All Things Go

Get On Your Knees |

Aolani Malana Alei

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I don't need a dozen roses, you ain't gotta wine and dine me, no. I don't need a pretty poet, Oooh, gettin' all emotional.

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What Amir failed to realize is, we couldn't get on the plane with his shirt drenched in blood, losing blood, and him groaning nonstop; we were bound to be questioned and it wasn't safe.

So, we were now sitting in the living room of his cousin, Solina.

Solina Morris served in the army as a general surgeon. Luckily for us, we caught her during her leave and not her deployment. [A/N: LMAO forgive me if I don't know what I'm talking about. There's only so much I actually learn from the many sources of research out there. 😂💀]

As she drenched her older cousin's wound in alcohol, I stared intently. If I wasn't forced to stay home all day, I could have attended college and followed my dreams to become a neurosurgeon. But Jahron clearly had other plans for my future.

"Baby, guess what!" I screamed once I entered the small apartment I recently bought once I graduated from high school. It was now early August and I was just accepted into my dream college and I couldn't wait to share my news.

My nineteen-year-old boyfriend sat at the kitchen table, smiling at his phone.

"Jahron! Baby look!" I tapped his shoulder with a enormous grin upon my face.

He pushed my hand away, refusing to tear his eyes away from his phone.

"What are you looking at?"

He rolled his eyes and looked at my average, eighteen-year-old frame.

"What do you want, Malana?"

"Guess where I'm going this fall!"

Jahron replied unenthusiastically, "Nowhere?"

I giggled and lightly slapped his arm with the acceptance letter I was holding.

"No, silly! I was accepted into Harvard! They have a great medical program and I think it'd be very beneficial—"

Jahron scrunched his face up which made me wonder why he wasn't happy for me...

"You aren't going all the way over there... You're going to stay home while I go to CSU San Marcos."

I looked at Jahron like he had five heads. "The hell do you mean, Jahron?"

He laughed and used his calloused hands to pull my face closer to his. "Aolani, do you really think your dumb ass would be able to get into Harvard anyway? Maybe they sent it to a wrong address. You'll be fine."

And then he had the audacity to kiss my forehead as if I was his small daughter he was speaking to.

"Jahron, you have the game so messed up... I'm not giving up this opportunity for a 9-5 shift at Walmart. Hell no. Just think of all the opportunities I would have over there! Opportunities not too many people in my family had! I could be a neuro-"

At this time, Jahron was not as abusive. Clearly he wasn't involved with his company and we were two young and naive adults in love.

But this was definitely the beginning.

I groaned in pain as his gripped tightened around my arm.

"Let me go!"

He laughed and said, "You better lose the attitude. I'm getting fed up. Now I'll take this," he traded my arm for my letter. "And do this." My heart broke more and more at the sound and sight of him tearing my letter to pieces.