In 18 years, Lyra Queen, has yet to:
- Kiss a boy;
- Meet her mother;
- Go through a near-death experience.
In a week, she is going to do all three.
cover by @sereneur
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Warning: This chapter contains graphic descriptions of racial violence.
Lyra
As he filled his own cup, a policeman came to view, hands in his pockets, "Hello officer," My greeting seemed to put him on high alert as his hand went directly to the gun holster. I recoiled in fear and Samir stopped filling the cup and stood in front of me, covering me completely. From where I was standing, all I could see were his dark brown locks that covered his neck.
"Is everything alright around here?"
"Of course. Why would there be something wrong?"
"I wasn't talking to you," The officer rounded Samir's body and came into view, hand still on his holster, "I was talking to you. I got a complaint from the owner. Some girl was here causing trouble."
"I'm-" The slushie spilled from the sides of the cup as my hand shook, "Nothing's wrong. I just came... I came-"
"Can I see some ID?" My hand went directly to my pocket and he held the grip of the gun, "Slowly."
"I'm sorry. I'm just getting my wallet," My hand failed my pocket a few times as I took it from the pocket on my hoodie. I could feel Samir's eyes on me as my hands shook incessantly and my chest moved up and down under my three layers of clothing. My brain only registered that the wallet was black and not rose gold as he closed it and looked at me. I had taken Lucas's wallet,
not mine.
"This is a man's wallet."
"Oh, that's my friend's. He's just outside, I could get him if you want. I have all of my identification on my wallet if you just let me get it-" Before my hand could move to get my phone from my back pocket, he pointed his gun at me.
"Quiet. Both hands up, come on."
The cold slushie of my cup seeped through my socks as I heard Samir's voice just a tone taller than my heartbeat, "There's no need for that. She says she has her ID, just let her show you," He seemed completely invisible as he spoke as the officer got closer to me but the only thing I could see clearly was the muzzle of the gun pointed at my chest as if to taunt me.
When he got close enough, he grabbed one of my arms and pushed me against the shelves, "Come on, dude. There's no need for this," I shrieked in pain as he pulled my other arm, and a second later, "You're hurting her."
Under my blurry vision, I could see Samir's hand on the officer's shoulder and in a second, instead of holding me, he was holding him down, over the counter with the slushie machines. My feet seemed glued to the floor as I saw Samir's eyes, under his hair, trying to reassure me as he was cuffed by the officer.
"Hey, hey, Lyra, is everything ok? What's happening? Did someone hurt you?" Lucas's hands were on my neck again but this time I didn't even have the strength to stand on both my feet, much less punch him.
