The Night Changes

part one (4) - k h a d i

I was in middle school. This particular time of the year I was only thirteen. The middle school life was easy, I had good grades, cool friends, life at home was low key going back to normal (it was now quiet), and I was excited for high school. I can't lie when I say middle school was also weird, we had gotten a new young male teacher that not only the female teachers but also my classmates seemed to drool over. I looked at everyone weird when they mentioned him, he was too old for the students, and didn't even try to hit on one of the teachers there. He had a relationship with his job, and I respected him because of it.
People were on this trend like thing where if you were any type of gay you were cool. I found it disrespectful because I knew people that were gay—or had a feeling. And when people brought it up, I always remembered Miss. Casper, or Mrs. Valentines I should say. This 'trend' was cool among the girls especially, you wouldn't see no guy in my middle school part taking in such activities. They had a masculinity to live by. 

"Omg, did you see Sarah's dress for picture day? She looked so cute." A friend of mine by the name of Ami squealed.

"Yeah, yeah, cute." I had inhaled some nicotine, vaping also became really popular and that was a trend I was willing to follow. "You doing anything tomorrow?"

"Umm, no. I was going to ask Sarah out on a date but I haven't spent time with my bestie for the restie in a minute." We definitely weren't best friends but if she thought so, who was I to stop her?

"Cool, I'm going to the mall tomorrow with my sister, and I don't want to bond with her. So come by my place at like 12 in the morning. We're leaving at 1:30." I told her as I passed the Juul back to her. She took a hit from it and waved goodbye. If I were caught with that thing, my parents would kill me.

"Miss. Ramos?" It was the new teacher. He had stopped me when I was walking back to the commons.

"Mr. Harrison?" I turned and faced him.

"Can you explain to me why you're currently failing my math class?"

"'Cause math sucks cheeks." I responded.

"Language." He glared. "You want this scholarship for Ranger High, you're gonna need to up that grade."

I stared at him with a bored expression before responding with a smile, "Yes sir!" I turned back and proceeded towards the commons.
I really had no reason to be failing his class with a high C, but it was whatever. I was a highly intelligent girl with decent grades. If I had tried hard enough back then—meaning stop with my lazing around—I could of have all the A's in the world. In the end I passed his class with an A and gotten the scholarship I really didn't need. Killing two birds with one stone as they say.

It was the Saturday I was going to the mall. Dad was ignoring mom and mom wasn't desperately trying to get his attention...sometimes. It was like she was a different person when she wanted my dad's full attention. She would do anything to get it.
My dad wanted to divorce my mother with all his heart; I could tell. The past three years had proven so. But my father didn't believe in divorce and the church didn't allow him to remarry. My father was stuck, he was a long term type of person, he wanted marriage, no just a girlfriend. But as time moved on so did my father. My father turned into a ruthless man, he was married to his work and didn't come home regularly. His judgments were never based on evidence anymore, they were based on feelings. And the bad part was that the negatives one were consuming him.

"Khadi, the door!" Cameron had shouted from downstairs.

I remember opening the door to Ami, she looked bright as ever, and trust me when I say she was a bright girl. Always smiling, laughing, ready for adventure and love. "Hey." I greeted nonchalantly.