Chapter Text
Understand - Chapter One
Monday April 19, 2027 – 1115am
Unit 750
Holding her phone by its Pop-Socket, Brooklynn vividly remembers her last video. She had made it years ago, about self-defense for women back in 2015. It has 11-million hits and over 400-thousand comments. It was the last great video she’d ever produced, and she’d gotten so much support from thousands of women. In the preceding videos, however, she’d gotten sexual commentary from men, denials of women’s issues, and even death threats, which had forced her to delete her account. Why all these videos remained uploaded, she doesn’t know, but at least those creepy angry internet randos can’t comment on them anymore.
<Brooklynn Unboxes Women’s Self-Defense>
Brooklynn stares at her phone, at the video which has ended. The screen displays a button inviting her to replay the video, but she can’t bring herself to do it. It’s bad enough she’d decided to dig up her buried past anyway.
Brooklynn knows that if she allows herself to get sucked back into the internet universe, it will consume her again, destroying everything she and Darius have built. Through years of conversation, gentle guidance, and slow coaxing, she had been able to leave it behind. Since he isn’t here at the moment, he can’t see what she is doing, still, she feels guilty for doing it behind his back, like cheating with a past lover.
Darius had decided to go to the airport on his own, after they’d both agreed it would be more difficult for her and his older brother Brandon to be in the same car. Brandon has had an interest in Brooklynn since the fifth grade, it never went any farther than uncomfortable jokes, inappropriate innuendos, and an arm about her waist or shoulders. Darius had seen her politely put up with it as most women were taught. It was immature and made her laugh nervously, but the younger brother, the ‘little boy’ she hadn’t given much consideration to, walked up and gave Brandon a ‘tap’. Cupping himself as he fell with obscenities spewing from his mouth, Brooklynn couldn’t help but laugh before an enraged Brandon gave chase.
She smiles just thinking about that moment, the first time a man had been willing to defend her against another man. Like a cliché, she’d become instantly attached to Darius, sitting by him at lunch when he was all alone, helping each other with assignments, and finally agreeing to start dating. They were both each other’s first real dates, and it showed in their shared awkwardness.
Maybe that was why she had wanted to look up her old account? The thought was fleeting, but the meaning behind it was lasting: To remind herself that she could defend herself, and that Darius, the poor volunteer ragdoll for all her moves would forever be at her side.
Brooklynn breaks herself out of her memories. She has a lot to do today before they arrive. Paying bills. Readying the GCS ingredients. Making sure the smoke alarms work. Something they could have done already if Darius’s brother hadn’t missed his damn plane. At this, she huffs in annoyance, wondering when they’ll get back or if Brandon had convinced Darius to do ‘one last’ favor for him again.
- -
1140am
Spokane International Airport
The nervous groom remembers the protester’s brother inviting him in, along with the three ladies and Kenji. He remembers the story of how he had fought with the deceased before the protest over something unrelated. And he remembers the man breaking down in regret and sorrow, having never been able to say goodbye, to apologize, holding Darius in a hug that lasted for several minutes, causing all the others to cry as well in heartbreak for the innocent life they never knew.
For somebody who still has his brother, Darius isn’t looking forward to this.
With the sky blue and the sun shining down on him, Darius is in a weird place. He knows the weather is cooperative today, that should make him happy. He isn’t happy, but it isn’t because of the weather. It’s because of the man in baggy black jeans and a white hoodie, dancing a weird hip-hop jig on the sidewalk while waiting for his car.
“Aw goddamn,” Darius mutters as he pulls in, allowing the man in. He throws a big duffel bag in the backseat and then climbs into the passenger seat next to Darius.
“Broooo!” he exclaims. “I haven’t seen you in ages! You look good,” he rambles, peering at Darius’s face. “You have a beard coming in, it looks nice, what’s this scar from?”
Darius slaps his hand away and drives. “I’ll tell you after we lay down some ground rules, Brandon. First, if you hit on Brooklynn in my presence, I’m gonna fuck you up. Second, if she, or anyone else tells me you hit on her while I’m not around, I’ll fuck you up. Third, if you do anything at all that she perceives as a sexual advance, I’m not only gonna fuck you up, I’m gonna tie you to the back of this car, bring you back to the airport, and send you on the next flight home, possibly in a body bag. Understand?”
Darius doesn’t actually intend to hurt Brandon, and Brandon knows this, but he needs the older man to know he means business.
“Straight to the point today, huh?” Brandon says with a smirk. “My little brother really is all grown up!”
“I ain’t your LITTLE brother, I’m just younger,” Darius huffs.
The terminal buildings slowly disappear as Darius drives, trees eventually dominating the area. The four-lane Sunset Boulevard stretches ahead of them.
“We’re going to my apartment to finish preparations for the wedding,” Darius says. “You’re gonna help us put it all in the car, and then we’re all spending the night with Yaz and Sammy’s family in their apartment, it’s gonna be a tight fit, heads up. Tomorrow we’re testing cakes and outfit-sizing. The theme is navy-blue and sea-foam green. You will not choose any other colors. We’re hard-pressed for money as it is, but this is our last opportunity.”
Brandon shrugs. “Okay.”
“Speaking of money,” Darius continues, “what did you do with that 500 dollars I sent you for your car repairs? Did you blow it on some more silver necklaces?”
“I got mugged,” Brandon says nonchalantly. “They took it all.”
“Even if I were to believe that’s what really happened, that’s precisely why I told you to keep it in your bank account. Your irresponsible ass is hurting us, Brandon. We could barely afford all the supplies after that.”
Darius’s side of the road narrows to one lane as it descends the long hill, with the other side still two lanes.
He knows he curses a lot when he gets upset enough, and he wants to keep that at a minimum for Brooklynn, who had just last week found out that she was pregnant.
“Are you done yelling at me, Mother?” Brandon says.
“NO, I AIN’T,” Darius bellows, suddenly infuriated that he would dare bring up their mother.
“If you had come earlier, you could have helped us get everything done faster, but whatever you did that took precedence over the first flight I paid for, it set all of us back by three fucking weeks. Sammy’s family was in the flight you MISSED when you were fucking around in Los Angeles,” He fumes.
“The whole point of us paying for a trip for Sammy’s siblings that was specifically being laid over in Los Angeles was so that YOU could board it. We needed you to be in that plane because it was cheaper for us to pay for it when more people are in the same group, and Ultraviolet Airlines flights are expensive for people who aren’t frequent flyers. I’m still pissed at you for that.”
He notices he’s been speeding a bit, and he decelerates to match the speed limit, even though he is the only car on the road.
“You WILL repay me all that money for you car and both flights eventually, understand?” Darius asks, giving his brother the side eye.
“Fine, bro, damn,” Brandon dismisses with a wave of his hand. “I’m just happy I get to see Brooklynn again.”
Darius taps the brakes aggressively, causing Brandon to slam his face into the dashboard. “That’s exactly the kind of shit I don’t wanna hear at my wedding. You may make friendly conversation with her, you may talk when she asks you a question, but if she thinks you’re making her uncomfortable, your ass is going back to LA. And put your seatbelt in, I can’t have you flying through the windshield of my wife’s car.”
“Why didn’t your wife come with you?”
“Because we decided it would be easier if she wasn’t here when you arrived. She’s at the apartment with Sammy and Yasmina getting things ready.”
Brandon sees the short skyscrapers in the distance.
“Damn, this city’s a dump!”
Darius taps the brakes again, making Brandon lurch forward again. “Don’t talk shit about a city you’ve never been to before. This is my home. This is where I’m gonna stay to raise a family with Brooklynn.”
“Are you ever gonna come back to Los Angeles?”
“No!” Darius snaps. “Screw that shit! That city has nothing for me, and the farther away I am from Mom, the better.”
“She’s worried about you though,” Brandon says softly.
This is only flaring Darius’s extremely rare temper.
“I don’t give a fuck! She should have worried when she was making us bleed! I will not be the man who continues the cycle of abuse. She’ll never be allowed around my kids, and when you go back there, you can tell her!”
Brandon, who has been trying to lighten the mood since getting in the car, falls silent, knowing Darius has a point. And forcing his younger brother to talk about it has hurt and upset him in ways he never saw before.
“Didn’t you always tell me everybody deserves a second chance?”
“Man, I was 8 years old, I was a dumbass then,” Darius says flatly. “How many second chances does somebody get before the person doling them out like candy them runs out of patience?”
Brandon gives up, knowing he can’t change his brother’s mind. Brandon knows his personality makes people dislike him, and usually he doesn’t care, but his brother is the one person he cares about, no matter what Darius may think of him. Brandon just doesn’t know how to say this to him, afraid of the younger man’s reaction now that he’s upset.
Darius sighs. “We’ll be there in about 15 minutes, if all goes well, including you not talking while I drive. That part of the trip is over, and your silence begins now.”
Darius turns the radio on, turning the volume down so it can’t totally distract him. In his peripheral vision he sees Brandon settling back in his seat, his mouth remaining closed. Darius mentally thanks him, keeping his eyes on the road ahead.
- -
Zion Apartment Tower, Unit 614
1155am
Yasmina is in her own world now, her headphones blasting her favorite instrumentals she’s made so far.
Her favorite of the four is the one she calls “Run Yasmina”, which she named after the car accident that destroyed her track career. It’s fast-paced, its tone varies wildly, like her mind, and it keeps her motivated. And motivation is something she needs right now, especially since her lunge routine is killing her today, the pain shooting up her body worse than usual.
At least she doesn’t have to worry about physical pain at her new job at the call center, Yaz thinks to herself. Just sitting there until her phone rings, and then having horrible people yell at her all day for 15 dollars an hour.
Nope, no pain there.
Yaz feels something hit her leg, and she yelps and dives for cover by the entertainment center, yanking her headphones out of her ears. Laying on her belly, she turns her head around to look at what has hit her, and she sees a young girl there, who can’t be more than sixteen years old, in a t-shirt and shorts.
“I’m sorry sweetie,” Yasmina says, smiling nervously. “I didn’t see you. You’re Camilla, right?”
The girl stands up and nods dramatically, then fires off a phrase in Spanish. Confused, Yaz says, “I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you said –“
“I said it’s too bad your health insurance doesn’t cover vision,” the teen remarks.
Yasmina frowns. In all her years married to Sammy, Yasmina had never heard Sammy speak Spanish besides the occasional mi amor (my love) and por favor (please). She knows Sammy can speak it fluently, but she always spoke English around her. Sammy never thought it was a problem that Yasmina didn’t know Spanish, so why this girl is making it one, she doesn’t know.
“You should watch where you’re going,” Camilla says in English. “That way you don’t trip people.”
“You crashed into me though!” Yasmina objects, her anxiety rising. “I didn’t see you behind me, I swear!”
Camilla nods again with as much drama as before, and heads towards their bedroom. Straining to hear what Camilla says, she curses silently when she can hear Sammy and Camilla engage in a very short argument in Spanish. Camilla is likely telling Sammy she hates her, Yasmina thinks, her heart dropping.
Deciding to end her workout early, Yasmina stops her music and stands slowly, listening to the popping sounds coming from her legs. “I don’t even have health insurance,” Yasmina mutters sadly to herself.
Two other girls, one in a shirt covered with sunflowers, and the other wearing a striped shirt with different shades of orange, run out of the room laughing. They both crash into her, wrapping her in a hug. “Hi Aunt Yazzy!” one of them yells. These girls are young as well, not more than ten years old, but they are both as tall as Yasmina’s chest.
“Hi, good morning!” Yasmina says, her mood reignited happily. “It’s just Yaz though, you don’t have to call me Aunty! Or Yazzy, although it's really cute.”
Orange Stripes says, “We’re getting ready to head out and buy flowers for Aunty Brooklynn and Uncle Darius soon! So go get in the shower!”
“Noooo, I need to talk to Aunt Yazzy real quick,” Sammy yells, emerging from the room with Camilla. Camilla branches to the kitchen and Sammy moves in front of Yaz, pulling her two younger sisters off of her. Sammy taps Oranges Stripes on the head. “You can let go of her now, Paula!” Sammy then taps Sunflower’s head too. “You too, Rose. Go play the Switch or something in the room!”
The two girls run back to the living room, yelling in delight.
Sammy hugs Yasmina for a short while, warming her heart, a smile forming on her face. Then when Sammy breaks contact, her body moving away from her, Yasmina whimpers at the loss of nearness.
Sammy pecks Yasmina on the lips. “I’m sorry about Camilla, love. She’s really sweet, but –“
“No, Sammy, she hates me!” Yasmina insists. “I accidentally hit her while working out, and she said something in Spanish about my health insurance.”
“You don’t have health insurance though,” Sammy deadpans.
“I know!” Yasmina says. “She doesn’t like that I can only speak English! I mean, my family is mostly from Mecca, but they never taught me how to speak anything except English!” Yasmina plops down on the floor. “I’m so ashamed Sammy. If I knew learning Spanish would be something I’d need to do, I would have a long time ago.”
Sammy sits down in front of her, putting a kind, gentle hand on her shoulder. “It’s fine, honey-pie. Spanish isn’t my first language either. And if I wanted you to speak it more often, I’d be trying to give you Spanish lessons. Besides, people aren’t that accepting of other languages in this region, especially in the smaller cities farther east.”
Yasmina hangs her head. “So now I have to be stuck with a scary hormonal teenager who thinks I suck at being bilingual, and deal with other idiots who ALSO can’t speak anything beside English, because they’re also all too lazy to learn it.”
Sammy lifts Yasmina’s head up, forcing her to look in Sammy’s eyes. Doing this is hard for her, even for people she trusts the most.
Sammy says, “Camilla doesn’t hate you. She can just be kind-of … passive-aggressive.”
Yasmina snorts. “I’d rather her just yell at me.”
“Oh no, no you wouldn’t. If you heard us just now, it’s way worse than that when she hates somebody.”
Yasmina lets out a sigh and stands up, feeling Camilla’s eyes on her as she lifts Sammy up with one hand. “Okay,” Yasmina whispers, touching her forehead to Sammy’s. “I trust you.”
“I know you do, and I trust you,” Sammy whispers back.
“Brooklynn texted a few minutes ago to say she’ll be here soon. Darius is pickin’ up his brother from the airport and will arrive soon as well. We need to freshen up before they all get here.”
“Okay,” Yasmina replies, walking away with her hand in Sammy’s until her hand slips away.
When Yasmina enters the bathroom, Sammy turns her attention to Camilla. She scolds her sister, “Necesito que empieces a ser más amable con tu tía. Ella no está obligada a saber español, porque no era un problema cuando éramos solo nosotros. Tú, tus dos hermanas y yo somos las únicas personas aquí que podemos.”
“Lo que digas,” Camilla replies, putting her headphones back in.
"I need you to start being nicer to your Aunt. She isn’t required to know Spanish, because it wasn’t a problem when it was only us. You, your two sisters and I are the only people here who can."
"Whatever you say."
Flustered, Sammy shakes her head and pulls out her phone. She has a four-minute-old text from Darius. <ETA 15 minutes ma’am.>
Sammy texts back. <Yaz is showering now, Brooklynn not here yet>
Sammy tasks herself with brushing her hair in the living room while the three kids are in the bedroom. Her short hair feels frizzly, rough, coarse.
Yasmina appears from the bathroom wrapped in a towel, at the same time Darius arrives with Brandon, both taking their shoes off at the door. Darius greets Sammy with a nod and a smile, then looks to the right, sees Yaz in the towel, and retreats into the living room, his face burning. Brandon stays back to gawk, but Darius yanks him away.
“Quit staring at her, you fuckin’ – !”
Brandon laughs as he stumbles from Darius’s pull. Darius turns him around to face him.
“Seriously what’s wrong with you?” Darius tries to say in a hushed voice.
Yasmina can still hear him, so she chimes in jokingly, “It’s okay Darius, they’re just boobs.”
“That’s fine, I’m just trying to teach this idiot some respect,” Darius calls to her, without breaking his eyes away from Brandon. “He seems to have a staring problem and a hands problem, specifically with Brooklynn, but you never know.”
As Yasmina goes to the bedroom to get dressed, she kicks all the kids out and shuts the door. Darius looks his older brother in the eyes and growls, “Enough staring,” just as the three girls retreat to the living room. Trying to make himself heard without screaming over the girls, Darius hisses in Brandon’s face, “You should show more respect. She’s a person, not a piece of meat.”
Without caring who hears him, Brandon retorts, “Alright fine, but with a body like that, I’d still hit it.”
Darius, who normally isn’t a violent person, stomps on his foot to shut him up. “Aw!” Brandon exclaims.
“She’s married. I swear to Christ you better shut it,” Darius warns. A flicker of amusement crosses Brandon’s face, Darius can read it, it’s his rules-were-meant-to-be-broken face. “She's married to Sammy,” he adds. “She’s gay.”
Brandon’s face falls flat. “She is? Damn, okay.”
Brooklynn opens the door just then, wearing a pair of jeans and a yellow blouse. Paula and Rose run to her and embrace her, yelling wildly how happy there are to see her. Darius is next, giving her a loving embrace and a smooch on the lips.
“Hi babe,” Brooklynn coos in his ear she pulls away and studies her beloved’s face, her expression growing concerned. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” Darius replies, “but the better question is, is he okay,” and he motions to Brandon with a nod in his direction.
Brooklynn looks past Darius and sees Brandon. As he catches her eye, he waves confidently and says, “Hey Brook!”
Brooklynn wordlessly nods to him.
“I swear, I’ll try to keep a handle on the remarks,” Darius whispers to her.
“Good,” she replies. “And thank you.”
Sammy moves to give Brooklynn a hug. “Hi hon.”
Brooklynn and Sammy groan happily, treasuring the hug and squeezing one another just that little bit extra tight before pulling away.
“We’re almost there,” Sammy says. “I just have to shower.”
“Wait, where are we going?” Brooklynn asks.
“Aren’t we going to Mister Tux today for everybody?” Sammy questions.
“No, not all of us,” Brooklynn says. “Just the boys! We got Darius his, and sent some extra money to Brandon … to get fitted … before …” her words trail off when she sees her fiancé wince, and then stare very intently at the floor. “He blew it all already, didn’t he?”
Grim-faced, Darius nods his head.
“Alright, so the boys, and Brandon,” Brooklynn says, rolling her eyes. “So I’m going with Darius to help mediate Kenji and the store owner when it comes to measurements.”
“Surely it should go pretty well,” Darius says with a laugh. “Kenji used to be rich, so he should have some experience with tuxedos.”
“Did you even ask him?” Sammy asks, raising an eyebrow.
Darius releases he hasn’t yet, and his smile drops. “Dang.”
“I did,” Brooklynn rolls her eyes as she takes off her shoes. “Did you know when he was heir to Kon Industries he ‘dabbled in modeling?’ If you didn’t now you do. And trust me you do not want to ask, he has the pictures saved!”
Everyone laughs.
“So yeah, he broke down how measurements were meant to be taken and I just wanna go make sure there isn’t any bloodshed over it!” she continues.
Seeing the way Darius frowns, Brooklynn taps him with the back of her hand. “We should have enough money for one more tux.”
“How much exactly?” Darius presses.
“About one-thousand-four-hundred dollars.”
Darius groans inwardly. That’s all they have left, besides Brooklynn’s YouTube monetary savings, which Darius had suggested they don’t touch.
“Are you sure you want to do it?” Darius asks, not so sure he wants to hear her answer. He feels guilty for blowing all their money on the wedding.
Brooklynn looks him in the eyes and nods slightly. “We won’t get another chance for several more years. I’m perfectly happy pulling some from the YouT –“
“No, don’t do that! You’ll need it later, I don’t wanna deplete it too soon, that’s your money,” Darius says firmly. “You earned it.”
“Are you sure?” Brooklynn pries, her arms folded across her chest.
Darius looks to Sammy for input, but she just shrugs.
“Yes ma’am. I can do this with what we have left without screwing up your YouTube funding.”
“You know there’s a reason why it’s even in that account,” Brooklynn reminds him.
“We need that for our baby, and for expenses we can’t cover out of pocket. I don’t wanna mess that up for us.”
“Okay,” Brooklynn relents. “Let’s go get the tuxes, tuxi, tuxies … Darius … what’s the plural for tux?”
“Uhh I think you had it right the first time!” he grins catching her by the chin and pulling her in for a kiss. “But you sure are cute when you’re confused!”
- - - -