New Native Land (The Blossoming)

Chapter 39 (Hope)

          Drew and I bid our goodbyes and got off the bus. We started walking and we turned the corner. Ahm was sitting there waiting with the rest of the crew per usual. I smiled at seeing him because I knew he still had an attitude from this morning because he's so ugly he holds grudges.

          Shad saw us first and jumped at seeing me, "I ain't see you this morning Texas. I was at school; finals you know? But you did good last night." I smiled politely, "Thank you." Suddenly, I heard Ahm clear his throat. I looked over at him and he waited for me to come over to him. I didn't, I turned back around and looked at Shad, asking him, "How was your final?" Shad shrugged, exhaling like he was happy to be over it, "Boring." Was all he could come up with and I laughed.

          "Andrew." Ahm said  grabbing everyone's attention and Drew's eyes grew wide as he turned around to meet Ahm's cold stare. "Yeah?" Drew said keeping his words simple. Shad breathed in sharply and snapped his finger, "Oh, I forgot you in trouble lil cousin." Shad told Drew and laughed while hitting his arm jokingly.

          "What did we agree upon, Andrew, on the twenty-seventh of September?" Ahm asked Drew and he froze for a moment then gathered himself to answer the question, "We agreed on-" 

"Why didn't you uphold your end of the agreement?" Ahm interrupted Drew with another question. I made a face at Ahm which he completely ignored. Drew sighed, "I wanted to but-" "But you didn't Andrew. You disappointed me Andrew." Ahm interrupted him again.

          "If this has something to do with me talking to Chuck, I did that on my own freewill. You can't blame someone else on my will." I said freely to anyone who would listen. I felt a poke on my back and it was Shad who shook his head at me, to stop talking. Ahm didn't show me attention instead he turned to Smokey who was of course standing right next to him and said "Ain't this grown man business?" Smokey nodded. "Then why she talking?" Ahm's face turned sour. He was pissed, maybe I shouldn't have said anything.

          I scoffed and Shad poked me again and I looked at him, he put his finger on his mouth trying to tell me not to speak and I for once, actually listened as Shad pulled me away from standing next to Drew. Smokey looked at me, laughing a bit while he walked towards me, "Lemme talk to you real quick." I was confused because we never really spoke to each other like that.

          He pulled me a little ways off and he looked at me with humor in his whole body. He laughed some more stating, "Shawty you funny." I looked at him weird. They didn't say Shawty up here. "Where you from?" I asked him and he perked up, "Atlanta, but I've been living here for years." He answered and I nodded. "What's up?" I asked him and he shook his head and took my hand and said very sweetly, "You funny, and entertaining, but sometimes, you gotta learn when to speak and when not to." I was taken back.

          "You a strong-willed woman, and that's a really good thing, but that situation don't involve you. It's between Ahm and Drew. Trust me, Drew is Shad's lil cousin, ain't nothing gone happen to him." Smokey assured me. I sighed and nodded and he nodded too. We turned back around watching Ahm and Drew still talking.

          I felt my attitude springing, because why are you mad that I talked to someone when you told me to talk to him? I looked for my gum but I couldn't find any and I started freaking out, when I say I have an anger problem I mean it. It's hard to control if I don't have something to focus on which is why gum chewing is essential for me. Lately, I've been doing well and I haven't chewed it so often but in this moment, I felt rage coming up and I couldn't control it.

          I was looking hard for this gum but I couldn't find it. I closed my eyes and I mentally counted down from ten so I could focus. But my jaw started twitching and I thought it best for me to just leave.