Daya

33|Vince's breakdown

The kids are being rowdy which changed my plans for how the short film is going to be. Instead of the kids speaking the whole short film it's going to be me narrating for the majority over  the clips of the kids. The film is going to partly be a message about missing your childhood, with some comedy, because today everything can use some comedic relief. 

"Kids get it together for some animal crackers!" Astrid says. The thought of edible hippos and elephants  makes the kids stop trying to do handstands and look at me with my phone. My original plan was to shoot with one of my dad's old cameras, but I realized I can get the same quality from my iphone. Still i'd probably get more of their attention if I had a professional camera.

Sofia who has the least concentration and most energy is becoming the star of the film next to Sascha. The other kids don't pay attention to it as they in the words of Sascha "feel like movie stars." As someone who dreamed of being Hannah Montana I love that I can give them that feeling.

"Ok Sofia it's time for your fashion classes ," I whisper and pull her aside from the rest of the kids. I figured I would tell her rather than have Astrid yelling at her because not all of the kids parents have some hundred dollars to put their kids in special classes. Or they do and they didn't get the pamphlet.

"Ok," Sofia says and heads into the cubbies. She comes back with her backpack and stares at me with her big hopeful eyes. "Can you walk me to the auditorium Daya?" She sways from side to side  and I look back at the other kids who forgot we were once filming.

"Is it ok if I walk her over to the auditorium Astrid?"

" I was just about to ask you anyway," Astrid says without looking away from her phone. I announce to the kids that we're done filming, and Sofia holds my hand. We start to head to the door, but Sascha runs over to us.

"Wait can I come with you guys?" Sascha ask when we're one foot out of the door. The auditorium is only 10 feet away from here at the most, Sascha isn't missing much. Astrid gestures Sascha to the door and she runs to grab my other hand.

"Daya who's that on your shirt?" Sascha ask beginning the "Ask Daya," portion of the day.

"This is." I look down at my shirt to see Diana Ross staring back at me. "Diana Ross," I confirm.

"She's pretty," Sofia says.

"Pretty like you Daya," Sascha adds. This is why I love kids, they have no reason to be mean, and over compliment. I am nowhere as pretty as Diana Ross, not today, not ever.

"So Sofia how are your fashion classes so far?" As I expected while we walk hand in hand to the auditorium Sofia goes on about her fashion classes and Sascha's grip gets tighter on my hand. When she's done babbling we're at the auditorium and a group of small girls wave to Sofia, but she stays next to me.

"Sofia have fun see you tomorrow," I say trying to give her a subtle hint.

She releases her hand from mine and her green eyes get hopeful again. "Daya Ziyah's your boyfriend so does that make me your sister?" Sascha and her both begin to giggle. The funny part about this question is I haven't considered putting the girlfriend, boyfriend label on what I have with Ziyah yet.

"Umm, not really, but look Sofia your friends are calling you." Sofia hugs my leg then goes running towards her friends. Sascha doesn't use her time to have me all to herself wisely and we walk in silence back to the bungalow. We enter the bungalow I almost jump and lose breath at the sight of Vince leaning against the wall across from Astrid who is smiling at him from the sign out desk.

I don't get why she's smiling Vine isn't that presentable today in his gray sweatsuit and dirty sneakers. His breakup look.

"Oh Daya your back your  brother was just telling me you guys have family business you need to attend to. And you have to leave early." Astrid says as I walk in. I look back at Vince, but his eyes are still glued to his phone. There isn't any room for me to say Vince is lying so I just say goodbye to everyone and head out the bungalow with Vince. Family business? Sawyer is teething that's pretty much it. Also family business is the best Fugees song.

"There's no family emergency," he says when we're out of the elementary school.

"No, duh." Vince walks 5 steps ahead of me and I do my best to catch up.

"Where are we going dad can't pick us up this early?"

"He's picking us up now because my coach won't let me even use a damn resistance band." So that's what this fit is about.

"The week is almost over, you can play on Monday." That sentiment doesn't soften Vince's mood, and he balls his fist up as we cross the football field where his team is practicing.

"He's still going to bench me next week and we may not win tomorrow." At Vince's overwhelming amount of cockiness I stop in front of him and I can see more anger boiling in his slit eyes.

"Do you hear yourself? Are you that full of yourself you think the only reason the team wins is because of you. You're a great quarterback, but stop being an ass," I skowl. Vince is about to fire back, but the feeling of someone's eyes on us makes us turn to the side. Standing on the opposite side of the fence are Darian and that one who player who follows him around. Again he's just always there.

"Dam she told you," Darian says and wipes some of the sweat off of his forehead. Him and the other guy are both in their jerseys and holding their helmets in their arms it's as if they're trying to make Vince blow his fuse. Good thing coach spots them from the field and yells, "Darian and player who just following him!" They run back to the field and Vince turns to me.

"Shut up. I love you but you know nothing about football."

"I know enough."

"Then you should know to break up with that Ziyah kid. I saw you guys kissing and it was the cringiest thing. I was waiting for you glasses to just click." Vince lets out a cynical laugh. If we weren't outside the school I would slap the brains out of him. Not out of anger, but out of embarrassment that Vince saw my moment with Ziyah and made me feel bad about something I'm confused and new to. Also Ziyah only wears his glasses in class so we're not bumping lenses every time we embrace.

"If your breath didn't smell like mints and you were slurring your speech I would say you're drunk and mad, but no you're an asshole because of your breakup and seizure." I made sure my words didn't have any emotions, and didn't reflect how I feel which is hurt. Vince's face releases its tension and turns and what I believe is sadness. He mumbles sorry, but I don't listen and sit on the bench five feet away from him.

I sit and it doesn't take long for Vince to sit next to me and for me to pull out a bag of animal crackers. Still mad at him I don't let him have any and we sit in silence until my dad comes and we partially pretend nothing happened and we weren't ruining the family name. If Vince wasn't going through it I would definitely let him have it, but instead I just engage in my usual talking session with Ziyah.

Although the feeling of being the nerd girl with a boyfriend hangs over my head and I try to hide it, but I'm close to staring at Laia's Instagram and wishing I was her. Wishing I was as pretty as her and had her good vision, and lack of an older brother who's always the star of the family. I just want to slap Vince across his face, and maybe I'll get some of his confidence on my hand.