Innocence

25.Times Change

🌹 M O A N I 🌹

Jessica showed her phone to us, "Speaking of running away, Dynasty was just reported missing this morning."

Ariel rolled her eyes but, that was understandable. She couldn't get over what Dynasty did to me. She was a major grudge holder.

I stared at the flyer on Jess's phone. It broke my heart because they used a picture with me and her at our first and my last homecoming.

My eyes watered. I did miss the friendship.

"...but when did she actually go missing?" I asked.

Jess shrugged and Zelda pulled the phone towards her, "She must've been missing for a while maybe." Zelda stated.

"She been missing for one day.."-Jess mumbled- "That's why it isn't all over the news as yet."

Zelda sighed and passed the phone back to Jess, "I heard her friends talkin bout this shit in class. They said her brother got shot up the same day she went missing."

Jess gasped.

I shook my head, "The police probably think she did it and ran away."

"I mean shit like that happen all the time in Chicago." Zelda shrugged.

I squinted my eyes and raised my eyebrow, "I thought you lived in New York."

"Yeah, but I really stayed in Chicago for a minute until my moms met a new nigga and moved all the to New York wit him."

"Damn... Zee."

Jess took her phone and turned it off, "Do y'all think Tyler is the one doing all this?" She asked lowly.

I could tell she was tense she hated speaking about her brother. We all looked between each other.

"Why ask? You think it might be him?" Zelda asked breaking the awkward silence.

"...because the stuff he did." I stated for Jess.

"What stuff?" Zelda asked shook.

"Girl you got a lot of catching up to do." Ariel said while throwing her tray in the trash.

*^*

Lunch ended and we all went separate ways. I went to the restroom and washed my hands. I was just trying to pass time. I hated walking to class after lunch; it was redundantly crowded.

The warning bell rang and I walked out the restroom. A group of Dynasty's friends walked pass me with flyers in hand.

I glanced at the bulletin board and stopped walking as I saw multiple pictures and flyers of Dynasty covering up the entire thing.

A lone tear fell from my eye. Everything became blurry. She was there for me before everyone else.

4 year old Moani :

There I was skipping along the playground I smiled as my pigtails bounced. A group of girls interrupting the peace pushed me to the ground.

"You are a weirdo!" The girl spat.

A girl laughed, "Who would want to be friends with you?"

"Oh, look her weirdo brother is not here to save her." The girl pointed.

"Get away from my friend!" Dynasty pushed them making space for herself to walk through.

Friend?

I laid on the muddy ground with tears and a snotty nose. Surprisingly, Dynasty sat beside me.

"Why are you ugly girls still here? Go away or I will get Hakeem!"

"You are weird just like her!" She whined.

With that the cowards ran away. Oddly, Dynasty stayed beside me. I didn't understand why because, she was mean just like them.

"Are you looking at the clouds? They are beautiful." -She laid back- "That one looks like an egg!" We both giggled.

I wiped my nose and eyes. I finally made a friend.

I had no idea how special Dynasty was around that time but, now I know she was there to stay.

—-

If her brother was already dead wouldn't she be too?

A hand rested on my shoulder and I huffed wiping my tears. I turned seeing Jessica's worrisome face.

She looked at the bulletin board, "Come on lets get you to class." She guided me down the hall.

Where are you Dynasty?

T Y L E R

Menace put the car in reverse. Meanwhile, I turned up the radio to mask Dynasty's screams and kicks coming from the trunk.

My face throbbed and burned. I pressed the ice pack to my jaw and hissed.

Menace laughed, "That's exactly what yo stupid ass get, wanting to save lives and shit."

"Man fuck you!"I yelled

Saying that only made him laugh harder.

He hit the steering wheel, "Tell me again, why you killed her brother instead of her." He snorted.

"Tell the truth Tyler..." She whispered.

How could I tell him something controlled me? He would think I was crazy and even more of a dumbass. The nigga already had no respect for me.

"I needed to protect Dynasty he already had a gun aimed at her." I told half the truth.

"Shoulda let him cap her ass. I'm sure he woulda missed anyway."

I ain't even know why I had so much sympathy for Dynasty, but I couldn't let him kill her.

"What good would that do? We ain't need her dead."

Dynasty wasn't anybody to kill. Her brother was the one who needed to die after all the stuff he made Dynasty do.

"She was a witness you fool ass nigga."

"A witness to what mother fucker? To that lame ass stakeout we was having?"

He drove onto the Main Street, "Man bruh I ain't finna sit here and argue wit a lame ass amertur. You just gon have a talk wit Zarie and you gon see what's up...Oh wait you did...How yo jaw feeling?" He snickered.

I was tired of talking to his ass anyways. My jaw was hurting but, the pain was going to be real excruciating tomorrow.

*^*^*

I laid Dynasty in a bed. She fell asleep in the trunk I guess she ain't have no more fight left in her. I cut the ropes off her arms and left her inside. I locked the door behind me.

Menace stood leaned on a wall, "Since you such an amateur Zarie told me to tell you the rules." -he sighed- "Y'all can't leave this house without asking Zarie about it. She can't go to school or anywhere. There's guards at every exit and even when there isn't, somebody is watching y'all." He saluted and walked away.

He dropped some keys on the floor, "Shit, there go yo house keys. Damn it must hurt to bend over." -He shook his head- "Tsk tsk tsk... Well see ya!"