I walked into the hair salon to get my hair cut. My dad was busy with orders, my mom was working, my brother was helping my dad, and my sisters were with there friends so I had to go alone.
Mama Bee:" Hey baby girl! You here for your hair cut?"
Me:" Yeah I am." I sighed.
Mama Bee was the neighborhood hairstylist. She was the best at what she did. But she was also my support. She loved me and I loved her. She would always invite me to the shop to hangout since I didn't have friends. She was like my second mom. Which is why I would call her Mama Bee. No one else called her that. Everyone called her Bee Bee. It was like our thing. She would always call me baby girl, princess, or sugar.
Mama Bee:" All alone today?" I nodded " Not for long. Here let me present you to Isabella. This girl right here comes here once a month with her mom. Don't you pumpkin?"
Bella:" Yes I do." She turned to me. " Hi! It's nice to meet you I'm Bella."
She stuck her hand out to me and I took it.
Brook:" Lily."
Mama Bee:" Ok you two wait here and keep each other company. I'll be right Back with some snacks."
That day I made my first friend. I found out she was going to South High this year which meant we would be at the same school. We talked and ate the snacks that Mama Bee gave us and became best friends. We exchanged numbers and decided on hanging out before school started. After the summer we would hang out at Mama Bee's Salon everyday after school. Eventually, Bella started calling her Mama Bee too. We were her favorite little girls. Mama Bee also adapted nicknames for Bella. Pumpkin, Cupcake, or sweet pea. Thanks to Mama Bee, we were inseparable forever. But, Bella didn't know who I was and she didn't pressure me about it. Not even when I came to school with more scars every day. You see I worked with my dad. So I often got into street fights.
In senior year the attacks between my dads ' business' and the bordering neighborhood started happening. The first one hit Mama Bee's Salon.
Brook:" Where is she?!"
EMT:" Miss I'm going to have to ask you to calm down. "
Brook:" What have you done to her where is she?!"
I finally saw her. My body went limp against the EMT's arms as I saw her lifeless form strewn across the street.
Brook:" No..." I whispered.
EMT:" Miss I'm going to have to ask you to step back and let the authorities handle this."
He passed me into Bella's arms who I hadn't even noticed was waiting behind me with tears streaming down her face.
Brook:" She's gone." I said as we held on to each other. We cried for two whole days together.
Mama Bee didn't have any existing family so Bella and I led the service. It rained all day.
After the service Bella had to go home. So I went home alone. My mom had cried when she found out. My sisters didn't as much since they didn't know her as well as I did. That night I started blaming my dad. I knew this was his fault.
I burst into his office the next day knowing he would be there.
Brook:" She's gone! She's gone because of you!" I screamed tears streaming down my face. My 18 year old body shook with anger.
My father looked at me with a cold expression. He didn't care one bit.
Garcia:" Mi Amor ( My Love), I'm sorry for what happened. I never meant for this to happen. But things like this happen and you need to learn to deal with it. To control your feelings. Bee Bee wouldn't want to see you like this." I walked out of the room. Cool Rage building up at the pit of my stomach.
After that day, I learned to turn off my feelings when I needed to. Like when I was on a job or when more people died in my neighborhood that I loved and cherished. I was becoming a cold and empty like the monster my father was. The only thing keeping me from going over the edge was Bella, My sisters: Nani and Star, and Ani.
No one knew about Bella. Not even Ani. I didn't want her to get hurt so I hid her.
I had begun thinking about leaving. Escaping from my dad and his work. But I couldn't. I couldn't leave Nani and Star or my Mom. My sisters didn't even know about our Dad. The only way me and Ani found out was because we were snooping around. After that we started working with him. My Mom (Katalina ) knew and she hated it.
For 3 years these thoughts revolved around my head. Messing with my thoughts as I finished up my college degree. And then it happened. My breaking point.
May 15 , Bruce my fathers enemy knocked at our door.
Bruce:" Open the door Kate!" He yelled.
Kate :" Go up stairs and hide girls. I can handle this." She whispered to us. " No!" She screamed at the door.
Another loud Bang was herd against the door.
Brook:" Mami, let me help you." I said reaching for my gun that was strapped to my shin. I had just gotten back from work when this started happening.
Kate:" No go! Protect your sisters and tell them that I love them and tell Ani I love him too when you see him."
Brook:" Don't talk like that. We'll see each other after this." I said pressing my head to hers as tears streamed down our faces.
I ran upstairs and hid at the railing with Nani and Star. Ready to run and get the emergency backpacks.
Bruce and his men burst in as I crouched down. Then it happened. My world shattered into pieces.
The shot rang out into the quit night.
Me:" Mom..." I whispered. She made eye contact with me.
Kate:" Turn it off.." She mouthed. So I did. I shut off all my emotions.
I turned and left with my sobbing sisters. We got everything we needed and ran. We arrived at my dads warehouse after finally finding the emergency car. I was bloody from so much fighting because they had discovered us.
I lead Nani and Star to their safety room to let them clean up and made them food. I wrote them a note telling them to eat and rest. I then wrote a letter to my father telling him that I was leaving and I wasn't coming back. I told them in their note to give the letter to him. I then wrote Nani, Star, and Ani individual letters explaining why I had to leave. I grabbed my pack hopped into a new car and sped off. I had to change cars twice to make sure they didn't find me.
I arrived at Bella's house bruised and bloodied. I made her promise me to never speak of this night again after I had cleaned up. I changed my identity and switched schools making sure to cover my tracks. I didn't look back and swore to myself that I never would.
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