Afraid

Chp. 22

Amaya's POV

My hair refused to stay in the bun I proudly plopped on my head. I was about to fix it again when Jamal came out of nowhere.

"You need some help? My mom made me learn how to braid her hair."

"Um.....sure?" I handed him my hair tie and sat down to let him try.

He had started and messed up twice. After ten minutes my neck started to hurt. Just as I was about to tell him to quit he said he was done.

"Give me your phone so I can take a picture of it." I handed him my phone and waited.

Waited longer than someone should for a photo.

"Jamal, can I have my phone?"

No response.

I turned around he had booked it out of the gym.

"I'm gonna kill that jackass."

Coach yelled at the chaperones to get into place. 

He had me checking students in with my mother. Oh fun.

She was checking IDs and I was taking tickets, in silence.

"Is Raf your boyfriend?"

"No. He was one of my only friends in Seattle."

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No, do you?"

"No. Why did you go home?"

"I needed help with something."

"Mija, I'm trying here. Just let me in."

"I went home to open up my old boxes from high school. Raf texted me saying he was here for the weekend, I told him I was at the school."

"What were you looking for?"

"Things. Can we drop it?"

My favorite students came through the thing next.

"Ruby. Jasmine. You guys entering the dance competition?"

"Entering? We're three time winners. We're here to crush all the other losers." Jasmine is a little too passionate about certain things in life.

"Well she's here to crush them. I'm here to show outside Ruben tonight." I put my hand up to stop him.

"I don't wanna know. Just go have a good time."

Jasmine grabbed Ruby and pulled him into the gym making me cackle.

"Are they dating?" I ask my mom.

"I don't know but if they are," she moved in closer to me, "pray for Ruby." Now I was really laughing.

It was nice to laugh with her for once and not fight. Not have to be her equal while also being seen as less than her.