29: walls

"Come on Rayna, you gotta get up. You can't just sit there, that's not good for you or the babies." Teezy encouraged.

It had been a week since the situation occurred and Rayna hadn't moved much since they came back from the hospital.

Teezy came in everyday trying to get her to do simple things, so far he had only successfully gotten her to eat.

"Fuck it." He mumbled going turn on the bath tub. She stunk and he had reached his limit dealing with it.

"I'm about to put you in the tub okay?" She nodded and he took her clothes off and put her in the tub.

He got her dressed then took her back to her spot. "Matter fact....come on." He said dragging her along downstairs.

"Here you gotta eat more than you been eating."

He handed her his breakfast he stopped and got and she sat there slowly eating it.

Ramon came downstairs and she looked him then started crying. She quickly went back in her room. Ramon got a bowl of cereal then locked himself away. Teezy got up and followed her going console her.

Ever since Ramir got shot they'd avoided eachother, it was bad enough seeing him a little in the mirror. But seeing him in eachother made it worse. It was hard on all of them.

Ray blamed himself for what happened, and him and Ramir looked the most alike. He avoided the mirror like the plague. He did his best to stay busy, going to work, doing everybody's homework, going to the gym. Anything to occupy his mind but at night all the emotions he avoided during the day would catch up with him. He was barley sleeping.

Rayna wasn't even functioning, she hadn't moved or ate on her own, she wouldn't even be straight without Teezy. She felt bad that she was becoming his problem when he was sad himself, but she just couldn't do it if she tried. She probably would've ignored Teezy's requests if it hadn't been for the baby.

Ramon was trying to focus on anything but what happened. Everytime he closed his eyes he saw Ramir laying there struggling. He spent his time watching tv by himself. Sometimes China sat with him trying to make sure he is we alright, doing his homework for him so he could still graduate on time. They didn't talk, but he appreciated her presence.

Myla heard what happened and was having trouble too. Everyday she visited him for about an hour, then went home. She found herself constantly rewatching Rayna's YouTube videos that he was in. Her entire family was worried about her but she shut herself off from them.

Keyonna and Ryan checked on their children but they were going through it themselves. Everyday Keyonna sobbed holding Ramirs hand, refusing to leave. She had bags under her eyes and they were swollen, she looked terrible.

Ryan only left the room to get them food and clothes, he tried to comfort Keyonna but he was also going through it.

They both found out Rayna was pregnant the first day at the hospital, but they were just happy she's alive. Teezy had them get a ultrasound when Rayna passed out the first day at the hospital. It was just from stress, the doctor told her take it easy, and they found out it was twins. It was the only smile her family had managed all week, but as soon as they wiped the gel off everyone was focused on Ramir again. Everyone went back to Ramirs room and that night Keyonna forced them all to go home and rest.

Ramir sat in his coma at peace, unaware his parents were sobbing beside him and his siblings and girlfriend were practically zombies.

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Teezy had just gotten home, he ate then went to his room, he tried to watch tv but his mind roamed back to what happened.

"Fucking thugs always breaking the laws." The cop complained.

The five of them looked at the officer completely silent.

Ramir coughed and the officer fired. Rayna was the first to react, she screamed as Ramir dropped holding his chest.

The officer froze, while the four of them dropped beside Ramir.

Ray immediately started putting pressure on Ramir's wound. He was trying to hold himself together but he started crying.

Ramon was talking to Ramir telling him keep his eyes open. "Come on you got big plans man, stay awake." He coached through tears.

Rayna who crying and screaming, randomly stopped she looked at the officer and rage spread across her face. Her entire body shook, making Teezy dry his eye and look at her.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU." She yelled charging at the officer and Teezy immediately grabbed her.

"Don't, your parents don't need two kids in a hospital bed. Or a child in jail."

Everyone crowded around Ramir trying to help him in their own ways. Ray kept applying pressure, Teezy gave him part of his shirt to use. Ramon was telling him stay awake, occasionally talking about his future. Rayna was taking him down memory lane, causing him to laugh a few times. Teezy was telling him to think about all the people who'd miss him and those who'd feel incomplete without him.

After the other cop got there and called the police paramedics arrived shortly taking him to the hospital.

Ramir was put in a medically induced coma, he would've died if Ray hadn't applied pressure to his wound.

Rayna passed out and got checked out, which is when we found out there's two babies.

"You alright?" Teezy's mom asked him and he shook his head no.

She gave a hug and he broke down in her arms, everything he had been holding in finally caught up to him. "Shhh shh shhh. Everything gone be alright." It was one of few times he didn't believe in his mother's encouragement. Usually after she said that he felt reassured and eventually stuff fell into place, but he felt hopeless.

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2 MONTHS LATER:

Ramir hadn't woke up and people have yet to return to their normal selves.

Acceptance letters had rolled in, Rayna's belly had grew, but nobody was willing to move on.

Ramir's siblings felt incomplete without him. They had gotten to the point where they could look at eachother and coexist better, but the bond wasn't the same. Any time they talked, laughed, or felt the slightest bit good they felt guilty and went back to ignoring one another.

Rayna's belly had grew a lot and she started taking care of herself without relying on Teezy. A month ago she told him to get his head together and promised she'd take care of herself, which she did. They still talked about appointments and stuff, but they mentally couldn't worry about anything else just yet.

China still kept Ramon company making sure he was taking care of himself and seeing if anything had changed with Ramir, but she was getting ready to move out of state. She wanted to be a fashion designer and presented her work to some Rose and Alexa, who's fashion brand grew exponentially. Ramir was vaguely familiar with them through China, because she always brought their clothes. To her it was a dream come true to design work for them so she's  moving to Atlanta soon to work at one of their many locations. [hehe yes rose and lex from my other book gang shit🙃]

Ramon had gotten accepted into his top 3 culinary schools. He was excited, but he couldn't leave until he knew Ramir was okay. That was the only thing holding him back.

Ray decided to go to community college for his first two years so he could stay near home and save money. After that he's going to medical school to become a pediatrician, though he's extremely blunt he's always had a soft spot for children. Him and Ari lost touch but he found out recently that she's also staying in-state. She decided she wanted to major in marketing.

Myla had more than a few college letters but she had yet to open them. She was dancing on her parents last nerves, today they forced her to open them giving her a good ole dose of tough love. She'd been accepted into 4 out of 5 schools she applied to. Sadly, the only one she didn't get into was her top school.

Ramir also had college letters but he wasn't up to open them. His family respected his privacy and left it for him to open.

Rayna had gotten into a trade school not too far from home, where she could become a Radiation Therapist. She knew Teezy had also started working on becoming a barber. His program should be done in a few months to a year.

Ben had decided college wasn't for him and got his TWIC, he was gonna work in a plant for a while until he figured out his next move.

Rayna looked at her phone seeing her mom group FaceTimed them. She answered and her eyes lit up.

"Y'all bitches can't get rid of me." Ramir smiled looking at his siblings.

"Normally I'd pop you, but I'll let this one slide." Keyonna said and Ramir just smiled.

"Bring me some clothes and I needa brush my teeth. Ohh and bring me some China king, and send mama Myla number ion know where my phone at. Make sure y'all don't forget my socks. Bring my durag too." He kept going on and on with stuff he needed and his siblings scrambled getting everything.

They all hopped in Rayna's car getting him some Chinese food on the way, then rushed to the hospital.

Rayna handed him his college letters and he happily opened them.

He made it to college but he also made it to the college basketball team. "HELL YEAAA, it's lit." He cheesed.

Not too long after Myla came rushing in. Pretty quickly their entire friend group had arrived. The room was extremely crowded. Having Keyonna, Ryan, Rayna, Ray, Ramon, Myla, China, Ari, Teezy, and Ben all around the bed made the room feel small.

Everyone felt like a burden had been lifted off their shoulders and their worries died down. It was time for each of them to prepare for the next stage of their lives.

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This next chapter is the last one. Whew chile my heart🥲..