Serenity

Fifteen (Part 1)

I need to find a hobby, I thought to myself.

The days were so boring after school because I still didn't know enough people yet. They were even more boring on the weekends because I didn't have school to take up the first half of the day.

I looked out of my bedroom window, and was immediately hit with the warmth of the Saturday morning sun. This neighborhood was nice and quiet. There was never that much going on. Cars drove up and down the street occasionally. Some men were outside mowing the lawns. I wondered if anyone from school stayed on my street.

I fell back on my bed and grabbed my phone. I scrolled on social media, seeing pictures of my old friends from the previous schools I had attended. My heart sank realizing that I may have been in some of those pictures if things were different.

It was hard enough for me to make friends as it is, with me being so shy and having social anxiety. Every time I got close to someone, I ended up having to leave. Me and all my old friends promised to keep in touch, but I've been ignoring their texts and calls for multiple reasons.

After a while, I got tired of sulking. I decided to make myself get up and do something today. I looked at my ipad sitting in its case on my dresser. I hadn't done any sketches since I'd been here, and I decided that could be something for me to do today. I didn't have any inspiration just sitting in my room, so I decided to go out and find some.

I went to the bathroom and did my morning routine, and then I got dressed in an oversized red varsity t-shirt that came just above my knees. I put on some black nike shorts that were barely visible under the large shirt. I put my frizzy curls up in a pineapple and threw on some sneakers.

"Where you goin?" my mom asked when I made it to the bottom of the stairs. She was sitting on the couch flipping through channels on the flat screen.

If I was bored, I knew my mom was. She was so used to always being at work, but she hadn't found a new job yet. I hated that she kept having to pick up and make this big move when she had something concrete. We didn't know what Atlanta had in store for us, but my mom had so much faith in my dad and the move.

"I was just gonna go walking and see what this town was about," I said. I'd been cooped up in the house since we got here, besides going to that party. I needed some fresh air.

"Be careful. I heard these Atlanta streets can get pretty crazy. You have your taser and mase?"

"Yes," I said.

"Okay, see you when you get back. Love you."

"Love you," I said before heading out of the door.

It was a pretty day out, and it wasn't as hot as it looked. I was thankful for that, or else I wouldn't have been out here walking.

I spotted a small little ice cream shop, and decided to make that my first stop.

I went to the counter to order, but it was taking a little longer than it should have. Multiple workers stared me dead in the face and didn't say a word. Finally someone came to take my order.

"What can I get for you?" she asked with sort of an attitude.

"I'll have three vanilla scoops with rainbow sprinkles," I answered. I watched as she sloppily fixed my ice cream and handed it to me. I gave her my money, and she placed my change back on the counter top instead of in my hand.

Okay, maybe she's just been having a bad day, I thought to myself.

After finding me a seat, I noticed that I kept getting strange looks from everyone, and then it hit me.

These people were acting strange because I didn't exactly look like them. I didn't notice it at first, but I was the only black girl sitting in here. I didn't think that Atlanta was racist, but I guess there are racists everywhere you go.

Despite my feeling of being unwelcome here, I just ignored everyone and turned on my iPad so that I could draw. I looked around for inspiration, laying eyes on the cartoony decorations and illustrations of ice cream that hung on the wall.

I thought about making an illustration of a chocolate ice scream scoop being an outcast in a bowl of vanilla scoops. I chuckled to myself at the thought.

I had been drawing to myself and minding my business for about fifteen minutes until I noticed someone sit down in the booth across from me.

I swear if this is Malik...

I looked up and met a set of eyes that didn't belong to Malik. They were hazel with light and dark brown specs.

"That's good," he said referring to my drawing.

"Thanks," I shyly replied.

"You must not be from here?" he asked me with a chuckle.

"Is it that obvious?" I asked. I knew I didn't blend in completely at school, but I didn't exactly think that I stuck out like a sore thumb just sitting here.

"I mean, yea. Look around you," I said doing as he said. "You aren't exactly welcome here."

"Neither are you, but you're here," I said, raising a brow at him.

He laughed and ran his large hand down his dark face.

"Yea, but that's because I come here to make them mad on purpose. I know our kind isn't welcome here, but they ain't gon' come out and tell you that," he smiled.

"How brave of you," I said returning his smile and then focused my attention back to my drawing.

"See, even you knew it. I can tell from your drawing," he said as I continued to add details.

"I'm Isaiah. What's your name?"

"Diamanté," I replied, waiting for him to make a comment about my name being unfamiliar.

"I like that," he said flashing me a smile and licking his lips, reminding me of Malik.