KAELIX MCGILL North Carolina

It was the morning after their weekend alone, and Kaelix's family was finally back. He could tell by the loud screams echoing through the house—Malik yelling at his game and Dede's giggles filling the air like music. The once-quiet home was alive again, and while Kaelix enjoyed the chaos, a part of him missed the peace they'd had over the weekend.

Kaelix turned his head slightly, his gaze falling on Sariyah. She was still nestled in the bed beside him, her breathing soft and even as she began to stir. He watched her for a moment, her expression calm, her hair tousled from sleep.

He thought about how far they'd come in such a short amount of time. It hadn't been long since he'd busted into her motel room, paranoid and desperate, but somehow they'd ended up here. Together.

Kaelix didn't know what he'd done to deserve this—a moment of stillness, of connection—but he was grateful. Even with the chaos of their lives, this felt like the start of something real.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed, sitting for a second before running a hand over his face. He glanced back at Sariyah, who mumbled something incoherent in her sleep, her body curling slightly under the blanket. He smirked faintly.

"Get your ass up," he teased softly, though he knew she probably couldn't hear him.

As he stood and stretched, the sounds of the household grew louder. He could hear Malik shouting something about "lagging" while Dede let out a high-pitched squeal of laughter.

Shaking his head with a faint chuckle, Kaelix grabbed a clean hoodie off the chair and pulled it over his head.

When he walked downstairs, the sight that greeted him was pure chaos. Malik was sprawled on the couch, furiously mashing buttons on the controller while Dede darted around the room with a plush toy clutched in her hands.

"You cheating, bro!" Malik yelled at the screen, his face scrunched in frustration.

Dede paused mid-run, giggling as she tossed the toy onto Malik's lap, disrupting his game.

"Dede, stop playin'!" Malik barked, though there was no real heat in his voice.

Their mom appeared from the kitchen, a cup of coffee in hand and a look of amusement on her face. She glanced up when she saw Kaelix coming down the stairs.

"Well, look who's finally awake," she said, her tone teasing.

Kaelix smirked, rubbing the back of his neck. "Morning, Ma."

She raised an eyebrow, her lips curving into a knowing smile. "Morning? More like afternoon. Y'all must've had a good weekend."

Kaelix chuckled softly, shaking his head as he leaned against the wall. "Something like that."

"Uh-huh," his mom said, giving him a look that made it clear she knew more than she was letting on. "There's food in the kitchen. You better grab some before Malik eats everything."

"Too late!" Malik yelled from the couch, not even turning around.

"Fat ass" Malik mumbled as he shook his head, pushing off the wall and heading toward the kitchen. The smell of breakfast lingered in the air, and he grabbed a plate, piling it with eggs and bacon before leaning against the counter to eat.

__

It was a chill Sunday in the McGill household. Kaelix's mom had disappeared into her room, likely catching up on her shows or sneaking in a nap. Malik sat sprawled on the couch, yelling at the TV as he battled opponents in his game. Meanwhile, Dede sat cross-legged on the floor, her stuffed animals engaged in an animated, high-pitched "conversation" that only she could understand.

On the other end of the couch, Kaelix and Sariyah were nestled comfortably together. His arm draped loosely over her shoulders as they scrolled through TikToks on his phone, the soft glow from the screen lighting up their faces.

"Look at this one, we should do it" Kaelix murmured, tilting the phone toward her. The video was pr

Sariyah side-eyed him, a smirk tugging at her lips. "You can't even dance Kaelix"

Kaelix turned to her, his face deadpan. "See and that's where you wrong" he sucked his teeth in.

Before Sariyah could respond, Malik's voice cut through the moment. He'd paused his game, twisting on the couch to stare at them. "Yo," he called out, his tone playful. "Y'all look real cozy over there."

Kaelix turned his head slowly, giving Malik a hard stare. "Mind yo business."

Malik smirked, undeterred. "I'm just saying. Y'all been stuck together all weekend like y'all glued at the hip or somethin'."

Before Kaelix could fire back, Dede chimed in, her tiny voice loud and confident as she looked up from her toys. "Kaelix and Sariyah are best friends!" she announced proudly, holding up one of her stuffed animals like a badge of proof.

Sariyah laughed, leaning into Kaelix as she nudged him with her elbow. "You hear that? Best friends."

Kaelix smirked, his arm tightening slightly around her shoulders. "Yeah, best friends," he echoed, though the way he said it made Malik raise an eyebrow.

Before anyone could add to the moment, the front door swung open, and Trey walked in, his heavy boots thudding against the floor. He carried a brown paper bag that looked nearly empty, and his usual air of irritation followed him like a storm cloud.

"Damn," Trey muttered, kicking the door shut behind him. His eyes swept the room—Malik glued to his game, Dede surrounded by toys, and finally Kaelix and Sariyah on the couch. "Whole house full of freeloaders today, huh?"

The room went still. Even Dede froze, her stuffed animal suspended mid-air as she looked between Trey and Kaelix.

Kaelix's jaw tightened, his eyes locking on Trey. "What you say?"

"You heard me," Trey said, his tone flat as he dropped the paper bag onto the counter. "Ain't nobody in here paying no bills, but y'all sure know how to sit around and take up space."

Malik turned, his tone sharp. "Man, shut up."

Trey's gaze snapped to him. "Watch your mouth, boy."

Kaelix straightened up, his arm slipping from around Sariyah as he leaned forward slightly. "You got something to say to me, Trey? Because whatever you need, I got it for you."

The coldness in Kaelix's voice made everyone in the room pause. Even Malik looked confused, unsure if his brother meant money or a fight.

Trey smirked, leaning against the counter like he had all the time in the world. "Nah, I'm good. Just calling it like I see it. You been here a whole month, KJ. What you contributing?"

Kaelix's tone didn't waver. "Like I said. Whatever you want, I got it for you."

The tension thickened, the air electric as Trey tilted his head, about to respond.

Kaelix's mom's voice sliced through the moment as she stepped into the room. "Trey, that's enough," she said, her tone sharp, her eyes narrowing at him.

Trey shrugged, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. "I'm just saying, babe. It's a lot of mouths to feed in this house."

"Then stop talking and go feed one," she snapped, pointing toward Dede, who had gone back to playing with her toys.

Trey muttered something under his breath, but instead of escalating further, he knelt to Dede's level with a forced smile. "Hey, princess. You hungry? Let's see what we got in the kitchen."

He disappeared into the kitchen with Dede skipping after him, leaving a heavy silence in his wake.

As Trey disappeared into the kitchen with Dede trailing behind him, Malik muttered under his breath "weird ass nigga"

Kaelix leaned back against the couch, his jaw still tight. Sariyah nudged him gently, her voice soft. "You good?"

"Yeah," Kaelix said, though his tone suggested otherwise.

Sariyah glanced at Malik, who was shaking his head, and then back at Kaelix. She could feel the weight of the tension hanging over him, but she knew better than to push. Instead, she shifted closer, resting her head against his shoulder.

"It's whatever," she said quietly.

Kaelix glanced down at her, his body relaxing just slightly. "Yeah," he murmured. "I know"

—

Ngl this chapter was lowkey boring as well but! it was just supposed to be a filler anyways. So the next five are about to be over the top fr. I hope yall ready?

Thoughts on this chapter and the ones before?