Zoya
"Why the fuck isn't he picking up? Pop had money… I shouldn't have to beg to access what's ours." Maverick barked into the phone before hurling it onto the couch.
It had been two months since we laid our parents to rest. I sat on the couch, staring at the buttered noodles with parmesan Kora had made for us. It was all we had left in this new house.
Groceries used to arrive like clockwork every week. This was the second week they hadn't shown up.
There was no visit from Uncle Nash, and no candy like he used to bring for me and Landon.
Kora pushed the noodles around her plate, worry etched into her brows. When she noticed me staring, she forced a smile and nudged me playfully.
"Eat up, Zoya Bean," she teased.
I looked at the noodles, then over at her plate. "I don't like this much, Kora."
She sighed and rubbed my hands. "I know. But if you eat this tonight… I promise we can have something different tomorrow." Although she was making a promise, I could tell she didn't believe it herself.
Since our parents passed, both Kora and Maverick had been carrying so much grief. Things were tense, and they pretended everything was fine.
Well, Kora did.
"Who wants some pizza and garlic knots?"
I heard Core's voice and jumped up, excited to eat something other than noodles.
"Me!"
Landon clapped his hands and cheered, oblivious to the tension. Unlike me, he'd finished his noodles and wanted more.
Maverick looked at Corleon. "You saying I can't feed my own siblings, Bruster?" he questioned.
Kora stood up and went to grab the pizza from Core. "Nobody's saying shit like that… Mav, you need help. No knock, no look down. We family, right?"
"I called him," Kora admitted.
Maverick was always so tense nowadays. Always on alert, never relaxed like he used to be. For the first time since our parents passed, I saw his shoulders drop as he looked away. Corleon cupped his shoulder.
"Stop, Bruster."
"We're family. We take care of one another… we don't count favors like this, right?" He looked at Maverick, who nodded.
"Yeah."
"Eat some pizz—"
"He has noodles," Kora quickly added, knowing Maverick ate differently than us. He always had separate dinners when Mom and Dad were alive.
"Eat, Zoya… have pizza," Maverick said, sitting down beside me.
"We can share, Mav."
He smiled. "Nah, I'm good… eat up."
Kora put a slice of pizza on my plate. I started eating while Maverick rubbed his hands together, not touching his food.
"We're good, Maverick," Kora assured him.
"I don't like depending on people… don't like that shit. We're supposed to be family, but fuck him… leaving us in this house to suffer and die."
Corleon leaned on the counter and bit into a piece of pizza. "What you thinking, Mav?"
"Can we have pizza every night for dinner, please?" I begged, not wanting to ever see noodles again.
Maverick looked down at me. "Soon we'll own a pizza shop…. We're never gonna depend on anyone ever again, aight?"
"Promise?"
"I promise, Zoya Bean." He looked over at Corleon as he stood up from the stool. "Need to go see Mako."
"Sure?"
"They're my responsibility. I'll starve before I let them." He continued to rub his hands together.
The look in Maverick's eyes told me that a Menace was brewing, and by the time he was done, we would never have to ask anyone for anything ever again.