Finding Me

chapter sixteen

Sahara pulled up to her home, at ten past six, after dropping off Adena home from the mall.

Sleep was hitting her like a ton of bricks. She wasn't entirely sure if she could even make it from the car to her bed without stumbling over her feet. Sleeping in the car was starting to look real, good to her.

After buying the dress, she just decide to let Adena have her way, too tired to argue with her on accessories. She covered her yawn, as she stretched her hand to the back of the car, grabbing her backpack and purchases. She stumbled through the door, to hear murmurs of conversations and loud laughter. She slouched her shoulder, her face grimacing. She completely forgot about the family dinner tonight. That explains why the street was crowded with more cars, than usual.

She ran upstairs to her room before anyone noticed her, throwing herself down, face first into her queen size bed. The smell of her cinnamon body mist fills her nose as she smiled, shuffling deeper into the bed.

"I don't see why you're, tired. You didn't have to take the fuckin' bus." She rolled her eyes, her lip twitching by Russell's rude disturbance.

"Would you just go, away Russell!" She grabs a pillow, throwing it behind her, the pillow bouncing off the wall onto the ground at Russell's feet.

"I still don't understand how it works," he says, leaning in the doorway of her room.

"GO. AWAY. RUSSELL." She stresses each word, growing more infuriated with the lack of silence she was getting because of Russell.

"Y'know, I had to stand the whole way to soccer practice," he continues, completely ignoring Sahara's pleas. "The whole fuckin' way. Because someone was being selfish."

"MOM," Sahara hollered, getting up from the comfort of her bed. She pushed past Russell, running down the stairs. She went into the living room not seeing anyone, but then heard the voices coming from the backyard. She looked outside, seeing familiar faces, but none of which matched, who she was looking for.

She smiled at everyone, nodding her head in each of their direction, waving hellos as she made her way to her dad, who stood at the BBQ machine, making roast lamb. "Dad, where's mom?"

"Uh, I think she went for some more wine from in the garage," he replies, downing the last of the red wine in his glass. He placed the rest of the steak onto the plate and then ushered for Sahara to take a seat.

Sahara took a place next to a fellow waitress, Maria, who worked at Dushi Var on weekends all while juggling with her university studies.

"Hey Sar," she exclaimed, "what's wrong?"

Sahara smiled weakly. "Oh, it's nothing. It's just Russ's being a douche."

"Want me to teach him a lesson," she says, wrapping her hands in fists, acting intimidating.

This made Sahara giggle. "Would you?"

"You can teach me a lesson anytime," Teodor joins, sitting on the other side of Maria, his thin eyebrows wiggling up and down. The two girls laugh, as Maria lightly tapped Teodor's shoulder.

"Oh, God Teo. I'm sure you couldn't handle little ol' me," Maria jokes, her tongue grazing her lips.

Sahara watched as Maria, effortlessly had Teodor wrapped around her finger. She only wished she had, just a speck of that ability.

&&&&

Everyone began piling to the outdoor dining table, ready to relish on the many dishes Castro had conjoined for tonight. Everyone was poured a glass of either red or white wine, as Castro stood, a glass in the air, preparing to deliver a speech.