Him and I

Chapter 43

2 months later...

With graduation on the cusp I've been stressed. I gotta get my hair done, nails done, find my dress, find my makeup artist, and literally everything else! I'm not ready. Demrest has been a great help. Dad don't know what to do with his hands.

Classes are mostly busy work. We not doing any real work in the classes. I've spending my days chit chatting my friends, reminiscing on our live throughout the years. Our new additions and our long standing members. How fast life has changed and how beautifully different it is now.

Next week me and my friends are designing our cap toppers. Im obviously going to make mine a tribute to my mom. Lloyd said he's gonna put some catchy saying from his favorite engineer. Ironman. Grace thinks she's gonna make a 'party' hat. I hope it has real alcohol.

Today I have a meeting with my accountant. He's gonna tell me my budget and we're going to set all our appointments. I say our, really mine. I can't wait.

Walking into the house, I toss my bag to the side. 1 more week and I'll never have to pick this bag up again. Yes! Abigail is cooking dinner already. The kitchen smells like home. I try to relish in the moment. Demrest pushes past me. "Move, damn!" Who pissed in her Cheerios?

I go up to my room and lay on the bed. Dad will be home soon. I have my presentation ready. He's gonna say yes regardless. I hope.

I head into Demrest room. She's doing homework. I wonder why she didn't do it in the living room. She hunched over some papers on her bed. Sister-girl is stressed.  "Are you okay?" I almost whisper.

Her head pops up. She looks me in the eye. She is fighting an urge to yell at me. Maybe she's not okay. I feel like she is really struggling in school. Like maybe she needs a tutor. "No." Her voice is shaky. She might cry.

"Is there anything I can do?" She's a vase held together by glue. Must not speak loudly. She just begins to cry. She falls into my lap.  I give her a hug and rub her back. There, there.

Her head swings up. "Ty I'm so stupid! No matter how much I study I can't pass Spanish. No one is gonna want me to play on their college team! Nobody wants a dumb ass! My grade in Spanish right now is a 78. The final is my last chance to get the B I need to make my transcript look half decent!"

I never though Demrest would go pro, but if it's important to her then it's important to me. I hold her while she sobs. She'll be okay.

As she finally calms down I give her the real. "Your not stupid, you're just not good at Spanish. We can always ask Lloyd for help? Your grade improved while he was tutoring you. You also gotta stop all this damn crying. I don't know how many I have to tell you this, but us thugs don't cry. Lastly, what's yours will always be yours. Okay?" She nods. "Now get up, and finish you homework. I can help when I can." She nods again.

She heads to the bathroom. Most likely to wipe her tears. That girl there, she did not get the thugs don't cry memo. Lame.

When dad comes through the door I all but sprint down the steps. He's holding Adonis and kicking the door close. I grab Adonis from his hand and offer to take his bags. He laughs. I guide him to a seat at the island.  I open my chrome book with the baby on my hip. Nothing will distract him.

"Okay dad, here we go." I spend the next hour begging for money for senior activities and trips. Grace and I want to go to Mexico. He listens with minimal questions. Adonis is a doll the entire time. At some point Demrest joins us. When I finish, I close my laptop.

I look at him for a response. "Let me meet with my fincial committee and I will reach out to you with a response soon." My heart sinks a little. I refuse to catch an attitude, I refuse to ruin any shot I have. I only nod and take a seat.