Unconditional Love (slow updates)

Twenty

"Don't you think she would be mad if she found you with less than half the hair she last saw you with?" I tired to reason.

"I guess... I'm sorry Jaheem."

"You don't have to apologize, I'm not mad at you. Just think a little more before you act okay?"

She lifted her head, revealing her adorable smile and nodded. I just couldn't help but smile back.

__________

It was so cold outside and I hated it. I sat in my car, which was parked in front of my house, for a good five minutes. I had to mentally pump myself up or the short walk from my vehicle to the building would freeze my toes off. My bag was in my arms so as soon as I cut the ignition I ran off to the front door.

Once inside, I was hit with an eerie silence. Mom's car was parked outside so I knew she was here. Wasn't Maïa back from school yet? Why wasn't the TV on? Why couldn't I hear her play with her toys?

"I'm home..."

Venturing farther into the house, I spotted mom sitting at the dining table. Her eyebrows were furrowed as her gaze stayed glued to the papers in her hand. A sickening feeling—worry—mounted in my chest.

"Mom what's wrong?" I asked as I got closer.

"I don't know what's up with Maïa. My little baby is so sweet and innocent, yet she managed to get in so much trouble during these passed two weeks."

Hearing her call someone other than me her baby made me feel some weird type of way, despite my dislike for the pet name. I simply pushed it back and questioned her some more.

"What has she done?"

"She has a week suspension! She hasn't been doing her homework, she doesn't come back from recess on time and she stole from another student!"

My eyebrows knit together. That was completely unlike her. She prays every single night and had the heart to forgive me for doing her dirty, why would she act differently at school?

"Where is she now?" I asked, still trying to put the pieces together.

"In her room: she's grounded."

I nodded. I left whatever had to be left to be cleaned then went upstairs. After a steaming shower, I heated up in some fuzzy socks, sweatpants, a t-shirt and a hoodie. Sliding to Maïa's room, a view of her sitting on her bed was clear because her door was opened.

My knuckles lightly hit her door to get her attention, causing her to look over from the doll in her arms to me.

"Hi Jaheem." she said in a less enthusiastic tone than usual.

"Hey Maïa. Do you want to paint with me?" I offered.

I never let anyone in my studio before except Navia. She's only been in there once and didn't touch anything though. Maïa seemed to be into artistic stuff so I figured why not.

"I can't, I'm in trouble."

She sounded so soft and innocent. I knew something was up but I just didn't know what.

"Mom never said you weren't allowed to paint did she?"

"No... but she said to stay in my room."

"I'll be back then."

I left her and rushed into my studio. I gathered two of the smallest blank canvas I had, many brushes, tubes of different coloured paint, a palette and two cups. I dropped the supplies in her room before going to the bathroom to fill the cups with water. When I joined her again, she was seated wide eyed in front of the material.

"You're really letting me paint?"

"On one condition." she looked up at me "You gotta answer my questions."

She nodded, an excited smile plastered on her face and her doll long forgotten. We got comfortable and started swaying the brushes to cover the white.

"So why are you being bad at school Maïa?" I started, getting straight to the point "Start with homework because I've seen you do yours."

"Jalyssa didn't do hers and said if I wasn't in trouble with her she wouldn't be my friend anymore."

Her small hand stopped moving her paintbrush and her head was hung low. You could tell she was embarrassed.

"And recess?"

"Jalyssa didn't want to go to class and said if I didn't hide in the bathroom with her she wouldn't be my friend anymore."

This lil' b*tch is hella toxic.

"Maïa you don't have any other friends?"

"I do but, Jalyssa said if she wasn't my friend nobody would like me at school."

So they got mean girls in third grade too? It kinda hurt to see that she wanted validation from others so badly. It started at home and is moving on to school. It better stop or it would cost her really big issues in the future.

"Maïa, don't you think Jalyssa is a bad friend?"

"I dunno." she answered with a shrug of the shoulders.

"I think she is. Real friends don't drag you into trouble, real friends don't threaten to leave you when you don't do what they want, real friends don't ignore how a situation might affect you for their own benefit. Maybe you should stop hanging with Jalyssa for a while."

"We're not friends anymore..."

"Because she got you in trouble?"

She shook her fro.

"I saw her steal Abigail's food from her lunchbox and told the teacher, but then-but then..." she sniffled "Mrs.Kennedy didn't find it in her bag so Jalyssa said I was the one that stole it and they found it in my bag but-I-did-n't-steal-a-ny-thing!"

Tears pooled out of Maïa's eyes as she sobbed. Damn it she was crying again. I sighed getting up, sat next to her and pulled her into my arms. She held onto me with dear life while I rubbed her back, just like the movie night.

What kind of demonic twisted being possessed her to be so mean before hitting double digits? She was the type of kid that makes me hate children: rude, bratty and overall unpleasant to be around. That girl has issues and needs to be tamed, I don't want her picking on my little sister no more.

"Look, you don't need Jalyssa to have friends. I promise you people will still like you. And if they don't it's okay too, because next year you'll be in fourth grade and you'll meet new people. Then a few years later you'll be in middle school with even more new people. Then high school, then college and then work. Nobody, not even you, will remember these incidents so nobody will care. You don't need to please everyone Maïa, just keep being the good girl you are. Don't make mommy upset again."

She nodded, her head rubbing against my chest. I was seated on the ground with my legs crossed, and she was on my lap with her arms above my waist. She was so small and fragile I just felt like I had to protect her. Especially with what I made her go through, she doesn't need anyone else hurting her.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I'm back! Damn I haven't touched this book in like almost half a year. Sorry guys, writer's block + I've been super busy with school but hopefully we can get this show back on the road! To compensate for my long absence I wrote an extra long chapter that is equivalent to two chapters. Hope y'all enjoyed.
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