__________________________________________ Kalamazoo, Michigan March 17th, 2017, 8:52pm
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*Pop pop pop* Shots were fired, cars sped off, hearts were racing, police sirens were ringing... but only one body laid lifeless on the pavement in front of me.
My father.
I stood there looking at my dad with only one single tear in my eye. First my mother, and now him. How could someone's life go from normal (so I thought) to tragic in a blink of an eye.
"What's your name sweetie" the police officer repeatedly asked as I sat there silently
"Hell, he was probably a lowlife thug anyway" another police officer says while looking down on my innocent father.
I looked up at him with eyes full of hurt, his smirk soon turned into a face of regret and embarrassment; he turned and walked away.
In the back of the police car that was taking me downtown, I began to wonder what was going to happen to me. I had no family, my dad was all I had left after my mother passed away due to cancer three years ago.
My grandparents never liked the idea of my mom and dad together. They met in High school and my dad was poor. My grandpa thought that my mom deserved better but Mahogany (my mom) begged to differ.
My dad started selling drugs, eventually he saved up for a car and just enough cash for him and my mom to run away from Georgia, away from where they didn't feel welcomed.
Anthony loved Mahogany with his whole heart, and vise versa. They had Ariah Armani when they were 19 and spoiled her with anything she wanted because of the secret life style that they were living. But they didn't know that they would be leaving so soon out of their daughters life or they would have given her the run down on what was actually going on and what her parents was really into.
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Tuesday June 21st, 2020, 5:00am
Tomorrow is my birthday, I'm turning 18. I've been in the system since the situation with my dad. I know I'm going to be here until I graduate because no one comes into a foster home looking for a teenage daughter. They come in looking for new born baby's or toddlers, anyone older than that is just trouble in their eyes. Id kill for a chance to prove the right family wrong.
After my shower, I dried off and put on some cocoa butter lotion. I put on a pair of distressed blue jeans and cuffed the bottoms, I put on my favorite black crop top and threw on a jacket. I had on some red, black, and white air Jordan 1's. I wet my short curly hair and put leave in conditioner in it, I decided to go with a natural look today. Well I choose the natural look everyday, I can't dress for shit but sometimes I can get cute.
I'm not really into the birthday thing because I never get anything or celebrate anymore. I was just excited to turn 18 so that I can get a real job, go to college, and become successful like I know my parents would have wanted me to be.
I grabbed my backpack and headed towards my bus stop with my headphones plugged into my iPhone 7, most kids at my school had the latest iPhone's and Jordan's and clothes but I had to pay for my own phone, phone bill, clothes, and shoes with a part time job.
My part time job at Chuck E Cheeses didn't get me enough money to pay for everything that I wanted but it kept me decent and I loved the job, I love kids real bad.
I've never been bullied or anything because that's childish and only happens in movies, I used to get a few stares from kids in middle school when they heard about my parents dying but what can I say Kalamazoo is a small city. They weren't mean stares but it was annoying when I was trying to forget but everyone around me kept reminding me.
Today was our last day of school, I'm just ex- "Bitch Its the last day of school turn me up" my thoughts were interrupted by my best friend Dejah. "Oh my goddddd forreal I'm just ready to graduate, I wish graduation was tonight" I said smiling at the thought of us walking across that stage.
"You know you wrong though, right?" Dej said stopping to look at me. "Mmcht what now" I smacked my lips, knowing she was talking about me not doing nothing for my birthday tomorrow.
"Why you not trynna do something tomorrow Mani, stop playing so much" she said grabbing my cranberry juice out my hand right before opening it up and taking a sip. "You can only turn 18 once babe, is this really how you want to remember it?" she said right before I grabbed my drink out her hand with a mug.
"I just can't afford to do anything for my birthday this year Dej, graduation and prom put a big ass dent into my savings as is and you know I'm still trying to save for a car before we leave for college." Me and Dejah planned on going to college together in the fall. We both got accepted into Howard University, we always wanted to go to an HBCU, it didn't matter which one.
"okay that's understandable, lets just do something together me and you and ill pay for everything" she said smiling. I wasn't going to let her do that.
"Awnnn Dejah thank you forreal but I can't let you do that." Dejah's Parents owned a law firm so they had big money. But I was never aloud to her house because the supervisor of my group home said that there was something off about Dejah's parents. I never really thought too deep into it and neither did Dejah.
"Shut up I'm going to set something up anyway" she said while going onto her phone. I just shook my head knowing she was going to do what she wanted to do anyway. I looked up to see we were finally at first period but I didn't really want to go in. I was finished with my finals already and so was Dejah, we didn't play about our school work.
"Let's go to the movies instead" Dejah said reading my mind. I just nodded and went to go sign ourselves out. I'm close with the Ms. Brenda in the front office so she let me sign out even though I'm not technically 18 yet.
