A Hint Of Hope

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Hey Rue do you have twenty dollars I can borrow? I need a couple of groceries for dinner." My mom shouted from the kitchen. I sighed. I dont get paid til Friday, its Monday. Every penny I get I give to her and I get frustrated that she can't seem to keep up with it.

"Broker than the joker ma I think dad might have something though." I rolled my eyes.

I stared at the news paper in my hands. My mom and I have been job searching for the past week. I have found absolutely nothing. So my friend Jland decided to help me land a job at where he works. He was suppose to pick me up but as always hes twenty-four minutes late. I should've known he couldn't be on time if you paid him. This is why I hate him. What type of person would have their friend waiting that long. As soon as he gets here im going to look him in the eye and say-

The door bell rang.

I shot up from my seat and marched to the door. I unlocked it and it swung open. Jland stood there with a smile on his face that I oh so wanted to punch. "I knoow Im late but I have an excuse-"

"This is getting old" I told him. "We go through this all the time Jland you tell me the most ridiculous story about why you were late. I don't believe you, and you get slapped in the back of your head."

"This one is true. So I was in the store and I was on the phone with Janice I put my phone on the counter to talk to her on speaker phone, because I was looking in my wallet for money. Then this hobo came out of no where and snatched my phone off the counter. So I ran after him, that old man must of been on the track team before because I chased him out for a good ten minutes then I tackled him and grabbed my phone. But see I had to go back to the store to get my car that was in the parking lot. Then I had to drive all the way here. Thats why im late." He said Im one breath.

I stared at him for a good ten seconds then I lunged myself on to him. We both fell causing a loud thud I was on top of him and everything around us shook. I smacked him all over his head until somone pulled me off of him I looked behind me and my dad was holding my waist with one arm laughing with Jland.

I held out my hand but he didn't take it he just rolled his brown eyes and dusted the imaginary dust off his cloths. I couldn't help but to laugh myself. When I'm around Jland the civilized nineteen year old adult goes away and my nine year old alter-ego comes out. I've known Jland since jr. year of high school, but we didn't become close till after graduation. He was talking to my little brother, who just thinks he's amazing. Then we began talking he was really funny so thats how we became friends. My idea of the world changed because of him. I wasn't really the happy-go-lucky person I am today. I was lonely all the time and just depressed.

As cliché as it sounds its true. In high school I wasn't liked. I had a good amout of friends but not too many. I had trouble fitting in. See my mom is white but my biological dad is black. The white girls didn't pay me any attention, the black girls often said things like 'I thought I was better'. Which is ignorant because despite having curly hair and fair skin I don't think I'm better than anyone. Jland helped me realize people are going to try bringing you down no matter what so I don't give people the satisfaction of knowing they can hurt me.

Jlands arms swallowed my body in a hug. He ruffled up my hair and squeezed me in his arms. "I missed you curly" he smiled.

"Missed you too stick" I pushed him away before he could create more damage to my hair.

Jland is a stick. He is 6'3 and literally the skinniest man I have ever seen but God is he strong. His punches feel like death. He is lightskin of course very cocky. He thinks every girl and her grandmother wants him. Who can blame him though girls give him that power, I never knew how desperate girls actually were until we were at the mall and girls were asking to take pictures with him.