Little Moments

Chapter Thirteen

Myah’s P.O.V

    I looked at the clock on my bedroom wall. The kids needed to be picked up in thirty minutes. Tears welled up in my eyes. Sometimes I think and wonder how I do it. I don’t even know.

    I sat on my bed and let the tears stream down my face. The blackness from my makeup slid down my cheek and neck. Laying down in bed my tears turned into sobs. Blackness covered my faded yellow pillow. It just added to the rest. A lump formed in my throat. I try not to pity myself, but after so long, after everything builds up inside, I just can’t take it anymore and I need to let it all out. I have no parents to cry or vent to. I’m alone. While most teenagers are partying and hanging out with friends I’m chauffeuring kids around all day. I try my absolute hardest, but I still can’t give them all that I want too. There’s days I just don’t know if I can handle it anymore and if I should just put an end to my suffering.

    I flipped over my pillow to hide the black and headed to the car. I drove in the silent darkness with the windows down trying to refresh myself. Pulling up to the dance studio I wiped off the bit of grey from the corner of my eye.

    The warmth from the studio surrounded me and I loosened my scarf. I had changed into grey sweats, a deep red long sleeve shirt and paired it with a grey infinity scarf and the $10 knock-off of Uggs.

    “Hello Myah, how are you?” Lucile asked from the front desk with a smile. Lucile is the owner of Tip-Toes Dance Studio. She was the one that offered me the discounts for the last time slot based on the situation I was in. Probably the kindest and warm-hearted person I know.

    “I’m doing okay,” I forced a smile, “I have lasts months payment.” I tore a check from my check book.

    “Great, two days early!” the 54 year old woman smiled.

    I shifted the girls’ jackets from my arm and signed them out.

    The door to the dance room opened and Amalia and Kylie ran up to me in a full force hug. I lifted Amalia up on my hip. She pointed to the drinking fountain where Kylie was already standing. She ran to her sister after I put her down. An older couple smiled at me as I walked to collect my copy of  my payment.

    “You raised them well, you should be proud.” Lucile winked motioning towards the drinking fountain. Kylie was lifting Amalia up, her arms around her waist, so she could reach the water spout. When she put her down Amalia was giggling because water dribbled down her leotard.

    I smiled, “Thank you!”

    “We need to pick up Michael and Alex,” I said helping Amalia zip up her sparkly pink jacket, “Amalia stop dancing please, so I can zip up your jacket. It’s cold outside.”

    “Today, we had to practice the plie. I can do it good, but Amalia falls down sometimes,” Kylie said as I buckled Amalia into her carseat.

    “It is hard because I always forgot the left way and then the right way, so I go wrong way and fall down,” Amalia shrugged.

    “You just have to keep practicing!” I smiled.

    The girls were non-stop talking as we drove to karate.

    “And then Meghan wasn’t paying attention to Mrs. Taylor told her to pay attention or she wouldn’t get to perform,” Kylie said, “Did you know Emma’s mom is having another baby?”

    “I did not know that,” I said even though I had been told that last week and the week before.

    “Where does a baby come from?” Amalia stuttered. I swear those extra speech classes are not working. I ignored the question even though she asked it another four times, but she gave up and started singing a song from music class.

    After picking the boys up from karate we drove to McDonald’s for dinner. We don’t eat out too much because of costs, so if we do it’s a treat and I eat whatever they don’t eat.

    They boys had already devoured half of the 20 piece nuggets and were racing down the slides.

    Amalia was the pickiest eater, “How many more do I have to eat?” she sighed.

    “If you want to play you have to eat one more,” I said eating a french fry.

    She sighed and grabbed another chicken.

    Kylie was looking over at another table where a little girl was eating with her parents. She was opening a My Little Pony toy from the plastic.

    “Where did she get that?” Kylie asked curiously, her eyes still glued to the toy.

    “She must have brought it from home,” I said as tears welled up in my eyes. The lie stuck in my throat making it burn.

    She nodded and asked if she could go play.

    “Yes,” I said taking a bite from her last half-eaten nugget.

    She kissed my cheek and walked to slide adjusting her tutu as she walked.

    I lay my head in my hands. I hated to have to lie to her. Trying to save every little bit of money was hard. I couldn’t afford to buy the kid’s meals with the toys in them for all of them.

    “What the madder Myah?” Amalia asked, not being able to say her ‘t’s.

    “Nothing. Good job eating. You can go play.”

    She smiled and ran to where Kylie was peeking out of a large yellow tube and blowing kisses.I waved back and smiled. I smiled even though the tears stung in my eyes and I wanted to go hide somewhere dark, bawl my eyes out and never come back.

    Maribel’s P.O.V

    I tip-toed into the kitchen, snagging another one of the peanut-free granola bars that my grandma had bought just for me. She had removed everything that had any association with peanut butter on different shelves just to clear a shelf for me full of peanut-free foods.

    “Can’t sleep either?”

    Shaking, I turned around to see Evan grabbing a water bottle from the fridge. I completely forgot he was sleeping over. I looked at the couch and blow up bed on the floor. Drake was sound asleep.

    I nodded and sat down on the barstool next to where Evan was now sitting.

    Moments of silence passed. “Can I ask you something?” I asked.

    “Sure,” he gave a friendly smile.

    “What is with Drake and Kaleb?” I blurted out and then covered my mouth realizing I forgot to whisper.

“Listen,” Evan whispered, “I trust you and everything, but I think it should be something Drake should tell you himself or even Kaleb.”

I was disappointed. I doubt either of them would tell me.

Evan sighed, “Let’s just say Kaleb wasn’t the nicest of people when we were younger and Drake finally had enough.”

“But wait-”

He put his hand out in front me, “I have to leave it at that.”