threw up. What I was throwing up? I don't know. I haven't ate anything in the past 2 hours, and everything I ate this morning, I threw up not to long after I ate it. After I was done I put the seat down and the cover and sat on it. That's when it all sinked in. I was really pregnant! I put my face in my hands and started crying again How could I be so stupid?

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck" I whispered to myself while hitting myself in the forehead. After 5 minutes I calmed myself down. "Hey Mom." I heard Star yelled. I laughed shaking my head, that girl is crazy. I got up, brushed my teeth, and rinsed my mouth out with Listerine. I then put some eye drops in my eyes, so nobody I could tell I was crying, then washed my face. I put my face towel back on the rack and looked in the mirror. I took in a deep breath. "Get it together Ellie." I said to myself.

Just as I walked out the bathroom X was walking into my room.

Xavier

"Hey" Ellie said giving me a weak smile. I didn't respond, I just stood there looking at her, but she didn't return my gaze. She was sill standing in the bathroom doorway in nothing, but some boy shorts and a hoodie, and I was leaning against the door. I could tell she was getting uncomfortable, and that something was bothering her. She started biting her lip and shifting positions putting one foot in front of the other, something she does when she's nervous. What gave it all away was when she started tapping her fingers against against the side of her thigh.

"Okk" she said awkwardly walking over to her bed. Ellie sat up with her back against the headboard and pulled her knees to her chest. I walked over to her bed and took my shoes and shirt off. Her phone started ringing and she instantly ignored the call. I got in the bed and sat next to her. I looked down at my lap and sighed. This was too awkward, it's never been like this before. Her phone started ringing again, and she ignored it again.

I put my right arm between her legs and started rubbing the lower half of her leg. "Yo" I said slapping her calf "What's wrong?" I asked putting my head on her shoulder.

"Nothing" she said looking at my arm. "Then why you all locked up in your room?" I asked looking up at her. "Look X, I-" I only came here for 2 reasons I cant lie started playing on her phone. I looked over at her phone and Terrell was calling her. Ellie looked down at her phone and ignored the call. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back until it hit the headboard. I've been hearing about him, supposedly I stole Ellie from him, but from what I was hearing he wasn't getting no time. I don't know who this Terrell cat is, but he always blowing up Ellie phone.

"Why he calling you?"

"I don't know" she said shrugging her shoulders and straightening out her legs. "Is you talking to him or something, Ellie?" I asked in all seriousness. Cause I love this girl and I'll be damned if she playing me for the next nigga.

"No. What makes you think that?" she laughed. She laid her head on my shoulder and put her hand on my chest, lightly slapping me. "Naw I'm just saying, cause he always calling you, then you don't answer. After a while, I get suspicious." I looked down at her and she was playing with me necklace. It was like she was in daze.

"I'm pregnant" she said still playing with my necklace. Whoa! Am I hearing correctly? "What?" I breathed out. "I'm pregnant." She said looking up at me.

"When you find this out?"

"Today. I was throwing up all day, so I went to get a pregnancy test. It came back positive."

"That's why Reece called you a crybaby?" I asked laughing.

"Yeah." She wrapped her arms around my waist.

"You gone keep it?"

"I don't know, like I'm only 15. I can't afford a baby, we can't afford a baby. You know how I feel about abortions, so adoption is the only option."

"Look at you tryna rhyme and shit." I chuckled. "Adoption. Come on, El. Lets keep it, I know we can do this. You got your mom and dad, I got my mom, we got each other. We got this." I said.

"Say if I do keep the baby, X. What if you leave? I'll be raising this baby by myself, and you know how you get when your mad." Ellie getting up and looking at me.

"Ellie" I said grabbing her arm and pulling her back to me "I'm not going to leave you or my baby, alright?" I continued. I wrapped my arms around her and moved my hands down her back until I got to her ass. They just rested there. "I love you." I said squeezing her ass lightly and kissing her.

"Love...you...too" she said in between kisses. Things were getting pretty serious before her door busted open. I instantly moved my hands and she hopped off me. Luckily it was just Star.

"You told him." she said. She said it like she was telling us she told me instead of asking Ellie if she told me.

"Yeah." Ellie said looking over at me.

"What yo cock blocking ass want?" I said a little irritated.

Star rolled her eyes at me and turned her attention back to Ellie. "Your dads home." and with that she walked out the room. Ellie gave me one last kiss and got off the bed.

"We should tell them." I said grabbing her arm. "You want to?" She furrowed her brows.

"Yeah. The sooner the better. We can tell him together."