The Secrets We Keep

in September 5-drafts

Hailey POV*

"Jay can you get Auggie" I say sitting on the bed. When he walks back in the room with Auggie and sets him on our bed. "Am I in trouble" he ask looking down. "no we just wanted to ask you a couple questions" Jay says sitting down next to me. "Okay". "Your teacher said you didn't play with the other kids at recess did they not let you play with them" I says. "No they asked but I didn't want to play" he says not making eye contact. "Why didn't you want to play with them" Jay asks. Auggie just shrugs his shoulders and a tear falls from his eyes. I pull him onto my lap and stroke his arm. "I'm sorry" he says crying harder. "Hey don't ever say sorry for crying it's okay" Jay says. When he finishes cry we continue the conversation. "So what wrong" I ask. "they wanted to go on the monkey bars but I don't know how to do that" he says. "Oh we can teach you to do that this weekend at the park" I say looking at Jay. Auggie jumps off the bed and goes back to his room. "The monkey bars Hailey" Jay says. "What he wants to fit in with the other kids" I say. "We can take him to the park after we drop you guys off at Kev's for the haircuts"

Next Day*

It's almost 5 am when the baby monitor goes off. "Jay get it" I say not opening my eyes. "I got her last time it's your turn" he says. "I gave birth to her, fine Jay" I say shaking him but he was already back asleep and the crying stopped. I put on my slippers and run into her room. I stop when I open her door. "Amira? Your still not sleeping.", "Hi bubba" I say grabbing the baby from her. I sit down in the rocking chair and feed her. "Why can't you sleep" I ask. "I'll just go back to my room" she says walking away. "No come back you didn't answer" I say. "I'm just thinking" she says. "about". "About everything school, family I don't know". "What about school and family" I ask. " Every time I close my eyes I see here face and when Dad died she put on a brave face for us but I could hear her cry in the shower. I don't want Auggie to see me like that and I just want to go back to when things were better and I didn't feel like this" she says walking back to her room. I can't get up because Rue is still eating. Once she's done I burp her then go back to bed.

Amira POV*

I'm back in my room and it been an hour since I talked to Hailey. The knock on my door pulls me away from my thought so I pretend to sleep so they'll go away. "Amira I know your not asleep" Jay says. I open my eye's and look at him. "it's Friday last day till the weekend so get up because you got school" he says before walking out. I get out of bed and put on my ripped jeans and SpongeBob hoodie that mom got me along with my black vans. I put my hair in French braids before I go to my bathroom to brush my teeth. I grab my backpack and a apple then says goodbye before I walk out the door. I shut the door and I see the boy outside it.

"Oh my god you scared me don't do that" I say as he gets up. "Hello again" he says. "Hey" I says walking past him. "I'm Ezra, I live with my grandma over there" he says pointing to the house five houses down. " Amira" I say. " I just thought that since were in the same neighborhood and we go to the same school that we could be friends" he says. "You've been at that school for a year and you don't have friends" I say my words coming out harsh. "Sorry". "I guess no one wants to be friends with the deaf kid" he says. "You trying to guilt trick me into being your friend" I say looking at him. "Maybe is it working" he say tilting his head. "a little, but I don't know anything about you and you don't know anything about me" I say continuing to walk to the bus stop. "Okay I'll go first then my mom is dead and my dad is in Jail for killing her, now you" he says. "Wow um I mean sorry about your parents. My dad had cancer last year and my mom's dead and now I live with friends" I as the bus comes.

"So ... um what do you like to do on the weekends or like sports if you play" I asks getting on the bus and finding a seat next to him. "I'm on a swim team and on the weekends I go to the community park to walk Arlo, my dog." Ezra says. "Cool, I've never learned to swim, even thought I used to live in Cali. On weekends I play Video games with Jay but he always loses so it's kind-of boring" I say. "You used to live in California what's it like, I've never left Chicago" he says. "Calm down I only lived there four the first four years of my life don't remember much but my parents used to take me to the beach a lot during the summer" I say. When the bus stops we get off and walk to my locker. "Hey Maybe we could hang out this weekend if you want, I have a PS4 I could put your gaming skills to the test on Call of Duty" he says. "I have to ask Jay and Hailey if I can go" I say. "Okay just text me when you want to play" Ezra says holding out his phone to put my number in it. "See you at lunch" he says walking to his locker.

Hope y'all liked this chapter.

-Cici