Playing Poker [BEING REWRITTEN]

1| Spit

"Rayland, get the fuck down here."

My eyes were hit with the sunlight bursting through my window. It's our only source of light since Aunt Linda hasn't paid the electricity bill in months; I'm surprised she can still pay rent. Sad thing is she has money, she just chooses to spend it on other things.

I grabbed a piece of stale bread and walked to school. I walked into the building and I could feel people's stares, hear the whispers as I walked.

School was my escape from reality. It made me feel normal even though I wasn't, it was also an escape from Linda. She is my aunt but she is verbally abusive and only physical when under the influence or when she was with Darren Williams.

Darren is a story for another time.

After school, I walked home and Linda wasn't home yet. I sprawled across my bed and started reading.

I opened my eyes and realized I had fallen asleep. Linda called me saying she had some important news. I groan and slowly walk down the stairs. She was surprisingly smiling, she never smiles.

"Guess what Rayland! I'm getting married." She yelled out in excitement. My eyes widened in shock and panic. 

"How the hell are you getting married?" I asked in disbelief, she glared in response but chose not to respond to my comment. "So did Darren propose or...?" I asked nervously. Darren was here a few times a week. I don't know what I would do if they got married.

"Nope, some guy named Paul Brown." She shrugged. The name sounds familiar but I can't remember where I heard it. I rolled my eyes and went back up the stairs.

"We are moving tomorrow after school, pack up your stuff." She yelled as I walked away, making me huff out a breath in response. I'm not even surprised she informed me this late.

New things don't scare me, only old things do. What if Paul is the same as Darren?

I went upstairs, took my pills, and drifted off to sleep.

"Rayland, let's go. We're gonna be late." Linda yells.

She didn't tell me that we were going anywhere. I walk down the stairs and we both shoot each other confused glares while begins one of her usual rants.

"Why the fuck aren't you dressed yet? We are leaving in five minutes and you couldn't even make an effort..." she continued yelling, not really listening to what she had to say. I kept thinking about the dumbass that put a ring on her finger.

Lost in my own thoughts I felt a glob of spit fly straight in my eye. Her presence was so close that her breath made me wince. All she did was give me an intense stare.

"Were you even listening to me?" she says, still staring. "Just go get dressed, and please don't embarrass me."

You wouldn't have to worry about me embarrassing you, I'm sure you could do it all by yourself.

I wore a plain black hoodie with ripped jeans. I knew Linda wouldn't be happy if I wore this but I honestly didn't care. When I came downstairs, I was surprised. She had nothing to say about my outfit which I didn't know whether that was a good or bad thing.

Waiting outside was a limo which I knew we didn't have money for. I shrugged it off and went inside. We pulled up to a fancy restaurant with a man waiting in the front. I still couldn't believe someone wanted to marry that witch.

I just happened to realize that Paul Brown was a famous C.E.O and millionaire. I had seen him occasionally in magazines but I never really gave him a second thought.