Chapter Text
My life may be ordinary to some but it’s fascinating to me. Heh, well, It wasn’t always this way.
5 years ago
‘’Liza! Get yo behind down here and say hello to your aunt!’’ My mom’s yelling could be heard all the way upstairs. Damn, why can’t her family members take a hint?
I finish putting my shoes on and walk towards my mirror. I take a good look at myself, at my life. I’m 17 years old and I’m already done with life. I stare at my golden brown face and wonder where everything went wrong.
Knowing they’re still waiting I put my long curly hair in the in two buns and make my way downstairs. Let’s get this over with. As soon as I make my way to the kitchen I put on the fakest smile I could muster.
‘’Heeeyyy auntie Joice.’’
‘’Hey Liza, how are you?’’
Of course I would say it first. She’ll wait until you greet her or not say anything to you at all. And if I do keep silent she’ll take it as a sign of disrespect and bitch. I lose either way.
‘’Your momma told me you passed your exam. You know I had to come over here to congratulate you.’’
I know why she came over. Not to see me succeed but to find out information about the rest of the family or to rant.
‘’Well, I made sure to study. I passed with one of the highest scores in my class.’’ I don’t mean to brag but…heh, I’m doing better than her kids.
‘’Yeah I made sure to stay on her about those tests. Her grades are really good this year.’’ My mom brags. Yeah right. I show you what I want you to see. My grades are shitty! Can you say C,D,F. I feel bad for lying to my mommy…She’s my favorite person ever. But her side of the family makes me wanna punch a hole in the wall.
I cut the conversation short by telling them I was planning on meeting someone at the park later on.
‘’Ooooh. You got a boyfriend waiting for you out there?’’ ‘Joice’ instigates.
My mom glares at me ‘’She already knows she can’t have a boyfriend. I’m not worried.’’ Why would she say that knowing how my momma would react??? See?! This crazy lady LOVES her some drama.
‘’I was meetin up with Debby. You already know I’m not lookin to date momma.’’
My mom looks at me a suspiciously before rolling her eyes ‘’Okay but you need to be back at 7:00 and I mean 7:00. Not 7:01 not 7:04. 7:00 p.m. And don’t think I won’t pull up at the park either.’’ Same old same old.
‘’I know momma. I might be back before then, okay? Bye.’’
It’s always been this way. My parents didn’t want any teen pregnancies so boyfriends were a huge no no. My big sister would sneak and date but me, I was always trying to impress. I always had my sister’s back when she snuck out of the house. Sure she got caught a couple times and we both got the unicorn shit beat outta us but I was always there for her.
I wanted to become the obedient child and but also my sister’s keeper.
I don’t see her that much. Not after she moved away with my dad. My mom kicked his ass out after she found out about his other (9?) Kids. He was a playa alright. My big sister was a daddy’s girl and I was a (still am) mommy’s girl. I don’t know. Hopefully we can get together soon, I really miss her.
The walk to the park was long and depressing. I felt so alone. I can’t talk to anybody because I don’t think they’ll understand and the last thing I want is to feel judged. Why don’t I reach out? My uncle says black people don’t get mentally ill.
Can you believe that? Like we’re safe from that shit or something.
Trigga please!
My family just feels like they’re too perfect and if I did say anything outta line they would start talking crazy and possibly leading to the disappointment of my momma.
I don’t know how she’d react to it. I love that women and I don’t want to disappoint her.
I arrive at the small park a couple minutes later and behold! No Debby. That’s right. I made up that name so my mom wouldn’t ask why I come here alone. I need to be alone sometimes. She’d threaten to pull up at the park multiple times but she never did. I’m kinda thankful for that.
It sorta helps, being here alone.
I make my way over to the swing and look out at the horizon. It’s pretty today….
It’s starting to get pretty cold I think as I rub my arms. I don’t feel like going back to that house though. Hopefully when I get back Joice ass will be gone.
‘’…pretty out huh?’’
I turn my head getting ready to tell the creep I wasn’t interested until I saw what….who? it was.
I hop off the swing ‘’What the fuck?!’’
Sitting on the slide next to me was a fucking SKELETON wearing a JACKET. Now I had heard about monsters being on the surface and all but they never made themselves known so I wasn’t sure if it was a hoax or not. But I never thought I would see one, especially in (practically) the goddamn hood! I don’t give a fuck if these guys come in peace, that’s scary!
What? Like you wouldn’t freak the fuck out at first glance!
I try to back away but I’m frozen to the ground. He stands up with his hands in his pockets. I didn’t even notice the cigarette until now. God this dude is big.
I square up on ‘em ‘’If you try something I will whoop yo boney ass! Trust me, you don’t want a Chicago styled ass whoopin!’’
I’m scared…but he doesn’t need to know that.
He pulls his cigarette from his mouth? and drops it to the ground, putting it out with his big ass shoes.
‘’heh. soooooo…..this is the greetin a newcomer like me gets on his first day above ground. mean.’’
I put my hands on my hips and stare him down (well up). ‘’First of all, the only reason I got crazy was because you popped up outta nowhere! How the hell do you expect me to act???’’
I know I should have got the fuck outta there like any normal black person but he tried it.
Just then the wind picked up making that cold hit me like a loco bitch at Arby’s. He raises a bonebrow and proceeds to take off his hoodie. Uh uh boy what is you thinkin?
Before I had a chance to curse him out a lime green hoodie landed on my head. ‘’ ok ok feisty. no need to give me the cold shoulder.’’ Wtf. Did he just make a pun? Do he think this is a game??
I hold up the surprisingly warm jacket. ‘’I don’t need no jacket foo!’’
When I looked up, skeleman was gone.
Now, I would have thought that I had officially lost my mind had it not been for the lime green hoodie that smelled faintly of honey and dust.