Tenoa POV
"How was your day Tenoa?"
I flinched in my seat. I was praying my Auntie wouldn't ask me that question.
I moved the food around on my plate, shrugging slightly,"S- s-- sa- ame as u- usual", I mumbled, my eyes immediately going back to my plate.
Aunt Monica nodded in understanding, but I knew she was worried about my short responses. "How's that friend of yours...Daegan is it?", she asked, trying to remember his name,"haven't heard about him in a while."
I cringed at the name,"W- w- we uh...we a- a- aren't fr- fri- friends a- an- any m- more", I answered quietly. Daegan hadn't talked to me in 3 days, not that I blamed him for it though.
The entire school had been abuzz with gossip. I didn't know why I didn't see it coming. Mousy little quiet black boy and the hot giant foreign exchange student who were once practically inseparable, now farther apart than ever before. We avoided eachother like the plague and honestly, that's what it actually felt like for me. A real fucking nightmare for an introvert.
"Why? What happened?", as far as she knew we were glued at the hip. Everytime she would come up to check on me, I was on the phone with him.
I avoided looking over at Tenaya when she asked that; we haven't really talked since she came in my my room that day. A part of me blamed her for losing the closest thing I had to a friend and maybe even a boyfriend, but I knew all the blame fell on me. I was the one who put Tenaya's wishes over my own. "H- h- he w- was a b- bad i- influence o- on m- me", I answered, gnawing on my bottom lip, a nervous habit.
"What? What did he try to make you do?", she asked, sitting up straight in her chair. Her entire demeanor had gone rigid.
"N- n- nothing, A- au- auntie, I- I pr- promise!", I assured her, which seemed to calm her down. "I- it w- was j- ju- just for th- the best." If anything, it's was I who hurt him. I was such a pushover. Daegan was right; she really didn't know him, so she had no right to judge him. I just wished I realized that before. Now he won't even give me the time of day.
Suddenly, the thought of eating made me feel queasy. "I- I'm f- full s- s- so I- I'm gonna g- go get ready for bed", I promptly got up before they could say anything. I didn't really wanna sit here and talk about this anymore.
Normal POV
Monica watched as her nephew practically dashed out of the dining room with his plate. She turned to her neice, worry and concern written across her face,"What's wrong with him?" He was so happy last week, probably the happiest she's seen him in a while, but now he was deflated. He was even quieter than before.
Tenaya sighed, as he retreated, listening to the sound of his footsteps on the stairs. She looked down at her plate, her stomach turning with guilt. When she finally looked up, she took a deep breath before speaking,"Auntie, I- I think I messed up real bad."