Chapter 10: Slope.
"Don't let me fall." I yell as I get on the skateboard with Miles on it.
Miles is teaching me how to skate. We're currently at a skate park.
"We're definitely going to fall if you keep clinging on to me like that." He tells me and I groan.
"I'm just scared, okay? I've never done this before." I tell him.
"That's what she said." He mutters under his breath.
"Shut up." I say, hitting his chest.
Miles uses his other leg that's not on the skateboard to create some friction before he sends me and the skateboard flying, stepping off of it as it starts moving.
"Oh My God. Why did you do that?" I ask him as the nightmare on wheels sped down the slope. I let out screams of fear as I approach a wall.
"Brake." I hear Miles yell.
"How am I supposed to do that, there are no brakes on this thing." I yell back.
"Just jump off." He tells me and I jump off the skateboard and land on my ankle.
Perfect.
Just perfect.
"Are you okay?" Miles asks as he stands in front of me.
"Well, I just fucked up my ankle thanks to you." I tell him.
"Thanks to me? You're the one that wanted to learn how to skate. You basically made me bring you here after school." He says, staring at me.
"Yeah, I wanted to learn. But that was before you almost pushed me to my death." I say as he helps me up.
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, you have good form." He tells me and I glare at him.
"No, no it doesn't." I say, scowling at him. "Can you just help me get on the bus?"
"I'll order an Uber." He says before he pulls out his phone from his back pocket.
Subsequently, I made it home. My aunt is around. Thank God. I've been meaning to talk to her. I limp inside my home and I walk to the living room.
"Hey, auntie." I chirp before I take a seat beside her on the sofa.
"Hey. I barely see you nowadays. It's like you're a ghost." She tells me and I smile at her.
"Yeah, I'm always working I know. Which is why I actually wanted to talk to you." I tell her and she raises an eyebrow at me.
"What do you want to talk to me about?" She asks me.
"Well, you know mum doesn't have her papers yet and you said you had a connect who could get her papers." I say and she nods.
"I wanted to know how much it would cost?" I ask her.
"Dear child, it's so sweet of you to want to do this for your mother, but the money isn't something you or I can afford." She tells me.
"I know, I just want to know how much it is." I say, staring at her.
"Twenty thousand dollars." She says and I almost choke on my saliva.
"Wow." I exclaim and she nods.
"It's an outrageous amount, but that's what my connect is demanding." She tells me. "And why are you asking me all these questions anyway?" She asks and I shrug.
"Just curious." I tell her before I stand up, grabbing my backpack from the floor.
"Your food's on the kitchen counter." She says.
"What did you make?" I ask her, already knowing the answer to that question.
"Rice and gravy." She replies.
Thought so.
***
"Hey." Aaliyah says, smiling in my face. I look up from my phone and I stare at her.
"Hi." I say, dryly.
The only reason I'm not smashing her head in right now is because of Aaron's threat. I really don't want my mother to get deported.
"You've been M.I.A lately. Is everything okay?" She asks as she sits beside me.
"Yeah, everything's fine. I'm just busy with schoolwork. And Aaron." I say, staring at her as I say his name.
"Aaron?" She asks, surprised.
"Yeah, he's been wild these past few days. It's like he's a sex machine or something." I lie, waiting to see her tick.
"Oh." She says, looking sad before she fixes her face. "Do you want to come over to my house for a sleepover tonight?"
"Sure, bestie." I say, hoping to drive her over the edge. She gives me a small smile before she opens her notebook.
You're playing with fire bitch, get ready to burn.
Later that night, I'm on Aaliyah's bed braiding her hair.
"Don't you think Aaron has been distant lately?" She asks me out of nowhere.
"Um, no. He's been busy with basketball, yes. But he's been acting the same way he always does." I tell her.
"Yeah, I know, but at the beginning of you guys' relationship, he was pretty hands-on." She tells me and I shrug.
"I know that, but relationships are tricky. What's it to you anyway? Why the sudden obsession with our relationship?" I ask her, hoping she'll tell me the truth.
"Oh, nothing. I just want to know what's going on with the two of you." She tells me.
"All done." I say, finishing the last braid.
"Thank you." She tells me, getting off the bed to look in the mirror. Her phone buzzes beside my leg and the screen lights up. She has a text from "A❤️" saying "You up?". I know it's Aaron, but I pretend like I don't see it.
"Your phone just vibrated." I tell her and she rushes to the bed, picking it up. She types away on her phone with a smile on her face and I stare at her.
Does she really think I'm that stupid?
"Who's got you smiling like that?" I ask her, waiting for her reply.
"No one." She says, blushing.
"Look like someone has something she needs to tell me." I say, folding my arms as I stare at her.
"It's nothing really. Just some guy I'm seeing." She reveals.
"Really?" I ask, pretending to be intrigued.
"Yeah. But I don't see a future with him." She tells me and I raise an eyebrow at her.
"Why not?" I ask.
"I don't know." She says and I run my fingers through my hair, more like the lace wig I have on.
"Nonsense, you have to let me meet him. We can go on a double date. Aaron would love that." I tell her, grabbing my phone off the nightstand.
"What are you doing?" She asks me, looking nervous.
"Texting Aaron." I tell her, tapping away on my phone. I giggle as I stare at the screen.
"What's so funny?" Aaliyah asks me as she comes closer.
"He just sent me a dick pick." I lie, laughing. I wasn't even texting Aaron I was just typing random shit in my notes.
"H-he did?" She asks and I nod as turn off my phone screen.
"Yup." I tell her, placing my phone back on the nightstand. Now, enough about Aaron. Tell me about this new guy."
"There's really nothing to tell. He's just a normal high school boy." She says and I stare at her.
"There's gotta be more. How old is he? Does he play sports? Details, I need details." I tell her.
"He's our age and yes he plays sports." She answers.
"Does he go to our school?" I ask her and she shakes her head.
"No, he goes to Eastside high." She tells me and I raise an eyebrow at her.
"Hmm. I didn't know you liked them rough around the edges, 'Liyah." I joke and she laughs.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asks.
"Eastside is a public school and it's hard to survive there. Your guy must really be a fighter." I tell her.
"He is." She says, lost in thought.
"Anyway, let's catch up on The Real Housewives of Potomac, shall we?" I say, turning on the TV in her room.
"Ouu, Candice looks so good." I say, staring at the television. I feel Aaliyah staring at me, but I don't acknowledge it. My eyes remain fixated on the TV.