Thorns

39 - Rai

Rai

I would never believe it if I didn't see it with my own eyes. She was tryin' to change me. She was actually tryin' to turn me into her perfect College Guy!

And now my friends had seen it too!

"Look at this! Columbia, Brown, Chicago State, Plymouth...!" Carlos read, throwin' the papers over his head in the air, and they all fell on the floor "Your girl is very ambitious. Don't know with what money she's thinkin' to use for your 'higher education'."

I looked at Whitney, and she was very still and quiet, her eyes wide on the papers on the dirty sidewalk. It was like she was starin' at her shattered dreams. Well, tough for her! Not my dreams!

"Get in" I groaned at Whitney, as I walked by my brother and opened the front passenger door.

She actually kneeled on the floor and gathered the papers – fuck... – and did as I told her.

I drove off with such speed, I was sure she would get a ticket. Fuck it, she could mail me it. I drove for what seemed a decade and finally stopped by the school's parkin' lot, for some reason...

"What da hell do you think you're doin'?"

"It's not what you think" She assured me, calm and very lightly.

"Isn't it? Do you even know what I think it is?"

"Yeah. I know you're thinking I did this behind your back. I did, but I just did it 'cause... it wasn't to make you do it, it was just that I thought if I did it, maybe it would come true."

"This isn't a fuckin' fairytale!" I cried out, punchin' the steering wheel "You don't make a wish upon a star! And it sure as fuck isn't a chick flick either! This is our fuckin' life, and you're screwin' it up!"

"Why?!" She cried herself "'Cause I want you to be the best I know you can be?! Because I know, deep down, you do want to go to college, you do want to learn, you do want to have a normal life?! Well, you can fucking sue me, Rai Vega, because if you think I'm gonna stand by and see you fuck everything 'cause you're afraid to go against your brother, you are so fucking WRONG!"

"You think I'm a Cuervo because I'm afraid to back down?" I hissed, and she gasped "I'm not afraid, Whitney. I just don't want to leave the Cuervos."

"You're an idiot." She almost whispers, and I look at her "I only did this because I love you. Because I know you want this. I know you do. You've told me so. You're afraid, yes, you're afraid your family will suffer the consequences. I get it, but I still think it's stupid."

"Just what do you think I could do, Whitney?" I groaned "Just get out, and ride with you into the sunset? Just how stupid are you?!"

I heard her gasp again. This time I knew I had fucked it big time. But right then, I didn't actually care.

"Apparently really stupid." She said, grabbin' the papers and shatterin' them into pieces in front of me, then throwin' them to my face "I hope you're happy."

She got out of her car and went around it. I left the driver's seat but grabbed her wrist before she got in.

"I can't change my life, Whit," I told her.

"No. You won't" She amended and got inside her car.

"Just how did you expected me to go to college?! With what money?!" I groaned; when she just pressed her lips tight and turned the car on I hissed "You expected me to take your money?!"

She looked at me like I had sprouted a second head. I swear her look was so pained and stunned, it did make my gut ache as well.

"With all you said today, you just showed me how much you don't actually know me" She muttered, and drove off.