Nikole “…this divine thing”

I turned around and guess who just happened to catch my eye. Divine again, it was almost as if he knew exactly when to look up at me. I didn’t understand if our relationship was completely platonic or if there was something going on at all and adding that to the fact he had a girlfriend made my head hurt. For now, all I wanted to do was say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to him.

It took only about five steps towards him until I got cut off by…

“Hey birthday boy, sorry I’m late!” Keisha pulled up in a tight zebra print and black dress. It might have been cute if someone else wore it, but she knew just how to make it look slutty.

I could see that she was going to kiss him right on the lips but he turned around letting it backfire onto his cheek. I couldn’t help but smile.                                 

“Hey” he quietly replied and I turned quickly to walk in the opposite direction.

Who was I kidding? I’m not even close to being his type. He’s the leading scorer of the soccer team and I’m not the leading scorer of anything. His type is a girl like Keisha or Ciara but for me, Nikole Torres, - ha- I would be found at the near bottom of that list for sure.  Maybe I should go find Kyle and take him up on his offer. He was nice, and yes he is Divine’s cousin, but hey I needed to feel a least a little prettier than I did right now.

I headed in Kyle’s direction with renewed confidence and poise. I was ready to be a shameless flirt with this guy for one night but of course, I had to trip and fall. The next thing I knew I was face first bathing in cake, Divine’s very own birthday cake. I listened to all of the scattered noise in the background and quietly debated on whether to get up or just lay there on the floor.

Eventually, I did get up and the first person I saw out of the fifty-something people who were pointing and whispering was Divine. He was just looking at me, almost as if I was some random person he had never seen before. 

I ran straight into the bathroom, grabbed a whole lot of paper towels and attempted to clean up in a stall while fighting back any tears that felt they should come out. Then there was a knock at the door; it had to be Ciara.

“Cece, just go away I already know exactly what’s gonna come out of your mouth. ‘Why did you run in here? So you fell in some cake; is crying alone in a bathroom stall really helping your situation? It’s not like you lost a fight, you didn’t lose anything’. But guess what… I did lose. I lost any hope of this Divine thing happening. If he’s not already mad about me ruining his party, he probably now thinks I'm the stupid little girl that fell in his cake and ran away in tears. How can he like me after that and how come I care so much anyway? He has a girlfriend.”

Extended silence filled the bathroom and all I could do was cry even more.

“You like me?” a guy’s voice asked which scared me “How was I supposed to know that?”

“Umm…” lost for words I threw out, “This is the little girls’ room sir.” in a really terrible accent then regretted it right after.

“Oh damn for real, I -didn’t -even –notice” he joked with those last three words and no matter how much I didn’t want to I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Right,” I sniffed. “What are you doing in here?”

“Open the door” He paused, “please.”

Reluctantly, I pulled the door open and looked right at him. I knew I looked worse than a mess with runny make-up and cake frosting in my hair, but I walked over to the sink with the tiny amount of dignity I still had and washed my face.

If I’ve learned anything from the many men my mom has been with, it’s that nothing good ever comes when you show you're broken. You just look ugly.

Divine watched me while I was getting soap, as if I were some Picasso Painting on the wall. He watched me enough to a point that I needed to ask.

“What,” laughing and looking at him through the mirror.

“So you like me?” he leaned on the counter next to me. One eyebrow rose like he knew what he was doing. Did he know what he was doing?

“Says who?” I acted dumb for a minute. “Oh you mean-what I said in the-umm.” I uttered trying to find a way out. All he did was stare at me some more, which made things even harder with his oh so gorgeous eyes. “You know what, Ciara should be looking for me right about now, we kinda need to be back at her house by ten-thirty, before her dad gets home. “

“Ten thirty?” He asked looking at his phone, “its eleven forty-five”.

“Exactly,” I pointed at him in a sort of AHA manner, “well then I guess I really need to get out of here she probably left without me, so bye.” Then he caught my hand right when I was about to turn around.

“Then let me drive you home.” He smiled his PERFECT smile. Goodness why must he be so PERFECT?!

“And make you leave your party? I'm good. Ciara's probably still here and what about Keisha?” I stepped into him with this enormous amount of courage. Where did that come from? We were basically an inch apart now.

He just stood there studying me.  My whole body almost melted right then and there. Once our eyes met again he took my words “What about Keisha?”

So we just stood there as if time froze for almost three minutes, I counted. It’s not this happens every day. The guy I’ve been secretly in love since like forever and I are alone in a bathroom together. And here we are standing in front of each other with him having one hand in my hand and the other on my chin like he’s about to kiss me. Wait, he is about to kiss me I could see it in his eyes. What am I doing, I'm a minute maybe even a second away from being the OTHER woman in his life. That’s not me; it’s exactly not me. In love with Keisha or not I'm not lowering myself to this. I have standards for myself, and if he’s willing to go back on his relationship of years for the one girl that cries over him in a public restroom then what exactly am I falling for, a cheater? Get out, get out get out!

Which I did; I got out of his grip and slowly backed away from him. I could tell that it brought him back down to Earth but I had to do it. Earth and reality, where we needed to be.

“Happy Birthday,” I ended with and I nearly died walking out. I just left him in there, in the girl’s bathroom and I couldn’t look back. Everything I’ve asked for was in there, in that moment but I left it.

Divine “…witnesses”

So…what did I do wrong?

One minute, this girl and I are holding hands about to really do something and the next I'm here in the Girl’s Bathroom all by myself.

“Aye mack-mizzle!” was what greeted me once I walked out the door. “Spent a while in there with Miss Torres man…what’s good thee?” Trey continued.

Really this guy couldn’t just speak proper English for a minute. I mean he’s been talking to me like that for as long as I can remember, but right now... not exactly what I want to here?

“Nothing” I snapped at him.

Continuing out my eyes met up with Keisha’s. Keisha…my girlfriend. We’ve been going out for 2 years, since the beginning of sophomore year, and I haven’t ever thought of looking at any other girl let alone actually going after them. To me, she was the WHOLE FREAKING PACKAGE and then some. That is until now. What was it about Nikole? What came over me in there? How is it that I feel so close and so safe with her?

“So you mean to tell us you locked yourself in the girl’s bathroom with only one girl in it just to stare at her for 30 minutes?” Another guy asked.

“I don't know, sure. Is that good enough for you?” I shot back. It wasn’t really 30 minutes, was it?

“NO it’s not” she answered. She said it quietly but also strong enough to gain our attention.

“Keisha-”

“I get it. You wanted to make sure the poor girl was alright. That’s you…the nice guy” air quotes around nice, “just next time can we try doing that out here-with witnesses.” Her icy eyes were fixed on me and everyone could see that this was a command and not really a question.

“Yea” I answered sheepishly.

“Alright, so can we get back to the party or..?” she walked away with her girls ending out the conversation. Unfortunately I knew the conversation was not over. Round Two comes when we’re alone. 

Nikole “…another moment”

Apparently Ciara did leave me.

^{WHERE ARE YOU}

^{MY DADS GONNA KILL US its 11}

^{I’M GOING HOME.}

Three different text messages I didn’t notice at three different times. Looks like I’m walking home.

“Nikki…Nikki!”

That sounded like…

“Kyle?” he was actually running towards me.

“You.  Forgot.  Your Jacket,” he managed to get out between huffs and puffs.

“Oh thanks.” My plan was to leave it and come back for it later meeting up with Divine, but now that I thought about it, was that really going to work?

I realized Kyle and I were spending quite some time looking around in an awkward silence.

“Need a ride?” He finally asked gesturing out to his car.

“Isn’t the party still on?”

“Come on.” he grabbed my hand and led the way to his car. Two Montgomery boys’ hands in one night, was it my outfit or something?

 “Umm…so are you okay,” he asked while in the car. “I mean with the whole falling in the cake thing?”

I cringed a little beyond my control but answered, “Yes. There’s nothing like being in the bathroom with the birthday boy to get you feeling better.”

Ew, did I actually say that? “I mean we talked, just talked and he made sure I was okay”

Then I looked up at him to see if he could tell of my embarrassment. You know, he does resemble Divine a little. He’s just a bit lighter and has cornrows instead of the signature low fade. Plus he was a lot more impressive in the muscular department. A smile slightly crossed my face, again out of my control but I let it happen.

He glanced over with a smile to match mine and then asked if it was Ciara’s house he was taking me to.

“Yea I’m staying with her for three weeks. My mom is in Mexico so…” I let my voice drift off mainly because I didn’t really feel the need to tell him all of the personal details. But I guess I could tell you.

See my mother’s father died (committed suicide) not too long ago and once news got to her about it, bags were packed and a ticket was bought for Mexico in seconds -one ticket. Seriously, she didn’t even tell me until a day before that she’d be leaving me alone. Luckily I had Ciara to fall back on and we were set. We're on day #5 now and it’s been GREAT.

Right when he got to the house, we stayed there in the car. On my part, half of the reason was that he looked so much like he wanted to tell me something, but I wasn’t sure. The other half was because ringing the doorbell at 12:30 A.M when Ciara’s dad wasn’t even supposed to know we were out past 10:30 practically paralyzed me.

“Okay” Kyle began to say. “So I like you,” no surprise there “but you like my cousin.” He looked at me with Oh My Goodness those EYES. How do they have the same eyes? “I saw the way you looked at him after you fell.”

I turned my head because I couldn’t face him anymore.

“But when I saw the way he looked back at you. Nikole you’re great and everything. It’s just honestly falling that hard for Divine will just ruin you,” note how he used the word falling. “My cousin ain’t even close to what’s good for you and--”

“YOU ARE.” the first words I get into the conversation and they cut through the air so bad Kyle sits straight with both hands fixed on the steering wheel. He actually grips it tight enough his knuckles start to grow paler.”

So I guess that’s my cue to leave. I gently closed the car door so he knew I wasn’t too angry.

“Thanks for the warning, and the ride” I said quietly.

But he just looked straight ahead, turned the keys to start the car and left.

AGH I BLEW ANOTHER MOMENT. What’s wrong with me?

Divine “…crazy smart”

“Did you really-”

“Walk all the way back from here from Ciara’s place? Yea,” she laughed a little “I kind of wanted to see you again.”

“Oh” Was that all I could say?

She came closer and looked into my eyes, “Sorry I left the way I did.”

“No it’s alright I-”

Then she kissed my cheek. She had to get on her tippy toes since I am taller than her and when she got back down to her heels, I whispered

“One more time…” Normally that would’ve sounded terrible but for some reason it was perfect now. She laughed her pretty little laugh and went for the kiss again, but this time-

“Wake The Hell Up Divine!” Keisha showed up.

I mean I woke up to her in my face. I was in her room and from what I could tell we definitely did something in her bed. It must have been something while drunk though, because I don’t remember any of it. Then I glanced over at the clock and it was 11:00 A.M.

“We still need to talk about this whole Torres thang.”

Keisha found comfort in calling Nikole by her last name ever since she started tutoring me. I never really looked too much into it. But was it because she felt intimidated?

“Right now” I asked, “…right when I wake up…with a hangover”

“I swear Divine if you cheat on me--”

“What my love,” I replied while I got out of the bed and put my jeans back on. “I have practice so if I cheat on you what will happen?”

“Swear to God I hate you”

“Hey the Heavenly Father has nothing to do with this so if you don't mind.”

Clearly I’m Christian but Keisha isn’t which meant I was constantly correcting her on her unholy habits. She seemed to have a lot of them.

 “Anyway guess what?” I asked her.

“What?”

“I love you too.” I said kissing her cheek. Then she touched a scar on the side of my eye.

“Don’t get hurt today okay.”

“Yup” I answered and walked out of her room and her house.

Keisha lives in this big home with her parents who are very aware of how her relationship with me is. One day her dad even asked if I wanted to move in permanently because I was around the house so much but that was just a little too much for me. We’re only in high school.

I got in my car and took a quick look in the mirror; at the scar.

You know, this thing didn’t come from soccer at all. Actually it was from the very reason I'm at her house more than my own.

^{YOU USELESS PIECE OF…!}

Images of that day still run through my mind.  And every time I do think of it the scar hurts almost like it’s new again. But it’s not. It’s about 5 years old and I’m what 17 now.

Yea I remember; a few weeks after my 12^th birthday, I broke his new sunglasses. I was wearing them thinking they made me look cooler and older until the left side of it snapped, you know the part that went over the ear. I was crying because I thought he was going to yell at me but he was calm. I gave the pieces back to him and he set them on the counter. Then the next moment happened so fast it still haunts me. With the flick of his arm he back-handed me into the very same counter the glasses were on and the side of my eye hits the corner. But it wasn’t the first time that he hit me and or the last.

I’ve told everyone that I got it from soccer and every other one of my scars and bruises after that. The only people that know the truth are God, my father, me and Nikole.

I didn’t tell her on purpose she just kind of found out during one of our tutoring hours. That girl is crazy smart and I guess that’s one thing I really liked that about her.

After she found out about it she started listing all of these options for me but I didn’t want to hear them. My plan was to deal with the man for as long as I could and once I turn 18 leave as soon as possible. He's still a parent to me, just a terrible parent. 

Until I'm eighteen though, like I told you, I spend most of my time at Keisha’s.

Nikole “…soccer practice”

“So now I bet Kyle hates me.” I told Ciara after forgiving her for ditching me at the party and letting her know about my night.

We were still in our PJs and drinking warm green tea in her room. That’s how we did every morning since I’ve temporarily moved in; it was more like a ritual for her.

“He probably doesn’t hate you, I mean he might not speak to you for one or two months but --"

“Oh I feel so much better now,” I replied sarcastically. “I basically shut him down and did it in a very rude way. It makes me feel horrible.”

“Well do you want to go out with him…because you’re making it sound like you do?”

“You know I don’t.”

“Then let’s focus on the big deal here, Divine. What’s going to happen with him?” I started to feel like my life was forming into a little soap opera in her mind and it worried me.

 “I promised to go to a practice today but that was before last night so I don’t know now”

“Go loser.” She nudged me and smiled.

“Then he’ll want to talk to me and --”

“GO LOSER” she got serious about it. “You’ve been talking about this boy since preschool” actually it was the 8^th grade, “at least go and get an explanation for what went down and let him know he needs to get his act together.”

I couldn’t argue with that so I let out another sigh and drank my tea in silence.

Once I got to school in Ciara’s car I turned it off and sat in the parking lot. Nerves were practically eating away at my brain. So what, I’ll go in there, watch the practice, wave hello and then leave?

I know Ciara wants me to talk to him but that just seems like too much for less than 24 hours since... you know. It’s actually a miracle I was able to get the car out of the driveway. A quick drop in and drop out is the plan. Well it was supposed to be the plan.

Before I reach the gate to the field someone yells out

“Why hello there”

“Uh…hi,” I replied at the one thing in the way of me and my plan. It was Markaya one of Keisha’s famous minions.

“What brings you over to this area of town?”

“Well I’m pretty sure I go to school here, I’m able to come and go as I please. That is unless I’ve been banished… by you.” It was one of those ‘your mouth got ahead of your brain’ kind of moments, and I felt the beating of my heart through my sweater.

 By instinct, I tried to make a run for it. But once I took a step and she moved right with me- I knew exactly what was going to happen. Panic set in; the last thing I wanted at this point in time was a fight.

“Do you mind” I took a deep breath and cherished it because it might’ve just been my last.

“It depends; do you mind leaving the country and never coming back so I don’t have to do silly little errands like this for one of my best friends?”

“Just get out of my way please”

“Make me.” Here we go, I thought

“I’m not going to push you; we’re not five.”

“Fine then I’ll push you,” and she did.

“Next time you want to snatch someone else’s boy up. Think to yourself what would Marky do if she caught me?” then she pushed me against a random car this time before we actually started fighting. Well it was more of her attacking me and stealing my car keys but whatever.

“NIKKI!” I heard someone shout maybe about eight or ten minutes after she left. Through my blurry eyes, I did make out who he was and hated that I got myself into this situation for him to save me. He showed me the keys he got back, helped me into his car not mine and drove me home to Ciara’s place.

Divine “…soccer practice”

“Look what I got,” Marky came to her group that always watched me practice. It came out very loud and song-like you couldn’t help but turn your attention to her. So I stopped running the drill I was on and glanced over at the keys that were dangling from her hand. They looked very familiar in a sense that I knew they weren’t hers. Actually I remembered that keychain.

“You have a have a koala-bear on your keychain?” I laughed.

“And…what, koala bears are cute,” she replied.

“Koala bears?”

“Hey the first stuff animal I got from my mom was a koala-bear thank you very much.”

“Where- -What are you doing?” Anthony, my drill partner, asked but I just kept walking, “Coach is gonna kick your ass for this I hope you know that." And I knew.

“Hey, what are you doing with those?!”

“Oh so you recognize them?” she played; jingling them around like a little girl.

“Where is she?” I pretty much yelled from the bottom of the field to the stands.

All Marky did was scoff and went back to her conversation with her friends; making sure she added the unneeded or wanted attitude with it. “Anyways”

“One more time, WHERE THE HELL IS SHE” I imagined I looked like a beast right now because each one of those girls widened their eyes and you could tell they got scared.

“No sweetie. Don’t ever yell at me like that again and think it's alright. Imma give you a pass for now,” she said as she walked down the stairs and gave me the keys, “but let it be known that Keisha’s hearing about this one.”

“Well in that case, try telling her that she’s not the only one that could end this relationship. It goes both ways and I swear sometimes she forgets.”

All she could do to respond was give me her version of the evil eye. So I took the keys and ran back into the field just to see how unhappy Coach was.

“What do you think you’re doing Montgomery?!” He shouted loud enough even though I was less than two feet away from him. “Your birthday is over son which means you go back to following rules now.”

“I know, I’m sorry, I- I just have to go home. It’s like a life or death situation sir.”

“For who?”  His eyebrow rose.

“For me,” I answered determined to get out of here, because there was no way Marky just happened to get a hold Nikole’s keys with no violence occurring at all.

“Four miles for missing a practice”

“Four miles,” I repeated taking that as my green light to go. I grabbed my bags, ran out to the parking lot and that’s where I saw her. It didn’t even take me a minute to spot the only girl lying on the road holding her stomach.

“NIKKI!”

Nikole “…divine’s ruining me?”

My head hurt pretty badly but that was kind of it. I believe she hit my stomach too but it didn’t hurt as much. Either way there I was, weak in the passenger seat of Divine’s car with him driving me home, this sucked.

I sat there and started to watch him drive. Looking at his face, I was reminded of the fact that it was again less than 24 hours since I was in this same scenario with Kyle. Hmmm I wonder what he would’ve thought about this situation right here. Does this count as one way Divine’s ruining me?

“You didn’t have to do this you know”                                           

“What drive you home after getting beaten down?”

“Well,” I replied resting my head on the car window. “Yea, Ciara would’ve probably picked me up if I called her”

“Oh of course, Good Ole Reliable Ciara, the one who bailed on you at my party; leaving my cousin to drive you home right?”

“Her dad would’ve killed her if she stayed with me.”

“So he killed you?”

“No,” I began to stare at all the passing tress which I wouldn’t advise doing at all when you’re head already feels horrible. “I’m obviously still alive here aren’t I?”

“Barely” he lifted my arm and watched it fall back down, indicating death. “No blood right?”

“No,” I answered and an awkward silence followed, just for a while though because a nasty rap song came on the radio and I had to change it.  We both laughed and I started joking about how he was able to recite a Taylor Swift song word for word.

When he dropped me off, I did tell him thank you and asked about Ciara’s car.

“I’ll drop it off later,” he answered like the superhero he probably thought he was right now. “See you later.”

“Bye” I waved with one hand and held my gut with the other as pain shot through it. He might have seen in it my face because he told me that I should lie down and just take some painkillers. I was going to comment on how much of an expert he must be at this but it would only have been funny if it wasn’t so true.

“Oh yea Nikki” he looked up while starting his car. “I honestly didn’t think I was going to see you again”

All I was able to do was nod.

“Thanks for proving me wrong.” And with that he drove off and away. If there was any doubt before it was canceled out by this, I fell back in love.

Divine “…little prayer”

“So Markey told me everything.” Keisha said while moving up next to me on the couch.

We were at her house all cuddled up watching music videos. Bringing up today wasn’t going to do anything but destroy the mood. She went there anyway.

“Everything” I repeated.

“I think so. I mean she mentioned you yelling at her like a total douche. Didn’t tell me why though, she only went off on the idea that we might be in an abusive relationship and informed me that I need to get out…fast.”

“Have I told you Markey’s insane before?”

“Babe, really what happened?”

“Well your friend left out a few things,” I paused. “Like the fact that she ambushed Nikki in the parking lot, and stole her car keys”

“What?” Keisha sat up. “Is the girl okay?”

“Now maybe but when I found her, no.”

She turned around, closed her eyes, took a deep breath and then glanced back at me all in like half a second. “I had nothing to do with it”

“I never asked” I was thinking about it but I never asked.

After she put her head down in what looked like disappointment, I grabbed her and we continued to watch more of those videos.

By 11:30 at night we got ready for bed. I had dinner with her parents and they went to sleep an hour ago. Everyone already knew I was staying over.

“Why don’t you like going home Divine?” She whispered when we finally got situated.

“I don’t know. Do you want me to go home?” Of course the answer was no.

“It’s just that, as much as I’d want it to be, I know you’re not here all the time because you love spending so much time with me.”

“Who told you that?”

“Well last week, when we fought, you said it’s not like you love spending so much time here with me.” She still managed to smile and then shrugged, “so I just kind of took it as the truth.”

I sighed, “Just as a reminder I love you,” she nodded. “Do I love playing house with your parents down the hall… no, not so much. But I wouldn’t trade any of it for going home to that apartment”

“Doesn’t your dad start worrying?”

“No” I answered quickly then turned to the ceiling so she couldn’t see the pain in my eyes. It was enough it was already there in my voice. “He stopped doing all that when my mom died”

“I know you don’t like talking about her.”

“I don’t tell anyone about her,” I said.

“Yea,” her head moved to the top of my bare chest. “But I get it… I think. After she died your father changed and you don’t like who he’s become. It’s almost like those things you read in books and see in movies. But in the end the guy and his dad learn from each other and they live almost happily ever after. Don’t you think that could happen to you?”

“How about you go to sleep?”

“Fine,” she replied. “But I believe in you guys, Divine, just wait”

“Mhmm. Goodnight little prayer”

She laughed and I remembered why I’ve been so in love with her.

Nikole “…my life”

I wish my day magically got better after seeing Divine but why on earth would such good luck happen to me. Instead when I opened the door to Cece’s house, with the key I got made, I saw her –sitting casually in the living room.

“Um…hi there” my heart dropped.

“Hey, oh my goodness what happened to you” with the concerned and surprised tone kicking in after hey. But there she was; my mother, home from Mexico a lot earlier than I’d expected.

“Assuming I said I fell, would anyone believe me?” I said grabbing that line out of a really bad movie Cece and I saw not too long ago.

“No now tell me” She started to touch every spot that hurt.

“Isn’t it enough that I had to go through it once? Then you make me relive it in telling the story?” My voice moved to dramatic with a slight break into cry and I knew I’d get away with it. Every time I’ve pulled that out, she’s retreated.

“Fine,” she paused and fixed my hair. “As long as you promise that what happened won’t happen again.” I nodded and finally noticed that a stranger was on the couch behind us.

“I was going to wait until you and Ciara got home but I’m just going to take a guess that you two weren’t together today.”

“No, we weren’t.” I decided to cut to the chase, “are we going home?”

“Yes” she put her hands on my shoulders. “You Paul and I are going home”

“Paul being,” I asked and as soon as I did he stood up and waved, “Ah, the tall stranger in the audience, hey there”

“Honey, I saw Paul was on the plane to Mexico and-”

“Mom, you sit near a nice man on the plane then say it was nice to meet you not let’s go home and live together with my daughter.”

“Sweetie he’s more than just a nice random guy. You don’t remember him? Paul and I went out last year…sometime around your birthday.”

I laughed a little and pointed at him, “the man with the burnt cookies.” Paul broke up with my mom a day before my birthday through a note and some burnt cookies in a basket.

“Well yea, we got to talking and other stuff these past few days. Then he kind of proposed two nights ago. We’re going to get married,” she held up her left hand with a smile.

“Nikki I care about your mom. It just took seeing her again and rekindling all the old feelings for me to finally realize,” Paul decided it was best for him to chime in.

I almost threw up right then and there.  Was this really happening?

“Oh, welcome to our family Paul” I forced a smile, “if you’d like to stay in it call me Nikole from now on never Nikki.”

Then I turned back to my mom and said, “I hope you don’t mind but I’d like to wait until Ciara comes back before I do anything.”

 I shot my mom two thumbs up along with a “Congrats!” and then hit the stairs.  

“Paul’s gross,” Cece told me after getting home and having been filled in.

“Because I didn’t already know that,” I paused “He doesn’t even know how to bake cookies. He’s good for absolutely nothing.”

“And yet he’s gonna be your new step-daddy.”  She made a slight frowning face.

“Honestly as if my day wasn’t hard enough, you’d think the woman would stay in Mexico and never come back.”

That’s when Ciara got up and patted my head. “Oooo child things are gonna get easier,” she sang softly. “How’s your head anyway?”

“Well patting it doesn’t help. Knowing that this situation with Divine has made no progress doesn’t help. Paul will never help.” I let out a highly exaggerated sigh with a yell of, “MY LIFE” and then started to pack my things.

By eight o’clock that night I was back at my house, in my own room and on my own bed. Although my bed is a hundred times better than the air mattress I was sleeping on at Cece’s, that was the only upside to being home.

We attempted to have a “family” dinner but no one at that table felt like family to me.  Everything just felt like the beginning of a very terrible story.