THE OWL NEXT DOOR

1

“Am expecting everyone to be handing in the assignment first thing when we return back! I won’t be entertaining no stories!” Mr. Glover explained as everyone was packing their bags ready to leave class in a rush. It was the beginning of the summer break and seemingly everyone had enormous plans for the holidays they were excited about, well except for me who wasn’t planning on doing anything the whole break long. Not that there wasn’t anything I could do; I mean I do have a couple of ideas. First being that I could be a recluse, second being…. well there isn’t a second one actually.
“Where you from?”
“Whatcha mean where I’m from, I’m from school!”
“I thought you was long back from there!”
“Well I am now, so next time you think that you'd be right!”
“Drop the attitude kid and get ready, I want you to go pay the electricity bill.”
“But mom, that’s like a mile from here!”
“I know! Which is why I expect you to be back in like 30 minutes”
“But mom…”
“Girl if you still wanna live under my roof…”

My mom has this thing of just torturing me for doing absolutely nothing. It was like 70 degrees Fahrenheit outside, but then with my mom complaining is just a waste of time.
I have lived with my mom since I was born and she has grown to be my most favorite person. We don’t have any relatives so she's the only family I have, as for my pops well, we hardly speak about him. I grew up knowing he was never there. Growing up at Margrave is the best thing that could happen to a black child growing up without a father, I never had that void about him because the people in the 'hood are so welcoming and caring. Technically we are one big family.

I threw my bag on the bed and changed my J1s into a pair of Chuck’s. I grabbed my headphones from the study table then walked downstairs. I wasn’t feeling like food so I snatched a fruit juice carton and an apple from the refrigerator. Mom was still glued on the financial newspaper I found her reading. “You ready to bounce?” she asked, “Nah, I'm ready to nap” “Girl don’t start with me now! Grab six bills from my wallet and move your ass. The arrears should be $350, bring back some Thai for dinner from Han Lou's with the extra”.  Just from the mention of Thai, I didn’t matter if I wanted to go or not, I was definitely gonna go!

As I jumped into the street, a black Jeep passed by and the dude who was driving it kept staring at me like I was some road sign. “Whatcha looking at whiteboy?” I yelled at him while scrolling up my phone trying to pick up the best song for the walk. I picked up Under the influence by Breezy and plugged my headphones in. “Hey little pumpkin, make sure you go via here to pick up some greenies for your mom, ok?”, that was Mrs. Hall who always makes sure to give us some vegetables every time she sees me. I waved at her and kept walking, ‘You don’t know what you do, did to me. Your body lightweight…’.

I kicked open the door at Han Lou's with plastic bags on my hands and that black Jeep was parked outside, boy was trying to fill up his tank. He tried saying something to me but I couldn’t get it because I had my headphones on, so I took them off. “You sayin' something?”
“You smiled, for a moment there I had a warm feeling but then it was ruined by those ugly-ass ears”
“You like a professional asshole or what?”, I’ve been mocked for my elf-shaped ears one too many times, but each time it slams different.
“Come on bru, you the one who mocked me first earlier on, remember?”
“Boy get out of my face!”, I said, a little bit angry but still charmed by his British accent. I haven’t met a British before so it was kind of an exhilarating moment. I decided to move along either way, just not to seem charmed by the white boy at first sight. “Let me give you a lift if you going to your crib”
“I aint interested!”
“Come on, don’t be silly. At least allow me to apologize for being rude?”
To be honest he was the only dude who has managed to attract me at first sight, or maybe I just have never had a white guy hitting on me before.
“Fine! But you throw jabs at me again, you’re a goner!”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s Margrave Churchill what’d you think?  Name's Teresa”
“Jason, Jason Parker”
“I thought your white ass was British?”
“I am, why?”
“Jason aint no British name tho!”
“Teresa isn’t much American either”
“Touché! So, what's your deal, why’d you pick me up?”
“Nothing, I just thought you could use the ride since we from the same block. Besides I told you I wanted to apologize about my behavior earlier on.”
Dude had so much confidence when speaking he was overwhelming; I couldn’t even have a proper stare at him. His whole car was filled with his sweet cologne which kept percolating my nostrils now and then. “Ncoew, that’s so sweet of you. We really could use a mayor like you around here! Now drop me off here college boy, I aint trying to get in trouble with my mom” I said, picking up my stuff front the backseat. “Alright cool. So, will I be seeing you again? I mean I haven’t gotten the chance to apologize yet, innit?”. I winked at him biting my lower lip a little and then started walking, putting my headphones on. I picked up the greenies from Mrs. Hall's then proceeded to my crib.