I'll Be Right Here | ✔

5 | skipping school rocks

Aaliyah

I'VE ALWAYS DESPISED the idea of waking up at six in the morning during the weekdays, when I could be in bed still fast asleep. So, when Rachel suggested for me to stay home on the first day of school, I immediately fell back asleep, not knowing the responsibilities that came with staying home.

"Don't forgot to call me at least once thirty minutes!" Rachel shouts over the car's engine.

I nod my head, reluctantly. "Okay, I will!"

"And don't forgot to take Brody for a walk too!" Rachel says.

"Don't worry, I will!" I say, looking down at Brody, who's wagging his tail so fast, it might as well just pop off any second. I snicker before returning to Rachel. "Is that all?"

Rachel stops to think for a second. "At the moment, yes. But I'll text you later if there is!"

I smile. "Alright."

Suddenly, Rachel steps out of the car and slowly walks towards me. Instantly my heart starts beating rapidly, as I watch her climb up the stairs until she's right in front of me. "Can I have a hug?" she questions and before I can respond, her arms are already around my body, squeezing me tightly. "I just want you to know," she says in the midst of the hug, "to not be too hard on yourself." I swear I can hear a sniffle in that last part, and for some reason, I start to feel sympathetic for Rachel and for putting her through all these hard times.

"Thank you," I say, pulling away the hug, "a lot."

Rachel blinks her eyes rapidly as she tries to make eye contact with me. "You're a strong girl, Aaliyah."

I nod my head, not knowing what else to do. "Yeah."

She pecks me on the cheek before walking to the car. "I'll see you at five!"

"Okay!" I shout out, but I doubt she heard that since she's already out of the driveway.

It honestly feels weird staying home alone.

The nearest I've been to staying home all alone is when both Rachel and Tom went out to a fancy restaurant on a Friday, leaving me home alone, since Cathy went out with her friends. I was only home alone for an hour or two though because Cathy ended up cutting her hangout session with her friends since she found out I was home alone. We ended up pulling an all-nighter watching the three seasons of Stranger Things, along with a couple of Harry Potter movies.

I guess that's what hurts the most; the fact that Cathy's now 1,404.7 miles away from here and has probably forgot about me by now. And also, the fact that Diane, my birth mother, is now gone forever and I barely even got to see here. 

Actually now that I think about it, I don't even know what hurts the most anymore.

Suddenly my mind floods with possible images of Diane. I wonder if even if I did come to visit her, if she even would be happy to see me. She must've left me at the daycare center for a reason. Right? I mean whose parents would even have the thought of leaving their children at a daycare center. It was one thing to drop off your child at a daycare center for the day, but it was a whole another thing when you don't pick them up. Especially when the lady at the center desk extends her shift a little longer just for you and ends up calling the foster care center.

God. That shit really hits deep.

My thoughts are cut short by a soft whimpering by Brody. I look down with blurred eyes, and scratch his ear. "Who's a good boy?" I ask. When he doesn't respond, as a usual dog does, I respond: "You are!" It's like he understands me though, because Brody begins wagging his tail furiously. I smile, petting his soft fur.