The Fire Within

Chapter One: Party

                      Nylah

                   Chapter One

“Are you ready for tonight, Nylah?” I turned to find Jay’s beaming face as I dropped of the heavy load of dirty dishes in the sink. I sighed and rounded on her. ‘No Jay, I am not ready. The kids at school don’t even like me, let alone talk to me so why would I go to a party with them?” I asked in exasperation, sitting down with a plunk on the stool by the counter; Jay sat next to me.

I wasn’t popular at all at school. I was known as the half- breed orphan. Being half African American, half Hispanic wasn’t normal in rural New York, and on top of that I was adopted and a bit of a hermit. The only friend I had was Jay. That was the only reason I was even considering going to the stupid party.

It didn’t help my social predicament that I looked so different from everyone. All the girls that went to my school were rail thin, where I had a surplus of curves. I wouldn’t call myself fat and I wouldn’t call myself skinny either. As for my height I didn’t have that big of an advantage in that area either. I came to a whopping five feet, two inches. Life can be cruel at times. 

I sighed and looked at Jay again. She was so lucky. She was built like an Amazon woman. Her muscled body was lithe and lean. She wasn’t overly tall and her skin had a perfect caramel glow. Her big hazel eyes always glowed with mischief and that streak of stubbornness that made her, well, Jay. She had long dark tresses with natural brown and red highlights running through it, and a smile that made the brightest of stars look dim. I never could figure out what her heritage was. She told me when we first met that her parents were Hispanic, but I could tell that it was something more than that. It drove me crazy that I was never able to figure it out.

We had met each other in the fifth grade. We were out on the playground for recess when she marched up to me and introduced herself. After I told her my name she stated very clearly that we were going to be best friends forever. I laughed and agreed and we haven’t been separated since. I was so grateful that she came into my life.

“Oh, Nylah, there you go again always over thinking things. I wish you would stop worrying and have fun for once.” She nudged me out of my spell of self- loathing.

I made a face at her. “I am not over thinking things; even if I were how would you know?” I hated that she could figure me out so quickly and yet I did the same thing to her. We were so attune to each other it was futile trying to keep secrets from each other. For me that ability went beyond her. I could always tell when someone was upset or was lying to my face. They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul and I believed them. One look into a person’s eyes and I could know whether or not I could trust them.

“I know that you’re over thinking things because when you do you always get little worry wrinkles between your brows, and you chew on your bottom lip like its candy.” She gestured to my face and I realized she was right. I quickly smoothed my expression.

She snickered clearly satisfied that she made her point. “Told you!” she mocked making a face at me. In response I stuck my tongue out at her. She frowned and scooped an ice cube from someone’s dirty glass and chucked it down the front of my out of date diner dress that was my work outfit.

Shocked I leapt of the stool and pried my dress from my body trying to let the offending cold object slid from my skin. I threw a dish towel at her face, but she caught it before it hit. “You’re such jerk!” I tried to maintain my angry face, but my laughter shone in my eyes and eventually leaked into a smile.