Chapter 14

"Two missed calls." My mother says as I walk through the door.

I had skipped class for the rest of the school day, missing four periods, but decided to go to track practice. That way, my day wouldn't be a complete failure.

But maybe I should've just come home. I couldn't concentrate during practice. Even the coach noticed, and she told me to take tomorrow afternoon off.

I push out of my mind the loads of work that I know I have, and how I should have just went to class.

But how could I with such a heavy heart?

My mother glances at me, looking a bit concerned. It's like she knows there's an issue, but doesn't want to be the one to start up the chat.

I glance back at her. We look nothing alike.

She has a small, 5'4 frame, mocha colored skin, and shoulder-length midnight black hair. Her eyes are light brown and her thin lips in an almost permanent line, except when she smiles.

She doesn't smile as much as she used to.

I then look away and kick off my tennis shoes, dropping my sports bag next to the door, which I know my father will fuss at me for later, once he gets home from bible study.

I'm becoming more and more indifferent each day.

If he wants to scream, he can be my guest and go ahead. Not much matters anymore.

I can't get what Michael said out of my head. It's just stuck in the forefront of my thoughts. Well, at least I know how he really feels about me now. It's better to be real than to be pretentious with somebody.

Even if being truthful cuts you deep.

"From?" I ask her.

"Both from Michael."

My stomach churns wildly when she utters his name. He was the last person I'd expect to call me. Did he not remember what he said to me earlier today? Does he think nothing of it?

"What did you tell him?" I ask her.

"That you'll call him back once you get home."

"God, no! Mom! Why would you say that?" I groan, sitting on the second step of the stairs and fisting my brown, now frizzy, hair.

"Aniko, that boy is crazy about you. At least give him the time of day." She replies, busying herself by tidying up the already cleaned kitchen.

I lift my head up to look at her. "If he is so crazy about me, then why would he call me a hoe?"

My mother drops the dish cloth she had in her hand, shock overtaking her face before she quickly bends to pick it up.

"He did what now?"

I roll my eyes, frustrated at the world. At everything. "He did say he wanted to apologize for something." Mother says.

I scoot closer to the wall to make room for my mother to sit next to me on the step.

"Look Aniko, I know you don't want to talk about it. I can see that clearly in your eyes, so I won't pester you about the details. But just know that young love always hurts the most. I don't know that much about it, since I met your father when I was 27. But I've heard how much it hurts. Just know that you'll always find your destiny, and it may or may not be a boy." She takes hold of my hand.

I chew on her words for a few moments.

She's right.

Who needs love?

"Thank you mom. I'm going to shower."

She nods and stands up. "Good, it's almost six. I'm sure there's a lot of homework to do."

Sure.

I stand up and turn on my heel, ascending the stairs, two steps at a time.

I feel weak. Letting him take over my emotions like that. Letting him make my cry in that bathroom stall for close to two hours.

Letting him break my heart.

I push open my bedroom door and walk over to my vanity. I attempt to comb out my hair so that when I wash it, it wouldn't get all tangled and knotted.

Of course, when I finish, my hair looks like a lion's mane, only more puffy.

I roll my eyes at the mirror and proceed, readying myself for a shower.

Thirty minutes later, I dress up into a pair of grey sweatpants and a turquoise sweater, rolling up the long sleeves to just below my elbow.

I wrap my hair into a side bun and jump onto my bed with a deep and loud sigh.

I grab my old journal from the shelf of my bed and blow of the dust collected on the brown, leather cover.

I haven't written in this in a long time.

I decided that I would only write in it when huge occasions take place, or when something flips my world upside down.

Someone, more like.

This is definitely an occasion.

I click the pen that was lodged inside the journal and flip to a new, clean page.

I date the top left corner and begin writing, trying to collect my whirlwind of thoughts.

I didn't even care when my fingertips got smudged with the ballpoint pen ink.

I just kept writing.

A knock on the door pulls me out of my writing reverie.

My mother pokes her head in. "You have a visitor."

"Tell whoever it is that I'll be busy for forever please." I murmur, directing my attention back to my journal and my angry, melancholy thoughts across the page.

She sighs. "Ani..."

"No mom, really. Can you please leave now?"

"I'm sorry, I tried." She says to my visitor.

I'll feel kind of guilty if it's Cera, but she'll understand and I'll explain to her later.

"I'll try to take it from here, Mrs. Day."

Despite all that I say, the door reopens and I look up.

"I had to come here."

He's dressed in jeans and a black button up shirt, tucked in, and a brown and gold belt.

I hate him for looking so handsome.

"Get the hell out of my room." I snap.

"Please, just listen to me." Michael pleads, and has the nerve to sit on the edge of my bed.

"No, you listen to me! Do you have any idea how much you've hurt me in a matter of hours?" I exclaim.

"And I'm sorry Aniko."

"Sorry my ass."

There is a minute of silence, and then I look at him. "Are you deaf? I said get out!"

He glances at me with pain behind his eyes.

"What are you writing?"

"None of your damn business." I say, fighting the urge to kick him off my bed and onto the wood floor.

But I don't.

I continue penning down my blustering thoughts and he only sits there, watching me.

Probably studying how much he hurt me, and how it's taking a toll on me.

I have no idea how much time has passed. But I know it's late because the light under my door had turned off a while ago, signifying that my father had come home and retired for the night.

He's always the last person to head up to bed, so I know everyone else is asleep.

"Won't your parents be wondering where you are?" I finally ask, cutting through the stagnant air with my voice.

"My whole family went to a gig out of town. They'll be back tomorrow morning."

"Why couldn't you go with them?"

"I could. I just didn't want to." Michael replies.

I roll my eyes. How can I be annoyed by even his breathing, yet all I want to do is lay in his arms?

Fuck. I'm confusing myself.

"You should have." I mutter.

"Aniko, I just want to talk-"

"Go home." I cut him off. "I'm going to bed."

I drag my covers over my body after returning my journal to the shelf.

I'm right about to close my eyes when Michael climbs on top of me, flipping the covers off of me.

"Fuck no, get off me!"

"Why is it that you put up so many walls around your heart? My guard is let down, everything is out in the open and on display for you. Why can't you be the same way?" He whispers.

It's then that all the emotions of not just today, but of this new episode in my life come crashing through me.

I sob as Michael encases me in his arms. It takes me a while to gain my control.

I hate crying in front of him. The tears still stream, quietly now.

I realize that he's staring at my lips, so I knew the kiss was coming.

However, not what came after.

It was something that neither of us could control. We didn't try to.

More than emotion. Much deeper than that.

For the rest of the night, we didn't stop or compress what was blossoming in our hearts.

We let love take over.

--

Chapter 14

I know you guys probably hate me for the delay. I'm sorry, enjoy this!

Vote

Comment

Share

~Joy ✌🏼️