So High

23. Atiyya

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Today was wash day. I sat at my vanity desk parting my hair into four sections, getting ready to deep condition. I had shampooed a couple hours prior.

It was now going on three or so. My hair could be an all day process depending on how many breaks I took.

I was honestly ready to do some kind of protective styling to it. I was tired of having to mess with it every day. I thought about letting Rickie do some feed-in braids, but I was sort of tender headed so I needed to hold off on that for a minute.

Like always, my mother was at work. She had left early and wouldn't be home until late. This meant that I would be stuck at the house, lonesome, again.

I loved the fact that her job was to help people, but  damn, I wish we could spend more time together. It got really boring being at the house by myself everyday.

Being in school, it was easier to cope because I always had something to keep me busy. But when summer time came around, it always made me realize just how much we really didn't see each other.

I guess that's why I became so independent at an early age. Don't get me wrong, my mother is amazing and she made time whenever she could, but she wasn't the most present.

I did a lot of stuff on my own growing up. I can't even remember the last time her and I had a sit down dinner at the kitchen table together.

Even still, I loved her and I liked to believe we had a strong relationship. She may not have been there when I wanted her, but when I needed her, she would drop everything in a heart beat.

I continued to go through each section of my hair and lather it in deep conditioner before putting a clear shower cap on and sitting under my portable, heated dryer. I would sit like that for the next 20 mins so my hair could retain as much moisture as possible.

I reached over to grab the remote off my bed and turn the tv on. I figured I would watch a little bit of the Walking Dead while I waited.

I got comfortable in my seat and turned the volume up. My phone rang just as the show was beginning. I rolled my eyes at the caller ID.

"What can I do for you?" I answered.

"I know you hear me ringing this doorbell."

I really hadn't heard anything. The door to my room was closed, the volume on the TV was loud, and my hair dryer was making a noise of its own.

"Here I come." I hung up.

I trotted down the stairs to open the front door.

"To what do I owe this honor?" I turned around, not really holding it open for him to come in.

"We need to talk." Kaleb followed me as I walked back up the stairs to my room.

"Don't we always," I got back up under my hair dryer. "Close the door behind you."

He closed it and popped a squat on my bed.
"Oooh, what season you on?" He glanced at my TV.

"Three." I stared at him. He was looking particularly nice today. I hadn't really noticed before, but he was wearing a graphic t-shirt with jeans.

His gold chain that he almost never took off hung loosely around his neck and he had a fresh haircut.

I folded my arms. "Where you going?"
"Up baby." He rubbed his hands together.

I shook my head "No like seriously."

"Nowhere. I just came back from hanging with the fellas. Doing what we do."