On My Block Fanfic: Oceans for miles

Wake up and sieze the day

"Latrelle, Momma said get up!" Candice yelled for the fourth time. Latrell, her younger brother, didn't even flinch. He was still curled up under the covers with drool seeping out the corner of his mouth. Candice stormed out of his room and into their shared bathroom. In a small bucket she ran water until it was near the rim. Once again, she stormed into Latrell's room.
"Latrelle, Momma said get. Up!" She dumped the cool water and Latrelle hopped up with a howl.
"What the hell man? What the fuck you do that for?" Latrelle yelled. Candice tossed the bucket aside and walked out. She jogged down the steps in a hurry and paused at the landing.
"Is he up?" She didn't answer she just grabbed her book bag and headed for the door. As she reached for the door knob her arm was wrenched back. She stared into dark brown eyes. The smell of grass seemed to seep into her pores.
"Don't you hear me talking to you little girl?" The man said. Candice snatched her arm away and rubbed her hands together. Someone chuckled in the background. Only then she remembered that there was company over. Members of the Prophet gang were sitting in their living room. Latrelle came jogging down in a wife beater and jeans. His hair was free from cornrows and wild around his head.
"Wassup Latrelle?" The men said dapping Latrelle up. Candice rolled her eyes and turned back to the man before her.
"Does that answer your question—," her head snapped to the side. She felt tears stinging her eyes and embarrassment heating up her face.
"Get your grown ass to school before you're late," the man swung the door open and pushed her through it. Candice stumbled out barely catching onto the railing before she tumbled down the steps. Just one more year. She wiped her tears from her face and started walking to school. The walk to school wasn't a bad one, just lonely.
"Excuse me," Candice said pushing past three kids. Two boys and a girl.
"Just tell me what he said!" The girl hollered. Candice kept walking the sun blazing down. People were out of their houses, going to work, gardening, drinking 40's, or her favorite. Candice walked by Mr. and Mrs. Terrell's house slowly. 5...4...3...2...1. A half naked woman sprung out from screen door nearly missing the pot that flew by her head. Mrs. Terrell came out in her rollers and robe.
"And I better not catch your ass around my house again," she yelled. Candice took a mental note. A woman comes home to find that her husband is cheating on her with her coworker. She thought the idea over and nodded satisfied.
"Hey Candice baby, have a great day at school," Mrs. Terrell said waving.
"Thank you!" Candice smiled back and continued on her walk.

At the school she ran into an old friend.
"Candice, dios mios, I haven't seen you in like forever," Jasmine threw her arm around Candice shoulder and pulled her next to her. 
"Hey Jasmine," Candice said annoyed. The two girls walked inside. The halls were littered with freshman walking in packs or seeking out someone they knew from middle school.
"I have this year alllll mapped out. Ok, so, we are going to join the dance team..." Jasmine began her rant and Candice zoned out. Tasha smith walks into her home after a long day of work. She dropped her briefcase down and tuned her ears to the loud squeaking mattress coming from upstairs.
"Hello...Candice are you even listening? Whatever, you always zone out when I'm talking to you." Jasmine stormed off looking for another victim. Candice was so deep into thought she hadn't realized she walked into a guy lighting a cigarette.
"My bad," she said quickly. The guy turned around and Candice noticed his clean buzz cut.
"Oh, no need to worry. When you gonna come visit me?" He laughed. Candice flipped him the bird and walked by. His laugh echoed behind her. She walked straight into her English class.
"Mrs. Tina!" Candice squealed upon seeing her favorite teacher. Mrs. Tina looked up from her computer and smiled.
"Candice it's good to see you!" They hugged. Candice picked a seat in the front row.
"I've been writing a lot recently and listening to your advice about people watching," Candice said gleefully. Mrs. Tina leaned on her desk and crossed her legs.
"Are you going to go to college for writing?" She asked. Candice thought briefly about leaving L.A. and going to a school in another state. She envisioned herself a fierce author who sits in a cafe, under her New York studio apartment, while sipping on a cup of tea. No brother, no step father, and no mother to bother her. Just her in her element. That would be to good to be true. Candice let reality sink back in and smiled sheepishly.
"I think I'm just going to work so I can support my family Mrs. T."
"I'll help you Candice...it's not impossible to go to college you know?" Mrs. Tina said but the light from Candice's eyes faded.
"I guess." Other students began filtering in and Mrs. Tina walked back over to her desk. Candice searched through her notebook and pulled out a pen. Tasha crept up the steps slowly not to give herself away. As she climbed the steps the squeaks became louder and a man shouted from within her bedroom.
"Can I sit next to you?" Tore Candice out of her story. A young, small girl with curly brown hair stood next to her pointing to the chair next to Candice.
"I don't care." Candice turned back to her writing. Tasha flung the bedroom door open revealing her husband and a younger woman under him.
"My name's Monse, what are you writing?" The girl, Monse, asked. Candice closed her book and groaned internally. She's a freshman.
"Candice nice to meet you. I'm just writing a short story nothing special."
"What's it about?" Monse asked. Candice sized her up.
"A woman who finds out she's being cheated on," Candice said, "you steal my idea and I'll fight you."
"I wouldn't do that...that's like the writers code of conduct." Both girls laugh and began talking about writing and ideas. For that brief moment Candice felt normal.