Across the Hall (girlxgirl)

twenty-six

• E m b e r •

I never thought it was possible to have so much fun on your birthday, and yet there I was, filled with happiness and excitement, and it was all thanks to Naya. We had spent the night laughing on rides, playing games and winning prizes and for the first time, I understood what it was like to have real friends- plural. It felt better than I wanted to admit, it was like I got to be a kid again before things went wrong and I had to worry about things beyond my years.

We had walked the carnival twice over by the time it was time to go and had gone on every single ride possible. Gabe and Naya had even managed to makeup and Naomi was grinning from ear-to-ear, but that probably had more to do with the teddy bear Gabe had won her at the punching bag. I didn't win anything but I didn't care, it still was one of the best nights I'd had in a while.

I knew I should've been a little disappointed that the night was coming to a close but I wasn't. Even though our friends were leaving a small part of me couldn't help but be happy I had Naya all to myself again. Out of everything and everyone Naya was still my favourite part of the evening, the way the wind pushed her hair back on the rides, the colourful lights that danced across her smooth skin and her contagious laughter throughout it all. She made it so hard not to stare.

"How about one last game before we go?" Naya asked, her tone light as we slowly made our way back to the car.

"Well if you can find one that's actually still open I'm down to beat your ass one more time." I teased as she playfully rolled her eyes.

"Don't let it get to your head Daniels, I'd be a bad friend if I beat you on your birthday." She smirked, looking around for a stand that was still accepting contestants but finding nothing in her search.

"You're so full of it White." I rolled my eyes as Naya looked around with a huff. "Given up yet?"

"Don't worry, I'll find something." She sighed, but I didn't mind. I liked spending time with Naya, she put me at ease and made me laugh.

"So, did you used to come here often?" I asked, hoping to distract Naya as we walked, shoulders brushing together. After her talk with Gabe Naya became more withdrawn, lost inside her mind the whole night and I just wanted her to come back to the present.

"I guess you could say that. My parents used to bring me here all the time." She smiled gently, a sadness lingering in her voice. "They had me young so they struggled a lot in the beginning, this was the only place they could afford to take me before my dad got a better job. My dad's parents cut him off when they found out he was with my mum so they were financially strained for a while, that's why there's such a big age gap between me and my brothers." She shrugged as my view of the Whites shifted.

"Why did they cut your family off? Was it because they didn't approve of your young parents?" I asked cautiously. Naya was letting me in, showing me a side she kept from most people and I didn't want her to push me out.

"Close," she smiled sadly. "But it was because my mum was Middle Eastern with a single mother and not some white girl from their country club."

"Oh, my god." I frowned, taken aback as Naya shrugged.

"I don't take it personally, I've never actually met my dad's parents but I don't think they're good people- none of their kids really speak to them. Besides, I don't think they would've liked us very much considering my mum copied and pasted herself three times with us." Naya sighed with a small smile. "I just think they hated how much their son embraced my mum and her culture. It was actually my dad's idea to give my brothers and me our names, he said we should have something that tied us to our mum's world especially since we were growing up in his."