Where the Dreams Blow (On Hold)

2| Dusty Roads

"Mommy?"

"Yes Za'liyah?"

    "How come we gotta move again?"

"Daddy was moved to a new base so we have to move too, don't worry Zee you're going to love it."

"I don't wanna move though, why can't daddy tell them no?"

"Trust me Zee, we don't want to leave either but it's daddy's job, it's how he makes money so we can live."

8 year old Za'liyah Carter never liked when they moved. She felt like it was a waste of time, why move somewhere that you're foreign to? As much as she hated living in Texas with all the mean kids who never let her play with them, she never wanted to leave. Za'liyah didn't understand why her daddy couldn't just tell them they weren't leaving, it couldn't be that hard right? If he wasn't going to do it then she would do it for him. And that's exactly what she did, wrote a letter to her daddy's sergeant telling them that they changed their mind and wanted to stay. As always, it didn't work. Za'liyah and her parents still had to leave and move to the depressing state of Washington.

~~

"Zee, promise me you'll be good in there. Okay?"

As her mother, Mrs.Carter, nervously continued to rubbed down the child's crinkled fro numerous times,  Za'liyah  still found the opportunity to vigorously nod her head.

"Okay, um I guess we wait for them to call you in."

Today was the day Za'liyah started third grade at her new school. She was never nervous or excited for stuff like this because it happened all too often. She's moved so many times in her life that she was okay with not having friends, no one seemed to like her anyways. Since Za'liyah was in fact the only child, she was always used to being alone that is expect for when her   cousins came over to play dolls with her, so being at a new school all alone was nothing she couldn't handle.

Za'liyah entertained herself by kicking her legs back and forth while watching her mother pace the floor as they waited for the principal to call them into her office. While Za'liyah watched her mother intently, her gaze shifted to the office door that suddenly swung open and out came a silky smooth skinned white woman with a sleek pulled back brunette ponytail.

She made eye contact with Za'liyah first and widely smiled at her before looking over to who she was originally searching for, Mrs.Carter.

"Hello ma'am I'm Mrs.Banks, the principal here at Stone Count Elementary."

The woman walked up to Za'liyah and her mother with the same wide smile plastered across her face. She stuck her hand out for a professional handshake which was gladly accepted by Mrs.Carter.

"Nice to meet you Mrs.Banks. I'm Mrs.Carter"

After the two women had properly introduced themselves, Mrs.Banks smile down at the child that resembled Mrs.Carter very much.

"And who is this beautiful young lady you have with you?"

Za'liyah frowned when she heard the word Beautiful, there was nothing even the slightest bit beautiful about her, she was a black blob of nothing that took up space as the kids at school called her. After hearing it so many times, she started to believe it was true.

"This is my daughter Za'liyah. Say hello to your new principal Zee."

She didn't really want to be here at all, Zee wanted to be back in Texas where she had been most of her life. Although, she still plastered a fake smile on her face to hide how much she wanted ti go home and play with her dolls.. Alone.

"Um, hi."

"Are you excited to be here, where you can make lots if wonderful friends?"

"No, I want to go home."

"Za'liyah stop it!"

Mrs.Carter was very upset that her only child was becoming so distant and antisocial at such a young age. For goodness sake she was only 8 years old but acted like a hormonal teenager at times. She just wanted her child to have friends who actually wanted to be her friend and not bully her 24/7. She just wanted Za'liyah to have a normal childhood.