Existence

Chapter 3

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Jamal's POV

I haven't seen much of ole girl for quite a while now. She hasn't been showing up for tutoring and I'll see her during class, but it's like she's in and out. I tried to go and talk to her, but it's like she doesn't even see me coming. Its like she sees right through me. Forget about it it is what it is...

3 months later...

Its report card time and of course I got all A's. Finals were a success and it's time for summer. That means sleep sleep and more sleep. I headed off to the bus and saw old girls sitting by herself. Her bag was right next to her, so I figured that meant 'leave me alone.' My boy Tommy got on the bus and sat right in front of me.

"Hey, man." Tommy said, but I only gave him a nod. Tommy looked to where my eyes were and shook his head." You lookin at Lyrik, man?" I turned my head towards him. "She spells her name with a K man.. That's weird"..hmm. Lyrik? "How you find out her name bruh?" I asked. " Anybody who knew Na-Na knew that Lyrik was her best friend." "That was Na-Na's best friend?" He shook his head. Damn. I feel like an asshole for being so mean to her.

The bus made a stop before mine and Lyrik got off. I decided to follow and try to speak to her.

"Lyrik!" I yelled , but she kept walking. This girl is about to really make me run after her? Fine.

I got infront of her and she stopped. She didn't even look at me. " Uh, hey" silence. " I just wanted to say sorry about earlier this school year." Still silence. " I uh..I'm sorry about Na-Na too. She was a great person." She started shaking. The grip on her bad started to tighten.

She started walking in the direction of her house, I'm assuming. I followed along. " I know I can be a little rude sometimes." She stopped infront of her door. "It's not really an intention, but you'll probably never know that." I'm getting a little agrovated. She pulled out her keys. "Um, how about this.." She started shaking and the keys jingled. "You probably haven't been getting out much, so how about lettin me come pick you up one day? " The keys dropped from her hands and I went to pick them up. When I stood back up, it was as if she was afraid to grab them from me.

" Better yet, I'll be here tomorrow and--" I was cut off by the sound of the dpor opening. Neither one of opened it because I still had the keys. I faced the door to a tall brown sugar colored woman. It must be her mom. "Um, hi Mrs..." "Ms. Maxwell." I reached out to shake her hand and so did she. Lyrik rushed right past me and her mother. " What's your name son?" She asked. "Jamal Henderson." I said handing her the keys. "I was actually wondering if I could maybe take Lyrik to do something tomorrow?" She looked at me with an unsure face. "I wouldn't try anything with her. She just looks like she needs to get out and I could only imagine how she's been feeling since Na-Na passed." " You're a friend of Na-Na?" I nodded my head . " If you'd like, you could come too. It's all my treat." " Where do you get your money from son?" I walked right into that. "I actually started working at the Boys & Girls Club down the road. I even tutored at Southwood." She looked a little impressed. "How old are you?" Dang. All this just to take her out for a couple of hours? "16" she looked back into the house and said, " be here around 3 tomorrow. She'll be ready by then." I thanked her and headed off to my house.

Lyrik's POV

I don't know why Jamal was talking to my mother for so long. Doesn't he have anything better to do? I couldn't help, but think about him asking me out. Technically, that's what he did right?

"He seemed like a nice boy," my mom said. I had nothing to say. I took a look in the fridge. " You need to get out more," she started, "if you're not going to have fun then at least go work out. I haven't seen you go anywhere, home and school since---" she was cut off by the slam of the fridge door. I walked upstairs and locked myself in my room.

What's wrong with not wanting to go anywhere? Isn't that what a teen supposed to do? Be forbidden to go anywhere by the parent?

Before laying down I turned on my radio and put it on full blast.
"You've got 4 and 20 hours (24 hours one day)
To prove to me
That your love has got the power
Make me believe
You'll take me where I wanna be
4 and 20 hours
And that's me"

Joss Stone sure does know how to turn your feelings into words.

I drifted off into a deep sleep and it was lovely.

The next day...

I didn't really want to be bothered today, but my mom just coukdn't take a hint. First she sent my little sister to get me, but I didn't answer the door. Then she sent my older brother to get me this morning, but that didn't work either. At 1 in the afternoon she used the key she has to unlock all of the doors to open mine.

" Your siblings are gone, so me and you are going out." I turned over and put my covers over my face. She threw my big teddy bear at me and said, "look presentable. I'm tired of seeing sweats and yoga pants." Ughhhhh

I got up and saw that I had two unread text messages.  1 from Alana and the other from....Na-na..I haven't opened it since she last sent it 4 and a half months ago.

I opened the message from Alana and it read:

"Hey girl,
I'ma be coming over this weekend and we're gonna have a girls weekend. I love ya much and I'll see ya soon."

Alana is a good friend. She's been there for me when I needed her the most. She was the only one I'd allow to be around me since..... Yeah.

I got up slowly and took my time getting in the shower. The shower felt good once I got in. I sat in for a good 20 minutes and then put on a pair of high waisted jeans with a high-low tank and toms. Even though its summertime I still get cold. After my bathroom routine I put my hair in a messy bun and headed downstairs.

I heard the door open earlier, but I figured my mom went to check the mail. When I walked into the living room...something was there, but it wasn't the mail...