A work in memory of Zia Richardson

Tuesday, October 11, 2016 Reality

8:00 am Ridgeland High School Campus

I just arrived to the school. It was a cool Tuesday morning. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Just a regular old day, well, except it was National Coming out Day. I make my way to the cafeteria side where me and my friends hang out before school. I go and sit down on the top of the picnic tables, like I do every morning.  I glance at my phone and skim over some of the texts I'd been sent. My ex wanted me to go get my jacket back. I told her to wait, I was waiting for Nya so I could borrow her bag for the soccer tryouts that day. I wait a few more minutes, waiting for Zia to show so we could walk down to the other side of the school like we normally did. I grew impatient and told Ariel to tell Zia I went on ahead. I never thought twice about why Zia was late. I figured she was running late, or was sick. 

10:00 am Outside Courtyard 

By now it was break. And still no sign of Zia. I still didn't think twice about it. However, by this time I found myself strangely in a very weird, sad mood. That, I also didn't think twice about. It's normal for me to pick up on some weird feelings, so I brushed it off and went on with my day. While we are at break, Carolyn (my ex) walks up to me. Strangely, I would come to find later, she was having the same feelings and weird mood swing as me. The bell rung, just like on any other regular day.

1:34 pm Cafeteria

I walk into the Cafeteria. Normally, I set my bag at the long tables and hop in line to get some food. That's when Zia would come running from across the room and stand beside me and we'd hug each other. She'd turn around and I'd wrap my arms around her in a great big hug and rest my chin on her shoulder and ask her how her day has been. A question in which the answer was more than likely in Spanish. I walk through the line and get my food. Still no sign of Zia. Instead of getting my things and joining her at the round tables like I normally do, I decide to sit at the long ones. Not thinking twice about anything.

3:45 pm Locker Rooms On Football Field

I walk into the locker rooms and begin changing. I was so ready for these tryouts! And that's when everything went bad. This girl in the locker rooms says aloud "Pray for the family of Zia Richardson as the recover from the loss of their daughter who died this morning in a car crash." And that's when my heart sank. Not my Zia, I thought. Surely there was no way it was my Zia.

5:30 pm Home

I pulled out my laptop. I typed in her name into Google. It was my Zia. My beautiful Zia. Dead. Gone. I'll never to see her amazing smile again. I'll never be able to hold her in my embrace as I ask her of her day. I'll never be able to look into her breathtaking eyes again. Never again would I be able to hear her voice. Never again will she randomly walk up behind me, take my hand and make me walk with her somewhere because she didn't want to go alone. Never again will I share one of our many inside jokes with her. It was my Zia. My Zia is dead.And I went all day without knowing. All day.  And I hate myself for it.