A Different Life, A Different Story

Felix - Fire and Stone

I'm waiting for Busk to drive him to school. When he finally gets in he says, "Sorry about that, man. Damn homework!"

"It's okay. But we only have four minutes until school so Imma drive fast. Hold on!"

Even though I sped, we go to school late. We get out of the car as I say, "Bro, if I get another tardy, my Gramma's gonna kill me! Luckily, I didn't get a speeding ticket."

"I already apologized."

"I know. I just don't want my car taken away." I laugh.

He laughs with me as we go inside the building.

At lunch, Charli sits in front of me, "Bro!"

"Okay, why are you screaming?" Ray says unplugging an earbud out of his ear.

"Because check this out!" He shows us a girl with frizzy hair, tan skin, and freckles smiling with the whitest teeth on the planet.

"Bruh, that's a model or a catfish," Ray lets out a miserable sigh.

"Yeah, that ain't no real girl," Busk says, "Cuz if she was, she'd already been mine."

"No, she's mine and she's real. She lives in the yellow house..." I block out the rest of the words as the words yellow house ponders in my head. I feel as if Maria's never getting custody of us again if I'm being honest. Charli's voice booms in my ears, "Uh, Felix, you okay?"

Huh? "Oh," I lie. "Yeah, I'm good."

After school, I pull in the driveway as I notice a Ferarri parked in the driveway. I get in as I see everyone in the living room. Gramma and Luran are talking on the couch, Diana and Maggie are doing their hair on the floor, Daisy and Natan are watching cartoons on the other side of the couch, a little Hispanic girl's painting Adrian's nails, and Donnie is playing poker with Grampa. This living room's so packed.

Gramma gets up from the couch to give me tea and tells me to take off my shoes. After I'm done drinking the tea and taking off my shoes, I try to go up to my room but then Gramma grabs my arm, "Don't do that," She whispers, "Luran and the girls are here."

I plop on the couch as Grampa asks, "Hey son, you want to play poker with Mr hotshot over here?"

"Sure." The waves crash onto me as I realize, "Where's Maria?"

Indie - Letters, words, and heartbeats Dear Indie,

You're all grown up! You've become a big, strong woman. I'm so proud of you for everything you do. Just wanted to know if you still remember me,

Love Pops.

(P.S. I'm almost home, sweetheart!)

I don't even remember what he looks like. I put the letter underneath my pillowcase. This is the first letter I've received from him. I thought that he was dead a long time ago. Uncle Kimmy goes into my room.

"What you up to, Kid?"

I jump. "God, Uncle Kimmy, you startled me."

"Oh, i-is everything okay, sweetheart?"

"Y-yes," I stumble on my words.

"Okay." He closes my door.

"Leave it open, please."

"Okay, and in about a week, we're moving so I'd pack if I were you," he adds as he walks away. I know when he's in his office because I always hear typing and clicking (before he got a new mouse) in the room next door. Emmy used to share a room with me when I was in middle school, but she switched to the room in the living room that Cassy (with my help) build. Uncle Kimmy was out of town then.