Playin The Game

One

Paris Zainab Jackson

          It had been a month, a long month and 3 days since the country had been on lockdown. The camp was on lockdown because of a gang fight that broke out during lunch. I sat on my bed quietly just staring at the wall, their was never much for me to do. I had no friends, I trusted no one and if you were cliqued up then you had no purpose. I was all of that plus the  awkward pretty girl, the girl that was cute to look at but too weird to talk to. It was crazy that just a few months ago I was happy and content at home with my family.. my life and it was all snatched away from me in a flash.

A whole month had gone by and I was lonely. I had no one to talk to.. my own siblings wouldn't acknowledge me. They stuck together like glue forgetting that we did share the same biological father. We were put into the foster system 10 years ago and I was the only one lucky enough to be adopted. I gained a family and they didn't but I still didn't understand why they hated me. The first time I met them they barely acknowledged me and now it was the same thing, this wasn't what I needed now. What made things worst is that she had to share a room with London who ignored her whole being as if she didn't even exist. London was never there at night and barely there during the day but when she was, the tension was so thick and I didn't know why.

  I was afraid to talk to her, her temper was horrible and she was a bitch. She had already had 3 fights and every time she was sent to mediation ward. The mediation ward was another form of punishment for any rules or violations that were broken. They kept you in a small room all day with just a bed and a toilet, like a real jail. Unlike me, London was born and raised in the most gutta part of Memphis, she's a hood bitch and everybody respected her and not just because of the people she hung with.

As soon as the clock hit 7:30 our dean was on the intercom letting everybody know dinner was starting. London was already leaving out and minutes later I had left out too. It only took me a few minutes to get to the cafe and in line. I looked at all of the options and decided on nachos. I grabbed my food and something to drink and began to walk towards an empty table. On my way there, some one bumped into me and as soon as I looked back I bumped into some one else, spilling my whole tray of food on that person.

"What the fuck!?" The girl yelled, grabbing almost everybody's attention in the cafe. "Watch ya self bitch!"

She pushed me, nearly knocking me over and I didn't know how to react. "I didn't see you."

"Well you see me now!" She got back in my face, pointing her fingers as she spoke. "Hoe since you so clumsy you finna come up off that shirt."

"You want my shirt?" I almost laughed. I wasn't giving her shit just because I wasn't confrontational didn't mean I was scary.

"Did I stutter? Come up outta that." Every one watched amuse waiting to see what was going to happen.

I wasn't a fighter and I wasn't about to turn into one just because I was here. I decided to walk away but as soon as I turned around she was back in my face. "Get out of my face." I said as I tried to walk around her again.

She pushed me again and before I could react she had hit me and we were fighting. She swung her fists fast and hard removing all the balance that I was holding onto and we fell with her on top. She was beating me up and their was nothing I could do about it but try to fight back. It lasted for another minute before we were being separated, she punched me in my nose one last time and my nose began to bleed.

"Try me again bitch!" She yelled as she was being dragged out.

Great.

      Paris laid in bed crying quietly to herself. She was upset because she felt like she couldn't defend herself and she wanted her mom. The fight triggered all the emotions she were trying to keep inside. Home sick wasn't the word and now she felt even more worse about everything. All she wanted to do was go home and be around people she was sure who loved her. She hated her life right now and felt a tad bit suicidal.