Plz excuse any mistakes :)
Winter 2016
A I K O
"You're here, finally." Brenda said giving me the eye.
"We had to go to three different stores just to find cinnamon bagels." I told her, throwing the groceries on the counter.
"You're in a new place so I just want you to feel at home here and have everything you need. You know?" My mom said, walking towards Brenda bedroom.
Brenda and I looked at each other. "Oh my god. You got me Cinnamon Toast Crunch too Raya!" Brenda exclaimed, distracting Raya.
"I also got you this." Raya said handing Brenda a card. "It's linked to my account. Emergencies, food, and stuff."
"You've already done a lot for me. Thank you." Brenda said hugging her. "I promise I won't go crazy with it."
Raya nodded and I pushed her towards the door. "Well I'm just going to hang out here. We have some things to do." I said.
"Just call me when you're ready." She said leaving.
I closed the door and sighed in relief. I walked past Brenda and opened her bedroom door. "Sorry. I tried to get her to stay in the car." I told Damari.
"Hey." He said kissing me.
"Um, next time you decide to have an illicit affair with a student, I'd say ditch the roommate and get an apartment by yourself." Brenda said grabbing her jacket and leaving.
I rolled my eyes and sighed. I turned to Damari and he chuckled. He picked me up and I wrapped my legs around his torso. We sat on the couch and I pulled my jacket off. "Now, what do you want to do?"
"I know we can't do much."
"Much? We can't go to the movies, out to eat, or anything."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault." I played with his hair.
He stared at me as if he was thinking of something. "What you doing Saturday?"
"Nothing why?"
"Ima take you on a date." He grinned. "We're going back to savannah."
I smiled and he flipped us over. I was under him, looking in his eyes. I pulled him down by his shirt and his lips crashed into mine.
***
"You ever crashed a wedding?" I laughed looking at the boat in front of us. "Are you serious?" I questioned.
He grabbed my hand and wrapped his arm around my waist. "Me and my brother use to do it all the time. They barely know half the people on this boat."
We were greeted as we climbed aboard this big ass boat. It was a nice wedding reception. Everything was white and gold. There was hella people and hella more food.
"You wanna dance?" He asked, breaking my focus.
"Mm. I don't really k-" He pulled us to the dance floor. "It wasn't a question." He whispered into my ear, making me shiver.
Happy People by R Kelly came on and we started rocking back and forth to the beat until the end came and everyone started during the electric slide.
I couldn't stop laughing and smiling. Damari spun me around and I spun out and came back into him.
I didn't notice everyone clapping for us until I looked up. I smiled and hugged Damri. We joined the line to eat and I didn't know where to start.
Damari tried to put a piece of steak on my plate and I moved my plate away, laughing. Shaking my head I picked some chicken up instead.
We got to the drinks and I went to grab the champagne but he took it. "It's an open bar." I whined.
"Nope." He stated, grabbing two glasses and poured us sparkling soda and we toasted with out arms intertwined.
"I had fun." I told him.
We was sprawled out on the bed listening to the ocean waves. I was tired we stayed on that boat for at least five hours eating and having fun. He didn't say anything so I sat up and laid on him. "What is it?"
"We have no future together. At the end of the day we're still ourselves." He said. I could tell he'd been really thinking hard.
"I know."
"Do you?" He questioned. "Is this really going to be enough for you? Cause the last thing I want to do is break ya heart." I looked away and stood out the bed, going into the bathroom.
We didn't have a future together but doesn't mean we couldn't try. Then again, maybe this was never going to be enough for me and I'm so far out of my head.
After staying in the bathroom for a while Damari came and got me. We cuddled and I just listened to the waves. "The thought that one day this will end hurts." I told him before I fell asleep.
***
I told Brenda hey and waved me off. "Look I'm sorry. I appreciate you for covering for me."
"I don't. Hope you had fun on your island vacation."
"We can go shopping for the homecoming dance after school." I wiggled my brows.
A smiled appeared on her face and she gave in. "Aiko." Damari said.
Brenda and I look up. "Your parents are here."
I walked with him to the counselor office where everyone was and sat down. "So as you know we've been trying to figure out what's holding Aiko back in school. There's a condition called dysgraphia. It's an inability to express thoughts in writing." Mrs. White explained.
"You can see how she struggles to finishes sentences. Thoughts get jumbled. Words are illegible. At a glance it looks like poor penmanship, but it's actually a neurological disability." Mrs. White said, handing Raya and August my work.
"Wait so she was born with this?" Raya asked.
"Did one of us give it to ha?" My dad asked.
"Well when we looked at her files Mr. Moore noticed her handwriting was perfect up until the seventh grade." I looked at my hands, then my parents, then Damari.
"The question is what changed?" He asked.
"You mean somethin' caused dis?" Raya asked.
"We can't actually prove that, maybe a neurologist could." Damari said. "The school has someone they recommend and I called him. He can give her a MRI tomorrow."
"She should also start working with a dysgraphia specialist at an added expense." Mrs. White added.
"Whateva it takes. Money's no problem." My dad stated.
"Well I have a list of contacts in the main office why don't you come with me."
"We'll be back?" My parents left after Damri and my dad shook hands.
"This is so crazy. While everyone is preparing for homecoming I have to get my head examined. I hate hospitals. I spent most of my life in them."
Damari looked at me. "I'll make you a deal. You get your MRI tomorrow and I'll make you a homecoming of our own."
"You'd really do that for me?" I laughed.
"For you I'd do anything."
***
I had just got my head scanned and we was sitting with the Doctor as she pulled my pictures up. I was completely lost but I listened.
"See there? That tiny spot, it's evidence that at some point that small part of of the brain lost blood flow. You suffered a stroke." I looked at her confused.
"Kids don't have strokes. Grandparents have strokes." My dad said.
"I see that she was born with a heart defect."
"That she had repaired." Raya stated.
"I think this may be related. Sometimes after cardiac surgery a blood clot can develop in the heart and if there's trauma it could've broken off and traveled to the brain causing a stroke." She explained.
"Aiko, the change in your handwriting in the middle school makes me believe that's when it happened. Do you remember?"
I shook my head. "Besides shoplifting a little and bad food, no."
"Did you play any sports that you may have been knocked in the chest. Do you remember any injuries?"
I looked down and shook my head. "Uh, no, no, nothing." I said looking off to be side.
"You two don't remember anything?" The doctor asked Raya and August.
"She was still in foster care so-"
"Where were you living then?" Raya asked.
"Um... At Foster Ville." I nodded.
"And nothing happened just take a second and th-"
"I don't remember anything." I cut Raya off. "I'm sorry."
Raya and August looked at each other and I sat there. We left the room and I sat down while Raya and August stood at the reception desk. "There's something she's not telling us." I over heard Raya and August talking.
"You can't press ha Raya."
"I'm supposed to. I'm her mom. I'm supposed to know things and I don't."
"Whateva' happened we can't change it. Now we jus' figure dis' thing out." I heard my dad say.
***
"It's just crazy. You had a stroke in seventh grade and now you're ok." Brenda said, curling my hair.
"Yes the doctor said I'm fine. So let's focus on homecoming. Like this dress. How childish school is this."
"Well you're going to a high school dance allegedly." Brenda grinned. "You know if your mom finds out I'm going to loose my place."
"She won't find out. Ima go to the prom with you and come back before it's over."
"Ohh look at you." Raya said entering my room. "That dress is adorable."
"Yeah I'm changing." I said, taking the dress off.
"I called Ms. Song to get your records form Foster Ville and I got nothing." Raya said.
"Yeah they only keep records from when you actually stay there." I looked at Brenda through the mirror.
"I thought you were living there Aiko."
"I was." I looked at Brenda.
"I was thinking about me." Brenda laughed. The doorbell rung and I left to get it, avoiding more conversation.
When we got to the dance I was pissed. My dad was making me baby sit his girlfriend son. He was the same age as me but he stayed in trouble apparently.
I told Brenda,Ron, and Sean to go ahead while I tried to call Damari. "Oh I'll wait here for you." Sean said.
I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Never mind." I said going into the dance.
I finally got away from Sean and was outside leaving Damari a message. I was pissed I had to stay here and was just ready to go home. "Are you stalking me now!" I exclaimed looking at Sean
"What's with all the secret phone calls?" He smirked.
I stared at him. "My bad. Chill. But check it. I found some loud." He said pulling out a pre rolled blunt."
My phone started ringing and Sean looked down. "Miami. What does that mean? Is that your boyfriend?"
"Can you please shutup. Damn."
"That's why your mad. You was going to leave to see your boyfriend but you got stuck with me?" He chuckled. "Take a pull maybe it'll calm you."
I snatched the blunt from him. "You know what fuck you and your blunt."
"Aiko." My counselor said, looking at my hand.
When Raya came into the office I stood up. "It wasn't me. I wasn't the one smoking."
Sean looked at me and shook his head. "I only had it to put it out." Raya gave Sean his keys and told him to go wait in the car.
She pulled a picture out and showed it to me. "Who is this?"
"Did you go through my stuff?" It was the same picture Ms. Song gave me.
"I went to Vira's. Brenda gave me the address."
"What?"
"I know everything. I know Brenda lives there. I know what y'all did to get her kicked out. I know what happened when you lived there." Raya stated.
"And what did she tell you?" I asked.
"That you pushed them away. That you were violent with them. That you hit her husband and lying constantly. All of this time you said nobody wanted you, that you were all alone. I went over there and saw cards and pictures and letters. Vita wanted you. She loved you Aiko."
I scoffed and wiped my face. "And you believed her. You only knew her for like five minutes."
"I didn't say I believe her. I don't know what to believe because every time I turn around you're lying to me. I just want to hear the truth."
"Well looks like you already got the truth from Vira." I sniffled.
I grabbed my purse and walked out. I started walking towards the entrance of the school fed up. "Hey Aiko." Brenda smiled but I walked past her and Ron.
She grabbed my arm and I snatched away from her. "Why did you tell her about Vira!" I yelled making people looked.
"She was worried. I'm worried about you. She knew you were hiding something and you are. That's why you didn't want me to live there." I shook my head trying to hold my tears back.
"She told Raya it was me. That I was the one who hurt them. That's fucked up Brenda. They hurt me! Vira knows exactly what the hell happened." I said walking towards my mom car.
Sean was sitting in the back seat and I told him to get out. He didn't budge so I hopped in. "Get out the damn car!"
"I'm straight. I'll get out when your mom drops me off." I shrugged and turned car on.
Brenda got in too and I closed my door. "Aiko you know you don't have your license."
"Woah. Hold on." I heard Sean say.
I ignored both of them and sped to Vira's house. When I got out I raced to her door and started beating on it.
"Wait Aiko." Brenda said, following me.
Vira dogs started barking and I waited for her to open the door. "Aiko?"
"I'm the violent one? That's what you told Raya right. I finally have a real mom and you sabotage it. As if you haven't fucked me over enough. You fuck me over again." I told her.
"You should go. This is the reason it didn't work out." Vira said.
"Oh I'm the reason? The problem. Yes I hit your stupid ass husband, but what about what he did to me! I didn't just push myself down a flight of stairs! I didn't punch myself in the chest!" I cried.
"I think you're confused and troubled just like you were when you lived here."
"What the hell is going on." I heard his voice. "You think you can just show up here and yell at my wife?"
"This isn't about you."
"Get off my property." I stood there and looked at him. "Get the hell off my property." He gritted.
Before I could react he grabbed me by hair and pushed me down the stairs. I couldn't do anything but scream when he came down and pulled me up by hair again. "You little bitch. Stay away from here."
I heard Brenda screams and I seen his fist about to connect with my face but he fell to the ground and Brenda shook uncontrollably. She threw the shovel down. "Aiko run." She said panting.
We both ran back to the car while Vira sobbed trying to wake her husband up. Once we both were in I sped off not looking back.
"Let me out the car!" Sean yelled.
"Sean shutup!"
"Aiko I'm sorry what was I supposed to do. He was about to hurt you." She cried.
"I don't know. What if they call the cops." I said.
"This is crazy." Sean panicked.
He tried to open the door but I reached back and grabbed him. "Wait I will let you out of the car. Just hold on!"
"Aiko." Brenda screamed.
I looked up and we were about to crash into a tractor trailer. I swerve to the right and the car flew up and into a ditch.
Once everything stopped moving everyone got out. I called my dad and waited for him to show.
"You know this shit is real fucked up man!" Sean yelled.
I sat down and broke down. I didn't care at this point. All you could was my sobs. "Aiko. I'm sorry." Brenda whispered.
"I don't what happened. Whatever they did to you, whatever I did I'm so sorry." She cried.
She held me until my dad came. He dropped Brenda off and drove us back to my moms.
"Where's Brenda?"
"I took her home." My dad said.
He rubbed my wet hair from the rain and kissed my forehead. "You good." I nodded and started walking upstairs but Raya stopped me.
August girlfriend entered the house and walked straight to get son. "I wanna know what's going on between us." Raya said, looking at me.
I tried to walk pass her and she grabbed me. "Hey." Out of reflex I snatched away and backed up. "Don't touch me!" I said tearing up.
"What's going on?"
"Nothing Raya."
"Yes. You're just becoming this kid. You're stealing, lying, cheating. I feel like I don't know or can't trust you anymore."
"Aiko didn't steal the car. I did." Sean said.
He told everyone what happened and I they Raya got off my back. I went upstairs to shower and called Brenda before I fell asleep."
***
I was standing at my locker talking to Damari when Sean came up to me. "What are you doing here?"
"My mom enrolled me." He shrugged, looking at Damari.
"This is Mr. Moore one of the English teachers."
"Sean." Sean said. "I saw this online figured I'd see you today." He said handing me a piece of paper.
I opened it and saw that Vira husband made the headline in the news. "What's that?" Damari questioned.
"Sean just moved here from Texas so I asked him to print me some things to do in there when Brenda and I decide to travel.
"So you're from Texas?" Damari asked.
"Yeah."
"Miami." Damari said.
"Miami. Huh?" Sean smirked and I stared at him.
The bell rang and Damari left and Sean still held that stupid smirk. He pointed between Damari and I and chuckled. "Damn. This should be interesting." He said walking off.
I closed my locker and stood there. Damn.
***
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- Kira ❣