𝐒𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐒

8 | serenity.

Brooklyn, New York
𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘺'𝘴 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘏𝘰𝘮𝘦 | 4:47 PM

—

"Taraji! Why'd you leave this cup of juice on the table after you said you wanted it?" Constance, her grandmother said while she crossed her arms over. Junie lay asleep on the couch, while cartoons played from the TV lowly.

A young Stony got up from her journal, facing her grandma who's face was stone cold. She noticed demeanor soon went soft after she gave her eye contact.

"I'm sorry, baby. You just haven't been eating a lot lately .. and I'm worried. You know, you can always talk to me right?" Constance reassured her.

It had been four months after the abnormal disappearance of their mother, which was also Constance's daughter. The search had continued for a small while, until investigators decided to cut the search short.

Constance loved watching over her granddaughters, but this wasn't the way she'd imagine it.

Stony sighed and nodded, going back to journaling how she felt. Sometimes she wished for her mom to come back, and to go back to her old school. To live a life without chaos for a little.

"Listen, you, Junie, and I are all gonna start having some fun. It's been hard .. on everyone lately. We can go to disney land, or six flags. Whatever you girls want, I'm gonna try to get." Constance said with pleading eyes.

The idea of going out somewhere fun made Stony's eye light up, and she instantly hugged her. Lately, she had been mute, and didn't know how to express her emotions.

"Tough times don't last forever, Taraji. That goes for you and Junie. I'll always keep you guys safe. And one day, farrrrrrr far into the future when I'm not here, make sure you have each other. Make sure there's good people around you to keep you safe." She advised.

Stony nodded her head. She hated when Constance said she wouldn't be here one day, she already felt like she lost enough.

_

𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐥𝐲𝐧, 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤
𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘭𝘺𝘯 𝘏𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 | 5:33 AM

Stony fluttered her eyes opened, feeling confused about her whereabouts, and what happened for her to be there. It wasn't rocket science to know that she was in the hospital with the constant machinery beeping and the smell that hit her nose.

Her head slightly hurt and her stomach felt floozy, but other than that she was fine. She sat on a clean bed, sheets white as milk. Only a gown covered her body as she examined the room. Martin was playing on the TV lowly in the background, and she chuckled lightly looking up at the screen.

The curtains made the room dark, and she could barely see until she rose up. Sitting upwards, she felt a presence on her bedside. And she definitely knew that figure from anywhere.

Ace was sitting in a chair, face in his hands as he stared at the wall blankly. His right leg was shooting up and bouncing at 100 miles per hour. He definitely looked like he could kill at this moment.

"Oh shit, you're up." He said with his eyes widening a bit. He scoot closer to her a little bit, facing Stony so she could see.

"How long was I out?"

"Maybe five hours. You woke up a little here and there, but you was definitely confused. Disoriented is what the doctors call it. I'm just glad I'm here and not in jail right now." He said, clenching his jaw a bit at the last part.