3: thats fucked up

Rayna POV

"Soo mama. What's tea, you and dad getting back together." I asked my mom watching as the nail lady applied white to my toes.

"Stay out grown folks business."

I rolled my eyes. "Girl you not grown, and y'all are my business."

"I'm not one of yo lil friends."

"Look sweetheart I need you to focus, now ain't the time. I be seeing y'all together. Y'all never even technically got a divorce."

"I don't know Rayna. Right now, we just like eachother again. I love your dad, I do. I just—" she sighed. "Don't worry about it."

"Like my nails??" I asked changing the subject cause she obviously doesn't want to talk about it.

"Yeah, there cute baby. Where you be finding all these designs?"

"The internet, you should let me pick yours next time we come."

"Girl I cant deal with them long nails. I don't see how you do anything with them claws."

"Look don't start." I laughed. We talked for a while and she asked if I wanted to go to the mall. I agreed and we decided to go pick up the boys to come. She gave us each money, then we went ask my dad for money too. We be scamming the hell out of them.

Narrator POV

Rayna walked around the mall looking for outfits forcing Ray to come with her. She occasionally held the outfits up asking for his opinion. That was something she often did because she knew Ray wouldn't lie to her. If something's ugly he just gone say that and she appreciated the honesty while shopping. Ray sat on the bench growing irritated because he was hungry and Rayna was taking too long.

"You need some friends. I'm getting sick of this." Ray told her looking at the colorful romper she held up. He didn't know what it was called but he knew it was ugly.

She sucker her teeth. "Why I need friends when I got brothers. Plus you ain't got none down here either. Anyways, you like it?"

"No. It's too bright and too short. If I seen you wearing that in public I'd tell you that you look bad." He told her and she nodded before putting it back. She moved on to different racks looking for outfits. Fire stars was playing lowly in Rays airpods and he mumbled the lyrics waiting for her to finish.

"Let's go to the food court. A nigga hungry." Ray told her walking out the store.

They went to the food court and decided on getting Chinese food. Ray paid because he knew Rayna was most likely going to blow all her money on clothes. She loved shopping and she would wear something just to post a picture on Instagram then she stopped wearing it. Ray felt it was a waste of money to buy something you'll only wear once. In his opinion as long as you don't post the same fit twice, it don't matter. He wasn't one of those dudes who re wore the same 2 fits, but he didn't revolve his clothing around social media. Don't get it twisted, he had drip he just wasn't flashy.

Rayna smiled grabbing her free food. She often told her brothers she spent all her money just to eat free. It worked every single time.

"You fat as fuck. That's why your mama broke." Ray heard behind him. He didn't turn around though because he figured it was some petty dudes arguing. For the most part Ray believed in minding his business. That being said he turned up NoCaps new album drowning out the noise. He was bobbing his head vibing to the music, since he hadn't learned the words yet.

Rayna kept eating too, until she looked up and saw what was going on. She immediately felt bad so she tapped Ray and pointed. Ray turned around and saw a plus sized black girl surrounded by four dudes. He turned off his music and took out his airpods hearing all the degrading things they were saying. Ray quickly hopped up when one of them pushed the girl. Even though he liked minding his business there was some things he couldn't let slide. He thought about how if it was his mom or his sister he'd want someone to help them. Stuff like that disgusted Ray, he felt as though dudes like that were childish. If you don't find someone attractive just leave them alone, there's no point in making someone feel bad about themselves. Plus he wasn't superficial, they're parents always told them not to judge certain things because you never know what people going through.

Rayna watched as Ray walked over to the scene. "Yo what the fuck y'all doing back up." Ray fussed helping the girl up. He felt bad for her, cause it seemed like they do this shit often.

"Mind yo business. This between us and her."

"Nahh, this situation done. Come on." He told the girl beginning to walk away resisting the urge to start some shit in this mall.

One of the dudes grabbed his shoulder and Ray started getting even more heated. Rayna quickly got her phone and call Ramir because he's always got his phone.

"Hello?" Ramon spoke into the phone. Ramir gave the phone to Ramon because he was busy flirting.

"Ramon, hurry up and come to the food court. Bring Ramir, these dudes getting on Ray bad side."

"Come on bruh, we gotta go to the food court." Ramon told Ramir interrupting his conversation and hanging up the phone. Oblivious to what was going on Ramir was still smiling in the girls faces, ignoring Ramon.

"Bruhh come on Ray got into some shit." Ramirs goofy smile quickly dropped as they headed to the food court.

Meanwhile, Rayna walked up to Ray watching closely. She was 100% prepared to have her brothers back. She didn't care if they were boys, she was riding for her brother regardless.

"Why the hell y'all over here hitting on girls, calling her out her name and shit. That's a bitch move." Ray told the four boys. He didn't care that it was 4 against 1, he felt like the dudes were bitch made if they picked on girls.

"Fuck it got to do with you." The funny looking boy who seemed to be the ring leader said stepping up to Ray.

"You might want back yo ass up before you start something in this mall." Ray said inching closer. For some reason he wanted all the smoke today. Normally he didn't argue with anyone besides his siblings, but he wasn't feeling this shit at all.

"It's four of us and one of you. That ain't too smart homeboy."

Just then Ramir and Ramon walked behind the boys. "Nahh it's 3 of us, 4 of y'all. Those numbers work for us." Ramon shrugged.

"Actually it's 4 and 4. I'll take the scrawny one." Rayna said pointing to the skinny boy who was barley taller than her.

Ray scrunched up his face. "Gone head and sit this one out Rayna."

She shook her head no. "Y'all fight, I fight. Simple." She shrugged meaning every word.

The girl finally spoke up for the first time. "Actually it's 5 and 4. I'm not missing the opportunity to swing on y'all." She told the 4 boys.

The ring leader swung at the girl but Ray got in the way. As promised everyone broke out fighting. Rayna was currently beating up the scrawny boy with the help of the girl.

Ray and the ring leader were going at it blow for blow. The boy got a good punch in on Ray and Ray got even madder. He started beating the shit out of him.

Ramons temper had taken over and he started stomping the boy he was fighting. Ramir had the other dude in a choke hold in one hand and his phone in the other recording. The boy was grasping for air so he put his phone up and let him go. After that he got Rayna and the girl to get off the dude. They had managed to take him down and sit on him.

Rayna saw Ramon lost his temper and quickly went to break up the fight. "Alright, that's enough you won." She told him rubbing his back calming him down. Ramon snapped out of it and stopped stomping. Meanwhile Ramir broke up Rays fight. There was people all around them watching in shock. They saw mall security and took off running to the car. They ran past there mom and she looked at them wide eyed. She sped walked behind the group careful not to drop her nachos. They made it to the car and hopped in. The girl was about to stay behind but there mom offered her a ride home, which she accepted.

"What's your name?" Rayna asked the girl.

"Arianna."

"I'm Rayna. That's Ray, Ramir, & Ramon." she said pointing to each of her siblings.

Arianna nodded and her and Rayna exchanged phone numbers. They didn't know it yet but that was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

The conversation was interrupted by there mother. "Why y'all was running from the mall cops in that mall, y'all don't never do no shit like that."

Ray sucked his teeth... "we got into a fight with four dudes."

"All of y'all?" they nodded and she kept talking. "Why y'all was fighting.. and Rayna and Arianna why y'all got in a boys fight."

"See what had happened was.... they had us fucked up." Rayna started but ray cut her off.

"They was bullying Arianna, Rayna tapped me and told me, I saw them push her so I defended her." He shrugged knowing he wouldn't get in trouble.

"I jumped in cause it was 4 of them. I wasn't finna let one of my brothers get jumped when I'm perfectly capable of fighting." Rayna said answering the other question.

"I jumped in cause it was my situation, plus it was a free chance to swing." Arianna said.

Kayana nodded in approval. "Ok. I support it" she cheesed. She wasn't mad at all, in this moment she felt reassured that she was doing a good job raising her kids. Ray and Rayna had defended a girl they didn't even know and all of them had each other's back. She knew her children were good kids, but she had allowed family members to plant seeds of doubt within herself. Sometimes she felt like she wasn't good enough for them, but despite that she did the best she could and hoped it was enough .

Since she first found out she was having quads they doubted her. Said her and Ryan (their dad) wouldn't last and that they'd fail as parents. Having 4 kids at a young age wasn't easy, but her and Ryan always made a way. She knew then that it was time to not worry about outside opinions. Her family could say whatever they wanted, but they're doing a great job parenting.