When The Sun Rises | ✔

Epilogue

Epilogue | Pam To My Gina

• • •

        "How come you don't do something with this? These are mad dope. Like I can see people paying for this," Xo says, flipping through my sketchbook.

        Most of the pages are filled with random eyeballs, skylines, and the doodles I do when I'm zoned out.

        "I never thought about doing nothing with it for real." I shrug. "Plus, I just got back into art a couple months ago. I had stopped for a long time."

        "You need to be doing more than thinking about it. This needs to be your whole ass major. I'm telling you."

        "Ahem. Maybe," I mumble.

        Little does she know, I've been researching art schools and art programs at local universities for a while now. Not all the way sure if the handful of skills I have with a pencil is good enough, it's stayed between me and my search history.

        From somewhere outside my door, Mr. Paul shouts, "Keila, we're leaving in five minutes. If you're not downstairs by then we're slapping a choir robe and a wig on Donovan and pushing him across the stage. But one way or another somebody's graduating today."

        "I'm coming," I yell, readjusting my cap for the umpteenth time. I decided not to get my hair blown out so getting it to stay on and stay straight has been a constant battle. Huffing, I turn towards Xo sitting cross-legged at the foot of my bed. "How do I look?"

        She glances up at me for half a second and goes back to staring at the page.

        "The same way you looked the last eighty-seven times you asked me, hoe. Fine. Now, come on. You know I like to be on time to shit."

        She flew down three days ago to be here for my graduation. She bought the plane ticket months ago. Pretty much the same day I told her when the ceremony would be. She even went ahead and booked her flights for Sheila's wedding next month.

        "You're beautiful, baby." I smile down at my phone to see Vino buttoning his shirt. Stopping three-quarters of the way, he looks into the camera and says, "Looking almost as good as me. I promise, if I wasn't already dating you, I'd be dating the hell out of me. You feel me?"

        "See, and I was just getting ready to thank you." I roll my eyes. "You been hanging around Donovan too much. Got you sounding just like his ass."

        He clasps a gold chain around his neck. "Go ahead and tell me I don't look good, right now. See if your nose don't grow three inches."

        The pendant sits perfectly on the patch of skin peeking through the unfastened buttons at the top of his shirt. I cut my eyes at him. He does look good. Good enough to get sopped up with some bread as Miss Doll would say but ain't no way I'm about to admit that. I would never hear the end of it. Just like that one time I messed up the directions and had him get off on the wrong exit. Three months later and he still swears I'm the worst navigator to ever walk the fucking planet.

        "Boy, if you don't button that shirt up. Must think you Aladdin or something tryna wear it like that. Got me messed up."