Twisties

Chapter 1

"Ow!" yelped Tatiana. I had yanked a little too roughly, trying to go as quick as I could.

"Oh, my bad. Bet now you won't be so hard headed though," I said.

"Yeah, yeah, are you finished?"

"Yup! You're good to go." Patting her head, I got up and stretched. I threw on some joggers and a cropped hoodie before we both left my room. Since it was Monday, I wasn't trying to care about how I looked.

When I walked into the kitchen, I was surprised to see Grandpa sitting at the table, drinking what was probably coffee, and reading the newspaper. Since Grandpa worked third shift, he was never home at night and always slept during the day.

Tatiana headed to the stove to fix up our plates.

"Good morning to you, Grandpa," I said with a smile.

"Hardly a good morning with yo nappy-headed self running around."

It was too early to be roasted, he needed to stop. I glared at him. "But you still bald headed. Why are you here? Did they fire you?" I asked.

Grandpa rolled his eyes. "No, it's my day off. Would love to enjoy it, but you keep talking."

"Whatever. Tatiana, can you hurry please? I'm starving," I whined. I could eat. Food was never wasted in this house, deadass.

Tatiana set two steaming plates down in front of us and I thought I just might die if I didn't eat in one second. "I hope it's good," she said. My girl knew how to throw down in the kitchen and she knew it too with her fake humbleness.

"Thank you, Tatiana baby" One bite of his omelet and Grandpa's taste buds were in Heaven. "Girl, I don't know how you do it, but whoever your future husband is, he's gonna be lucky."

Tatiana laughed. "I wonder if Les would agree with you."

"Oh, I wasn't talking about him," Grandpa said, cutting his pancakes nonchalantly.

Tatiana's eyebrows furrowed. "Huh?"

"I said what I said." See? Grandpa doesn't like Les either. Not long after, he finished his food. He cleared his throat to get our attention. We both looked up. "A letter came from your mother."

Suddenly, my omelet tasted like rubber duck. Good way to ruin breakfast, Grandpa. Tatiana started fidgeting and picking pieces of lint off her sweater. I sighed before slouching into my chair. "And?" I said waving my hand carelessly.

Grandpa leveled me with "the look". "She's doing good and wanted some pictures. I'm gonna be taking them when ya'll have your birthday party."

Ugh, I almost forgot about that. In just a few weeks, me and Tatiana would be turning 17. Whoohoo. I planned on celebrating at Club Haze and a shopping spree with Deon. Grandpa on the other hand wanted to have a stupid birthday dinner at the house with decorations and friends.

But we were missing the most important thing: friends. Tatiana was socially stupid and I...well I'm not sure why no one was my friend but fuck them! Literally, there was no point to this.

"It's too bad your mother can't be home to-"

I interrupted Grandpa. "This isn't her home."

Grandpa looked at me sternly. "Taraelle-"

"This isn't her home, so stop saying that. She's never even lived here before and we all know she won't." It was the truth. My mother was a druggie and she would never get clean enough to leave rehab.

"Home is where your family is. Know that your mother is working very hard to be here." He got up and walked over to hug me. "Now get yo asses on to school. Don't wanna miss the bus." He left the kitchen. Honestly, I was shocked I didn't get smacked. I was so sure I had pissed him off, but maybe he didn't feel like whooping my ass today.