Chord landed face forward on his bed, letting out a muffled groan as he sank into the soft sheets.
"Tough day?" He opened an eye to stare at his aunt leaning against his doorway, a smile of amusement mocking him.
"What gave it away?"
"Call it an aunt's intuition," she replied. "You got back pretty late. What were you doing?"
"I got kidnapped by a ginger."
"Ah, so Scarlett. Makes perfect sense." Walking in, she sat on the edge of the bed. "You know, you never stayed out late before you two met. I almost didn't recognize you when you came in the door a few minutes ago." She held a hand to her face in shock. "Are you really my nephew?"
Chord rolled his eyes. "You know, you are the only guardian in this country that would nitpick about your child actually behaving and refraining from getting into the normal teenage trouble."
She laughed, ruffling his hair. "Did you have fun?"
Chord sighed, eyes drifting to the side before he let his face fall back into the mattress.
"Is that a yes or no?"
"It was . . .fun. Yeah."
"You don't sound sure."
Rolling over on his back, Chord ran his hand down his face. "No, no I'm sure," he said, "I'm just tired is all." He felt his aunt's stare grow intense and he felt antsy.
"Did something happen while you were with Scarlett?"
"No, why?"
"Because you were hanging out with her and you don't seem as happy as you normally are. Did she say something to you?" She narrowed her eyes.
Chord smiled. "No, ma'am. I just—" He wasn't sure if he was just overreacting or if there was actually something wrong. Was he simply overreacting earlier? "How did you know Uncle Sam liked you?"
"He was pretty obvious with how he felt," she answered, smiling nostalgically. "Though he was actually horrible at wooing me."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I had to make the first move. If that idiot was left in charge, I'd still be single and Cinder wouldn't be here. You're like him in that regard. So, yes, you do have a crush on Scarlett."
Chord arched an eyebrow. "I take offense to that very accurate statement. But that's not I was asking."
She tilted her head, hooking one leg over the other. "Oh? Then why?"
"I'm not sure if Scarlett reciprocates my feelings. I mean, she does stuff that are innocuous and friendly. She's a friendly person by nature."
She hummed in agreement, smiling like a Cheshire cat as he talked about her so enthusiastically. He chose to ignore it this time.
"Then she does stuff that gives me the idea she likes me back. Do girls normally give you whiplash or is this just a Scarlett thing?" If it is, it would be my luck.
"Have you asked her if she likes you?"
Chord gave his aunt a look of horror. "Do you want me to die of embarrassment? What if she says no?!"
"She could say yes, though. I mean, Samuel knew I liked him because I confessed verbally. Asking is the best way to know."
"Give me another way to find out. You're a female. You've gotta know."
Shondra sighed. "I am afraid I can't. Everyone is different. People show it differently. Some flirt it, some are shy with it, others act like normal. Besides, this is something you should figure out yourself. I'm going to go start supper. You want any?"
Chord shook his head, groaning. "We ate earlier. Thanks though."
Rising, Shondra made her way to the door. "I will tell you one thing." Pausing in the threshold, she added, "If there's kissing involved, it's usually a good sign." She winked playfully but then her eyes suddenly widened. "Oh no."
As she stepped back into the room, Chord felt the air change. Not necessarily like his hand was caught in the cookie jar, but pretty damn close. Actually, no, this was probably worse.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Is that why you looking so happy the other night?" She folded her hands together, letting out a gasp. "Did you two kiss?"
Yeah, this Shondra is definitely worse than the pissed off one.
Thankfully, before she could interrogate further, Cinder was yelling down the hallway. "Maaaaamaaaa, some lady is on the phone and she sounds like a frog! She said her name is Sabrina!"
Both Chord and Shondra froze at the announcement, a dark cloud appearing over her, and a wave of discomfort knotting itself in his gut.
Why the hell is she calling?
________
"Do me a favor?" Dakota asked as he came back into his room with drinks, freezing when he sees Scarlett looking through a magazine. "Next- Where did you find that?"
She looked at him over the magazine, eyes mischievous. "Under your bed. You know, if you have gay porn, it's okay, but the hiding spot really needs to be fixed. What if your little siblings find this?"
"I need to ban you from my room." Setting the drinks down, he took the magazine from her, stuffing it in his bag. "Were you ever arrested for pickpocketing? Because your slight of hand is getting annoying. Also, you know I'm an only child. Thankfully."
"What were you about to say?" She grabbed the water he set on the nightstand.
"Next time you decide to introduce me to your little boyfriend, don't."
"You didn't like him?"
Dakota rolled his eyes, rummaging through the drawer of his nightstand to grab his lighter and cigarettes. Daggling one between his teeth, he started to light it when Scareltt swiped it. "What the—"
"Open your window first. If Miss Charlotte smells smoke on me again, she'll skin me alive." She stuck the cigarette back in his agape mouth. "Continue."
Opening his window, he lit the cigarette and puffed on it. "He's afraid of me."
"Who? Chord?"
Dakota nodded, letting out a puff of smoke. "I'll give you a point for good taste. Guy's cute in that teddy-bear-hug-me sort of way," he answered. "I like him. Biracial guys are usually better looking as far as I'm concerned." His gaze moved to a picture frame of Dakota and a guy with Hispanic-like features in army fatigues.
Scarlett sighed. "Sorry. Didn't mean to bring him up."
There was a glittering in his eyes hut Dakota pushed it down, tapping the ashes off his cigarette outside the window. "My point is, you should make your intentions clear with Chord."
"Who says I had any?"
"I'm being for real. If you like him, get with him. If not, let the kid move on. It isn't fair for him you stringing him along."
A vein in her head pulsed. "Who said I was stringing him along?"
"No one. I'm just saying. He might misunderstand us," he gestured between them, "as you two-timing him. I am assuming you didn't tell him I'm gay, right?"
Scarlett didn't answer.
"Any particular reason why? You do like him, don't you?"
"I just didn't? I mean, does it matter? I can have a friend who's a guy and not have any attraction to them." She let out a breath of frustration, setting the water aside. "I thought we agreed not to talk about this?"
"No, you said you didn't want to talk about it, but I ignored you."
Scarlett pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yeah, sure, I like him. I wouldn't hang with him otherwise. In terms of romantically? I. . ." She pressed her lips together in a thin line. "I don't know. Any time the prospect of romance was ever brought up or the idea of being close to a guy in that way, it makes me panic." Rubbing her upper arm, Scarlett shifted where she sat on the bed. "In my experience, men are scum on the earth. Present company excluded."
"And Chord?"
Scarlett closed her hands in fists, trying to stop them from shaking. Her right fist closed without issue, though her left arm felt stiff and the tightness wasn't as much. The edges of her scars tried peeking from under her long sleeves so she tugged it down.
"You clearly want to have something with him considering you asked him out. If you didn't, then why did you kiss him?"
"As friends," she stated. "I like hanging out with him so it seemed like a good idea at the time. And I kissed him because I wanted to kiss him."
"It doesn't now? He has taken a liking to you."
"Yeah, unfortunately," she said, unable to stop the sad smile. Scarlett pulled her legs to her chest, resting her head on the top of her knees. "Maybe he's better off with me just stopping where things are. Chord's really sweet and that asshole really fucked him up. Liking me is just going to make things worse for him."
Chord deserved better. Someone who didn't fake herself every fucking day with a smile and positive attitude. It was so exhausting acting so happy all the time around people. Some days, she barely managed to do it. Ever since that night, she always put on the mask to fool everyone into thinking she was okay.
And there were so many days she wasn't.
Scarlett wasn't the person Chord thought she was. She could tell he liked her and she could tell he saw her as this girl who's happy and mostly carefree.
But she wasn't.
Scarlett wasn't a good person. She wasn't happy. She was quite selfish. Scared. Of being hurt again.
Ruined. She was a mistake that never should've been born.
Damaged. Physically, mentally, emotionally. Her life before moving here was piled high with misfortunes and tragedies.
If she let herself fall for Chord — as easy as it was — she would only end up ruining him too.
"You are a curse, Aaliyah! Everything you touch, you fucking break."
"You bring misfortune on everyone around you. I should've had you aborted and this never would've happened!"
"I hope you live with this regret! You ruined this family! I hope that stays with you the rest of your life."
————
Aaliyah awoke to up indescribable pain and confusion. Her left side felt like it was burning and movement was not an option. Tears filled her eyes as she heard a beeping noise to her right, a breathing mask over her mouth and nose. Her mouth felt like it was filled with cotton.
Another hospital. Great.
She saw bandages completely covering her left arm, shoulder and felt them under the hospital gown.
"Do you think she'll survive?" She heard a voice near the halfway opened door.
"Who knows. Dr. Stone was flown in to perform the skin draft and he's the best in the country. Still, wouldn't surprise me if she died from all those burns."
"Didn't you hear? They think it was arson. Someone set the house on fire on purpose. Probably the mom. She's been a 1013 more than once here. My cousin works security and sat with her."
"Talk about a fucked up family. Did they ever find the mom? I know the dad was arrested when he tried running."
The second voice scoffed. "Not yet. According to the cops I overheard, they were close to arresting the dad for a drug ring they'd been hunting for the last three months. He wasn't there when they arrived but the mom set the house on fire with that kid in it and ran off. Must've known they were gonna get arrested."
"How'd they know where it was?"
"Some anonymous source. Not sure who it was, but it was definitely female. They're still looking for the mom. But they think the call came from someone in the neighborhood, but no luck so far."
As the voices drifted down the hallway, Scarlett opened her eyes again. The tears continued to fall when the doctor came in to check her vitals.
His eyes were warm and the color of butterscotch, but his voice was harsh like gravel.
"Well, I see you're finally awake, my dear. How are you feeling?"
She sniffled. "It hurts."
His eyes were sad and filled with the desire to help. "I know. But it's going to get better. We'll take care of you until you're better." He turned away from her and returned with a cup of water.
After drinking some of the water, she asked, "W-Where's . . . Mama?"
"You just rest up, sweetie. It'll be alright."
"Where's. . . Mama?" she asked again.
But he didn't answer her as he finished with her vitals. He reassured her once more and mentioned a nurse coming in soon with food, but Aaliyah didn't register it.
As she looked up at the ceiling, she went over the words the two ladies outside had said.
"Someone set the house on fire. Probably the mom knowing they were getting arrested."
Aaliyah saw her mother's back as she saw her through the window going into the woods. She pounded on the window, screaming for help but she never looked back. Moments later, she saw police running after her.
She heard cracking overhead and let out a scream as a burning, heavy beam came crashing down on her.
The last thing she remembered before passing out from the pain was the sound of firefighters just outside her door and hoping the bitch was dead.