3 weeks (Wattys 2017) | ✓

Part Twenty Seven ✍

*"Austinnn!"*

**"Auustinsnn!"**

*"Ausittinen!"*

"Austin! Wake up!" Simone shakes my shoulder gently. 

"Hmmhnnhn..." I groan and sit up slowly, rubbing my tired eyes.

"Are you still taking me tonight? It's already nine o'clock."

"Are you serious?! I have to get ready!" I stretch for a second and then hop to my feet and run to the small bathroom up the hallway.

I quickly braid my hair into two dutch braids, throw on a mustard sweatshirt and some ripped jeans - cuff them at the ankles -, and slip on my white Vans. 

"Wow, that was quick." Simone stands in front of me, her hair straightened down her shoulders. She is wearing a knee-length casual red dress and some white sneakers, and she is wearing a gold necklace with a bird on the chain.

"You look so pretty!" I smile. After this, I run to my room, curl my eyelashes and fill in my eyebrows. I spray some floral perfume on my wrists, and run to Simone's room. "Ready?" I smile.

"Absolutely." Simone grins. 

After making sure the lights are off, she stuffs some pillows under her blankets and makes it look like a body, and she stuffs a doll with black hair - to make is look like her hair - on top of the pillows. We quietly slide her window open and hop out, dashing to the car. "Do you have a bobby pin?" I ask her.

"Yeah. Why?" She suspiciously digs through her small white and gold clutch, looking from my eyes and back down.

"You'll see." I smile as I bend the bobby pin out of proportion and jimmy the door to unlock it. Once Simone and I are both inside, I start the ignition.

"Wow! Where'd you learn how to do that?"

"Jack taught me. It was a while back." I smile. "So we're both fifteen. That's cool. You can drive, too."

"You're fifteen? You look so much older!"

"Thanks..." I sarcastically mutter.

"No, no, not like that. You just seem more mature. I look like I'm only thirteen. "

"Kind of, you're just pretty small. But you are still more mature than I am, I bet."

We both laugh as she turns on the radio, and DNA by Kendrick Lamar turns on. We turn the volume all the way up and roll down the windows, rapping along to only what we know.

***

"We'll be back by twelve o'clock. I gave you my number." Simone smiles.

"Okay. Have fun! Stay safe! Text if you need anything!"

"I'm fine, mom." She jokes and turns around, holding hands with a handsome boy her age.

***

As I walk into the donut shop, the smell of fresh dough and frosting fills my lungs. It smells amazing. 

But it reminds me of when I was younger. My dad and I would walk down the block to 'Harvey's Donut Shop'. That was our favorite place to go, and we always got free donuts from Harvey's wife. I miss my dad so much. Its hard to believe that he's really gone.

Tears threaten to escape my eyes. I cover my mouth with my sleeve and look around, when I finally spot Jack sitting at a booth in the corner, a box of a dozen donuts sitting before him.

"Hi..." I approach him, my voice breaking when I speak.

"Hey, whats wrong?" He stands up and hugs me.

"Oh, nothing. Just--" I sharply inhale to block tears from pouring out of my eyes, "I miss my dad so, so much. And there's obviously no way to get him back." Jack smells the same as my dad. Coffee and Axe shampoo. I can't hold it anymore, so I start to sob my eyes out. Jack holds me tighter.

"Everything's gonna be okay. Don't worry." He says as he runs his hand through my hair.

Thats just what my dad said.

And nothing's okay.

In fact, it's only worse.