Lies, Secrets and Apple pies

Chapter 31

 I was kicked out of school. It was to be expected. I was also student loan-free with an extra five thousand dollars to keep my mouth shut. I also would not be able to transfer my credits to any institution in the U.S. So, I was now sitting at IHOP, my grandma's favorite restaurant, and silently telling her everything that had happened.

"You were always a good writer Mi'a. You weren't the nurse type. Go with writing." I imagined she say wearing the same purple shirt she always wears with blue, baggy jeans.

Writing, huh. I was always good at writing. I took my phone out looking for a specific email. There it was. An email asking if I wanted to apply to the School of the New York Times this summer. There were good schools in New York and lots of writing opportunities there. I did need a change of scenery. I clicked on the apply button.

I had just arrived home and Trick was already there eating a bag of Cheetos and playing some war game. He always said, 'I'm saving mankind." Uh-huh, yeah, sure Trick, right way. He didn't look up at me and I so I took the seat beside him on the couch.

"Wassup loser?" He greeted me looking at me from the corner of his eye.

He knew what he did, "You beat up that guy anyway."

"Yeah." He answered not even trying to deny it,

"Thanks." I said hugging him. I snatched the remote from his hands and threw it onto the carpet. "But don't disobey me again."

. . . . . . . . . .

A date. This is what my life has come to. It was Feb 28th. The last day of February and it fell on a beautiful Sunday. It had been about a week since I had gotten kicked out of school and applied to the SoNYT for a six-week semester in New York.

"I can't believe you dropped out of school, changed your major and applied to the SoNYT. Your like an inspiration to girls everywhere to follow their dreams and say fuck you to society and your my girlfriend." Lillian boasted.

I might have not told her everything that had occurred in the past few days. We were sitting across the street from the Atlanta Zoo. I had ordered a turkey sandwich and iced coffee and Lillian an everything bagel and milkshake at a coffeehouse called Grant Park. It was a nice neighborhood with a park, a nearby coffeehouse, and the zoo all conveniently located for those who could afford it.

I babysat for two families in the neighborhood and they were both pretty decent families. "Well, I don't know about all of that. I have to wait another two weeks to hear back and then I still need to win the scholarship to be able to afford to go. It's eight thousand dollars." I said although I had more than twenty grand in the bank right now. I wasn't going to spend it on the SoNYT. It was an amazing opportunity and to go to New York was a dream but for eight grand. I really needed that scholarship.

"I'm sure you'll get it bae! You're brilliant." Lillian assured me as we threw our empty containers away. We weren't going to the zoo today. It was a pretty spontaneous date. As in Lillian texted me two hours ago and said let's go on a date. "I could help you if you didn't get the scholarship. I have some money saved up and-"

"I am not taking my girlfriend's money." Her mom's money was another matter. "But thanks for the offer. What are your plans this summer?"

"To follow my girlfriend whether she is."

"Lillian, you don't need to be with me. You can have your own thing going on." I said a bit annoyed. A little more so at myself than with her. I never had a girlfriend before and the first one that I got I blackmailed her mama. I should just tell her the truth.