𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 || 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝗺.

nine.

nine.

My grandmother had always played a big role in my life. As a child, she was the one that would spend time with me when my parents or siblings were out doing something. I was her first grandchild, the one that she doted on, the apple of her eye as some would put it.

I couldn't imagine life without her, I don't think I would have the passion I had if it wasn't for her. Life without Gloria Williams was a life that I didn't want to think about.

"Hey, Baby," She smiled as I walked into her room. Her hair was done, as it always had been, and she remained lively even in her state of pain. "How are you?"

"Hi, Mama," I smiled, standing in the doorway.

From what my mother had told me, my grandma's cancer was slowly progressing and easy to treat if they acted on it immediately. The only thing that stopped them was my grandma's fear of treatment. She had become content with the thought of dying that fighting to live scared her.

"Come and sit with me." She patted the empty spot on her bed. "Tell me about school."

"I don't think I'm a small town girl, Mama..." I chuckled as I sat on top of the comforter.

She smiled. "You miss the big city?"

When I was little, my grandma would get me from school once a month and bring me back to Woodsboro with her. Those weekends were times I looked forward to; she'd help me with my school work, I would watch her cook, and she'd do my hair for me. She was my rock.

"You bet..." I sighed. "It's okay out here but I miss having options..."

"It does get boring out here..." She hummed. "But this is what feels like home to me... seems like it for a lot of old city folk."

I nodded. "I've noticed that too. A lot of people here are from L.A. and stuff..."

"That's what I like. Even if stuff is slow, there's still people that I can relate to." She turned to look at me. "So tell me about school."

I began to get nervous. Billy and the subject of school would be hard to mention to my Grandma. She wasn't hard to talk to, it was talking about what was going on that made things difficult.

"I mean, I've made friends..." I looked away while rubbing the back of my neck. "That's good, right?"

She smiled as she shook her head. "What else is going on?"

"One of them is friends with Maureen Prescott's daughter, Sidney. Sidney isn't a fan of me..." I watched as she narrowed her gaze, ready for me to tell her what was going on. "Now to be fair, I can't say I blame her too much but she was just cruel when she met me..."

"What do you mean now, Soleil?" Her voice went up a notch.

I took a deep breath and prepared myself for her insight. "Well it all started on my school tour when I met this boy named Billy. He's cute, really cute white boy..." I paused in an attempt to stay composed. "And we hit it off immediately but then I find out he has a girlfriend and now all he wants to do is be around me while I deal with Sidney's spite!"

"So why don't you blame her now?"

How could I not blame Sidney? I let her boyfriend sneak into my room and kiss me and now that things are on ice for her and Billy, I was actually considering his offer. Billy's flirting wasn't my fault nor did I deserve Sidney's cold shoulder for his actions. I could only take what I now deserved.

"No one knows this but he kissed me recently..." I began to blush. "He just up and kissed me after confiding in me."

Deep down, I knew that my grandma was cursing up a storm. When it came to topics about boys and behavior around them, she was very serious.