"Today, however can change things for better or worse. The outcome depends on you."
When a marriage fails the residue trickles down to everyone in the family. Sixteen-year-old Daya Nicole Johnston must fight to understand what is happening in her li...
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I knocked before I walked into my mother's dwelling place, shaken by the sounds I could still hear from Dennis. "Hey Mommy," I said as I shut the door behind me quickly so she couldn't hear it.
"Daya, you came home, baby," she reached out to hug me as I sat beside her.
"Of course, I'm home mom. I just went to the park to collect my thoughts." I tried to make it sound better than it actually was.
She exhaled, "Why do you keep running away? Is it something that I'm doing?"
I shook my head, "Leaving for a few hours isn't running away. There's so much going on with me and it's suffocating being in this house all the time."
"What else is going on," she questioned. "I know that things are difficult with your dad and me, but that's between us. I don't want it affecting you negatively."
"Boy drama, I guess," I said shyly.
"Is it Jayson again?" We had probably discussed Jay not liking me a million times since I met him. I wished it was that simple again.
I tittered, "Please, It's not just him though." I hesitated to continue.
"There is someone else. Wow, I'm surprised," she marveled.
"I'm a hot commodity apparently. I went from zero people liking me to three in less than a week," I joked.
She rested her head beside mine, "I guess everyone else is realizing what I already knew, that I have the most amazing daughter. Tell me about the other two options."
"You make them sound like deli meats. Um... at first, there was this guy named Brian. He goes to school with me and I meet him at the park. He was... well, he is cute and nice and all. I just felt stronger for the other two, so I let that one go," I simplified it immensely for her sake.
She teased, "My little heartbreaker."
"I wasn't trying to be. I was open to it at first, but then I met... Banks." I said his name slowly for dramatic effect.
"What kind of name is that?" She chuckled but it was perfect for him.
I laughed, "It's his last name and people call him that. His first name is Oliver. He and Brian are both on the basketball tea. That's why I went to the game. It's so confusing, but I do like him," I giggled.
"Jay is like a biracial, hazel-eyed cloud over that relationship. I told them that I just wanted time to myself. Jay's been extremely persistent, and Banks has been very respectful about the whole thing," I said and then immediately thought back to what he told Dennis.
"Doesn't Jayson have a girlfriend? Last I heard he did," she stated.
I negated, "No, they broke up yesterday. Even before they broke up, this whole week actually, he's been trying to mend things with us. I'm finding it difficult to forgive him given the circumstances and he just keeps messing up. He says the right thing and then immediately contradicts it."
