Daya

20|Build a Bears

The last two days I've spent more time talking to Ziyah than Harper in French class because well he planted his lips on mine. I feel like when someone does that and brands you with their touch you owe them more conversation, but it is possible he did just kiss me so I wouldn't object to his compliment. Whatever his intentions were I enjoy speaking to him about music and all of the things that happen in our French class.

It actually feels like I have a real friend, still ever since Navia broke Harper's poor heart I do feel the need to be loyal to my childhood buddy. I might actually come over every early out day at least until she fully becomes her usual self.

This day in an attempt to cheer Harper up my dad and Tara let me bring Sawyer who is adorable in a light pink sweatsuit and tiny adidas, she's going to be even more adorable to Harper who just has to play and smile with her.

After Michelle and Rosa squeeze Sawyer's cheeks I head up to Harper's room which is quite messy with clothes and random stuff covering the carpet. With only the sound of the toilet flushing and disgustly no faucet Harper walks out in the same AC/DC t shirt dress that drowned her in school today.

She's about to put her thin lips into some sort of pout, but when her eyes see Sawyer on my hip she rushes over to me with a huge smile.

"Hi Sawyer," she says in a baby voice and tries to get Sawyer's wondering eyes to focus on her. Hello to you too Harper.

"Sawyer say hi." At my request, she puts her thumb in her mouth and continues to check out her new environment.

She's one of those babies who's very outgoing, but has to dip her toe into the pool before jumping in. In this way she's kind of like a dog who has to sniff and do a once over before one can spoil her and be able to engage in a game of peekaboo.

Like everyone else Sawyer stops being standoffish when I hand her to Harper and she leads her to a hamper of build a bears in the corner of Harper's room. There's several bears all different colors, different outfits, and now all laid out on Harper's bed which still has enough room for the three of us to sit against her headboard.

When Sawyer is fully emerged in picking up the bears and smiling at herself in Harper's huge vanity like she doesn't have any toys at home, Harper nudges me in the elbow.

"So Daya everytime I turn to observe the room in French you're smiling at Ziyah." She really spaces out the syllables in his name like Sawyer would do. She flutters her eyelashes which I haven't seen her do since she asked Navia to homecoming.

I look directly at Sawyer as she lines up the bears in a line, and with a straight face say, "No I don't."

"I'm not accusing of anything all I'm saying is he could be your HS." My highschool?

"My what?" I turn my face away from Sawyer and give Harper the attention she wants.

"Highschool sweetheart duh, the Troy to your Gabriella," she does a long sigh. "I haven't been able to think about happy couples in a while because of my recent sadness." She gestures to her messy bun and part of her messy room. Frankly due to her recent sadness I don't think it would be good to talk about what has been going on with me the past few weeks, but there is really no one else I can tell.

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything!"

Because wanting to know all my business gives Harper a bit of excitement I tell her everything, from me not being sure if I like Ziyah to our movie night, everything. Hell I even throw in the little mouthing incident that happened with Dylan, and Harper burst into laughter. I was just going to give her a quick synopsis, but after each sentence Harper still has a pleading glance so I continue until I get to the part about Monday's kiss.

Her eyes are still begging for more and I've achieved my goal of trying to put a smile on her face.

"Come on tell me more about dreadhead," she pleads.

"Ziyah, and we don't talk that much, and honestly I didn't really feel giddy about him until he kissed me."

"Oh yeah the kiss you know I sort of already knew about that, aww Daya had her first kiss." Harper blushes at my milestone and Sawyer finally looks away from the bears.

"Kissy!" Sawyer shouts and crawls over to me on the bed. She places her hands on my knees and balances herself to stand. Unlike Ziyah she pierces her lips before giving me a slobbery kiss on the cheek. A kiss I have to wait to wipe off because last time I did it to one of her kisses she saw and gave me another one.

"Oh my god that was the cutest thing ever!" Harper shouts and Sawyer sits on my lap with a purple bear in a crop top and mini skirt.

Now that there is no more kissing I revert back to Harper's last response. "How did you know he kissed me?"

"Navia told me."

"Navia?" I don't know what part I should question first Navia knowing about my kiss or Navia knowing about my kiss and feeling the need to tell her ex girlfriend about it.

"Yes we're on our way to getting back together by the way. Actually who am I kidding we're back together." Sawyer raises her hands at this and I release her back to the colorful bears.

Frankly I'm not too glad Navia and Harper are back together not because I just got used to consoling her, but because Navia has too much power over Harper. One week she had Harper wrapped around her finger the next she took away all of her happiness and now she has just as easily given it back to Harper. Too much power, the worst part about this is I can slowly see myself becoming the same way with Ziyah. Slowly letting him determine if I smile, but after today I sure as hell am making sure he doesn't have too much of a hold on me.

Sawyer senses my abrupt mood change and crawls over to me with a bear that's dressed for church with bright pink fur.

"Da, Ya," she whines and places the bear on my lap. I hold it for a little while and then place next to me when Sawyer turns around.

"Don't worry Daya we're truly meant for each other, and my dad and my mom are seeing a therapist so my mom isn't paying attention to my relationship." Harper leans on my shoulder and gives me a quick hug.

"Plus now we can double date!"

"Ziyah and I aren't like you and Navia."

"Are you saying that because we're gay." The second the words come out of my mouth I knew she would go down that route.

"No Harper Ziyah and I aren't a couple I honestly think we're just friends."

"Who kiss?"

"It was just one kiss."

Harper lets out another loud sigh and shakes her head.

"Daya kissing is just a step to building a relationship."

"Exactly were building a relationship yours is already built." Hopefully if we build it slowly it won't fall quickly, clearly Harper and Navia don't know about this theory.

"A relationship is never fully built if it was I would know Navia's mother's name."

"It's Marie." Harper scrunches her face up which I guess is expected because I took no interest in Navia yet happen to know the woman who gave birth to her.

"How did you know that?"

"She's the president of the PTA."

I've seen Marie Lenin plenty of times with a blue Marina top and jeans outside the school trying to get my dad to join the PTA or donate money. I learned her name and how to avoid her when she came up to my dad at the homecoming game and said, "Hey remember me Marie my daughter is a junior." Just like Navia she has long red hair, but I didn't make the connection until I saw them in front of the school together last Friday night. I would've told Harper, but she just got in her depressed break up state.

Hearing this information Harper gives herself a big slap on the forehead before playing with Sawyer and the bears. As she plays a continuous game of peekaboo with Sawyer I watch her smile that I have missed this past week. Surely Harper is fine with the power Navia has over her, she couldn't even last more than a week without her, but at least she's happy now.