MONEY IS THE MOTIVE

Chapter 13- Assumptions

Tiana.

Monday Morning...

"Are you ready?" Joc asked snatching his key from the table.

"Do I have a choice?" I walked out of the front door. He followed. Mama didnt come home last night so Joc had to take me to school. I was no longer in private school.

It was time to adapt to public school. He didn't talk much either. We rode down the road in silence.

He turned up the radio. I peered out the window as we drove on the bypass.

My cuts were covered by the sleeves of my hoody. My new school was on the other side of town. It was 90% black.

"Where is your family?" I asked breaking the silence. He looked over at me and then back at the road.

"You can talk? I didn't know that." He said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes. "They died during hurricane Katrina."

"I was the only one of my mama's kids that survived." He said biting his bottom lip.

"I'm sorry to hear that." I said placing my hands in my lap.

"You good." He said.

"You want to know what I don't understand?" He asked looking at me.

"What?" I answered.

"I don't understand how people take their love ones for granted. I would give anything to bring my sisters and mother back."

We pulled in front of the school it was slightly smaller than my last school.

"Well I'll stick around on this side until you get out of school. I'm one phone call away."

He said putting his Monte Carlo in park. I got out without saying a word.

I walked into the school. I knew that I was slightly late. Everyone moved at their own pace, not according to the bell.

I went straight to the guidance counselor's office. She wasn't in her office.

I stood there for 15 minutes before a tall slender lady walked up to me.

"You're our new student, right?" She unlocked her office door. She ushered me in her office.

"Have a seat." She said pointing at one of her chairs in front of her desk.

I sat in the plush chair. "How you doing this morning?" She asked typing on her computer.

"Good." I mumbled.

"That's a blessing." She said getting up to go to the printer.

I looked around her office. It was flooded with AKA symbols and pictures of her husband.

"I heard a lot about you Tiana. I wanted to let you know that I'm here if you ever need someone to talk to." She handed me my schedule.

"Thank you." I took the schedule and leave the office. I did not want to be there. Everything at this school was so unorganized.

My classes seemed impossible to find. The bell had rung. I eased by a group of girls. They stared as I walked past them. Their talking seized.

"Aye." One of the girls called after me. I felt all four of their eyes piercing my body.

I turned to face them. "Yeah." I answered.

"What school you came from?" The shortest girl of the group asked.

"Deermont." I answered.

"Oh she from that white folks school." One of the girls said.

I rolled my eyes and began to walk off. "What's your name?" The short girl asked.

I stopped again. "Tiana." I answered.

"Well I'm Breya." The short girl introduced herself.

"Ok Breya." I turned to walk away. Socializing was not apart of my agenda.

"I told you them girls from Deermont stuck up." One of her friend said.

I get to my destination the class was full. On the door it said Mrs. Pierce. I handed the teacher my schedule.

She was a older lady with a huge mole in between her eyes. Everyone turned their focus to me.

"Tiana, find a seat." She said handing my schedule back.

I made my way to the back of the class. There was a empty desk in the back of the class.

I could see everything from the back of the class. Some of the faces were familiar.

Some weren't. I felt someone still staring at me from behind.

It was this ugly dude with a too little coat and a hair cut for him was way overdue.

This wasn't going to be easy either. He smiled and I half smiled back.

"Aye what's your name?" He asked moving to a desk beside me.

"Tiana." I answered.

"Well Tiana I'm Tray. You might want to tuck this deeper in your bag." He handed me my phone.

"Thank you." I said, taking it from his hand and tucked it deeper into my Louis Vouton bag.

I didn't notice it fell out. I couldn't believe he didn't steal it.

"You thought I was gone steal it." He chuckled and moved back to his seat.

He took the words out of my mouth but I didn't let him know that I was thinking that.

I was not used to being on this part of town. I swallowed hard and slouched down in my desk.