Troubled -A Part of Dark like Me.-

*23* Creators Of Suffering

We got back home around 10:50pm Saturday night. Through the ride home, all I could do was think about the pros and cons about going to Ravenhill. I had already spoken to Caroline about it and Bradly, they told me to go. However, I had not spoken to Jaz about it. So, I texted her on the way home to see if she can come over so I could talk to her about this. She agreed to coming over. My father ran his mouth about Ravenhill, trying to secretly convince me to go.

In my toom, Jaz and I sit on my bed with cookies she brought from home. I love her mother's cookies. We watch television; Law and Order to be exact.

"I didn't know Caroline had her baby." Jaz says stuffing a cookie in her mouth.

"Yeah. I forgot to mention it to you." I say gulping on the milk I had brought from the kitchen. "A little boy."

"Aww," Jaz coos. "Is he sleeping?"

I listen and hear nothing. "Yeah. Surprisingly, he sleeps through the night. Except for that one night when he first came home. That was a sleepless night for everyone." I giggle.

Jaz giggles too. "Well, maybe I can see him before I leave."

"I will ask Caroline."

"Great. I adore babies." Jaz turns to the television.

"Jaz, I have got something to tell you." I say in all seriousness figuring that now is the time to talk to her.

Jaz turns the volume down a little and pays attention to me. "What is it? Are you in trouble?"

"No, I am not in trouble." I chuckle. "I am going to another school soon." With me saying that means I have made up my mind to actually go to Ravenhill.

"B...But why?" She asks a little upset.

"I-have some issues and going to this school can help me deal with these issues." I break the news to her even though I don't tell her what the issues are.

"What school?"

"Ravenhill."

"I hadn't heard of that but if you need to go for you, then you go." She tells me encouragingly.

I thought she would ask me about the issues I have. But, she hadn't. Since she stopped talking to Noemi; Jaz has been acting like herself again.

"Yeah, I hope that it's a good choice." I whisper.

"It will be if you go through with it, Allyira." She says.

"Yeah." I sigh a little tired from the day.

"Noemi told me what you said happened between you and Felix." Jaz utters silently as if it is a secret.

I knew this was coming. I sit there and listen. "What?"

"That you accused Felix of trying to molest you." Jaz spoke.

I shifts around. I am sure she; Noemi has told almost the whole school body by now, if she told Jaz. "What else did she say?"

"That you were lying about it, just to get her attention and all that." She tells me the rest.

"Do you believe me?" I ask her my voice low.

"I do believe you on that because Felix thinks he is entitled to getting all he wants and if he doesn't get what he wants. He'll take it. He tried that bull with me a few years ago, when I told my brother. He beat Felix up and for a long time Felix wouldn't say anything to me because of it. I did tell Noemi but she laughed in my face and told me that I wasn't good enough for her brother to even try that on." Jaz confesses.

"Yeah, she told me the same thing and that I wasn't Felix's type."

Jaz nods. "Yeah, she said that to me as well. As if her brother can do no wrong in her eyes."

"Yeah." I sigh again. "I hate it. But, that's Noemi though."

"It is. That it is."

We both sit there and silently munch on the cookies while watching Law and Order. I believe that we are both in our thoughts about Felix and Noemi. I know there is nothing I can do about neither one of them, but I still have an issue with Noemi not believing me when I told her about her brother at the party. Then Jaz's information about Felix. Too much crap going around but I do not want it to seem as though I am running from my issues by moving to another school.

"Are you still going to be home?" Jaz breaks the silence.

"No. I will be staying there and coming home for the weekends and holidays. But, I will mostly be there, though."

"Oh. That sounds like a very good thing." She sighs sadly.

"Oh ok. You got Parrish, though. I will be the newb there." I laugh trying to heighten her spirits.

She laughs too, "Yeah, I know. But dealing with Noemi by myself is going to be hell and I do not have back-up or a good friend."

"Bao Wen, she's a very good person and she dislikes Noemi. She's got all the dirt on Noemi as well. I am not sure how, but she does. And she'll help you with whatever you need. Who knows yall could probably do a double date." I tease.

"Of course. She is in most of my classes except the last class. She and I are normally talking about whatever." Jaz explains.

"Great. See, it is going to work out, alright?" I say trying to be positive about the whole thing.

"I guess so." She smiles.

Parrish picked up Jaz around 11:35pm.

I go to my father's study which is down in the basement. I thought it would always be hot down here, but father had it insulated with the rest of the house.

"Allyira? How can I help you? And I thought you would be sleeping with everyone else."

"Jaz just left and no."

"Oh, I heard you guys talking when I went to go check on Caroline and Greyson. She sounds like a good friend."

"She is." I look at the sheet of paper with a bunch of numbers on it. "The hospital's budget?"

"Yeah and the house's finances too."

I pick up one sheet of paper with the list of some employees' payments on it for their paychecks. My father does a lot, other than being the head surgeon. He and a few other heads split the pay list. I try to add up a few of the employees' payments, something did not add up right.

"Father, why is his check more than her's?" I point to what I am talking about. He looks at what I am pointing at.

"I...I don't know." He continues to look at the paper. "Hm? I will have a look at it." He takes the paper and looks a little closer at it.

"I have decided to go." I yawn.

He looks at me as if he isn't so sure he heard me correctly. "You what?"

"I want to go to Ravenhill." I repeat myself.