Serenity

Twenty Five

I made my way back to my seat beside Isaiah on the bleachers just as third quarter was starting. I was confused about my whole interaction with Malik. Why was he so interested in my business all of a sudden after he stopped talking to me?

I had even tried to reconcile whatever type of friendship we had, if it could be called that, but he let his girlfriend step to me the wrong way.

Then, he didn't show up to practice for the play, and when I tried to ask him about it, he tried to make me look like a fool in front of his buddies. At this point, I didn't even have a desire to know him anymore.

"Heyyy..." Alaina started off cheerful then slowly her expression changed and her hello was dragged out. She looked to Isaiah with a straight face, and then back to me, trying to restore her smile.

"Hey," I said. "I decided to come as you can see."

I guess she could finally be satisfied since I got Isaiah to come to the football game. It seemed as if that's what she had been wanting since she kept bringing him up.

"Yea, I see."

I don't know if it was just me, but there felt like tension surrounding the both of us.

"Imma go to the concession stand. I'll be right back," Isaiah said, getting up from his seat.

"I was just down there. You said you didn't want anything," I said to him wondering why he wanted to get up all of a sudden.

"Yea, my throat just got kinda dry," he said coughing. "I'm just gonna go get a drink."

When he was out of sight, Alaina took his place beside me.

"So that's Isaiah, huh?" she asked.

"Yep."

"I thought you said you weren't bringing him," she said looking straight ahead.

"I said I wasn't for sure. But, I really wanted to come and he offered to come along, so that's that. I thought you wanted me to bring him."

"I mean, yea. You seemed to be really interested in him and you didn't wanna come to the game alone but I wanted you here, and he offered to come so it's cool. Are you enjoying the game?"

"I mean, it's cool. I don't really know much about football. I know the basics but as far as all the rules and stuff go, I'm lost," I laughed.

"I love it! It's the reason I became a cheerleader. Football season is the best," she stated. "I think we're gonna go far this year. To the playoffs for sure. Possibly district champs."

I listened as Alaina rambled on and on about football. This barely interested me, so I kind of tuned her out and went into a daze. I didn't snap back until I realized Isaiah was coming back up to his seat.

"Well, I'm finna go so I can make it to the concession stand before 4th quarter starts. We have to be back on the sidelines once it starts."

"Okay. I'll talk to you after," I said.

She waved to me and then left her spot just as Isaiah came back and sat down.

Normally, I was good at sensing things around me, and right now everything just seemed kind of off but I couldn't really put my finger on what it was.

... The Next Week ...

I walked into the house after school to see my mom crying on the couch.

"Mom, what's wrong?" I asked rushing to her.

She quickly tried to wipe her tears and put a smile on her face.

"Oh. It's nothing," she said shaking her head. She got up from the couch and went into the kitchen where she stood at the sink splashing water on her face.

"Ma.." I pleaded with her.

"How was school? I thought you had play practice today," she said ignoring me.

"It was canceled," I lied. Honestly, I just chose not to go. I wasn't about to be sitting around waiting for Malik to show like last time. Mrs. Anderson would probably be mad, but oh well.

"Can you please tell me why you're crying? Where's dad?"

"He's not here," she said.

I should have known. He was never here. Not after he got laid off from his job. We already barely saw him when he was working, but it seemed like I hadn't seen him in days since he got the news.

"Where is he?"

"He's gone, and he won't be back for a little while," my mother said as the tears began to well in her brown eyes again.

"Why not? Did something happen to him?"

I walked closer to my mom. I hoped she knew that I was going to keep pressing the issue until she told me what was going on.

She took a deep breath and leaned her back against the marble kitchen counter.

"Um.. your dad has been unfaithful," she finally said as if she was embarrassed.

I could feel my anger beginning to boil.

"What? How did you find out?"

"He had her here. In the house. I had went out to a job interview. I told him I would be gone for a while. I came back and searched for him to tell him that I had got the job, and then I saw them in bed together."

The tears were pouring uncontrollably now. I wanted to comfort her, but I didn't know how. I was angry at my dad. My mom had sacrificed so much for him and this is how he repaid her.

"Are you gonna get a divorce?" I asked her.

"I don't k-know," she sniffed, rubbing her puffy cheeks.

"You need to," I said.

"Diamanté, please don't start telling me what I should and shouldn't do, alright. I don't feel like going through that right now."

"I was just saying. Please don't tell me you're thinking about staying with him! He d-"

"Stop! I said I don't wanna hear it!" she yelled before storming off to her room.