Page 56 of Beyond The Stars

“Yea, fuck me but French you might want to get a DNA test for Apollo. I’m out.”

Qamar grabbed Siasia’s hand but stumbled forward from the blow Solar sent to his back. “Bitch!”

Siasia grabbed his face just as quick as the word shot from his mouth like a bullet. “No! Qamar, that is your fuckin’ sister you don’t do her like that,” she fussed, almost breaking down when she noticed the tears in his eyes.

French tossed Solar over his shoulder.

“No, let me go, Adrian!” Solar kicked and punched into French’s back. All she could see was black. How dare Qamar tell her dirty little secret like that? They were blood and she never thought she’d see the day they fought the way they were.

As kids they went back and forth but it never got that bad. Words that couldn’t be taken back flew across the room, wounding the other so deep, it might never heal.

“I bet you need me before I ever need you, little boy!” Solar hollered. “Let’s see how you take care of those kids and that bitch when the family ain’t funding you!”

Like an evil villain, Qamar laughed at her. “If you think I don’t have my own motion, you don’t know me, sister. Y’all ain’t funded shit since I was eighteen besides the education y’all want me to get. Fuck you and worry about telling French about how much of a hoe you are and how you can’t keep your legs closed when he’s having a mental breakdowns or feeling like he ain’t enough for you. You don’t fuckin’ deserve him!”

Like a gun went off, Solar clutched her chest where the bullet pierced her. His words hurt more than she thought words ever could. “Oh,” she groaned at how fast her heart raced in her chest. All the breath in her had been knocked out of her. Whatever fight she had, disappeared listening to the little boy who she’d protected since birth broke her down like a fraction.

Tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision. She could barely see the face of the boy she had loved and nurtured, the one who now stood before her with such cold, unforgiving eyes. Each word he had uttered was like a dagger, slicing through her heart with unrelenting precision. She wanted to reach out, to pull him into her arms and make everything right, but her limbs felt like lead, weighed down by the crushing feel of betrayal.

“Fuck you,” she whispered, her voice trembling with the weight of her sorrow. “Over a bitch? You break me down over a girl you barely even know?” Her mind raced, trying to grasp onto any fragment of hope, any sign that this was just a terrible dream. But the reality of his harsh words echoed in her ears.

The room seemed to close in around her, the walls pressing in as if to suffocate her. Her breaths came in ragged gasps, each one a struggle against the tidal wave of emotions threatening to drown her. She had always been strong, always been the protector, but now, in this moment, she felt utterly powerless. The bond she had cherished, the love she had poured into him, seemed to shatter into a million pieces, leaving her standing in the wreckage of her own heart.

“Get the fuck out, Qamar!” French boomed. “Before I get on your ass. You out of fuckin’ line. Its family over any and everything and you do her like this?”

He loved Qamar, he’d been his first test run as a father but when it came to Solar, no one was above her. Listening to her heart shatter turned his blood into rage and if he didn’t want to put his hands on Qamar, it was best he leave. And fast.

“Me? I ain’t do shit. She started it and for the first time, she couldn’t finish it. Tend to your baby mama, we out.”

Watching the showdown, Siasia had tears running down her face. It was all the proof she needed to leave Qamar alone. If he could break his own sister down with words, she knew he wouldn’t hold back on her if she pissed him off bad enough. That and she hated to be the divide between a beautiful family like the one he had. He couldn’t see it now, but being loved and having support was all she wished for. She locked her hand into Noodle’s, who was just as emotional as she was. Siasia couldn’t see herself going back and forth with her sister like that. All she wanted to do was get back to Lynn Beach and get her shit together. If the impromptu trip didn’t teach her anything else, it gave her hope of achieving her dreams.

Siasia felt a deep ache in her chest as she watched the siblings tear each other apart. Her heart ached for Solar, who seemed to been a pillar of strength, now crumbling under the weight of her brother's harsh words.

Noodle squeezed her hand, a silent gesture of solidarity. They had both experienced their fair share of family drama, but nothing quite like this. Siasia glanced at Noodle, seeing the same resolve mirrored in her sister's eyes. That and the love her sister had for Qamar seemed to be a battleground for the ten-year-old. They were no longer welcomed and probably never would be.

For the first time ever, the thought of returning to Lynn Beach filled her with a sense of calm. It was a place where she could breathe, where she could rebuild herself without the shadows of others' conflicts looming over her.

As they turned to leave, Siasia took one last look at Solar and French. She hoped they would one day realize the value of the family they had, the love and support that she longed for but never truly got.

The trip had been a whirlwind of emotions, but it had also been a catalyst for change. She was ready to embrace the future, to chase her dreams with renewed vigor and hope.

Qamar’s heart and head hung heavily, knowing not only had he created a tear in their infamous to the moon pledge, he also wouldn’t be taking Siasia beyond the stars. She didn’t have to say anything, he felt her pulling away from him with each step they took to get back in the car. Even Noodle avoided looking him in the eyes.

Inside the car, he inhaled and exhaled before starting the engine. The light she seemed to always find in his eyes was gone when he stared at her. “Don’t give up on us, Siasia.”

“Qamar, you have a lot you need to deal with. We’re just a distraction and a way for you not to face what’s really going on with you. After what I just seen, I don’t see you having any issues moving forward with living your life the way you want. Here’s your chance to show everyone that you know what’s best for you. Besides, I got my own shit to figure out.”

Siasia leaned back into the seat before staring out the window. As far as she was concerned there was nothing else left to say. She enjoyed him but it was time for both of them to face reality and figure their own shit out.

16

“Noodle!” Esmeray’s raspy voice crooned through the iPad. “Where you go?” Sounding like someone’s mama.

Noodle had her iPad propped up while she online shopped on Siasia’s computer. It was the middle of the week, and she was on spring break just chilling around the house. She didn’t really hang with any of the neighborhood kids so she was usually in her shared room on some kind of device.

“Noodle!” Esmeray pouted, ready to call her daddy so he could make it right.

“Es, I’m here. You gotta stop whining so much,” Noodle scolded, hating when her little baby threw a tantrum.

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