SUMMER

𝚝𝚠𝚘.

Like any other day I was ditching school, not for the fun of it like everyone else. I just didn't like going. I wasn't no type of scholar or nothing. I didn't care for school and my mama sure didn't care if I went or not. She was too focused on getting high.

My smartness wasn't going to waste. Wasn't like I was book smart anyway. I was the average student. C average nothing more or lower. As long as I passed I was fine with my grades. The only reason my average is so low is only because I'm never at school.

I had other priorities and other shit to worry about rather than school. Wasn't like I was a drop out, damn near but not quite. Karma was more of my priority and so was mama. I made sure karma went to school. Zaza went because that was something that was mandatory to him.

He loves school. I don't. School isn't for everybody and it sure in hell wasn't for me.

Ezekiel actually wanted to do something with his life. I was stuck in between holding the family together and school. Family was way more important to me. Especially since I was the one who broke us apart. Felt like more of a responsibility, the main one too.

I was at Cassie's serving food, making a little bit of money since I was tired of depending on her to provide for me. She had me serve tables, take orders, and clean. Nothing major since I couldn't touch the stove.

It went against state regulations for me to work  on the stove.

It was early morning so it was busy. People were coming just before they went to work, or just to sit on their asses and gossip.

I was pretty well known in the neighborhood. Still to this day people would approach me and apologize about patience. Like her death was on them or something. Majority of the time they just wanted to hear about my mama. How she was holding up and all that.

It had been a little over six years years. People were just nosy. Not really wanting yo hear how I was was or how my siblings were. They wanted to know what it was like living with a crack feigned parent. I didn't mind them for the most part. Everybody was nosy, shit I would be too.

"Good morning Dakota." Miss. Eileen greeted me as I served her what she usually got.

At this point she didn't even need to order anymore I already knew what she had wanted and so did the cooks. She came around the same time each morning and ordered the same thing. "Big Texas cinnamon roll" with a medium ice coffee with a half a cup of milk and two packets of sugar.

"Morning Miss. Eileen." Miss Eileen wasnt nosy like the other people in this neighborhood. She worked, took care of her kids and went back home. I never seen her go out except for here.

Which was weird in my opinion cause who the hell wanted to stay here, in Oak Park. Wasn't shit here but gang members. Drug dealers and teenagers who ended up dead on the sidewalk damn near everyday. Which the police department didn't really care too much about.

Shit they was even scared to come in this neighborhood pass sundown. So anything bad that happens after that we were on our own.

"How are you?" She asked kindly, giving me a small smile.

"I am fine, and you?" I asked trying to sound as proper as I could.

Though Eileen wasn't nosy, she had her perks too. She was big on sounding professional and proper at all times. Being that she was the black woman in the neighborhood who gave a damn on how she sounded, looked, walked, and talked when walking out the house.

She wasn't whitewashed she was just proper as hell like she was raised in the burbs. She wasn't though. Born and raised her and never once decided to leave.