Stormz on the Horizon

The Messy Meal

Diamond

Four hours before the game

"Girl you done being 'sick' yet?" Brandy asked for the umpteenth time.

Yes, you read correctly. I haven't been back to school since Tuesday because I've been "under the weather." It felt like the biggest lie I've told in my life simply because of the fact that I don't lie. I never get sick. Not so much as a sniffle. Most kids get sick because they are around so many others and their germs at school. That was a perk of isolation that I enjoyed so much. While other people had to be sent home, miss performances, and drown in cough syrup, I didn't have to.

My immune system was impressive if I do say so myself. I don't know where it came from, but it set me apart from my household. It seemed a common cold couldn't even touch me.

That brings me to say that it was extremely hard to fake illness, but it didn't take much to convince my parents that I needed to stay home. I went downstairs displaying that I had been run over by a truck as best I could put forth and they went with it. "Must've caught something from all those nasty behind boys and girls at school, I'm not surprised," Mama theorized. Daddy didn't have too much to say because he was running out of the door, late for work. That had to be God, because if he had time he probably would've been grilling me. Mama was more lenient of the two. I liked to take advantage of that from time to time.

I sat at home, of course feeling like myself. You couldn't tell me that wasn't the best vacation one could imagine. There was nothing like "me time". I didn't have to entertain anyone but myself, it was perfect. My teachers knew I was "sick" and just gave me what I needed to complete my assignments for the next three days. Which, I did everything in one day with no problems. Why wouldn't I? No point in letting it sit there to do itself. That left me plenty of opportunity to self care. I caught up on my shows, finished two of the books I was in the middle of, not to mention some much needed pampering. The twins were gone for school now so I had Amber coach me over the phone to touch up this frontal. The science behind applying lace is beyond me, but I think it looked alright.

But, no matter how much I tried to occupy myself, it wasn't enough to get rid of the feeling that I wasn't in the house alone. My paranoia has reached a new height. Although I hadn't set eyes on or been in Damien's presence in three days, it felt like his was growing stronger as they went on. It was like he lingered wherever I moved. I found myself constantly looking over my shoulder in a crazed manner as if to defend myself. I knew what I had done helped me for that moment, but at what cost? The worst of it happened when I attempted to sleep at night. My body refused to rest and I laid awake looking at his irate, ravening face in my ceiling. I never had a nightmare feel so real. I didn't have them at all to be honest. I didn't know what I would see in my dreams if I closed my eyes. Would I be dragged into a dark abyss by his claws or would he be the one stabbing me instead? I bet you can conclude I didn't get any rest whatsoever. I'm no stranger to restlessness, so I'm fine, but it affected me in another way.

Cuts were on Thursday evening and I was a zombie by then. You didn't think about that did you Diamond? I can miss school, but practice still goes on. If I'm not there for cuts, I won't dance and we don't want that. I was absent for three days worth of material and had to bootleg it from CoCo on FaceTime. I couldn't be present because I "was not well still" so, Jabari begged his Mama to let me participate in cuts over the computer. Which was a fool. I barely made it by the skin of my teeth because dancing full out equated to lifting my ringer finger without moving the rest of them. That is what sleep deprivation does to you ladies and gentleman. ; )

At least I was eating regularly.

Friday, today, came and I stayed home the first half of the day. Of course on game days athletics are dismissed early to get ready to travel or whatever the case may be. I showed up at the dressing room with the rest of the team like I never left.