"Yale? Sheesh, these Ivy's love you and Zion. Did she tell you about her Princeton offer?"
Slouching down in the seat, I messed with the salad on my plate. "No, I didn't. It hasn't come up yet. We haven't spoke about colleges."
"Oh, my bad," My dad laughs. "I'm sorry."
"Can we talk about something other than track?" My mom asked. "I understand you love it, honey, but look at Zion's face. Plus, we need to be getting to know Zaire. He doesn't care about the Olympic talk."
"No, no, I care. We can continue this talk next time, if there is a next time."
Nodding his head, my dad started his next conversation. "How did you meet Zion?"
"Track practice. I saw her around school of course, but we never talked until track practices started and we just started talking more from there. I liked her, but I knew about what happened and I didn't want to push myself onto her so soon after. I just let my time come."
"She's had a lot of trauma, so as long as you treat her with respect and you're understanding then you're almost perfect in my book." My mom says.
"Nobody's perfect for my girl, but you'll be up there definitely." My dad co-signed, causing Zaire to laugh.
"I'm right here, y'all," I roll my eyes in annoyance. "And I'm not damaged goods, stop wording it like that."
"Nobody was saying you're damaged goods, Zion. You know exactly what we mean—"
"You didn't have to mention it, though." I shrug. "Wasn't really necessary."
"Let me talk to you outside, young." My dad stood up from his seat, motioning at Zaire.
Zaire stood up and placed a kiss on my cheek before following my dad outside. Awkwardness filling up the dining area. "Stop acting like that, Zion."
"Like what?" I scoff.
"Saida, Leila, y'all are excused."
Wasting no time, the both of them got up and went upstairs. Leaving me and my mother alone at the table.
"How am I acting? Bringing up how I have a lot of trauma was unnecessary. He knows about what happened and he also knows that I'm more than that. It doesn't have to be brung up in every conversation. I was not trying to sound rude when I said what I said but I have a right to feel how I feel."
"I'm not saying you don't. You're right, though. I shouldn't have said that and it won't happen again. It's just hard not knowing if people understand the baggage that can come with something like that."
"It's fine." I shrug, wanting the dinner to be over with already.
It had barely started and I was already over it. This is why I was against them meeting Zaire in the first place. I knew they would make it awkward.
SAIDA
"I'm about to vomit." I walked into Leila's room, tears streaming down my face.
"Are you good?" She asks and I shake my head no as I push my phone in her face, looking down at the screen myself.
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