QUARANTINED

Day Two.

She had stared at the bathroom door since the younger woman walked in there with tears in her eyes, she had been waiting for her to return so she could apologise to the young girl and with that time passed without even realising it. Cordelia wasn't accustomed to staying up all night, she wasn't raised like that and she took that and made it her routine but Aaliyah had the woman up until two AM. She was slightly tired but she needed to see the girl, even a small peek, and what worried her was the fact that the girl hadn't eaten anything since she walked into the room. Usually, Cordelia, wouldn't care but she couldn't help herself. She wanted to knock on the door and ask if the girl was okay but that would be too inappropriate as they barely knew each other.

Aaliyah cried until her eyes were too tired to release tears. She was hurt by what the woman had said as she was raised by good people but she was over what Cordelia said, she had remembered all the good times she had with her parents and siblings. Those moments were taken away from her and from time to time she would wonder how life would've been if they were still here. Perhaps her older sister, Tania, wouldn't have left school to work at a grocery to take care of a child she had made while grieving her parents. Her younger siblings barely knew their parents, they were only two when their parents died so all they know are stories told by Aaliyah and pictures taken when they were still alive.

Aaliyah loved her parents, they weren't wealthy but they did a great job in raising her and her siblings. When she was only three years old, they discovered that she was a gifted child and everything they did from that point was to ensure she would have a great future, one that included breaking records and achieving great things. They attended every debate meet, every spelling bee contest and every intellectual competition that Aaliyah wanted to be in. They even invested in her education, taking her to the best school while ensuring they taught her good manners. It was a lovely time and she missed those amazing moments because when they died, she couldn't live that life anymore as adjustments were made.

Her grandmother had tried to be there for Aaliyah and her siblings but it wasn't easy as her parents had not anticipated death so soon, they were healthy and drove properly but they didn't take account of other people, so they hadn't planned for the future were they weren't alive. Grandma Pike had to take in the kids, she hadn't worked for a few years and had no plan but she wouldn't let her own grandchildren get into the system as Tania wasn't old enough to take care of her siblings. Aaliyah went to a government school, where they only cared about the boys' soccer team, so her academic lifestyle had to adjust and had turned into a nerd to other students but it didn't matter because she knew she had plans and she would be able to complete them in any school. It was truly hard until Miss Jones waltzed into her life and changed it for the better.

She was tired and the bathtub wasn't the most comfortable place to have a nap, she hoped that Cordelia would be asleep as she didn't want to face the woman. She had embarrassed herself by crying in front of the stranger, strangers barely had an effect on her but here she was crying on the bathroom floor. Meanwhile, Cordelia had been silently waiting for the girl. Aaliyah stood up and decided to go to bed and maybe eat an apple, her stomach had been grumbling as she hadn't eaten anything yet. She took off her jeans as they were irritating her and was now left with a baggy shirt that she has tucked in her jean, she folded those clothes and stared at the door with contemplation. She was certain the woman was sleeping but she didn't want to disturb her by opening the door too loud. Gently she twisted the door knob and walked out of the bathroom, with that Cordelia raised her head to see the girl. Upon realising that Cordelia was awake, Aaliyah dropped her folded clothes on the floor in astonishment.

"Ah! There she is, I thought I would have to call an undertaker" Cordelia joked. She wasn't too fond of showing a little bit of emotion and that is where her joking is derived. She'd rather upset a person with her jokes than allow them to see underneath her hard exterior.