Caged |1|

Chapter 21 A day of sorrow

KEHLANI

I held the tightly wrapped herb to my lips inhaling deeply, blowing out the smoke laughing as the way older kids then me joked loudly in the car. I was a sophomore hanging out with seniors. I didn't really like them but my mom and dad told me to stay away from the older kids so I made a point to be in there friend group. I inhaled from the large blunt one more time coughing this time as I passed it to the boy next to me.

"What King can't take it?" One of the senior boys teased making me laugh

"I out smoke you every time, Quarterback" I teased making him chuckle and take a hit as he put his arm on the back of the seat behind me.

"You are impressive for a 16 year old" He told me shaking his head, he was 19 himself so not that much older but he acted like I was a kid.

"Yo there's my house pull over, Scott" I laughed finally starting to feel the high I wanted from the weed.

"Aye we'll be here 11 o'clock sharp for that party ok?" Scott asked me and I nodded.

"Yeah I'll text you if Damarion isn't gone" I told him and he nodded. I climbed over the girl sitting next to me laughing saying bye to my friends. I walked through the rusted gate to see only my moms car in the driveway. I walked up to the front door trying to open it but it was locked. She must be taking a nap. I grabbed my key unlocking the door walking inside, I took off my jacket tossing it to the side and kicked off my combat boots. I had the munchies and potato chips sounded so amazing at the moment. I walked through the house and into the kitchen and what I saw is never what I excepted. Before I could even process what I had seen a screamed left my lips. There she was my mom...hanging from the chandler by a rope. Her neck bent in the most awkward way telling me it was broke, the table covered in blood along with her clothes. Her wrists slit ensuring she couldn't be saved.

Suddenly her neck straightened out and a loud laugh left her blue pale lips making my eyes grow wide.

"THIS IS GOING TO BE YOU" She screamed and suddenly it wasn't my mom hanging there anymore it was me.

I shot up screaming tears streaming down my face as I whipped my head looking around for my mom's body but within seconds I remembered I was in Kyle's bedroom. Thankfully I was alone, I buried my face in my hands sobbing over what I had just seen.

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I pushed a towel against my face drying away the water. I looked in the mirror at myself and I truly looked dead. My skin was paled, my lips had chapped from my hour of crying, my eyes were red and swollen with dark bags under them. The tip of my nose was bright red like I was the one guiding Santa's sleigh this year. I had an empty ache in my chest that took all of the energy, the pit in my stomach was enough to make me weak to my knees. I didn't even want to get out of bed let alone put on makeup. If I could look bad any day of the year it was my right to this day. I redid my messy bun and threw on a white supreme t-shirt and a pair of cameo sweatpants. I shoved my phone in my pocket slowly wondering my way downstairs where I heard voices in the kitchen.

I forced myself to join even though it was the last thing I wanted to do. Once I got in the kitchen I seen the all the Kuzma's standing around the island as Ms. Kuzma made breakfast. I kept my eyes trained of the shiny floors hoping they wouldn't notice my dead features or ask about them.

"Baby I was just about to wake you---Are you ok?" Kyle asked me, I stared down at the ground biting the inside of my cheek so hard I could taste the blood but it was the best I could do to keep myself from crying. I nodded my head not daring to look up.