Nina

4

I slowly opened my eyes, the sun seeming so bright coming through my powder blue curtains. The house was silent, nothing I wasn't used to. I yawned and wiped my face. Last night was great, but today, I think I was just going to go to bed early. That was the first time in a long time that I stayed up past 11pm. I can't hang.

I rolled out of bed and noticed my phone flashing on my bed side table. I squinched my eyebrows together and huffed. Who would be dumb enough to call me at seven in the morning?

I snatched my phone and read the caller ID: Cay. Swinging my arm in frustration, I was ready to through my phone against the wall, but I calmed myself. iPhones broke quick and not once have I cracked my baby. I looked down at my phone again as it still sat flashing in my hand.

"What." I answered, coldly.

"Whoa, I forgot you weren't a morning person." he said. This boy sounded like he'd been up all night with no ounce of exhaust in his voice.

"Yeah you must have. You know you can't call me this early, especially if it isn't an emergency." I scolded.

"What do you need, Caden?"

"I just wanted to talk to my best friend about this girl I've been kicking it with. Or I think I might start kicking it with. I don't know yet. I still ain't hit." I slowly moved my phone away from my hair and sighed. Lord, please tell me I don't have to kill Cay today. Please.

I then placed the phone back to my ear and attempted to speak in the most collected voice possible.

"Cay, please do not make me knock you out when I see you. I do not care about the girl you are seeing. It is too early to talk about that. Go talk to Luke. He will relate to you about that better than I can." I hung up before he could say anything else. As close as we were, sometimes I think they forget that I'm a girl and mistake me for one of the homies. I'm nowhere near that.

I tossed my phone onto my bed and headed into my bathroom, the thought of today being Friday running through my mind. I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and took a nice, hot shower.

After my shower, I walked into my closet and put on a thin burgundy tee shirt, light blue distressed jeans that were slightly rolled at the ends, and I slid on a pair of silver strappy sandals. I then pulled my hair into another ponytail with my ends out. I grabbed my bag and placed my cell phone inside.

I walked out of my room and peeked inside of my mom's. No sign of her. I continued to walk down the hallway and I saw her talking to some man in the kitchen.

He was tall, about 6'2, bright skinned, muscular, a clean shave, and he looked to be in his early thirties. I had never seen him around town before though.

My mom was smiling a lot, her hair lightly swaying from side to side as she shook her head. She was wearing a light orange sleeveless Maxi dress with brown sandals. She looked really pretty and her deep dimples were definitely showing.

I walked out into the kitchen and all eyes were on me. I smiled and gave a small wave.

"Hey." I said, opening the refrigerator. It seemed as though my mother was a little busy, so there was no homemade breakfast this morning.

I grabbed a tube of strawberry spread and sat it on the counter.

"Good morning sweetheart," my mom said with a smile. She grabbed my hand and lightly tugged me in front of the guy.

"Nina, this is Chad, Chad this is my daughter, Nina." Chad smiled and shook my hand, his bright blue eyes twinkling.

"It's nice to meet you, Nina."

Whoa, this guy's voice was super deep.

I smiled once more and nodded my head, trying to hide the awkwardness I felt.

"You too." I had a million thoughts running through my head, but decided to settle on them just being friends.

I returned back to the kitchen counter and opened the bread. I had to make some food quick so that I could get to school. I actually loved school. Not just because of my friends, but because it's my future. I took my work seriously and my grades even more. I had a 4.2 GPA believe it or not and had college letters rolling in and to top it off, I was only a Junior.

I popped two slices of bread into the toaster and turned around with my mother and her friend gazing at me.

"Okay, why are y'all staring at me? What do y'all want?" They giggled but I only kept a straight face. I didn't see the humor in staring at someone as they tried to make breakfast.

"Oh, nothing darling." my mom answered swiftly. Chad extended his hand out to her's and she accepted.

"Well Leslie, I've got to get going. It was nice catching back up with you." he said, sounding completely gentlemanlike.

"Okay Chad, and it was nice catching up with you too." The tall man gave one last heart - melting smile before heading for the front door. I looked at my mom in confusion when Chad was out of ear - shot.

"Ma, how you know him?"

I took a plate from the cupboards as she bounced her curls and grabbed her black brief case.

"We went to high school together and yesterday, we met back up again at work. He's the firm's new mail room manager."

She sat at the dining room table and opened up her brief case. It was filled with random papers and she began to sort through them.

My toast popped up from the toaster and I quickly transferred them to the plate. These pieces of bread were hot. I remember being burned by them when I was twelve and vowed to never eat toast again.. I guess this time was an exception.

I grabbed a butter knife and smeared some of the spread on the toast.

"Oh, well he seems nice. I guess." I managed to say, mumbling that last part under my breath. Chad seemed to be a respectful guy but that was only a first impression. People can change and for some odd reason, he wasn't sitting right with me.

"Oh yes, Nina he is. Very nice. We're going on a date tomorrow."

I gasped and put the spread away and the knife into the sink. I grabbed my plate and took a seat at the dining table with her.

"Excuse me? A date? Since when did you start dating?"

My mom laughed.

"Since now," she took out a paper from brief case and read over it.

"Nina, I'm 31 years old and I'm sure your dad would want me to find someone else and be happy."

My father died two years ago in the Navy. He was the captain. It was a painful memory — a painful stage in my life that I had to go through. I was Daddy's Little Girl. He didn't let anyone or anything hurt me and I was always his first priority. We had some good times together and to this day I wasn't completely over his death.

I remember crying every night and just at the mention of his name. I would have never thought of losing one of my parents this early in life. It seemed like I couldn't function. I missed him so much.

I took another bite of my toast.

"I guess. But I'm not calling him dad, no matter how nice he may be. He will never be better than Daddy." My mom lied her hand on top of mine in sympathy. I looked her in her eyes and immediately saw that she missed him too.

"I know sweetheart and you do not have to call him dad. Believe me, no one can be a better man than your daddy. He was the best. Chad will just be a fill - in, nothing more."

A tiny smile appeared on my face and my mom giggled.

"There's that smile. You always look so mean."

I just shook my head. "It's just my face, Ma. Dang."

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