I don't wanna start off by saying hi cuz that's corny but anyways my name is Naomi Barlow. I'm a junior at Brooklyn High School which makes me 17. My life which I can say with the utmost honesty is a piece of shit, and yeah I know that but it's hard to accept. Things are even harder when you have a single mom, an older sister, and two younger siblings to worry about and did I forget to mention I'm going to be an aunty. Long story short my sister let some guy at work impregnate her and move halfway across the world. Shaking my head is all I can say. Everything in my life is fucked up except for me being a straight-A student, So is my sister but popularity seems to look her way, probably because I'm the chunkier "INACTIVE" twin, so she says. Inactive meaning both physical activity and sexual activity.
It was my last week in the Lower east side of Brooklyn, as I was transferring to a school in Grenville where ever that was. I figured that moving down there would be easier on my mom. My plan is to finish school through this new program that supports families financial. All I had to do was sign up pass the test and boom mom receives her checks, as long as I went to their school. Blast-mere Academy is where I'm going on Sunday and although I feel some type of excitement upon this new found freedom I'm really upset about leaving my family.
At home, I'm the second mother. My twin Jahnaya always had something to do whether it was to go to some overrated party or partake in her volleyball games. It didn't matter much to me I was always home cleaning and cooking while mom was struggling to get home from work because of traffic in Manhattan. My little brother Jaydon was always out playing in the park past curfew so I had to make it a chore to get him after I picked up my baby sister Lonna from after school. If it was up to me I would leave him there but the streets ain't safe and there's always some new teenage boy every week on the news shot and dead. I ain't want that to be him although he was a brat and a pain in my side.
This morning I woke and checked my phone for any calls or messages. I had only one missed call and 3 messages from my boyfriend Sebastian and a text from Jahnaya. I opened hers first which said 'I got your suitcases' and replied 'thanks I'm coming'. Then I proceeded to call Sebastian back because I really didn't feel like reading his messages. After like the third ring someone answered the line but it wasn't Sebastian.
"Hello," said the female voice from the other side. Soon I was gonna blow up who the hell was this on his phone. "Is this Naomi?"
"Yes, who's this," who is this I said a little more harsh than I expected.
"This is Sebastian's cousin Kayla I'm wanted to let you know that he is alright but is in the hospital right now after he fractured his wrist," she said in one breath. Maybe I should've answered her a little more respectfully.
"Oh, I see," I felt a little bad but she should've stated her name first and her business, "does he need me to come down there right now?"
"Yeah, that would be great."
"Ok, I'm leaving soon."
Getting up outta bed I grabbed my towel and hair supplies and walked to the bathroom. I wasn't attending school at the moment because I'm leaving Sunday and it's Thursday so I was up later than everyone else and had the bathroom to myself. It was always a problem to have 1 bathroom in this small 3 bedroom apartment.
I took a quick hot shower, brushed my teeth and brushed my curly hair back into a ponytail with a bit of eco styling gel then slicked my baby hairs a little with some edge control.
Running back to my shared room with Jahnaya was always a horrible experience because there was always that one window that everyone forgets to close, which is right across the driveway from our neighbor's identical window.
I rushed to the closet we shared and pulled out a pair of green cargo pants and a burnt yellow shirt. I found my worn out Adidas that I had gotten 2 years ago for Christmas and slipped them on with ease. Afterward, I grabbed a banana and one of my purses from rainbow's and walked out the door and towards the bus stop.
It wasn't unusual for Sebastian to get an injury an end up in the hospital but it was quite weird that his cousin called. Usually, it was his mom or younger brother Jewel.
As the bus stopped on the corner of the hospital I hopped off and walked inside. The lady at the desk, Ms. Browes, who was plump and red smiled as soon as she saw me, "Are you here for Sebastian?", "Yeah," I breathed. She handed me the sign in sheet and told me his room number. I left with a quick thanks.
When I got to the room it was locked so I knocked on the door and after a few minutes, a girl not too older than me opened the door smiling extremely hard at me. I heard shuffling behind the curtain and looked back at her catching a glimpse of arrogance.
"You must be N.." she started before I pushed past her and pulled back the curtains. Sebastian was laying there under the covers as if nothing happened.
"Naomi, hey why didn't you text or call before you came?" He said
"Since when do I call or text in a state of emergency and since when do you have a curtain up and someone other than Jewel and mom in the room?"
"I think the doctor must've left it up there before we came in," chimed the whore behind me.
"No offense Bas but who the fuck are you and why are you dressed like some skank off the street in a hospital room. I'm talking to my boyfriend so mind your fucking business."
"Woah hey hey stop Nana your overdoing it that's one of my friends from the book club."
"Book club my ass cheeks Sebastian she said she was your cousin and now she's your little friend."
"We're distant co.."
"Distant my ass," I said as I walked out of the door and down toward the cafe. Maybe I was overthinking and overreacting but who wouldn't think of such growing up as I had and especially in Brooklyn. I may seem chill and calm on the outside but it tends to fuck shit up when I'm crossed. If he thought I was stupid he really was in for a treat because no women, not female should ever have to worry about their man's actions. Now I may only be 17 but I can take care of a whole family and still try my best to make it out on top.
I just needed time to calm down. He never once told me about this cousin of his but all of a sudden she in his room with the door locked. Yeah, nope there was no going back on my suspicions so I grabbed my bag from the chair I was sitting next to and walked back to his room. If he was really telling the truth I wanted to hear it but some part of me wanted that girl to be some side chick or something.
The door was unlocked this time so I opened and went straight in.
"What the fuck!"
Thanks for reading this first chapter as you can see it's only to start things up.
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