Never in a million years

1

Tamera

"Come sit with me Tamera" I smiled at Kayla and ran to her table. She's my new friend. She's so pretty. She has brown-skin with very pretty light brown eyes, her hair is always so nice. I think she has the prettiest ballies and barrettes and when she smiles at me I see her two missing front teeth. Mommy says she's getting her grown up teeth and I will too very soon. Kayla is so nice to me and we always trade snacks at lunch. Our teacher let's us eat lunch outside, then when we're done we can go play. "What did your mommy pack you today?" "Gummy worms, what did your mommy pack?" "Gummy bears" we both smile at each other, "switch" we both say in unison. "Hey Tamera" I roll my eyes and turn around. "What Tommy" I hate Tommy, mommy says it's not nice to say that but I do. He's always messing with me and I do not do anything to him. He's a big bully and I wanna hit him but mommy said to keep my hands to myself and tell Mrs. Thompson instead. But I do and he still messes with me. "I have a gift for you" "a gift? go away Tommy" "you don't wanna know what your gift is?" "What is it Tommy?" "this" and he takes a slice of watermelon and throws it on my brand new unicorn shirt that my mommy just got me. I scream and Tommy starts laughing. "Clean it up" "or what? What you gonna do, cry? Cry like a little girl. Go head cry little baby, cry." I start to get mad and I raise my hand to smack him hard across the face. He stands there and holds his face. "What ya gonna do, cry?" I copy him from earlier. "I'm telling" he turns to run away but he bumps into Manny the quiet kid. Everybody thinks he's scary because he stays to himself and he doesn't really talk. I think he is scary too but he has a nice face. Kayla thinks I like him but I tell her I don't, I lied to Kayla. "Leave her alone, you always mess with her and I don't like it. Next time you mess with her I'm gonna slap you next and if you tell Mrs. Thompson I'll tell her all the things you've been doing to her and you're gonna get in trouble. So leave her alone okay?" Tommy nods in fear and rushes back to his table. "Come on" he says and starts walking inside the school. I follow him to the classroom bathroom. "Sit down" I put the toilet cover down and sit on top of it. He wets a paper towel and starts to clean up my shirt. "Thank you" "I don't like bullies." I don't know what to say back to him so I ask him a question. "Manny why are you so tall" "I don't know I just am, my dad is tall and he said my mom was tall for a girl" "where's your mommy" "she's dead." "Your mommy's really dead?" "Yes" I don't know why but that makes me very sad and I start to cry. "Shh Shh don't cry" he wipes my face. "I'm sorry your mommy is dead" "I use to cry but my dad says that my mom went to heaven and she's happy up there and she watches us everyday so I don't cry anymore." He finishes cleaning my shirt. "I tried to clean it but it's still there" "it's okay my mommy and daddy will clean it for me." He stands up and throws the paper towel in the trash. "Manny, you wanna share my mommy?" He smiles at me "can I?" I smile back at him. "Yes, my mommy says she is Kayla's mommy but she's not really her mommy. I'm gonna ask my mommy if she can be your mommy too" "okay." "Manny?" "yes" "will you be my friend?" "yes Mel" "my name isn't Mel" "it's Tamera" he knows my name. "Then why did you call me Mel?" "Because you have watermelon all over your shirt, I'm gonna call you Mel for short" "okay, I like that name."

Ten years later

Today is Tuesday which means they're serving one out of two of my favorite foods, tacos. "Why are you walking so fast" "don't act like you don't know what day of the week it is" "we really have to do this every Tuesday" "we've been doing it since freshman year, it's one of the very few highlights of this stupid ass school so yes we have to do this every Tuesday." When we reach the cafeteria I'm glad it's not crowded yet. I make my way to the line to get my tacos, the only reason I smile. Once I make it to the table I sit my book bag and tray down. All I see are these delicious tacos in front of me. "Tam" I look up to see Kayla looking at me. "What?" "Missing something?" "No" "oh really? where's your sauce?" "you're right, how'd I forget the key ingredient." I go get some sauce and run back to the table, as I reach the table I accidentally bumped into someone. "I'm sorry" "yeah you should be" I look up and it's Bianca. "Matter of fact nevermind" "next time watch where you're going whore" "isn't that the pot calling the kettle black" "you heard what I said" I got in her face "or what bitch." She takes a few steps back. She tries to act like she's all that but she's a scary ass punk, her and her little friend. "I wouldn't want Rio to find out you've been mistreating me and hitting me" "I never put my hands on you" "so what, he's gonna think you did when I tell him, then he's gonna comfort me and look at you like a bully, he hates bullies" "I'm his best friend don't you think I know that" "good, so we have an understanding. I'm so glad we're getting along just like Rio wants." She turns on her heels and walks away from me in triumph. I walk to the table, "I hate that bitch" "yeah I kind of over heard" "she's so lucky she's fucking Rio, that bitch would be dead right now." "If she was actually nice she wouldn't be that bad" "I disagree" "of course you do" "what's that supposed to mean" "oh come on Tam, you've liked Rio ever since we were 8 years old, back when he went by Manny. He's always been there for you especially when your dad died" I roll my eyes, "we are not talking about this again kay, he's my best friend that's it. Plus he has a girlfriend, a horrible one but he has one" "we know she's only with him because she has a thing for guys who are up to no good and ever since manny started getting involved in the street life shit when he was 15 and started going by Rio she's been all over him like white on rice" "well she has him and has had him since the summer going into sophomore year. So again, I don't see why we are having this conversation." "You know he cheats on her from time to time" "so, that's not my business, she knows what kind of lifestyle he's into that's on her and If it was me he'd be doing the same thing" "I doubt that, that's just what you tell yourself." "I'm not his type I got over it and so should you" "not who's type? Who do I have to hurt" I jumped a little clearly startled, he knows I hate when he does that. "Stop doing that" "who do you like, gimme a name" "I don't like anybody Rio damn" "Kayla" he probes her. "Drop it" I say before Kayla says something, she loves Rio as he does her but she's always been a little scared of him, me not so much. "Anyway you ready for graduation in a couple weeks" "don't forget about prom" I pretend to gag. "Don't act like that, prom is going to be fun" "you're only saying that because you're going with Bryson" "Bryson? the senior or the junior?" Rio asks her, "senior" "he's a pretty cool dude I have a couple classes with him" "I guess that's your approval then" "yeah I guess." "Who you going with?" "those two" "she's a third wheel" "I'd rather not go but you're not gonna let that happen now are you kay" "nope." "Exactly" "she's technically going dateless but she'll be fine" "I'll pick you up at 8, wear royal blue I love that color on you." With that being sad he just gets up and walks away without giving me a chance to say anything. "You have a girlfriend" I shout at him, "she's going to Miami" I turn back around to see a smiling Kayla, "I guess you have a date after all" I roll my eyes at her.

Present day

Looking through my photo album I come across pictures of me as a baby, my eyes were more grey than they are now, I was adorable. I keep flipping and I see pictures of me and my dad, me and Kayla, and then of me and him. I haven't seen him in three years. He got real deep into the street life and started getting distant. As for me, I'm an author now I started working on my first book throughout college. I published my first book 'Falling in love dangerously' when I was 21 a couple months after graduating. It became New York Times Best Seller two years in a row. That made my career take off. Now, at 24 I have published my second book in the series that also has become a New York Times best seller entitled: 'Falling in love with temptation' I can't lie and say that Rio wasn't some inspiration for my books because he was.. wellll he was the entire inspiration but no one knows that but me and Kay. I think my mom knows but just like Kayla every time she brings it up I shut it down. Like I said I haven't spoken to him in 3 years. I try not to dwell on that because it takes me down memory lane and that is a never ending rabbit hole that only leaves me feeling down and I am at a place in my life where I don't have time to feel down. I'm in a great place in my career and it's only the beginning. I won't let Rio or anyone else ruin that.