Aisle 10

twenty // connection

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Saturday 4th September

Dominic Richards wasn't in the best of moods. Between having to deal with his uncle, cousins, being grounded and the nagging itch of anger that had been dancing in the shadows of his mind, he had barely been able to stay sane for the last two days.

He let out an annoyed grunt as his eyes flickered to his knuckles which were gripping the steering wheel of his uncle's car. They were decorated in bruises, the aftermath of a recent scrap with one of his elder cousins. Dominic wasn't usually a violent person, at least he hadn't been since he'd moved in with his uncle, but one thing had led to another and he'd found himself hailing down a series of blows in a storm of blinding rage.

Dominic brushed away his previous thoughts as he pulled into the Stonehall County Library car park. It was usually empty but as he exited the vehicle Dominic noticed a large van with the words Stonehall Movers across the side. He walked towards it, frowning at the brown boxes and furniture piled up in the back.

"Have you got my heels?" a familiar voice asked from behind him.

"What is this?" Dominic asked quietly.

"A moving van." Kaden replied as she walked up to Dominic and placed a brown box into the back. "Have you got my heels?"

"Why do you need a moving van?" Dominic pressed as he turned to Kaden with a frown.

"The clue's in the name, Dominic." she said flatly. "Don't tell make me spell it out for you." she sighed as she flicked a few of her freshly done braids over her right shoulder.

"You can't be." Dominic said with a slight shake of his head.

"Tell that to social services." Kaden scoffed.

"What happen--"

"It doesn't matter. The fact is, Jordan and I aren't going to be here for much longer--"

"Kaden I swear if this is a joke..." Dominic muttered as he ran a hand through his messy brown hair.

"It would have to be funny in order to be a joke." Jordan all but spat, her features curling into a scowl. "Sorry." she apologised almost immediately, her eyes fluttering shut for a moment. "That was rude."

"No shit." Dominic muttered, his eyes flickering over to the automatic doors of the library that were slowly opening, expecting a certain someone to come out.

But instead of Jordan, a young looking woman with brown skin and braids almost identical to Kaden's stepped out, dressed in a plain white top and ripped, paint-splattered jeans. She walked up to the pair, her eyes glued to Kaden.

"Are you doing okay?" she asked softly.

"I'm fine." Kaden huffed. "Dominic, this is my aunt, Tanya."

Tanya turned to Dominic with a smile, her slightly chubby hand held out to him.

"Hi." she greeted with a warm smile.

"Hi." Dominic replied uncertainly as he shook her soft hand.

"Should I leave you two alone for a minute?" Tanya asked with a mildly devious smile. Kaden stared at her for a few moments before stalking off to the front of the van, her long back braids swinging rhythmically behind her.