Sunset

f o u r

"The Jacks, Cameron and my younger brother are going to meet us for lunch, is that okay?" Nash looked up from his phone, a look of question spread across his face.

Lana nodded. "It's okay."

Nash saw the hesitation in her face but didn't question it. He learned not to question small things because then girls would say something along the lines of I'm okay or Its nothing. Sure, it made Nash a little frustrated but that only adds to the mystery of Lana.

Nash smiled and went back to scrolling through his Twitter. Lana was laying on her bed and she had her phone out, she was playing mine-craft. Yes. She spent seven dollars on an app but it's a really good game. She plays it almost everyday if that counts.

Lana's phone decided to ring right when she was in the middle of making shelter. Her ringtone; I'm and Albatraoz rang out.

Mom

She didn't want to answer that. She stared at her phone screen.

"Are you going to answer that?"

Lana nodded slowly, sliding her thumb across the screen.

"Hello?" She whispered quietly.

"Lana!" Her Mom slurred. "How's your vacation been."

"I'm not on vacation."

"Then you need to come home missy."

"Mom. I'm at school."

"For three days?" Her mom was beyond drunk. "DO YOU HATE ME?" Her mom screamed into the phone.

"Almost." Lana muttered. Quiet enough so her mom couldn't hear. "No mom. I don't hate you. You have to understand I came here to get away from dad though."

"Are you still mad at me about that?"

"Why wouldn't I be? Anyways mom, you seem like you need to sober up. Call me when your mind is in a normal state."

"It is though."

"No it's not. Goodbye."

Lana hung up. Her eyes had tears and she refused to look at Nash. Nash didn't like being ignored though.

Nash hopped up on Lana's bed. "Are you okay?"

Nash had asked expecting a Yeah I'm all good, just peachy.

"No." Lana's voice cracked, as her voice cracked it was like the barrier that was holding the tears back broke too.

Nash was stumped on what to do, so he held her awkwardly. Lana didn't mind though. It was her first experience with a rafiki that acted like a true rafiki.

She cried. She didn't want to.

"She should be in jail now." Lana's tears of sadness went right to tears of anger, her vision burning red. She didn't know how to release her anger so she just growled a little and laid back.

"Why?" Now Nash wanted answers and he wasn't going to settle for a measly Because.

Lana didn't answer right away. She thought about how to answer the question, or even the if factor of answering his question.

"If I tell you, would you still stick around?" Lana asked, holding her pinkie and other hand out, showing she wasn't crossing her fingers. Nash nodded, taking his pinking and latching it with Lana's, Lana kissed her thumb and touched it to Nash's.

Lana took a deep breath. "She killed my father." She told him. She didn't look at him either. She stared straight ahead at the opposite wall.

Nash's eyes widened. "Why isn't she in jail then?"

"They never found solid evidence. After two years of searching, they're only wittiness being a seven year old, they dropped the case."

"Wow."

"That's why I came here. I couldn't stand being around a murderer. Every time I look at her I see her holding the knife. I feel the ropes around my hands, forcing me to watch and the blood from my father on my hands and legs. Her crooked smile. It was horrible. I had nightmares for years. My kindergarten teacher found out during nap time when I had a nightmare and woke up yelling, Mommy don't hurt me please!! Don't do me like you did daddy." Lana told Nash. Her last barrier breaking.

She cried. Her face contorted with each sob.  Her cheeks damp with tears.

"I miss him so much."

"What happened to the rest of your family?"

"My older brother moved away. I still text him sometimes and I don't know about Aunts or Uncles." Lana sobbed. Nash held her close.

She'd never slip away.

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Rafiki means 'Friend' in Swahili.

I know that because I can speak more Swahili than I can Spanish even though my main language is English. I'm trilingual at twelve. :)