‹ Prequel: Blowing Off Smoke
Status: Revamped and active again :)
Gray
Feeling Pain
-Breelle Hakeem-
“Bree. Bree, get up,” Tashawna’s voice is a monotone, but I can tell it’s her. It's been so long.
I jump up. “Shawna!” I wrap my arms around my big sister. “Is it Christmas already?”
My sister laughs. “Yeah, actually. University let’s out early.”
I squeeze her tighter before letting go.
“How am I supposed to keep surviving here without you? All these men are driving me insane.”
Her gaze softens a little. “Yeah. I know you miss Mom.”
I shrug. “Hey, it’s better she be up there helping us in some way than on Earth getting high to take away pain.”
Tashawna smiles. “Gettin’ all wise on me.”
I smile back at her.
As Shawna walks me to school, I see Dicari Reed pickup Seth Rodriguez. Seth slides onto the handlebars of Dicari’s bike and they ride toward school.
Dicari Reed is one of the hottest freshmen at our school. His caramel skin and sultry gray eyes make all the girls swoon and all the guys want to be his friend. He’s super smart and focused on getting out of this town.
I feel him on that.
Seth Rodriguez is his equally hot best friend, just as smart and an avid musician. He’s half Puerto Rican and half black with short hair and penetrating brown eyes.
They are likely to be the most achieved at our ten year reunion. Haha, ten year reunion. As if most of us won't be dead, in jail, or addicted to something deadly by then.
“So how’ve you been?” Shawna asks.
I pull my attention from the guys.
“Okay,” I shrug. “Living with three guys isn’t the worst, but Raquan is so annoying.”
Shawna’s brown eyes squint as she laughs.
“Yeah, I know. You’ll be okay. Bet you’ll get along with annoying guys better.”
I scoff. “All the guys love me.”
Shawna laughs extra hard at that. The sound floats through the cool, fall air.
“I really missed your sarcasm, Bree.”
I smile up at her. “Someone’s gotta keep a bright outlook on life.”
“Hey, Bree,” I turn in the crowded hall. Victor stares wide-eyed at me, holding onto his backpack straps tightly. I pull him by some lockers.
“What's wrong, Vic?”
“Trey got locked up last night,” Victor mumbles. His brown eyes glow with unshed tears.
“What? Are you serious?” He nods sullenly. Aw, man. “Damn, Vic. I'm sorry. What he do?” I ask, glancing at the time. Class starts in a couple minutes.
“Possession.” Whenever someone says “possession” around here, it's clear what they mean.
Drugs and guns.
“So what's gonna happen? Where're you gonna stay?”
Trey is Victor's only living relative. His dad died of cancer and mom overdosed. Images of life without Vic flash through my mind.
Boring classes, not getting hit in the head with dodgeballs in gym, having nothing to do after school, no random, spiky-haired boy showing up at my house to eat my food or drag me me out of my house to hang out.
No play fighting until my dad comes in to see why we're making so much noise and kicks Vic's loud ass out because he thinks we're having sex. No sneaking Victor into my room at 2am, after Dad goes to work, so we can watch stupid movies.
No best friend.
As if reading my thoughts, Vic's eyes swell with tears.
Mine do too. Suddenly, I'm glad for the nearly empty halls.
“I don't know where I'm gonna go,” he murmurs, shaking his head. “I wasn't home when they took him so I don't think they've realized he takes care of me yet. As long as I get out of here soon, I won't be put in the system.”
In this neighborhood, the worst thing that can happen to you is getting put into foster care. It's filled with child molesters, abusers, and drug addicts that are just in it for the money. As much as I hate to think about it, it's way safer for Vic to run away than stay and get thrown into the fucked-up system.
I pull him into my arms. “I'm so sorry, Vic. I'm gonna miss you so much.” He finally let's his tears roll down his dark brown cheeks as the bell rings. All I want to do is take his pain away.
Victor is the one who brightens my day and goes through everything with me. We've been best friends since third grade and we've been there for each other ever since. When his dad died, when both of our mom's died from overdoses, every other time his brother's gotten arrested for misdemeanors, he was my rock in those hard times. Vic's the optimist and I'm the realist. We just balance each other out.
What will I do without him?
“Bree. Bree, get up,” Tashawna’s voice is a monotone, but I can tell it’s her. It's been so long.
I jump up. “Shawna!” I wrap my arms around my big sister. “Is it Christmas already?”
My sister laughs. “Yeah, actually. University let’s out early.”
I squeeze her tighter before letting go.
“How am I supposed to keep surviving here without you? All these men are driving me insane.”
Her gaze softens a little. “Yeah. I know you miss Mom.”
I shrug. “Hey, it’s better she be up there helping us in some way than on Earth getting high to take away pain.”
Tashawna smiles. “Gettin’ all wise on me.”
I smile back at her.
As Shawna walks me to school, I see Dicari Reed pickup Seth Rodriguez. Seth slides onto the handlebars of Dicari’s bike and they ride toward school.
Dicari Reed is one of the hottest freshmen at our school. His caramel skin and sultry gray eyes make all the girls swoon and all the guys want to be his friend. He’s super smart and focused on getting out of this town.
I feel him on that.
Seth Rodriguez is his equally hot best friend, just as smart and an avid musician. He’s half Puerto Rican and half black with short hair and penetrating brown eyes.
They are likely to be the most achieved at our ten year reunion. Haha, ten year reunion. As if most of us won't be dead, in jail, or addicted to something deadly by then.
“So how’ve you been?” Shawna asks.
I pull my attention from the guys.
“Okay,” I shrug. “Living with three guys isn’t the worst, but Raquan is so annoying.”
Shawna’s brown eyes squint as she laughs.
“Yeah, I know. You’ll be okay. Bet you’ll get along with annoying guys better.”
I scoff. “All the guys love me.”
Shawna laughs extra hard at that. The sound floats through the cool, fall air.
“I really missed your sarcasm, Bree.”
I smile up at her. “Someone’s gotta keep a bright outlook on life.”
“Hey, Bree,” I turn in the crowded hall. Victor stares wide-eyed at me, holding onto his backpack straps tightly. I pull him by some lockers.
“What's wrong, Vic?”
“Trey got locked up last night,” Victor mumbles. His brown eyes glow with unshed tears.
“What? Are you serious?” He nods sullenly. Aw, man. “Damn, Vic. I'm sorry. What he do?” I ask, glancing at the time. Class starts in a couple minutes.
“Possession.” Whenever someone says “possession” around here, it's clear what they mean.
Drugs and guns.
“So what's gonna happen? Where're you gonna stay?”
Trey is Victor's only living relative. His dad died of cancer and mom overdosed. Images of life without Vic flash through my mind.
Boring classes, not getting hit in the head with dodgeballs in gym, having nothing to do after school, no random, spiky-haired boy showing up at my house to eat my food or drag me me out of my house to hang out.
No play fighting until my dad comes in to see why we're making so much noise and kicks Vic's loud ass out because he thinks we're having sex. No sneaking Victor into my room at 2am, after Dad goes to work, so we can watch stupid movies.
No best friend.
As if reading my thoughts, Vic's eyes swell with tears.
Mine do too. Suddenly, I'm glad for the nearly empty halls.
“I don't know where I'm gonna go,” he murmurs, shaking his head. “I wasn't home when they took him so I don't think they've realized he takes care of me yet. As long as I get out of here soon, I won't be put in the system.”
In this neighborhood, the worst thing that can happen to you is getting put into foster care. It's filled with child molesters, abusers, and drug addicts that are just in it for the money. As much as I hate to think about it, it's way safer for Vic to run away than stay and get thrown into the fucked-up system.
I pull him into my arms. “I'm so sorry, Vic. I'm gonna miss you so much.” He finally let's his tears roll down his dark brown cheeks as the bell rings. All I want to do is take his pain away.
Victor is the one who brightens my day and goes through everything with me. We've been best friends since third grade and we've been there for each other ever since. When his dad died, when both of our mom's died from overdoses, every other time his brother's gotten arrested for misdemeanors, he was my rock in those hard times. Vic's the optimist and I'm the realist. We just balance each other out.
What will I do without him?
♠ ♠ ♠
Edited.