2020

1st Day Back

My sister Maque and I pull up to school. I park next to my friends red Jeep. She's bumping music in her car so loud the it's vibrating. I watch her as she finishes up putting on her second eyelash. I put my car in park and shut off the engine. I drink the last of my green smoothie.

"You ready?" I ask my sister.

"Yeah. Do I look okay?" She continues to fix her hair for the fifth time.

"Dude you look good. You always do." I grab my bag and get out the car. I fix my hair too. Then when Maque is out I lock my car.

Caro sees me and smiles. She gets out the car and I see Zaya come out of the passenger door.

"Hii Girls!" I'm always happy to see them.

They both smile.We wait for Maque as she stares at herself in the car window and continues to still fix her hair.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm comingg." She says catching up to us.

It was April. We were on our first day back to school since quarantine and months of distance learning. It was my senior year. I felt relieved that I was almost finished with high school, only a couple months and soon on to my next path in life. The sun was out smiling bright and my mood was happy. It felt good to be back in my normal routine and I was excited to show my little sister the place where she'd be spending her next four years. We walk into school from the parking lot and it looks just the same. Same people. Same blue stand up tables. Same principal greeting us at the gate.

"Damn I really thought maybe somethin would look different. Shit was I wrong." I said raising my eyebrows.

"Shit I forgot my phone in your car Caro". Zaya says.

"Ugh really" Caro looks at me. "Alright Yris we'll be right back. We're gonna go get her phone".

"Alright. We'll be at the stage". I walk with Maque over to the stage. The suns beams on us.

"Hopefully we get time like this often. You know just us." Maque smiles.

I smile back. "Trust me. No matter what I'll always make time for just us."

Even though Maque was tough and could handle her own she always wanted me there by her side. It was pretty rare that we'd ever get time alone.

"Yrisss" "Yoo Yris." I hear a familiar voice. I turn around and see Zion and a dude named Messiah walking up to me and my sister. He has the biggest grin on his face. His perfect white teeth reflect back at the sun. Him and Messiah jump up on the stage and come up behind Maque and I. He gives a stroke to my hair and sits right next to me while his Messiah stands in front. He takes a good, long look into my eyes. He always looked angry.

"Heey. How've you been". I smile at him.

"This your sister?" He stares at Maque with no emotion.

"Yeah, Maque" I say.

"Hii" She says with a pretty smile.

"What are you doing after school?" He gets super close to my face.

"Whatever Maque wants." I look at her for help but she doesn't say a word.