It took everything in Messiah not to go after Morgan. This was his purpose of having Nish around in the first place. Making Morgan hate him would stop them from crossing a dangerous line with one another. He hadn’t intended on throwing it in Morgan’s face. He wasn’t even feeling Nish to put claims on her. He upgraded her because he couldn’t have a chick of her stature even speaking his name. He let her take her social media flicks and imply that they were together because he intended to turn Morgan off. Meanwhile, his page was dry of any female. Most of the time, they never saw the outside of his trap house; but today, she had claimed to be starving and convinced him to take her to lunch.

“Yo, get your ass up,” Messiah said, as he stood.

“We aren’t eating?” Nish asked.

“Nah, fuck that. You on some goofy shit right now,” Messiah chastised, as he walked out. Seeing how his presence had affected Morgan had put him in a sour mood. He wasn’t trying to embarrass her, only deter her interest so that he could respect Ethic’s wishes.

Morgan sat outside Bella and Eazy’s elementary school, watching as the kids ran across the front lawn, their voices carrying through the air, as they stretched their legs after sitting in a classroom all day. Her solemn mood was, instantly, lifted when she saw Bella, walking with her hand clasping Eazy’s, as they approached the car. It reminded her of her sister, Raven. She once had a big sister to hold her hand too…a long time ago.

“Mo’ Money!” Eazy shouted, when he saw her, letting Bella go, only to rush into Morgan’s arms.

“Hey, Mo! I thought Lily was picking us up?” Bella signed.

“I gave her a break today,” Morgan signed back.

Morgan and Bella had always been close, since the very first day they had met. Their sisterhood was phenomenal. They each craved a feminine alliance in their lives. Motherless girls, they needed someone they could trust, and they found that in one another. Morgan was sure that nobody loved her more than Bella. Bella and Eazy were the only people in the world who didn’t look at her through sympathy-filled eyes.

“Can we rock out at the mall?” Bella asked. Her sign language was effortless, at this point. Eazy’s too. They lived in a bilingual household; and while other people saw it as a handicap, Eazy and Bella always saw it as a superpower. It was like they spoke in a code that very few could understand.

“Not today, B. I want to ask you guys something,” Morgan signed.

“What’s wrong?” Bella asked.

Morgan eased her worries. “Nothing is wrong. I just need your opinion. What do you think about me getting a surgery to restore my hearing? Do you think it’ll make me normal?”