A Dream, A Destiny

Meet up, again

I was standing still as I faced ahead of a front door with a couple meters away. However someone was blocking my way for safety.

My mouth suddenly went dry from fear, I managed to say the words out from my throat as my lips quivered "I'm going to the library to study. Then after that I'm going to work."

He can tell you're lying.

"Why you can't study in your own room?" he wanted to know. Sensing anger rising from him. The tension between us was about to start from low to deep till the bottom of the earth. His eyes were glaring into mine in short distance by gritting his teeth.

"I don't have the right books," I said, clenching and unclenching my sweated shaky hands nervously, A cold shiver ran up my spine while looking at him face to face.

Alain gave me a scornful look. "You think you're above us all, doncha?" he sneered. "'I don't have the right books!' Just coz you go to a private school doesn't mean you don't live in the ghetto, kiddo. You ain't never gonna make it out of here, so quit acting like your so special." He shouted.

I heavily gulped as salty hot tears springing to my eyes. That hurt so much. "I never said I was better than anyone," I started.

"Your momma works her ass off so you can get the education she thinks you deserve. I don't know why, you're just a crack teen's baby," Alain continued, each word he spoke hitting me so hard like sharp knives pierced through my beating heart without leaving a gap. The sad thing was, he was right. I was just a crack teen's baby. And he wouldn't let me forget that.

Alain continued. "But she obviously sees something in you that I don't. So if you're going to meet boys, you can just head right back into your room."

He smirked at me, truly enjoying making me feel terrible.

"I'm not going to meet boys," I lied, my light toned voice wobbling. I lifted my free hand up to my chest, lightly clenching it.

He shook his head. "I see you going the same way as your father," he said, giving me a disgusted look as he scratched his black hair. "Let me hold 30 notes."

"I don't have 30 bucks, Alain. I haven't gotten paid yet."

Even though Alain had a job, he always took a certain sadistic pleasure in taking money from me.

"You so ungrateful! Your momma feeds you, buys you all the shitty things you ask her for and you can't even let your own friend hold 30 dollars? When we gave you a place to stay and took you in like you were our own?" Alain asked incredulously by taking few steps and stood in front. bearing down at me.

Taking a step back. I backed up against the hard wall, trying to control my breathing with my throat blocking for oxygen like a killer was strangling me to death.

"I get paid today. I'll give you the money when I get off work," I said hurriedly, trying not to breath in the alcohol fumes emanating from him.

"You better," he muttered under his breath, just as my mum shuffled in from the living room.

"What's going on here?" she asked, taking in the scene at a glance. Alain took a step back from me and gave my mother a fake wide smile that she didn't respond to.

"Just a little cousin to cousin talk," he said, sending me a warning glance. Also, I'm not his cousin, I'm just his friend.

"Yeah, we were just, chatting," I lied, giving my mum a watery smile, trying to hold on the tears that were about to overflow. Damn Alain! I couldn't understand his hostility behaviour towards me. It was almost like he was jealous of me. But he was 6 years older than me.

"You weren't asking her for money, were you?" My mum asked Alain with a knowing look on her face.

Shaking his head and points at me, Alain replied "I don't need no money from her! She was just telling me she wanted to go to the library, that's it."

"Is that true, Serena?" My mum asked in kindness.

I nodded in response. "Yes, mum, I want to go study, then I'm going to work," I told her.

"Have fun. Take care," my mum said, smiling at me.

I smiled back. "Thanks, mum. Bye," I said and quickly scurried out of the apartment after passing past between Alain and my mom, just as Alain raised his voice.

Let the arguments begin afresh. I was just glad I was away from Alain and his hatefulness. He was pretty much my older brother and the only family I had, but I found it hard to like him.

----------

Mr. Cilan showed me to Ash's room and left me at the door. I knocked tentatively, looking this way and that in the hallway. I had yet to meet Ash's parents and I didn't want to meet them while I was skulking outside their son's room.

"Come in!" A voice heard behind the door.

I placed my left hand on the knob, gripping it firmly and twisted it. Fully opening the door by pushing it as I stepped into Ash's room then scanned around. The blinds were shut and the lights were on, bathing the bedroom with fluorescent light. To my surprise, there was a picnic blanket laid out on the floor with a platter of stacked sandwiches, layed cookies and a large jug of juice set neatly on it alongside.

"Did I or did I not outdo myself?" Ash asked from the double sized bed, where he was sitting up with an X-Box one controller in his hand. He was still wearing his pajama bottoms. "I didn't make the food, but I set the picnic out. C'mon, you gotta give me props for that."

I grinned at him as I closed the door. "You did this?" I asked, pointing at the food array. He nodded at me, setting down the controllers on bed and stretching his arms above his head.

"That's all me. Try a sandwich. They are so good!" He offered.

I leaned down and picked up a 'sandwich' and bit in. Taking a first bite which tasted like Tuna. My favorite.

I closed my eyes to savor the taste, almost forgetting that I was standing in the middle of a room with a boy who was probably laughing at me right this second.

"You really enjoy your food, don't you?" Ash asked, looking amused as I fully opened my eyes, flushing deep red.

"I was hungry. I didn't have lunch." Realizing how that might be construed, I hastily added, "Not because we didn't have food, but because I didn't have time to make myself something to eat."

I sounded like a moron because I have food in my mouth, now swallowed it down my throat and breathed in.

"Dude. The food's there for you to eat. Knock yourself out," Ash said generously, waving his hand in my direction. "I'll be upset if you don't eat anything."

"Yeah, that'd be kinda rude of me," I agreed heartily, taking another bite of the tuna sandwich.

"Come, sit down," Ash said, patting the empty spot next to him. Hoping he couldn't hear my heart rate speed up. It seemed to do that every time I got a hint of his fresh, clean scent, go figure.

I sat down next to him on bed comfortably then he threw me a controller and gave me a cheerful sideways glance. "You ready to kick Halo's ass?"

I nodded. "Let's do it!"

Ash grinned. "I love your enthusiasm."