cry me a river.

$ - prologue

"whoop her ass mari!" my friend, skylar cheered as i socked a few punches into this bitches face.

i felt the girl i'm fighting pull my hair which pissed me off even more, so i grabbed hers and wrapped it around my hand, and continued throwing punches with my other.

the crowd around us erupted in "oohs" and "woahs." suddenly, i was on top of this girl throwing punches left and right. "you fucking bitch!" i shouted.

i was fighting this girl because she was picking on my little sister. i know, not my smartest moment to fight someone, but i wasn't gonna let it slide. she got disrespectful toward me as well so it wasn't only just because of my sis.

"break it up! break it up now!" i heard someone grown shout. fuck. i felt hands pull me off the girl i was fighting.

"what is going on here?"

i turn around and i see my school principle stood in front of me. "that hoe was bullying my little sister yo!" i shouted, pointing at the female still on the ground covered in blood.

"shut up bitch!" the girl said. suddenly my legs tried running at the bitch again but my principle grabbed my arm. "both of you! in my office! now."

i sat there in the office, with gauze tape wrapped around both my sore knuckles. i took a glance at the beat up female sitting beside me in a separate chair. both of her eyes were swollen and bloody and she had a busted lip.

i felt guilty but no one is ever gonna disrespect my little sister, amani, like that, EVER. not if i have anything to do with it.

our principle sat in front of us on the phone. with the girls mother. they talked it out but i wasn't listening in. i was too busy praying to god that when it was my turn to call my mother, she wouldn't pick up.

they hung up and my principle slid the landline phone in front of me. "amari. call your mom and let her know what happened, or i will."

"audrianna, you're free to go. your mom is outside" the principle said to "audrianna." i didn't even know her name.

i nervously dialed my moms phone, and i held the phone up to my ear. i heard the dial tone ring and ring and ring...

"hello?"

"hey ma.. um... i got in a fight today at school but befo-"

"you what? AMARI SELINE RAMIREZ!" my mom yelled through the phone.

"a fight.. i know i said i wouldn't fight again but it was because of amani! and the principle wants you to come by the school..."

"tell him i'll be on my way. you better stay your stupid ass in that office until i get there!" my mom said in an aggressive tone. i sighed and rubbed my forehead. i really am in deep shit.

—

"ms. ramirez, amari is only able to continue attending school here at roosevelt if she agrees to sign our contract" my principle offered. i breathed a sigh a relief. i was happy i wasn't being expelled.

"the contract is just a few rules of agreement so something like this wouldn't happen again."

"that won't be necessary" my mom spoke coldly. "i would like to unenroll my child. please hand me the paperwork to do so."

unenroll?????? "but m-" i looked up at my mom and she stared me dead in my eyes. my mom scares me sometimes.

my mom continued to speak with my principle and she signed the paperwork for me to leave roosevelt high school. "why'd you do that?" i asked. "i can't do this with you anymore amari."

"you're going to live at your grandmas. you're gonna be her problem now."

i sat in her car still. as my heart sank hearing that.

"what about amani?" i asked. "your little sister can protect herself" my mom said starting the car. obviously not, if i had to kick some girls ass for her.

the following day consisted of me packing and saying goodbyes to my family.

my mom kept talking shit the entire car ride. my grandma lives in the southside of houston. i've been a few times but i was too small to remember anything. i'm 16 now.

as we entered my grandma's neighborhood, i noticed a lot of run down houses and broken fences. a few small corner stores here and there. stray dogs and cats. "ugh, i can't believe your grandma lives in such ghetto conditions" my mom said. i rolled my eyes at her statement.

my mom is a lawyer. once she went to college, she was able to move in with my father, who was rich. my grandma greeted us in her parking lot and i grabbed my suitcase from the trunk of my moms car.

"hey grandma" i said. "amari! you're so grown!" she exclaimed. i smiled a bit and took my stuff inside, without saying goodbye to my mom.