Maiah walks home after a long and tiresome day at school.
She walks alone on the sidewalk seeing her peer and her upperclassmen going home in their Bentleys with their chauffeurs.
Maiah lets out a sigh and lowers her eyes to she mottled and torn shoes. I need to make these look new again, she thought. Mother already how to much on her plate I can't let her worry about me.
As Maiah's walking on the dirty sidewalk, lost in her thoughts, a bright red Ferrari honks at her out of nowhere. The driver pulls over by the curb and rolls down their window.
A tanned handsome man looks over at Maiah and grins. With his eyes containing fondness for her he waves.
"Hey Lil Popper, where's your mother? Why isn't she picking you up from school?" He asks in a relaxed tone.
From when the car pulled over to the curb Maiah paid no attention. Seeing that he was being ignored the tanned man frowned and honked his horn loudly drawing Maiah's attention. Maiah turned toward to where the honking was coming from for she was startled. Seeing a familiar face Maiah bounced over happily.
"Brother You!" Maiah called out.
Seeing that Maiah now greets him the frown between his brows disappears and he reaches out his hand to pat her head.
"Brother You, Mommy is working Maiah doesn't want to trouble her with picking me up. Besides Maiah is seven years old, Maiah can handle herself well." Maiah said earnestly.
Brother You let out an exasperated sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. "It's exactly because you're only seven years old that this older brother of yours is worried."
"Lil Popper hop on let me drive you home." Brother You said. Maiah's eyes widened in surprise, not expecting him to make such an offer.
What's going on? Somethings not right with brother today.
Although Maiah is familiar with this brother, she does not trust him wholeheartedly. Maiah ponders over his intentions and comes to no clear decision and decides to go be cautious with her actions.
Maiah said nothing and bowed her head hiding the suspicion in her eyes. Brother You seeing Maiah's hesitance became grim.
"B-brother You Maiah doesn't mean to offend you, but Maiah can't go home now." Maiah stuttered out.
The dark look on Brother You's face lightened a bit hearing that. But because of his unrestrained nosiness, he questioned her once more, "Why not?"
Unsure whether or not to tell the truth Maiah baited for time. But an immense pressure began to slowly lay itself on her making her feel heavy. It was unbearable. Like an enormous boulder had begun to flatten her.
Maiah's dark complexion looked terrible as she tried not to give in to the pressure that Brother You was putting on her. After some time Maiah felt like the air around her was thinning the area around her was spinning and black dots flickered in her vision. Unable to hold on anymore she gave in.
"I-i am going to register for work Brother You." She said in barely a whisper.
After Maiah spoke all the pressure that was on her suddenly disappeared, and she was once more breathing with ease.
Maiah clutched her chest in an attempt to calm her racing heart.
'Geez, I almost get killed on my birthday. And it's by this two-faced snake too!'
Maiah with her head lowered pouted at the unfairness of all this and curses him in her mind with all the bad things that she could think of.
'Wait, this dude is always super shady, why would he suddenly want to help me then stop me from going anywhere somethings super up.' Maiah's brain was working rather slowly as she had just noticed that something is weird with Brother You's current behavior.
Brother You leered at Maiah and something dark and sinister flashed in his eyes. "Well if it's work that you need then I can help, I have lots of odd jobs that you could do." Maiah sensed his ill intent as a chill went down her spine.