N/A: rough edit
Elijah Reef
Four years of high school and I'd never been to a game. Not football or basketball. Not baseball or volleyball.
I didn't realize until Mrs. Hayes pointed out a few days ago, my childhood has been stripped away. I've spent majority of my life taking care of Kayson, and while I wouldn't change a single thing about it, in less than two months I will no longer be a child. I will be eighteen. I will start my custody battle for Kayson, I will be looking into leasing my own place, paying and attending school, was working.
Things are about to change, they're about to get really hard for me and as Mrs. Hayes put it "You'll never be seventeen again."
She dared me to take this time to be a kid. To live for me in these next few weeks and worry about everything else afterwards. And so that's what I've been trying to do.
Kayson's been gone for two weeks now. I talk to him everyday and visit him every weekend. He's staying with a house mom in a home of two other boys his age. I've meet the mom: Penelope Loris. She's very nice and caring. Kathy made sure to put Kayson somewhere I could see him often and he'd be safe. I'm forever in her debt for that.
He's still going to his same school but he doesn't go to the YMCA. He isn't allowed to stay the night anywhere and I'm not allowed to take him anywhere yet.
It breaks me everyday that he's in this situation. But Mrs. Hayes said I can't keep letting it define me.
I've devoted my life to taking care of Kayson ever since my mom passed away and now that he isn't in my care I'm not responsible for making sure he eats and gets to school and does his homework. Not until I turn eighteen in two months and get custody of him.
Two months to be "free" is what Mrs. Hayes called it.
I've been spending a lot of time with her and Noah lately. She's been helping me cope and Noah's been helping me stay afloat.
I don't work as often, Mrs. Hayes helped me set up my budget for when I graduate. Who knew she was a finance major before she dropped out. She told me that between the money my mom left me and the money I've saved from working I technically don't even need to work at all my first year of college. I can afford my classes and Kayson as long as I'm smart with my money.
Again she dared me to be a kid these next two months. "You've worked hard enough for long enough. The lord is giving you a break. Take it."
That's how I find myself at an Eagles football with Theadora on a Friday night. I did my hair in box braids, I wore my black ripped jeans, green halter top that matched my green Jordan ones.
"I love this! I can't believe you've never been to a game!" Theadora beamed. We made our way to the bleachers. There were students and parents everywhere. The smell of hotdogs and nachos trumped the place.
I have to admit, this pretty cool.
I followed Thea's lead to the bleachers and I could feel people looking at me, just like when I showed up to Demetrius' party last semester. Trust me I'm just as shocked if not more so.
We took a seat in the middle section of the bleachers and my eyes wondered to the edge of the field where our football players lined up in their green and white jerseys and our cheerleaders next to them with matching uniforms.
I started to get excited, I could feel my competitive side coming out. "What number is Taylen?" I asked Thea. That's who we're rooting for. Well the whole team obviously but mostly Tay.
"He's six." She piped her bright curls bouncing in the light wind. She wore our school colors too. A white and green graphic tee with a black jean skirt and some green converse. She's so pretty. "I told him if he's not good we're not coming to anymore of his games."
