AALIYAH
flashback*
aaliyah - age eleven
"where are you going?"
i asked looking at her.
she blew the cigarette smoke towards me adjusting her purse on her shoulder.
"don't worry about where i'm going,you just worry about doing them dishes like i told you"
she went to leave the room as i stopped her.
"wait!"
she looked back at me taking a drag of the cigarette.
"where's miles?"
she shrugged,rolling her eyes.
"don't worry about miles.he's gone be just fine"
she looked around the small dirty room that only held a mattress on the floor with a few blankets.
"clean this damn house,jaden is watching you while i'm gone."
she slammed the door making me flinch.
i sat on my 'bed' waiting for her to leave before i heard the front door close making me get up and open my door.
i looked around the top floor making sure that jaden wasn't anywhere in sight.
i peeked around corners before slowly opening the door to my moms room.
i creeped in slowly,jaden was sprawled out on the bed asleep and miles was nowhere in sight.
i made sure to close the door all the way,making my way down the stairs of the apartment.
the house was a mess.
jaden's clothes were thrown all over the living room and bathroom and there were dishes everywhere.
i tried to pick them up as much as i could as quietly as i could.
i went to the kitchen getting the stool and washing the dishes.
"aaliyah."
somebody whispered.
"liyah,i'm in the closet."
i jumped off the stool going to the closet and getting on the floor.
"miles,can you hear me?"
"aaliyah,he locked me in here again and i-"
he stuttered gasping lightly.
"you can't what miles? talk."
"i can't breathe,i need to get out.go get the phone and call dad."
"but the phone is in mamas room-"
i said worriedly.
"aaliyah,please."
he whined.
"ok,stay here i'll be back"
i got off the floor,walking back up the stairs quietly.
i slowly opened the door,seeing jaden in the same spot he was in when i left.
i slowly grabbed the phone off of the table as he shuffled in bed before staying still again.
i left the room quickly walking down the stairs again.
i mumbled the numbers over and over again.
"555-4982.555-4982.555-4982"
i repeated dialing the number,it rang three times before the line picked up.
"what do you want brenda?"
my dad voice said through the phone angrily.
"daddy?"
he gasped quietly.
"aaliyah.how did you get her phone?"
"she left it here,with-with jaden.daddy,he locked miles in the closet again and miles said he can't breathe.i don't know how to get him out"
"ok baby listen to me,go out the phone back before you get caught ok,i'm gonna be there in a few minutes ok-"
"you took the phone?"
i turned around seeing jaden in front of me.
"what i done told you about touching my phone?"
he came towards me.
"i only grabbed it for a second-"
"you wanna lie? only grown people get to lie.are you grown aaliyah?"
he asked me.
i dropped the phone on the floor,my eyes watering.
"aaliyah! aaliyah!"
the phone vibrated.
"no."
i backed up against the wall stopping.
he laughed.
"you sure are acting like it? you wanna know what i do to little girls who think they grown?"
i shook my head sliding down the wall,tears falling off my cheeks.
"imma show you."
he grabbed me pulling me into him.
"no! no! get off!"
end of flashback*
"aaliyah?"
i sat up in my bed looking towards the door.
my dad was standing there dressed.
i rubbed my eyes.
"what time,what time is it?"
"it's almost two,you've been asleep all morning."
he said walking all the way into my room.
i looked around tugging on my hoodie.
"where is miles?"
i blinked.
"at school.he had an early practice,their first game is tomorrow,you going?"
i shrugged honestly not knowing.
"i don't know,i have a lot of homework,so."
he rubbed my head,flattening out some curls.
"you're having those dreams again aren't you?"
i stalled.
i had these dreams at least once a month.
and when they came around,i could never get any sleep.
"no,i guess i'm just extra tired today."
he nodded looking around my room which was a little messy due to me being busy.
"i'm going to the store,to get some groceries and then i'm going to pick up miles from practice,you wanna come?"
i licked my dry lips rubbing my eyes again.
"i don't know"
"we need to talk."
he said seriously.
i tilted my head confused.
"about what?"
"about yesterday"
he sighed.
"come on,get up,shower and get dressed,i'm leaving in thirty."
he said before leaving my room.
i haven't had a dream about jaden or my mom in months.
so why did this one just randomly pop up?
i haven't seen or heard from my mom since i got taken away from her when i was eleven.
same with jaden.
i hope this isn't a sign or anything.
i cant handle any more stress,i'm already mentally tired enough as it is.
i really do want to go to miles' game tomorrow.
me and my dad have always been supportive of miles and his love for basketball.
we go to every game,every event,every ceremony and we support him.
but i feel like this year is different.
there's so much shit going on all at once now that's messing up what little personal life i do have.
school is wearing me out,art is stressing me out,my job is just difficult and aaron is just...
annoying.
but i don't want my dislike for chris and aaron to come between me and my family.
miles has always been there for me and vise versa,i'm not gonna let them or any of their friends ruin my opportunity to cheer on my brother and my friends.
i got up walking to the bathroom to shower,then brushing my teeth and getting dressed in some greg sweats and a red nike hoodie.
i'm not even about to try to deal with my hair today so i just left it in the low ponytail that it was in when i went to sleep and kept it pushing.
i walked down the stairs seeing my dad sitting on the couch waiting for me.
"you ready?"
i nodded opening the door and getting into the car.
i leaned my head against the window the whole drive to the grocery store.
when we got out i was still quiet all the way up until we had grabbed a cart and started walking down the cereal isle.
"if this is some sort of payback or whatever for what i did in the car last night,it isn't working."
my dad said grabbing a box and putting it in the cart before pushing.
i shook my head assuring him that it wasn't.
"it's not,don't worry."
"well what's wrong then,why you so,quiet?"
he pushed the cart.
"why does everybody keep saying that?"
i threw my hands up rubbing the back of my neck.
"who is everybody? speaking of everybody,why didn't you tell me you were working for the williams family?"
i shook my head grabbing a box of lucky charms.
"i thought you knew"
he smacked his lips.
"oh really aaliyah,you thought i knew? and it doesn't help that miles knew but didn't tell me either."
"it's not a big deal.i just clean and help around the house,and they pay me a lot."
he stalled looking at me with a disappointed look on his face.
"how much?"
"a couple thousand a week."
his eyes went wide.
he cleared his throat before turning the cart into another isle.
"why are you even mad,it's not like i'm out drinking and partying."
i said following him.
"i'm not mad,i'm just disappointed.you know you can talk to me about anything,why didn't you tell me when you got the job?"
"it was so random and i didn't really think that you would care.it's just extra money on the side,you know i need that"
he sighed grabbing some milk out of the fridge.
"i understand you need money,we all need money,but don't go sneaking around tryna get it."
he put the milk down.
"and besides,why are you working for a family like the Williams anyway?"
he asked.
"you know them?"
i crossed my arms.
he shook him head grabbing some bread.
"no but i've heard some stuff about them.the people up there don't really want us hanging out up the hill.that's why i was worried when i saw you weren't at the twins house"
destiny and anthony both live in the game gated community as aaron and the rest of his friends.
usually,i would spend most of my time at their house and he would be ok with it because he trusts them.
if i would have known that i had a tracker on my phone maybe i wouldn't have went thirty minutes in the opposite direction of town.
"it's not my fault you put a tracker on my phone without me knowing.maybe i would have been more cautious then."
"that's the whole point.you weren't supposed to know,smart stuff."
he patted my head rolling the cart past me.
"i just don't see why you got so upset over the fact that i was only gone for like forty minutes.you know i'll call you if anything happens."
he began scanning the items.
"it's not that it's just that"
he sighed.
"that what?"
"i worry about you,ever since,you know,the accident."
my heart dropped.
"i just want you to be safe,and if that means i have to put you on house arrest personally then i'll do it,don't test me."
my dad worries,that i'll get myself into the same incident that i did last year.
he's extra cautious about who i hang out around and where i am at all times.
"i know."
i grabbed the bags and walking to the car on my own.
i understand his judgement.
it doesn't come from being ignorant or strict,it comes from being overprotective and worried.
i can understand that.
i hopped in the car waiting for him to get in before he did the same and started the car.
"i hope you know that this stuff isn't just temporary.i'm always gonna be like this with you,and miles."
he backed out.
"it's cause i love y'all,you know that."
he started driving to our school,taking slow turns.
"i know.i love you too."
i sighed.
he laughed shaking his head.
"you do trust me though,right?"
i ask looking over at him as he pulled into our schools parking.
"of course.you're almost eighteen,i gotta let you go sometime soon."
i nodded.
"great,then you would be more than happy to take this tracker off of my phone,right?"
i pulled out my phone,holding it out to him.
he looked at it sighing.
"yeah."
he grabbed it,typing some stuff in.
"don't let this fool you,this is because i trust you not because i want you to go out and party all night."
i nodded taking my phone back.
"of course."
i smiled sarcastically.
he laughed making me chuckle as miles opened the back door hopping into the car.
he was sweaty and had his duffle bag with him.
"ew you stink."
i said holding my nose.
he lifted his arms .
"really,it's my new cologne,it's called 'hard work'"
i pushed him back into the seat.
"that shit smells like pure ass."
he laughed falling back into the seat.
"watch that mouth."
my dad said pulling out of the parking spot.
"can we get chick fil a?
miles asked leaning onto the front seats.
my dad nodded taking a turn to get to the restaurant faster.
my phone rang out making me look at the name before answering.
"hey des"
"hey,liyah,what are you doing tomorrow?"
she asked as we pulled into the he drive thru.
"uh,probably going to the game,why?"
i replied.
she huffed on the other end.
"you're not going? your brother is playing."
i laughed.
"yeah but i don't like sports and i don't have an outfit yet."
she complained.
"did you sort that thing out with your dad?"
i nodded even though she couldn't see me.
"yeah.it's all good,now that he trusts me do you want to maybe go to one of those parties this weekend,i heard there's gonna be drinks."
i joked.
my dads head whipped around to me as i sent him a big smile.
"i'm kidding."
i laughed.
he smirked.
"haha,don't push it."
-
i didn't edit this again.