I'll Be Right Here | ✔

1 | don't leave me!

Aaliyah

IF THERE'S ONE thing I know about family, it's that they're always there for you. At least that's what I was told when I was in the foster care program in Colorado. According to one of the ladies (who worked) there, I was just five when my parents gave me up. Apparently, they were reported leaving me at a daycare center, and never came back to pick me up. Both the daycare center and police couldn't contact my family, so, I ended up moving into the foster care program.

I was too young to understand back then what was going on, and I still am.

Whenever I'm out with Cathy, or Rachel and Tom, I always get weird stares. It's hard to comprehend my emotions in that moment, but I feel like I'm being harshly judged and that it's wrong to be hanging out with your opposite ethnicity. Although now I don't get that many weird stares, as I don't hang out with Cathy, or Rachel and Tom that much nowadays.

This whole summer has been hectic.

With Cathy leaving for college and Rachel and Tom having feuds every night, I didn't even know if I could've made it out this summer. But, like always, I survived. School starts a week from today, and, to be honest, I don't even think I will be able to make it through this week. Especially without Cathy.

"Aaliyah," I look up from the floor, which I've been so invested in for the past seven minutes. My eyes meet a short-blonde haired girl who's cheeks are blushed bright red. She gestures to me, and I hesitantly come over. "Are you ready?"

My eyebrows scrunch, and I look up at her. "For what?"

She chuckles. "For when I leave." Suddenly it feels like the whole world has frozen, as my mind recollects the memories of Cathy and I when we were younger, playing on the playground like there was no tomorrow. My eyes start to blur when I hear Cathy's laugh, followed by mine.

"Aaliyah," Cathy starts. Her voice muffles, as she hugs me tightly to her chest. "Oh God," she whispers, "I'll miss you so much."

"I'll miss you more," I mumble. Cathy must've heard me since she kisses me on the forehead before smiling.

"You're one special girl, you know that?" she says.

I wipe a tear from my face. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She chuckles, before diverting her attention to the other family member who is present: Tom.

"I should probably leave," she informs Tom.

Tom, who seems so deep in his thoughts, looks up in astonishment. "O- of, course."

Cathy turns to me, sending me a wink, like she forgot everything that happened the last five seconds. The wave of astonishment still hasn't washed over me, since I don't wave back to Cathy. Somehow I feel like Cathy is already getting into her college spirit, and not in a good way. I watch Cathy head towards her airline, wondering if she'll look back. Probably not, I think to myself. But a small part of me isn't giving up, as they force me to keep sight on Cathy. I watch her walk into her airline, swaying her hips carelessly. And, somehow, I can already tell that she won't look back.

"It's crazy, isn't it?" My eyes flash up to Tom, almost astounded that he's still here.

"What is?" I grit my teeth.

Tom hesitantly chuckles. "She's already changed, and she hasn't even boarded the flight."

I shrug my shoulders. "She's probably just super excited for college."

"I suppose," Tom huffs. Although, I can tell that he's hiding something, by the way he fidgets with his hands. I sway my body back and forth, feeling anxious to say something, but I fight the urge to. "Rachel should be coming any minute," Tom says out of the blue.

My brows wrinkle in what seems like a disappointment. Although, I can't comprehend why. "Why?" I ask. Rachel didn't even have the decency of coming to bid goodbye to Cathy, so why should she come now?

Tom shrugs his shoulders. "How am I supposed to know?" His voice comes out choked, and for a minute, I wonder if might be related to the feuds at night.

"I- I'm sorry," I stutter. Part of me wants to know if anything is going wrong with their relationship, and the other part of me protests to just keep quit.

"No, I should be," Tom spits out. I look at him, wide-eyed with confusion. Tom wasn't one to apologize. Something must be really wrong then. And just when I'm about to open mouth, Rachel comes up to Tom and I, waving her hand ecstatically, like she didn't just miss the most important event ever in her life. I never considered Rachel as a bad person, nevertheless a bad mother, but just by not arriving at the airport to bid Cathy a goodbye to college makes me have an immediate sense of negativity towards her.

"Hi," Rachel says, "did I miss anything?" Her eyes divert from Tom's to mine, almost too quickly.

Not really, if you don't count your daughter's departure to college. I bite my lip from answering her question.

"Oh, and by the way, we need to talk Aaliyah," Rachel's voice almost comes out in an urgent tone, and suddenly, I feel anxious. What have I done? My brain rambles for answers. Is stealing a cookie from the cookie jar that bad? I don't think it's that big of a deal. I think about it again. Oh God, maybe it is.

"Okay..." my voice trails off.

Rachel's eyes the airport with uneasiness. "Maybe somewhere else," she almost whispers.

The last person I'd want to be with right now is Rachel. Unfortunately, that's the only choice I have... unless I run out of the airport. No, I couldn't. What if I do, though. I mean that could be an option, and then the Foster Care program could take me out of this family. Yeah, no (I didn't want to cause any trouble).

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hi :)

sorry for not updating this story. i've been feeling very insecure about this chapter for a while, but i think its time to publish it for the word n have your feedback (please don't be too harsh!!). okay, that's it lol. ily all so much <33 also, thanks for 300 followers!! bigger n better things coming up soon w this story, i promise ❂

― AK 💜