Beyond Love

Chapter 6

Dear Diary,

Yesterday, Michael treated me to food at the park. After I finished my cheer tryouts, we walked across the street for Bonfire. I ordered a medium plate of cheese fries with grape soda, and he ordered 2 pizza puffs with friends and pink lemonade Arizona. All which he paid for voluntarily. I promised I would give him the money he paid for back, however, he insisted not to worry about it. I don't feel right when I have someone to pay for my things for me. I'm pretty used to getting my stuff on my own. I come off as an independent type of person. I don't ask for much, but I manage with what little I can do. Anyways, after Michael and I got our food, we walked over to the part that was right across the opposite path from the school. When we got there, we found a picnic table to eat on. It was about ten feet from a huge tree. The leaves were already turning into the different hues of fall colors. It's still sunny around six. We sat together and talked more about our day. He told me about a funny moment in his science class when someone spoke loudly during a lecture. Not much of the events I noticed from my list of classes. Just witnessed a few students receiving the minimum 1 or 2 demerits and LaSalles. Along with our conversation, we talked about what's been going on in his life.

Michael mentions how his father passed away due to police brutality. His father was coming from work late. He was just arriving at the bus stop and a cop stopped him for questioning. Next thing, Michael told me he heard of his father's death the next morning. The full details from the body cams on the officers weren't fully shown until 3 weeks later. They spent weeks fighting for justice. I'm his father's life. But only ended up receiving a settlement of $30,000 while the two officers were only fired not to work as police officers again. When Michael told me that story, I could only help but to keep staring at the hurt on his face. I was sad to hear how he lost his father. I can only imagine the pain he was struggling to get over.

He then shook it off then changed the subject of what he wanted to show me. After we finished eating, we threw out our trash in the garbage and he took me over to the corner where another huge tree sat. We took a seat at the tree and right there he showed me something that his father gave him, which was his father's Air Force base. He mentioned that his father gave it to him before he died. He keeps it as a significant memory of his father. From there that's when he walked me home. Of course, I came home with a drunk mother nagging me. Oh well, let me go to bed. I have to get up early tomorrow again. Until next time.

Love,
Tasha

Latasha's POV

So far it's been 3 weeks since starting on the cheer team, and so far we met at least 2 to 3 times a week. So far, we went over what we're gonna do for the school year, paying out cheer fees, which is like fifty dollars, and paying out uniforms, which are at least twenty dollars apiece. We'll do fundraising and other community opportunities for us to get credit. Today is Tuesday and next week we have to turn in fees soon. I asked my mother if she could give me some money to pay my fees and get my cheer uniform, but she hasn't given the money to me yet.

It's a little after 7 pm and I notice my mother still has not made her way home yet. I was in my bedroom doing my homework; I had some math homework to finish up. About an hour after finishing up my homework, I organized my assignments in my huge binder and put them inside my bag. The sound of keys from the other room. I walked out of my room to greet my mother, who had just come home from work. Just as soon as I do the action;

"Hi, Mom. How was work today?"

She tosses her keys to the table and stumbles in walking into the couch and flops her body to lay on the couch. "What?" she asks confusingly. I can tell she has been drinking because of the messy hair, the smell from her breath, and the fumble in her walk.