Im Broken

Im Broken~2~

I usually walk to school. Most of the kids in Brooklyn did. I l Iiked walking. I gave me time to think. I was halfway up the block and I heard someone come up behind me. "Hey, Hollywood." It was Ji and his brother Jonah. They both went to my school, but they never walked with me. With Matt maybe, but not me.

"Hi." I kept quiet.
"Why'd you cover your hair? It was cute." Ji asked looking across the street. We stopped, waiting for Jonah's friend Tae to catch up. He nodded to me and kept walking.

I ignore what he said and keep walking. Ji stopped. "You guys trynna skip first period?" We all stopped and looked at him. I looked at the boys behind us. "Yeah, I'm down. You coming Tae?" Tae looked straight ahead. You could see the school from here. "Nah. I promised my dad I wouldn't miss anymore classes." I shrugged my shoulders and we kept going on our way to school.

All day people were coming up to me, even people I never met before. "Are you ok?" "How did it feel?" "I'm so sorry for your loss" I had a massive headache by 4th period. I kept all my things with me in my backpack, only because people decorated my locker with flowers and hearts and get well notes. I can't stand looking at it because it only reminds​ of the night.

As soon as I heard the 5th period bell ring, I ran all the way to class. I didn't want to see a locker, a student, anything. I get into class and put my head down on the desk.  I wanted to cry but that would only draw more attention to myself. I just sat there until the late bell ring and kids came flowing in. "Everyone please welcome Miss.Hart back to Midwood." The whole class clapped. I heard people even sniffle. What are you crying for? I wanted to say. How could they​ possibly be as hurt as I was?

While people still clapped, I noticed someone at the door window. I squinted my eyes and saw that it was Ji. He waved for me to come outside. I raised my hand and the whole class grew quiet. I could tell they were all staring at me. "Mr. Dunner, can I go to the restroom?"
"Yes. Take your time." I grabbed my bag and quickly walk towards the door. When I opened it Ji jumped back.

"What?" He looked at me and looked straight in my eyes.
"Were you crying?" I quickly put my head down and let my hair fall in front of my face. He tilted my head up pushed my hair up. "Why were you crying. This eye is hecka redder than this one." He pointed to my eyes. I moved my head from his hand and looked at my feet. I was crying, but I didn't want anyone to know that. I didn't want to look soft.

"I'm going to West campus if you wanna come."
"But-" before I could say anything, he started walking away. I turned and looked at my class door. My adoring fans are probably waiting for me. I looked back at Ji and he was half way up the hall. "Aye Ji! Wait." He stopped and​ I run up to him.

"So you coming?" I nodded my head. "You do know I'm not going to west? I'm leaving school." I shrugged my shoulders.
"I don't want to be here anyway." He looked at me and smirked​. We turned the corners and one of our on site Police officers was standing right there. He turned and saw us. "Hey! Why aren't you two in class?" He came towards​ is and I froze up. Don't run.
"Run!" I looked to my side and Ji blitzed away. I turned around and started running too. We ran right out of school.

We got half a block and stopped running. Ji was on the ground, over exaggerating, while I had my hands on my knees catching my breath. "I'm having an asthma attack." He said, fake gasping for air. I giggled and stood up straight. We both looked at each other and busted out laughing. He got up and dusted his cloths off.

"So where are we going?" He looked at me and I shrugged my shoulders. I was just happy I don't have to go to that hell hole. "I'm kinda hungry so you trynna go to Sam's Deli?" A smile grew on my face. Taking it as a yes, we started walking to the deli.

We sat down and ate a sub and drank a soda. We talked about school and old memories. "I remember when me and my brother came here and we ate almost 5 meatballs​ subs that day. Each!" We laughed.
"Oh believe me I know. When I was almost 15, my cousin took me here and we ate so many sandwiches. I almost exploded. He had to carry me home and-and" I felt my heart drop. I openly talked about my cousin without second thinking. It felt... Refreshing.

"And what?" He asked, snapping me back to reality. I smiled. "Oh, nothing. Hey is Tae's dad still, you know?" I asked bitting into a Dorito. He looked up. "In jail? Yes. He has two more years." He was still looking at me and he looked kind of sad. Shit I forgot. About 3 years ago, Ji's uncle had died, with two gun shots in his back. The only witness was Tae's dad, but since he didn't snitch, he was sentenced 5 years.
We sat there for a few minutes in silence. I take but what I said about him not understanding. His uncle practically raised him. He never found out who killed him either. That made us almost equal. Almost. "Holliah? Can I tell you something?" I looked up from my half eaten sandwich and saw he was looking down too. "Yeah. Go ahead." He looked up and he looked very serious.
"I-"  my phone started to ring. The caller ID read mommy 💕. I answered it "Hello? Hollie where are you? I came to pick you up but you weren't in the parking lot. Are you ok?"

I looked at Ji and he looked back at me. He raised an eyebrow at me and smirked. "I'm at Sam's. I'm fine. Really." I looked at the time and it was 3:07. Dang we stayed here for almost 3 hours, doing nothing but talking and having a good time. 5 minutes later, my phone buzzed. " My mom must be close." I said pointing at the door, signaling that I was about to go. He stood and I followed him. He held the door open for me and my mom pulled up.

She rolled down the window. "Baby is this the little boy that lives down stairs? He's Yoyos kid right?" I looked back at him.
"Yeah, mommy." She looked passed me and smiled at Ji.
"You want a ride handsome." I put my hand over my face out of embarrassment. She always found a way to make me blush.
"No it's fine. I'm going to my friends house anyway."
"Where's your friends house? I can drop you off." He shrugged his shoulders and he got in the back. I got in on the other side.

"Where you headed?" My mom asked, pulling away from the deli curb.
"I'll just go home so you don't have to run all around." He looked at me and smiled.
"Ok. Are you sure?" She said looking in her rear view mirror at us. He lightly nodded his head.

It's a quiet car ride. I look out the window most of it. When we get to the front of our building, he looks at me and nods. I open my door and get out. We walk up the stairs, following my mom. When we get by Ji's door, I stop. "Mommy I'm going to talk to be up in a little." She behind me, she was already on the 5th step. "Ok baby. Be quick." She looked at Ji and then walked up the stairs.

"You going in?"
"Um my mom isn't home so I gotta walk to Tae's house." I squinted my eyes and tilted my head.
"Be safe. It's not safe you know." I touched the back of my head, reminiscing the gun shot. He laughed. "You've been living here your whole life and you're just now noticing that?" He shook his head in disbelief. I looked down and once again he tilted my head up. "There's no reason to worry about me. I'm ok, trust me." I started walking up the stairs, but quickly turned around.

"Aye. What were you going to tell me earlier?" He had a confused look on his face. "You know, at Sam's?" His facial expression changed and his had a look that made me kinda scared.
"What?" I walked back down and stood in front of him.
He grabbed my hands and squeezed them. "Holliah. If I tell you this, you can't go all wild." Now I was the one with the confused expression.
" I would hate to see you going through what I did. It just makes me mad that everyday I have to deal with the fact that I don't know who- who." He trailed off, no longer looking me in the eyes. Who killed his uncle.
"Who killed my uncle." A tear fell from his eye and he hurried up and wiped it away.
I was shaking a little. He grabbed my hands again. "What are you saying Ji?"
He looked at me this time so deep in my eyes, as if he was trying to find the answer. I head a crack in his voice.

"I know who shot you."