I'll Be Right Here | ✔

43 | crashing

Aaliyah

IT'S FUNNY HOW fast time flies. Like, for a second your reading a book and the next your being tested in it. At least that's how English is for me. We're reading Catcher In The Rye, and by 'proudly' finishing it, I can say that I, Aaliyah Lilac Moore, can't relate to anything that [character] has gone through. "Aaliyah," I look up to meet the English teacher. God, what more does she want (from me)?!

"Yeah?"

"You are summoned in the main office."

"Main office?" My eyes practically bulge out. Did I do something wrong. "Why?"

She shrugs her shoulders and settles back in her seat. "I don't know, but you should probably bring all your stuff." Never in my lifetime had I been summoned to the Main Office, so this is something new ― no, scary.

I stand in front of the doors, suddenly feeling a lump in a throat, as I grasp for the handle. My eyes make sense of the surroundings, before I take in the person in front of me. "Rachel?" Wearing baggy sweatpants and a loose red shirt, Rachel looks kind of like a hipster. "W- what are you doing here?"

"Aaliyah," she suddenly smiles, ignoring her messy bun, "you're here."

"Uh yeah I'm here, is every ―"

"We should get going then," she fumbles with her purse.

"Rachel, I have school."

"Yes, but," she pauses, "don't you wanna have some fun?"

"And miss school?" The more I think about it, the more fun it sounds. But something smells fishy. Very fishy.

"Rachel, I can't."

"Yes, you can," Rachel urges me. 

"But," I sneak a peek at one of the Main Office ladies, who sends me a tight smile.

"You can make up for the work tomorrow, how does that sound?"

I look back at the lady and then Rachel. "Okay, fine, but it better be quick. I- I have a Latin quiz I need to study for that's tomorrow."

"Oh, don't worry. It will be." Although, I can sense that it won't be; it will be a very long time. 

---

FIVE HEAPING BAGS of clothes and one large milkshake from Häagen-Dazs, I'm ready to crash into bed. Although, something just doesn't seem quite right. All this shopping for what? After an hour of contemplating, Rachel had decided to take me to the mall for shopping; which is pretty rare since she only treats me (and/or Cathy) when she feels guilty. "Okay, I'm over all this drama and everything," I look at Rachel, and she gulps. "What the hell is going on?"

Rachel eyes the mall frantically. "Maybe some food first?" I raise the milkshake with a raised eyebrow and Rachel sighs. "I- I don't know where to start." She settles down on a chair in the food court.

"You should start somewhere. I mean, you did make me skip ―"

"Well, I received a call from the Senior Citizen's home," Rachel starts.

I look at her, furrowing my eyebrows. "What? Is everything okay?"

"Your father. I mean John," she looks away, "he's no longer here."

"What? You mean..." tears water my eyes, as I take in her words. "And all this shopping for what?" I drop the bags on the floor. "To tell me this?"

"I thought it would comfort you," she says. "The shopping, I mean. C'mon Aaliyah, you never go shopping and I thought ―"

"Well, you thought wrong!" the tears sting my eyes. By now a crowd has surrounded us, but I don't care. How could she possibly think, after a day of shopping, she could present me with this news of John? Better yet, my last and only living family relative... gone. Gone, gone, gone. I didn't even like the clothes we had picked out! They barely fit me, granted I'd been stuffing myself with whatever I could find after my party experience and the looks I got at school. She didn't learn from her previous mistake with Diane. She never does.

Only some people change; and sometimes it's for the worst.

~~~

hi :)

the chapters of IBRH are getting shorter as the numbers increase lmao. sorry i couldn't update sooner! i've been busy w school (it only started today lol) n shit. also, last night was shitty, so that's nice. how are y'all holding up during this quarantine? God, quarantine sucks! ilysm + COTE please!!

― AK 💜