New To This

Prologue

Three months later from where we left off
On the football field of Marina High School all that can be seen is the color of royal blue graduation gowns, and big ass smiles. Not only is it the day Vince gets to flip off any teachers who wronged him, but I get to steal some of his spotlight because it's my 16th birthday. The same age as Bhad Babie, that Jojo girl who acts like she's 2 years old, and all the tv teen drama characters who do drugs, have sex, and have fulfilling lives. Yay!

My whole family sits in one of the good spots of the bleachers, and by my whole family I mean my whole family. Sawyer, Kayla, my mom, my loud aunt, my dad, are all here with their cameras ready to capture one of the biggest moments in Vince's life.

The ceremony goes as slowly as possible with speeches from the smartest students who don't know how to write a good speech. I let out a few yawns here and there, but the fatigue leaves me when our principal gets to the L section, and my mom is making sure her camera doesn't screw her over like it did at Dani's christmas show.

"Vicki Prevez," the principal says with no emotion and my whole family including me go crazy as if they've forgot that Vince is actually their kid. Right after Vicki moves the string thing on her cap to other side the principle calls Vince's name and he does his cocky walk up to the stage. I won't tell him, but he looks good with his curls tied in cornrows so his cap fits, and his best dress shoes to take away from the gown that in his words are "messing up his fit."

The ceremony doesn't last long leaving us standing on the bright green grass taking pictures of Vince as he simultaneously talks and signs yearbooks.

"Yeah man you have fun at MIT, and if my computer needs fixing I'll try and email you," Vince says patting some guy with thick glasses like mine, and moving on to his next conquest.

"Look at my boy, high school graduate he's one step away from paying for my big new house," my dad says and lets out a sigh as Vince poses with that player who is always there. My mom stands next to me staring at the grass not saying anything just fiddling with her fingers, something that started when Vince's senior activities began in February. My dad turns to me as Kayla leans against him while holding a sleeping Sawyer. "And look at my girl, 16, on her way to being a writer and inserting all the bad parts of her life into television, good times good times," my dad says and comes around my mom to give me a side hug.

I'm about to check the time as the sky is transitioning to a gradient lavender, but Vicki with her curls bouncing comes over to me. I still see her as someone at the highest level of beauty, but just like slicking my edges I'm working on doing better and not staring at her so much. She makes that awfully hard though.

"Daya, happy birthday, oh my god I love this look on you," she says gesturing to my cornrow bun, and red forever 21 jumper.

"Thank you, congratulations by the way," I say and move a little away from my dad who is trying to focus his iPhone camera. I wish there were more sentimental things for me to say Vicki, but nothing comes to mind besides, "so college is gonna be nice huh?" A group of girls call Vicki over ending the exchange that was about to be awkward. Vicki engulfs me in her cashmere scent, and wraps her arms around me before running off.

We spend a good 30 minutes on the grass before Vince's hand grows numb from signing so many yearbooks. It takes a prodigious amount of debating, but we soon agree upon going to the grove and the Cheesecake Factory with Vicki and Jada who is probably going to order everything on the damn menu and eat the good bread.

We arrive at the grove, and although it doesn't have the same sparkle it did during the holidays my excitement still grows at the many happy graduates walking on the path away. Vince being one of them walks with more cockiness than usual in his black button down, and hand secretly around Vicki's waist. Seeing them together, happy, and done with the school system we should be grateful for, but dread makes me happy, but sad as the thought of how my mom is going to take Vince leaving hits me. She takes things hard, and Vince has always been there to comfort her making me fear stepping up at taking his place. I put these thoughts to bed though, as we enter the crowded restaurant where waiters run around with inpatient and hungry parties.

"Ooh Chile this food better be good," Jada speaks for all of us as we take a seat in the waiting area beating some snooty formally dressed family to the bench.

With nothing better to do Jada begins to gossip, and oddly her loud talking starts with me. "Daya when was the last time you talked to dreadhead?" She asks surprisingly lowering her voice making her words inaudible to my parents who are only a good amount of feet away.

I haven't really thought about Ziyah in this last month, but the two months before his hazel eyes and cinnamon scent were all my mind was focused on when I saw him in fifth period or anywhere else in school. We haven't had any significant talks or texting sessions since the night I cried in his lap confessing how I wasn't ready to be with him, and it's been killing me because the more I didn't talk to him the more I would stared at Chase. Thank god school is over ending that cycle.

"Valentine's Day why?" I ask still stuck in my thoughts about how if Ziyah and I were to stay together we would be going on four months now.

"Because-" Jada starts talking, but a voice too familiar cuts her off and makes me look at the tall staircase of the restaurant.

"You were supposed to let me eat all of the bread Zi Zi!" Sofia shouts as she prances down the steps of the Cheesecake Factory In a light pink dress. My stomach gets all tight, and behind her is Ziyah whose dreads, eyes, and striped guess shirt all make me forget about his mom and sisters behind him.

"I only took a piece Sof," he says. Just as he reaches the clean tiles of the first floor his eyes land on me, and there's as usual no emotion in his glance. His eyes stay on me for such a brief moment none of his family or mine notices the tension or desire that lingered in the seconds before he opens the door.

I want to cry, but instead I put my eyes to better use, and look through the see through window at Ziyah who's typing something on his phone while Sofia jumps around.

"Daya turn your ringer off I thought it was the buzzer for our table," Vicki says. For once Vicki's glow isn't even there, and I pick up my phone to see the text that makes that bitter look all better.

Ziyah: I miss your anti social ass, I'm not good with words, but start over?

Daya: Yes.