Hadiya sat at the dinner table with her mother, father, aunt, and grandfather who had come from South Carolina to visit. Her grandfather and father were engaged in their own conversation while her aunt and mother occupied themselves with whatever they were talking about. Hadiya on the other hand was fairly quiet and closed off, for many reasons. One being Tysheem. The only time she would speak is when someone asked her something.
Her parents peeped out her behavior but decided against saying anything. Her aunt and grandfather thought that, that was just her new character since they hadn't seen her in years. Her aunt Vivian looked at her niece and put down her fork. She thought something was completely off being that Hadiya literally wasn't saying a word she hadn't even touched her plate since she sat down at the table.
"So I heard that prom is two days away, do you have a dress" her aunt questioned, folding her hands together and putting them under her chin. Her grandfather stopped talking to look at his granddaughter. Hadiya shook her head no. "Well tomorrow we can go shopping I ran across this very nice place the other day and this dress that I seen was beautiful it'll go great with your chocolate skin" Hadiya smiled.
"Thanks aunt Vivian" she nodded her head.
"How's school? Do you have a boyfriend" Stevenson started to cough before picking up his glass of water and sipping on it. "I take that as a yes" Vivian side-eyed her brother who was obviously trying his hardest not to snap.
"I'm actually really glad you asked that" Hadiya smirked and looked at her father who was sending her a death glare. He already knew she was about to start something and this wasn't the time. "I met this boy and he was my everything" Vivian smiled. Stevenson's fork slammed against his plate and he pointed his finger at Hadiya.
"Do not bring him up in my house" she diverted her eyes back to her aunt, ignoring his demand.
"He took me out on dates, we laughed, confided and brought out the best in each other, sat on the phone all night he even taught me how to drive" she smiled while talking about him. "But good things don't always last, right" she chuckled bitterly, shaking her head.
"One day we got into a little disagreement about something and he blacked out"
"Blacked out?" Steve, her grandfather spoke up.
"He choked me" Vivian's eyebrows raised as she looked at Chelly who shook her head. She was tired of it all. The back and forth about the same old situation that happened months ago. "you see everyone makes mistakes and it takes a wise person to forgive so that's what I did, I forgave him because he deserved it" Stevenson scoffed.
"Your brother here took it upon himself to threaten his life and everything else for one, simple mistake" Steve looked at his son. "I mean every time he sees him here he goes flashing out and threatening to beat him up mind you, he's only eighteen"
"I wouldn't give a damn if he was ten you really believe I would let him putting his hands on you slide like it's nothing especially after what happened to Serenity"
"I'm not Serenity"
"You're going to end up just like her"
"The both of you stop it right now" Chelly said.
"I hate you, you ruined everything" her voice cracked as she scooted her chair back and got up, racing to her room. Once she reached her room she slammed the door and locked it.
"She's young Stevenson" his father said. "You have to let her make her own mistakes and learn from them it'll only get worse if you continue to make them for her"
"What the hell are you doing threatening an eighteen-year old boy?" His sister asked him. "Stevenson I understand you want to protect her but the way your going about it is really absurd and you know it" she sighed and got up to go check on her niece. Making it to her room she knocked a few times.
"I don't want to talk" Hadiya's voice came out muffled as she laid, curled up against her pillow.
"It's aunt Vivian" she waited at the door until the lock was twisted and the door was opened. "Oh hunny come here" Hadiya cried, going into her aunts embrace.
