Coming of Age and Coming to Love

Chapter 2

"Hey Chubby!", my bestfriend Ki' Rah said opening her door.

"What's up Ki?", I asked.

"Did you hear the news", she asked me, looking sad.

"Hear what news?", I questioned.

With a straight face and no emotion in her voice she answered, "Not my place to tell. Ask yo daddy."

At that time I was on the fifth floor in Ki'Rah's threshold, in the Brooklyn projects where I resided. I ran down the stairs to the first floor where my apartment was. When I approached my door my dad's right hand man, Sunshine, was standing guard; as per usual.

"Hey Sunshine. How's it goin' ?"

"Fine.", he answered nonchalantly. He's always like this, all blank and boring. I just rolled my eyes and entered the beautiful palace of a place I like to call home.

I walked through the living room to the kitchen to find my lovely mother, Sparkle Greene, making dinner. I started to tiptoe towards her to give her a scare, but once I got close enough-

"Hello Fieya," my mother said in a monotone voice. I swear, I never understood how she does this little super-mom eyes in the back of her head thing. Mama and daddy are the only ones who call me everything BUT Chubby. My mommy says it's not "ladylike"-whatever the hell that is- and daddy says it's just plain old ugly. Whatever.

"Mama, where's daddy?", I asked hopping on the counter next to the stove.

"Get yo narrow behind off my counter! And your father is in his study in the back. The door is closed so make sure you knock first."

"Okay," I simply replied. I hopped off the counter and walked down the hall to daddy's study. When I got to the door it was cracked and I heard him talking. Of course me being the nosy person I am, I listened in.

"Is everything ready and set up there?", I heard my daddy ask.

"It's all ready", another male voice answered.

I heard them getting up, so I moved from the door and acted as if I just arrived. When my dad -Antonio Greene- opened the door I saw who he was talking to. He was talking to my uncle Ricky. I smiled at my Uncle Ricky and he just patted my head and walked away. One of the many reasons why Uncle Ricky and I will never get along. I am no dog or animal, do NOT pat my head. I walked in my dad's study and he smiled at me.

"Hola princess," my dad said.

Daddy is Puerto Rican, Belizean, and black. He was born and raised in Puerto Rico, then moved to Brooklyn when he was 21. That's when he met my half black-half Cherokee mother. She was known as Sparkle Black at the time and she was 19 when she met daddy. They moved to Ponce, Puerto Rico and got married 30 days after their arrival. 9 months later the best thing- well third- in their lives came, me!

"Daddy, what is Ki'Rah talking about?

"What do you mean," my dad asked trough his thick Puerto Rican accent.

"She said did I hear the news all sad like. Then I asked what need and she said to ask you."

My father sighed and ran his fingers through his short and curly hair.

"Hija, you know your birthday is in the next two weeks an-"

I cut him off, "Yeah? Monday November 12th to be exact."

"Well you're going to be 15 that day so-"

"And?", I asked cutting him off again.

"Let me finish girl.', he chuckled, "Anyway, since you're turning 15 it's tradition you have a quinceañera. But the bad news is...' he paused, "we're moving."

I laughed thinking he was joking. But by the look on his and the look in his eyes, he wasn't. I was beYOND pissed.

"What do you mean we moving?!"