A Black Girl (Book 1)

Two Black Kids

One Week Later

Life is...life. At least I'm still living.

I look at the cast on my left arm and wince. The doctors told me that this won't be coming off for several weeks. But, it's ok because according to my grandma and everyone else, that gives me the whole summer to heal and rest up.

I would love to say that the people who jumped me were found, but they weren't. After they got through beating the shit out of me, they left me where I was hidden from the public. Malik told me that I had to have been in that same position, unconscious for six hours.  From what I've been told, my grandma got a call about four hours in, that I hadn't been home, and that's when she started her own search team. My soldier of a Grandma got her connections together and sent as many people as she could, combing my area. Somehow Malik and my brother had been paired up, and by chance, both found me. I'd spent a few days in the hospital recovering from the heavy bruises, a broken arm, broken noise, and a slight concussion, but now I'm at my grandma's house, living in a room that she had set up for me.

My third day in the hospital, she had told me that I would be at her house, and that she wanted me to relocate to her side of town and finish school there. I think that was one of the happiest days in my life. I probably cried.

After being jumped by the anonymous people, my Grandma didn't feel comfortable with letting me stay with my Dad. He hadn't had any insurance on me, so much of the cost had to be divided between my Grandma and Uncles.

The hood doesn't love you, but sometimes your family does.

A tap tap sounded at the front door. I looked away from the t.v. in the living room and clicked at the door with the t.v. remote with my good arm "Come in."

A few people had been by to see me since I'd been released from the hospital. My sister had been by the day before, apologetic and regretful for being so mean to me. My brother had come with her, too sheepish and proclaiming that he was going to give up weed for me so he could be a better brother. I'd stood up, dragging the bottoms of my long pajama across the floor and tried to hug the both of them with my good arm Daddy had made an excuse about why he couldn't come, but I was ok with that. He hadn't been much a father anyway.

Now, a dark head peeps through a crack in the door with a shy smile, "Can I come in?"

I click at him with the remote and roll my eyes "Uh, yah. I told you, you could Malik. Walk on in."

He does, closes the door behind him, and in some bag that I had failed to see, he brings forth a teddy bear with pink fur, "Ta-Da!"

I smile, mostly because this guy has proven to be a better friend than anyone else and we're not really friends. This is his first time visiting, all I've heard about him has been hearsay so far, but I know that it's the truth. I motion for the bear and when he gives it to me, I press it to my nose with my good arm, smell the scentless fur and beam up at him "How did you know I had a teddy bear fetish?"

"I didn't" he drops down, tall, dark, my hero, into one of Grandma's arm chairs, "but I was hoping that you were that type of girl."

"Indeed I am," I settle the bear in the space between my crossed legs on the couch and can't help but blush, "I know I've been a jerk to you for a really long time...and I just want to tell you thank you, for helping to find me."

Malik is cuter than I've given him props for, and with a head full of wooly hair and dimples to match, I see him as the epitome for African American male strength. He grins, and my heart tweaks a little. I'm not one to rebound, but if I could do it without feeling bad, I'd do for Malik in an instant. I guess that's why you're supposed to wait a while after a break up before you start dating again. It's just, seeing him sitting there, and me feeling this bear in my lap, and me knowing that he cared enough about me and Grandma to look for me, it makes me feel some type of way. I love Jamal and everything, but this guy has trumped him without even trying.