Picasso's Promise

Episode 44| Read my future

SYDNEY'S POV

I expected to see candles, dripping wax, placed in the front of the windows. A crystal ball, I'd imagine, would be put on a table with purple cloth, and there would be a woman with gray hair sitting at the counter. Those were the things I expected to see - and perhaps they were inside, but when we got there, ready to have a conversation with my father's sister, there was no one in sight. The doors were locked.

"I'll bring you back right after school," Picasso promised, saying it like an oath. "Please tell me now that you're not going to go on your own."

"I swear I won't," I half meant.

I had no car - no real form of transportation. So, for the most part, I wasn't lying. A part of me, one that was hard to shut up, wanted to stick behind and ditch school entirely. But Picasso wouldn't let that fly. He was determined to take that test.

Being on the basketball team didn't absolve him from caring about his grades - if anything, he cared about them more than any one else on his team. He had plans of going to college after high school, dreams much bigger than my own when it came to where he saw himself in ten years.

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with myself. My first goal was to obviously get a degree - but in what?

That was the mystery.

I spent hours taking career quizzes, seeing what sparked the most joy out of me. Sadly nothing seemed to fit well with what I wanted. I had desires of being rich, but not famous. I wanted the luxuries celebrities had without the recognition. I wanted things for free - and how I planned on obtaining that was also another mystery, dying to be solved.

Picasso dropped Danielle and I off at the office while he went to park the car in the student parking lot. When we were inside, Picasso found us checking into the school, late and getting a tardy slip. I lied and said I overslept, and Danielle said she was having car troubles. They didn't even ask Picasso why he was late - which kind of annoyed me. He took the blue slip of paper and tucked it into his back pocket.

"Did you work on that project with Genesis yet?" Picasso asked me, causing a storm to come rumbling over my head and ruining my mood.

"Ugh, don't remind me I have to cook with that demon."

"You still haven't decided on what you're going to make?" He asked with wide eyes. "Come on, Sydney, this is a big project. It's worth half of your final."

"No it's not."

"Yes, yes it is. The essay along with it is also important. If you don't pass that class, then you'll have a hard time graduating. It's a requirement."

"Yeah, Syd," Danielle chimed in. "I know a girl who failed Mrs. Moore's class last year and then had to take a summer course in order to get her diploma. It messed up her ability to go to college that coming fall semester."

"Okay, fine. Give me her phone number so that I can text her then," I said, "or better yet, text her for me."

"No, you already said you wanted her number. I'll give it to you," Picasso said, bringing out his phone and sharing her number with me. "Say you got it from me - so she doesn't freak out or anything."

Perfect. The one person I didn't wanted to talk to now had unlimited access to me and my number. For fun, I decided to label her something that wasn't her name at all.

***

ME: Hey this is Sydney - Picasso gave me your number. When are we going to work on that project? It's due next Friday.

SHE-DEVIL: who said you could text me?

ME: My man

SHE-DEVIL: you're lucky I'm not single anymore, or that would be different.

ME: Don't get so bold now. Lying is bad for you.

SHE-DEVIL: I'm busy with my boyfriend this week

ME: I guess you don't mind failing the class then

SHE-DEVIL: I'm free on wednesday

ME: great - come with some ideas

SHE-DEVIL: should i bring the ingredients too?

ME: sure - i'll have stuff too

SHE-DEVIL: just in case, I think we should go grocery shopping together.

ME: sure

Great, I thought, more time with her than necessary.

PICASSO'S POV

Sydney's friend Danielle couldn't come with us to the psychic's places of business -saying that she had some homework she needed to take care of. I knew that was a lie, because even before we were going, on the car right originally there this morning, she kept going on about how she didn't believe in card readings, proclaiming that it seemed like witch craft.

The girl was scared - and she didn't want to admit it. She was religious, which wasn't a bad thing, but made her anxious when it came to things she thought were related to satan. She kept touching her gold cross when we walked up to the door, muttering a prayer to herself. She looked so relieved when we saw the doors were locked and that there was no one inside.

"Do you think she's going to be nice?" Sydney asked, "I don't have that many relatives to begin with and -"

"Don't walk into this place, thinking you're getting a new aunt," I cut her off. "You don't know this woman - and you have no clue how legit she is. She could be lying about being related to your dad. We have to be skeptical about anything she says."

"I don't believe someone would lie about being related to me."

"If you said your dad was a rich person, then it makes sense that people would pretend to be related to you and then try to get stuff from you. You have to always keep your guard up, Sydney. Never let your guard down."

"I know," she said in a defeated way. "I can take care of myself."

"I know you can," I said, but there was no confidence in my voice. The last thing I needed to do was tell her she was incapable of anything. That would be a rude ass thing to do at a time like this. "Are you ready?"

She nodded, saying no words - not needing to.

I opened the door for her and a bell chimed. Warm spice peppered my nostrils, inviting me in.

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