r.e.m

speak.

Date: January 4th
Time: 2:56 PM
Location: Arcade

"Speak from my heart, baby
Speak from my soul, sugar
Say what you want, lady
Act like you know who you are
Speak from your gut, honey
Say what you want, my love
Be who you wanna be
Speak, speak, speak, speak
Be free."

The arcade was loud, with chaos spilling from every corner. Flashing lights, the bass of overplayed pop music vibrating through the floor, and the smell of greasy food mixed with sugar in the air. It was the kind of noise and energy that pulled you back to simpler days, no matter how far you'd come from them.

Zyra and Kaylee had taken over one of the racing games, trash-talking loud enough to catch the attention of some kids playing skeeball nearby. Rabbit stood behind them, dramatically sipping on a bright blue slushie like he was hosting the damn championship.

"Ohhh, not the curb again, Kaylee! Damn, just give Zyra the keys already!" Rabbit yelled, shaking his head like she was embarrassing the whole crew.

"Rabbit, shut up!" Zyra laughed, flipping him off without even glancing back. "You ain't even playing, but you got the most to say."

Rabbit just grinned, unbothered, knocking back the rest of his drink like he'd made a solid point.

I stood off to the side with Jazelle, arm draped over her shoulders, her body soft and warm against mine. She held a plastic bucket spilling over with prize tickets, adjusting it every few seconds like it was gold she couldn't risk losing.

"I'm gonna miss Zy," She whispered, her voice so quiet it barely cut through the arcade's chaos. Her eyes were locked on my little sister, soft and full of emotion she was clearly trying to hold in.

I looked down at her, catching that slight shimmer in her lashes. "I know you are. Me too," I murmured, pressing a kiss to her temple. "She's gonna miss you more than she'll ever admit."

Jazelle smiled, small but real, and hugged that ticket bucket a little closer like it could anchor her. I already knew what she was feeling. I felt it too. Even with Zyra right there, laughing, carefree, and in her own world, the thought of her being gone hit like a quiet ache in my chest. I wasn't ready to let her go either. Not really.

"She'll be alright," I said, more to Jazelle than myself. "You've been good for her. She always joked about wanting me to be her older sister. Now she finally got you." That got a soft laugh out of Jazelle. She leaned deeper into me, and I pulled her closer, letting her warmth settle into mine. Watching them bond had always done something to me. Sweet and painful all at once.

My mom did her best, sure... she made sure Zyra was clean, fed, and went to school, but she didn't teach her how to move through this world with her head high. She didn't give her a blueprint for her womanhood. That part got left behind, almost falling on my shoulders without her even asking.