I walked into the house with no problems. Auntie sat in the living room watching TV with the antenna bent in several directions.
The TV clicked on and off and produced the regular static in between words. I'm pretty sure my aunt just wants to hear white noise.
I put the groceries up and fix me a sandwich. "Wallie, is that you?" my aunt calls from the living room. "Yes ma'am."
"Why do men cheat?"
My ears appear flat against my head. Excuse me? "I don't know auntie Okra."
"Do you think he's cheating on me?"
Bitch I don't know…
"Sorry about this morning…"
"It's ok…" I bite my sandwich. "Auntie you good?"
"I guess." I move into the specious yet empty space. "I love your uncle but I'm suspicious."
"About him and…"
"You don't know her. She's a smaller wolf." she gazes at the whining tv. "Do I look like a man?"
We are all fat in this family except Keku. "Um, no."
"I know about the steroids." she faces me with her arm over the couch. "How long have you been taking them?"
Six months maybe more. I don't want to have this conversation. It's jarring. Every since I moved in with my relatives from the orphanage, I know my uncle but not my aunt.
She mentions a woman and thinks I don't know her. That's Lady Dazz's sister, Layan. I know aunt Lay and I know that Keku has a half sister through her but he stays with my uncle. I think he believes in father figures, the bullshit behind dogs imprinting or showing bond with somebody outside the main pack.
But also I'm a nigga and half that shit they teach us at school doesn't matter. Like the average werewolf household might have 6 people living together. Out of 6 people, at least 3 are likely to turn on family. In a household of 6, there is 2% chance of losing kids because in a werewolf household, the woman is more likely to abandon her children.
I bit my sandwich
In a regular scenario, my mother would leave me and let the bitches of the top wolf, the Bow, take are of me. Like fucking last time. Me and a kidnapped vampire boy were--wait what?
"Not long." Was that a lie?
"Give me some." she says.
I blink. "Do you use a needle or pills?"
"Tablets, I get from my partners."
"Did you get married?" her eyes get big. "No, we just hang."
"Here's some advice in closing a mate. Get pitbulls." she smirks. "I dated a man with a mastiff. With the way the world works; don't get a wolf that was a dog first before he got a body."
That's the great struggle of being a werewolf. You could be a dog but you get legs because somebody died. I could be a dog and stole a fat girl's body. Who the fuck knows.
A lot of wolves come from a household dog. I asked uncle what was our line from and he said ritual but you need a ritual for both. So again, I could be a fucking Pomeranian.
"I don't want a nigga…"
"You say that now because you haven't had sex." she scratches her cheek. "Don't panic when he happens. Some men are bigger than most, just relax and let him--"
"Auntie!"
"I'm just saying. The virgin puppies are the least experienced and the old traditions say that wolves are able at the age of twelve. We should have married you off."
"What's the point?" I bit my sandwich to reduce my anger. It doesn't help but ham and cheese is good.
"Marriage is important." she goes on. "Wallie," she sighs. "You are a big girl. And come from a massive werewolf house. The Gains isn't just a last name. You could hold your own, but there isn't a thing like a female running the pack."
"Why not? We do all the damn work!"
"A female's role in a pack is to pick up the king, the Bow. You keep his nails sharp, his secrets hidden, and give him sons. Sometimes you train the female Bitches to act."
"So I'll run an army."
"The main bitch doesn't just run. She herds, grooms, it's important being a she-wolf. While vampire hoes suck dick all day."
"Then I'll run an army."
"Wallie…"
"Call me lieutenant Gains." I run upstairs and get in my sleeping bag. What the fuck was that?
.
.
.
The next morning, Keku and I hustle to get to school. "I thought you set the damn clock!" I put my brown school shirt over my sports bra. "I did!" muffles Keku with a toothbrush in his teeth. "Y'all are late…" Uncle sings. His right ear pokes out focusing on the sound. "His somebody in my yard?"
I check outside, there is a man mowing the lawn. "Yes!" I yell and put a piece toast in the toaster. "I really have to learn magic--OKRA! Have you seen my books!"
"No, Keku. I told you to put all your books in your bag so you don't have to scramble early in the morning." says Okra.
I leave the house and look in the tent we have. I grab my varsity jacket and I see Keku's books for school. I grab them and race back inside. "They was in the tent!"
"I can't find my fucking ID card!" he runs upstairs. "Wallie don't leave without me!"
"Hurry up, I'm getting the car started."
"Kiwi Herman!" I always snort at his nickname. "Get fie dollars and get a new one!"
He comes back down with sweat around his neck. "I cannot afford five dollars. Mr. Gowon said, in english, if I come to school with my badge missing, imma get a ticket!"
"What ticket like you'll be arrested?"
"No, auntie." I chime in, "A school ticket is different. Amalaric badge has magic on it and if you keep losing it, you'll be kicked out. If Keku is on probation, then he's on the list."
"I have to pay twenty dollars now!" He races upstairs in tears. "Twenty dollars?" he snaps at me. "What is going on?"
I take a deep breath, "The badge at Master has magic. The magic shows who is from the Ghytto and who ain't. Humans have a different collar as we say and the gargoyles see over them. Three kids, human, got ate like six months or something ago for ripping off badges and the principal--"
"It's not Vinitharius no more." Uncle adds. "What happened to the last principal?" asks Okra. "Vini is dead." he looks at her. "Vini died at the old school and that bitch fell."
"What about the incident?"
"The soul ain't rested. If anything that damn Nun is doing something." He looks up the stairs. "Use magic to get by!"
"I cannot--"
"Goddamn boy, get down here and let me some you a Trik!"
"What kind of Trik?"
"It's an old hood Trik. Yawa and I used to get by school so good, I was fucking bitches in the locker when Vini passed."
"What?" I snort. "Can I learn it?"
He rolls his eyes, "No."
"Uncle!"
"I said no miss needles."
"I'm not using needles!"
"Still no."
Keku returned and Uncle looked at me. I knew all to well what that look meant. I waited outside.
.
.
.
I have to go from Richmond to Norfolk Virginia in a beat down truck and all I get is 40 dollars for gas. He can't fix the humming noise from the air condition, the back axle on the truck is lose. Like it wobbles and the back window busted so I guess that fixes the lack of AC in the vehicle.
I think my family hates me.
"So, what was the trik?" I glance at Keku. He purses his lips, "Pulling a rabbit outta my ass."
"Key!"
"Key my ass, I'm not talking to you."
Well, fuck my imagination. "Well, you wouldn't et your cousin like… I don't know."
"Get arrested again cause she wanna street fight for drug money she shouldn't be doing? And!" he stresses. "Possibly fucking a nigga she don't know?"
"Why are you on my ass!"
"How the fuck do you walk around so calmly? Pop know you dealin'"
"I'm not selling anything! I'm doing pup work."
His ears stick straight up and he whines. "What the fuck is pup work? Like smelling? Chasin'"
"Body guard work." I tell him.
"So you practicing to be a Kaatcher?" his tail brushes the window. "Wallie…"
"I--It's just some money. Plus it helps the house."
"And daddy can't stand it!"
"You said daddy again…"
He growls at me, "You finna make me break out. You so fucking stupid. How much are you getting paid?"
"Good."
"I mean number bitch."
"730."
"OH MY--"
"LOOK! I get money for knocking niggas out, dragging them back, and repo."
"REPO!" he whines louder. "Bless the moon."
"I'm not doing any bad. I haven't killed anybody!"
"You dumb ass wolf! That's slave duty!"
"Keku!"
"No! You doing too much to get paid damn near a thousand dollars. Why are you taking steroids?"
"It's DOCK meds…" my voice really got low. "I don't take it all the time just when I got to work."
"Wallie what is wrong with you?" his ears and tail disappear. "None…"
I'm tired of being broke.