Daya

6|Uncle

It's 6:25 and Sofia is the last kid in the bungalow. This has to be the longest I've waited for a parent usually I have to stay here 10 minutes after 6 and that usually is just to clean up not wait for a parent and answer Sofia's weird questions. To make it even worse Astrid isn't even here to make Sofia fear asking me inappropriate stuff.

I offered her my phone, but she doesn't want it which gives me time to scroll through pictures of graphic tees I want to buy, when I really should be editing some of my mini video clips. I would much rather prefer for her to just play color switch instead of trying to make some kind of weird conversation with me.

"Daya when did you have your first kiss?" Sofia asks getting way too close to my face. This question isn't as bad her asking "why is my mom black and my dad white," a few minutes ago. I wanted to tell her "because it's hard for a black woman to find a successful black man who doesn't want a kardashian," but I just settled on "Love is love."

"I don't know."

"You don't remember?" She tilts her head to the side. Maybe I should just lie isn't that what you're supposed to do with kids, lie and wait to they find out the truth.

I guess I can take all of the questions I get from the kids as a compliment, because in my year here I've never seen a kid ask dedicated college student Astrid a question that didn't involve the arrival of the animal crackers. 

"Nope," I shake my head.

"What boys do you like?" She yawns and doesn't bother covering her mouth exposing me to her cherry ring pop colored tongue.

"Boys who like me." And boys who are hot wide receivers that I can't have. The door finally creeks open and I immediately jump up from the floor that gave me a terrible pain in my butt. I stand in front of the sign out desk where my backpack is right next to, and making me question what I'm seeing is Ziyah who's dreads move in the breeze. So you're Sofia's mystery family member who knows I'm single. Just like when I went upstairs at the party I kind of wish it was Chase to open the arts and crafts covered door, but that is some romantic comedy plot.

"Ziyah!" Sofia screams and grabs her Doc Mcstuffins backpack from the cubbies. She runs to Ziyah and almost knocks his scrawny body over with a hug. Unlike Sofia's mom he doesn't pick her up and place her on his hip instead he just pushes the stray curls out of her face.  

"What are you doing here?" He asks and removes his hand from Sofia's.

"I work here," I hesitate as Sofia jumps around behind him.

"She reads to us and does arts and crafts," Sofia clarifies, Ziyah nods and laughs a little at her excitement.

"Do I sign somewhere?" he looks down at the lack of sign out sheets on the table, then his hazel eyes wander back to me.

"No you're 30 minutes late you don't need to sign out."

"Well my bad it's not like I'm her parent." The chillness in his voice is now just cold.

"Hey what happened to not killing the messenger." He shakes his head at my reference from earlier today and his usual chill persona is back.

"You're right, you right my bad it's all cool."

"If you don't mind me asking what are you to Sofia?" I try not to speak too loudly so Sofia won't feel the need to answer him, but she is distracted by looking at the abstract artwork she sees everyday on the wall.

I can see the resemblance between them when it comes to their long noses and overall facial structure, but I know they're not siblings giving the fact that Sofia's mother is like in her 20s so there is some story here.

"I'm her uncle." He doesn't give me anytime to say "oh," before he speaks again. I really should've known considering Angela Sofia's young beautiful mother's last name is Daniels. "Look I'm sorry you had to wait for 30 minutes do I have to pay you or something."

"No you don't it's fine just as long as it doesn't happen again," I repeat what I hear Astrid say to some parents all the time. Really it's complete bullshit when really Astrid wants to curse the parent out for wasting her precious time that could've been spent bitching about how she's the only one who is doing good in college.

"Well It's probably going to happen again so how about I give you something."

"Seriously you don't need to do that." I play with a few of my braids and try not to look at his glasses that are way thinner than mine. What am I doing I could use the money for a new Solange tee.

"Fine let me help you out because you obviously don't have a glasses cloth." After coming behind the desk that separated us he takes my glasses off of my face and takes his black glasses cloth and wipes them. He slowly puts them back on my face forcing us to look each other right in our eyes. This has to be the closest I've been to any guy besides Vince, as I can smell his mixture of cologne which smells like cinnamon reminding me of Little Debbies.. "You shouldn't cover up your eyes like that," he says back to his dry chill tone. He stops the smirk from coming on my face when he adds, "like seriously do you not see the dirt?"

I answer with a laugh when really it's a yes I'm just lazy as hell, and try not to see the smudges.

Sofia notices the lack of space between us and gets beside Ziyah to yell, "oooh." He immediately steps back and stops looking at me.

Out of pure nervousness and embarrassment for staring at him I start biting my nails, but quickly stop when my dad's voice rings in my head.

"Come on Sofia." Ziyah sticks out his hand and Sofia skips off beside him with a big smile plastered on her face. Really I have to say I never really looked at Ziyah like that, be that I mean more than some pothead in my 5th period.

What the fuck I have to go to school tomorrow, that was a Friday conversation on a Monday.