Finding Home | ✔️

Chapter Eight

"North it's simple math," Valeria told me during study hall. She held the pencil near the question as she wrote out the problem in a different way. "All you are doing is taking the square root of thirty-six and then dividing by two."

"But what's a square root?" I stared at the paper in frustration. The loads of homework were piled in my bag and I have never been so overwhelmed in my life. Valeria placed a strange device in my face and I stared at her. "What is that?"

"This. My dear friend is what is about to change your life forever." She typed in the problem and it spits out a number. "The answer is 3. Here try it." I punched in the next problem and stared at the answer.

"This is witchcraft," I told her as I wrote down the answer.

"Hey, Val. Are you going to the party tonight? It's because of Caleb's signing for Football. He's playing for the Jaguars." A dark-skinned male approached us. Valeria was hardly paying attention and I nudged her.

"Oh... I don't know. I hardly know him very well," she said.

He nodded and looked at me. He tilted his head and said, "New to Evergreen? I'm Derick, Val's best cousin."

"Said no one ever," she snorted as she typed away on her laptop. "Pay no attention to him, North. He's just trying to get your number."

He stuck his tongue at her before walking away. "At least think about it. I mean like before seven."

I waited until he was out of earshot before asking, "What's a party like?"

~^~

"Why are we at your house? You said you were driving me home," I asked as she unbuckled her seatbelt.

She smirked as she walked around to my side of the car and opened the door. "You said what a party was like so we are going."

I remained in my seat and shook my head. "You said it was loud, crowded, and lots of drunk people. I hate all three of those things."

Valeria pulled me up and laughed. "This is your first party, North. You need to live a little. Besides you have me, silly." She walked me to the door and opened it. "The place is being hosted at Derick's house, which I know."

"Because he is your cousin," I told her.

She nodded and walked me up the stairs. "So this will be a safe party."

She took me to her house. The wooden stairs with brown painted walls. Family portraits of her parents and some with her. They all looked so happy and all I could think of was my brothers. "What about Sandy and Daniel?"

"The Thompsons? I told them you were with me," she told me as she leads me to her bedroom. She flopped down on her white bed that was surrounded by the purple walls. She closed her eyes just laying there in silence.

"We aren't going to the party are we?"

She shook her head and laughed. "No."

I flopped down next to her and propped my face up to stare at her. "Good."

She met my eyes with her brown ones and smiled. "Good? I would be a horrible friend forcing you to go."

"I wouldn't know."

She frowned, "I know but you'll make so many friends. I promise."

I laid next to her and stared at the ceiling just like her. I frowned before blurting out, "Promises are just things waiting to be broken. They are just lies people tell each other to make the other person feel better."

"Maybe they are," Valeria said next to me. "So what if they are just waiting to be broken. But sometimes it can prove if someone is committed to helping you. I am committed to being your friend and helping you. I will make mistakes and so will you but if you forgive me then I will forgive you."

I looked at her and held up my hand. The imagine so vivid that I could see my brother's hand. My pinkie extended and she latched onto it. No words were exchanged and she locked my fingers through hers. She closed her eyes and so did I.

Be careful who you befriend, North.