Penelope
The drive home was long as I looked out of the window of Ms. Sarah's car. I decided I'd drive home with her, Kojo and Penelope because I wasn't ready for the lecture from my family. As well as me not wanting to leave Kojo's side as yet. I knew he'd already explained how he felt about me and that he didn't want a relationship with me but it was just the way that I was feeling. I couldn't be away from him right now. I felt safe.
For the first time in my nineteen years of living, I felt safe.
"Penelope, you Alright?" Ms. Sarah said to me, interrupting me from my thoughts as she looked at me in the rear view mirror.
I simply nodded as I leaned onto Kojo's shoulder, she smiled small as she began to focus on the road again. I then felt Kojo look down at me and he didn't say a word.
Within a few minutes later, we'd made it back to my house. Everyone's car was parked in the driveway which meant they'd gotten home before we got here and I didn't want to get out.
"Are you afraid to go in?" Ms. Sarah asked, furrowing her eyebrows and I shook my head.
"What's wrong?" Penelope asked in her little voice as I bit my bottom lip, looking at Kojo.
I leaned over to whisper in his ear and he furrowed his eyebrows.
"Why?" He asked as I leaned over to whisper in his ear again.
"P, you can't just avoid them forever." He explained to me.
"But not only that.." I trailed off.
"What's up then, Penelope? Talk. I can't read your mind..." He said looking directly at me as if we were the only ones in the car.
I felt my eyes watering as his mother watched our interaction with a look of empathy displayed on her face.
"I don't want to leave you." I spoke barely above a whisper as he looked at me.
He stayed quiet, just staring at me for a while before he finally spoke.
"Ma, go ahead home." He told her and she didn't say anything else, she simply drove up the street to their house.
Once we got there, she and Penelope got out the car as Kojo sat in the same spot. Once they were inside of the house, he looked over to me.
"P.." He trailed off as I listened intently.
He looked ahead of us before looking back over to me.
"I know how you feel, ma. I do but I'm not-" He started but stopped.
"I'm no hero. I just wanted to make sure that you got out of there safe. You put your life in my hands when you called me so I did what I had to do. Aight?" He asked and I nodded slowly.
"But I've already told you, P. I don't want a relationship." He said and I broke down inside again.
The one person that made me feel safe, that made me feel the most comfortable I've ever felt, didn't want to be with me.
