The Pretty Girl

The Mechanic

"Alka always loved the high life." Otsi'tsa smiled sadly looking at the disgruntled teenager in front of her.

His dark brown looks were long covering his eyes. They were wet from the rain. His eyes red rimmed from crying most likely but he was tough. He ignored her and everyone else staring at him in curiosity or disapproval.

He tightened his arms around himself and looked away. "You got in trouble with the law little Kai?" She teased gently. "I'm grown." He muttered. Kai began to pick at his nails nervously to ignore all the sh*t he has gone through. His mother was not a topic he wanted to entertain.

"No matter how many tattoos and piercings you get 16  is not grown Kai." Otsi'tsa emphasized. "I haven't seen you since you were maybe 2." She was a short woman with a kind smile. Her long black hair almost reaching her thighs. It was in a simple braid at the moment. Her eyes were gentle not like everyone else glaring at him.

But she just so happened to be his aunt. Kai didn't know too much about his family. He didn't know his heritage very well and he didn't know that anyone would actually care to take him in.

When his mother ran off with her new boyfriend and her new addiction. Kai mentally prepared to take care of himself. But it proved to be harder when bills piled up and eviction was near. So he stole. And stole until it caught up with him.

The CPS tracked down his mother's information while he was in jail. And found Otsi'tsa, her half sister and reached out.

Otsi'tsa and Alka had an interesting relationship. It was alway strained and no matter the awkwardness Otsi'tsa tried to maintain contact and build some sort of relationship. But it was not happening on Alka's time. She just didn't feel apart of anything. She wanted nothing to do with her mother's side. She wanted to just live her own life.

Kai's mother Alka was the product of adultery and was not truly accepted by the people in the reservation so she lived with her white father else wear, no matter how horrible it was, and occasionally learned more about herself. Alka's mother a full Kanienkehaka woman wanted her to immerse with the people as much as she could from the outside through visiting.

But Kai's mother was rebellious and tradition didn't appeal to her so she branched off when she got old enough to decide to stop going. And then she too was swept into an adulterous relationship and she had Kai. Thus Kai's father never making an appearance in his life so he didn't ruin his established one.

And Kai was the one who really suffered for all his mothers mistakes and his fathers. He lived in a garbage neighborhood full of sketchy people. His education was sh*t because of lack of funding. And Kai was just looking to catch a break for once.

And now he was thrown in a new town with a lot of new people who grew up together as a community and once again he stuck out.

Otsi'tsa sighed looking at the boy. "Kai. I know you've been through a lot and I can understand your hesitance. But I do want to take care of you. I don't want you to be alone on the street." She pleaded with the boy.

"I'm not one of you. I'm not stupid I know no one will enjoy me being here." He scoffed. He didn't need her to kiss his a**. Kai was realistic. He knew where he was and wasn't welcomed and that turned out to be a lot of places. Otsi'tsa frowned at that. The poor boy was so jaded. "I want you here."

Kai looked at the ground. "I'm not good enough for much so I think this is just a waste of time."

"Kai-"