I didn’t prefer to remember that day, but somehow the memory seemed to never escape my thoughts. It flashed before my eyes and each time it did it felt as if I was reliving the worst night of my life. I escape the nightmares and come back into reality. Reality, what a strange thing it was…one day I’m the popular girl who has everything you could ever dream of having and the next day, nothing, not a single thing to my name. I’m standing on the cool pavement, laughing and with my friends. It’s dark, but the light of the garage allows us to see each other. The music is loud, so loud that we can barely hear ourselves talk. It’s getting late; Katherine and Mandy get in my car with me. We’re laughing so hard that we’re not even concerned about how fast we’re going. I re-emerge to the sound of my alarm. I didn’t want to get up, but if I didn’t now be late for school again. I walk to my car; this wasn’t my car, literally it was, but this car was nothing like my old car. A black on black BMW convertible… I drove slowly to school, it was a Monday and as much as I hated Mondays I still had no choice but to go to school. We are almost at my house when I notice smoke filling the sky. The laughter stops as we all stare in disbelief. Debris is floating in the air. Tears roll down my face. My hands shake as I pull out my phone and push the numbers 911. “911, what is your emergency?” “My… house is on fire. And…I think my mom is inside.” I took a seat as did everyone else. A substitute teacher walked into the room. She was pretty, too pretty to be a teacher. Her alabaster skin stood out next to her dark brown shoulder length hair. Her green eyes were wide with fear. “Go…good morning cl…class. I’m Miss Hepher.” Her hands were still shaking as she passed the papers to each of the kids. They had no intentions of actually doing the work, but I intended on finishing it and handing it in. Miss Hepher looked at me like I was crazy. She thought I was crazy; I didn’t have a choice on whether or not I wanted to be here, Miss Hepher did. Just as I was about to get up to hand in my worksheet a fight broke out between the Puerto Ricans and the blacks. Most would think I was used to it by now, but I wasn’t. Miss Hepher ran out of the room; I chased out after her. “Miss Hepher! Miss Hepher!” She stopped and looked back at me. Tears were falling down her cheeks. “Miss Hepher, you can’t just run out of the room and not get help.” She was breathing heavy and quickly. “Why are you here? Aren’t you scared?” “Of course I am, but I don’t have a choice. I have to come to school.” I turned and walked away from Miss Hepher. She stood there and watched me walk back into the room. It was silent as I walked into the door. There was a circle formed in the center of the room. I peeked through the people, and in the center of the circle was Darryl. I gasped. Blood was dripping from his chest. Imani was holding his hand telling him he couldn’t leave her. Jamal pulled out his phone and dialed 911. “Okay ma’am calm down. Where are you located?” “11 on Old Turnpike road. Please hurry.” “Okay ma’am help is on the way.” Minutes later I could hear the sirens. I ran out of my car and towards the house. Katherine and Mandy ran after me and grabbed me before I was too close. The smoke was burning my eyes, but the tears pouring down my face seemed to dull the pain. “MOM!” I paused for several seconds and stared at my house, listening, waiting for a reply. I looked to the drive way and saw her car burning along with the rest of the house. “MOM!” No reply. My mother was in the house burning alive and there was nothing I could do about it, but sit there and wait for help to come. Several EMT’s came into the room and broke up the circle in order to get to Darryl. Imani stayed by his side as the EMT’s lifted him onto the stretcher. We all watched as they rolled him out of the room and down the hall. I looked out the window and saw the ambulance boarding Darryl. His stare met mine and he half smiled at me, I half smiled back. Three days later, Darryl was out of the hospital and back at school. I could hear two people fighting down the hall. It sounded like Imani and Darryl. I walked down the hall and sure enough it was them. I didn’t stick around long, but it was long enough to hear Imani break it off with Darryl. I stopped at my locker to get my journal. I shut my locker and relocked the lock. As I turned to walk away I slammed right into Darryl. “Oh! Are you okay? I didn’t see you there!” “Ha-ha, its okay Leigh. I’m fine. Are you okay?” I didn’t know how to respond, I was too nervous to even say a thing. I looked up at Darryl, he smiled at me; his teeth were perfectly straight and pearly white. His eyes were deep brown, with subtle golden specks. They twinkled along with his smile. He was perfect, everything about him, in every single way. “I’m fine.” “Are you sure? You look terrified.” “I just didn’t expect to bump into you, that’s all.” “Ha-ha, okay.” “Yea, well I better get going.” I began to walk away from Darryl, when I felt him grab my shoulder. His hands were warm and gentle. “Wait Leigh, there was a reason I was by your locker.” “Oh.” I looked down at the floor as Darryl stood there smiling at me. I was too nervous to look up at him. “I was wondering…would you like to hang out sometime, maybe a movie this weekend?” “Yea, that would be great.” “Ma’am is there anyone in the house?” “My mother is in there.” The firemen ran towards my house. I may never see my mother alive again. I looked around in disbelief; my yard was burning and filled with debris. My life came crumbling down right before my eyes... One of the firemen walked out of the house carrying a body. “Mom!” I began running faster than I ever ran towards the man carrying my mother. “Is my mom okay?! Is she gonna be alright?” He ignored me and rushed her to the ambulance. EMT’s surrounded her; I watched as they pulled the blanket over her chard body and face. “Help her! Please you have to help her!” “I’m so sorry. There is nothing we can do. It’s too late.” My knees collapsed beneath me and I sank to the ground. Everything I had, everything thing I knew and loved was gone. It was 6:49. Darryl was going to be here any minute to bring me to the movies. The doorbell rang and I rushed down the stairs. As nervous as I was, excitement got the best of me. Darryl and I have been dating for almost 3 months now. Imani has threatened me several times, but Darryl insures me that everything was going to be okay. “Don’t worry Leigh, nothing is going to happen, I promise. I won’t let anything bad happen to you.” I walked into class hand in hand with Darryl. Mr. Matson instructed us to take out our algebra text books. I forgot mine, so I walked out of the room and down the hall to my locker. “Who do you think you are taking my man?!” “Imani, you’re the one who broke up with him. Sorry.” “Yea, you’re gonna be sorry.” I walked back into the classroom; Darryl knew there was something wrong as soon as I walked in the door. “Leigh, what’s wrong?” “Imani.” “Don’t worry Leigh; I won’t let anything bad happen to you.” Tears roll down my cheeks; I can’t stand to watch them burry my mother six feet into the ground. I close my eyes and begin to think of happier times; times that no longer existed. I walked out of the graveyard and got into my foster mothers car. When we got to Mrs. Andersons house and walked through the door Mr. Anderson said he had something to tell us. “Leigh, a relative of yours has been located and she is willing to take you in. Your mother’s second cousin, Marie. Do you remember her?” “Oh, um no.” “Okay, well she will be here tomorrow to get you. She lives in New York, I’m not sure where, but I’m sure you will like it.” “Oh, I’ll go pack.” “Hey Leigh, I talked to Imani. Don’t worry, everything will be fine. I promise.” “Promise? How can you promise that she won’t kill me? Think about it Darryl. I don’t think we should see each other anymore.” “So are you…breaking up with me?” “I think so. I love you Darryl, but I just don’t know what else to do.” “I thought you trusted me Leigh, I won’t let anything happen to you.” “I do trust you, I’m sorry, we’re not breaking up.” “That’s my girl.” Darryl drove me home from school and kissed me goodbye. I walked into the kitchen and saw a note on the counter. Leigh, Sorry, but I won’t be home until late tonight. Use the money to get yourself something to eat. I’ll see you in the morning. Marie I put the note down and sat down on the couch. I flipped through an old magazine until I heard my stomach growling. I grabbed my sweater and headed out the door. “So what town do you live in?” “I know it’s where you’re expecting, but it’s what I can afford.” “Where is it?” “The Bronx.” She couldn’t be serious, she had to be joking. Marie looked sternly at me; I could tell she wasn’t joking. I stared out the window and saw a sign saying Welcome to the Bronx. We pulled up to a house that was white with a red door. The paint was chipped, and the house looked like it was falling apart. I slowly opened my door and looked up at the house in front of me. The sun was starting to go down and the air got colder and colder by the minute. I thought about what Imani said to me, and what Darryl promised me as I was walking.I knew Darryl would never let anything bad happen to me, but if he wasn’t there, there wasn’t much he could do… I walked into the restaurant and ordered my dinner. As I ate my pizza I couldn’t stop thinking about Imani’s threat. I knew that she always kept to her word… The house smelled like a mixture of musk and mold. The kitchen was filthy and the sink was filled with dirty dishes. The small couch in the living room was ripped and tattered. A small TV sat on a cooler in front of it. I walked up the stairs; my room was the first door on the left. I opened the door and looked inside. My room was just as disgusting as the rest of the house. It was dark outside, but I could still see thanks to the flickering street lights above me. I rounded the corner and saw a black car several yards in front of me. It was running, but I couldn’t tell if anyone was inside. I was being followed by the black car; it was about a yard behind me when I heard someone yell out . “I told you you were going to be sorry.” I looked back and saw a gun pointed out the window. I heard two shots and fell to the ground. “Leigh! Please don’t leave me! I’m so sorry, I should’ve known better. Leigh please I’m so sorry” It was so good to hear Darryl’s voice, but he was too late, I gave it all I could. “I love you too Darryl.” I don’t know what heaven is like, but I know this has got to be it.
I’m standing on the cool pavement, laughing and with my friends. It’s dark, but the light of the garage allows us to see each other. The music is loud, so loud that we can barely hear ourselves talk. It’s getting late; Katherine and Mandy get in my car with me. We’re laughing so hard that we’re not even concerned about how fast we’re going.
I re-emerge to the sound of my alarm. I didn’t want to get up, but if I didn’t now be late for school again. I walk to my car; this wasn’t my car, literally it was, but this car was nothing like my old car. A black on black BMW convertible…
I drove slowly to school, it was a Monday and as much as I hated Mondays I still had no choice but to go to school.
We are almost at my house when I notice smoke filling the sky. The laughter stops as we all stare in disbelief. Debris is floating in the air. Tears roll down my face. My hands shake as I pull out my phone and push the numbers 911.
“911, what is your emergency?”
“My… house is on fire. And…I think my mom is inside.”
I took a seat as did everyone else. A substitute teacher walked into the room. She was pretty, too pretty to be a teacher. Her alabaster skin stood out next to her dark brown shoulder length hair. Her green eyes were wide with fear.
“Go…good morning cl…class. I’m Miss Hepher.”
Her hands were still shaking as she passed the papers to each of the kids. They had no intentions of actually doing the work, but I intended on finishing it and handing it in. Miss Hepher looked at me like I was crazy. She thought I was crazy; I didn’t have a choice on whether or not I wanted to be here, Miss Hepher did. Just as I was about to get up to hand in my worksheet a fight broke out between the Puerto Ricans and the blacks. Most would think I was used to it by now, but I wasn’t. Miss Hepher ran out of the room; I chased out after her.
“Miss Hepher! Miss Hepher!”
She stopped and looked back at me. Tears were falling down her cheeks.
“Miss Hepher, you can’t just run out of the room and not get help.”
She was breathing heavy and quickly.
“Why are you here? Aren’t you scared?”
“Of course I am, but I don’t have a choice. I have to come to school.”
I turned and walked away from Miss Hepher. She stood there and watched me walk back into the room. It was silent as I walked into the door.
There was a circle formed in the center of the room. I peeked through the people, and in the center of the circle was Darryl. I gasped. Blood was dripping from his chest. Imani was holding his hand telling him he couldn’t leave her. Jamal pulled out his phone and dialed 911.
“Okay ma’am calm down. Where are you located?”
“11 on Old Turnpike road. Please hurry.”
“Okay ma’am help is on the way.”
Minutes later I could hear the sirens. I ran out of my car and towards the house. Katherine and Mandy ran after me and grabbed me before I was too close. The smoke was burning my eyes, but the tears pouring down my face seemed to dull the pain.
“MOM!”
I paused for several seconds and stared at my house, listening, waiting for a reply. I looked to the drive way and saw her car burning along with the rest of the house.
“MOM!”
No reply. My mother was in the house burning alive and there was nothing I could do about it, but sit there and wait for help to come.
Several EMT’s came into the room and broke up the circle in order to get to Darryl. Imani stayed by his side as the EMT’s lifted him onto the stretcher. We all watched as they rolled him out of the room and down the hall. I looked out the window and saw the ambulance boarding Darryl. His stare met mine and he half smiled at me, I half smiled back.
Three days later, Darryl was out of the hospital and back at school. I could hear two people fighting down the hall. It sounded like Imani and Darryl. I walked down the hall and sure enough it was them. I didn’t stick around long, but it was long enough to hear Imani break it off with Darryl.
I stopped at my locker to get my journal. I shut my locker and relocked the lock. As I turned to walk away I slammed right into Darryl.
“Oh! Are you okay? I didn’t see you there!”
“Ha-ha, its okay Leigh. I’m fine. Are you okay?”
I didn’t know how to respond, I was too nervous to even say a thing. I looked up at Darryl, he smiled at me; his teeth were perfectly straight and pearly white. His eyes were deep brown, with subtle golden specks. They twinkled along with his smile. He was perfect, everything about him, in every single way.
“I’m fine.”
“Are you sure? You look terrified.”
“I just didn’t expect to bump into you, that’s all.”
“Ha-ha, okay.”
“Yea, well I better get going.”
I began to walk away from Darryl, when I felt him grab my shoulder. His hands were warm and gentle.
“Wait Leigh, there was a reason I was by your locker.”
“Oh.”
I looked down at the floor as Darryl stood there smiling at me. I was too nervous to look up at him.
“I was wondering…would you like to hang out sometime, maybe a movie this weekend?”
“Yea, that would be great.”
“Ma’am is there anyone in the house?”
“My mother is in there.”
The firemen ran towards my house. I may never see my mother alive again. I looked around in disbelief; my yard was burning and filled with debris. My life came crumbling down right before my eyes...
One of the firemen walked out of the house carrying a body.
“Mom!”
I began running faster than I ever ran towards the man carrying my mother.
“Is my mom okay?! Is she gonna be alright?”
He ignored me and rushed her to the ambulance. EMT’s surrounded her; I watched as they pulled the blanket over her chard body and face.
“Help her! Please you have to help her!”
“I’m so sorry. There is nothing we can do. It’s too late.”
My knees collapsed beneath me and I sank to the ground. Everything I had, everything thing I knew and loved was gone.
It was 6:49. Darryl was going to be here any minute to bring me to the movies. The doorbell rang and I rushed down the stairs. As nervous as I was, excitement got the best of me.
Darryl and I have been dating for almost 3 months now. Imani has threatened me several times, but Darryl insures me that everything was going to be okay.
“Don’t worry Leigh, nothing is going to happen, I promise. I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”
I walked into class hand in hand with Darryl. Mr. Matson instructed us to take out our algebra text books. I forgot mine, so I walked out of the room and down the hall to my locker.
“Who do you think you are taking my man?!”
“Imani, you’re the one who broke up with him. Sorry.”
“Yea, you’re gonna be sorry.”
I walked back into the classroom; Darryl knew there was something wrong as soon as I walked in the door.
“Leigh, what’s wrong?”
“Imani.”
“Don’t worry Leigh; I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”
Tears roll down my cheeks; I can’t stand to watch them burry my mother six feet into the ground. I close my eyes and begin to think of happier times; times that no longer existed.
I walked out of the graveyard and got into my foster mothers car. When we got to Mrs. Andersons house and walked through the door Mr. Anderson said he had something to tell us.
“Leigh, a relative of yours has been located and she is willing to take you in. Your mother’s second cousin, Marie. Do you remember her?”
“Oh, um no.”
“Okay, well she will be here tomorrow to get you. She lives in New York, I’m not sure where, but I’m sure you will like it.”
“Oh, I’ll go pack.”
“Hey Leigh, I talked to Imani. Don’t worry, everything will be fine. I promise.”
“Promise? How can you promise that she won’t kill me? Think about it Darryl. I don’t think we should see each other anymore.”
“So are you…breaking up with me?”
“I think so. I love you Darryl, but I just don’t know what else to do.”
“I thought you trusted me Leigh, I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“I do trust you, I’m sorry, we’re not breaking up.”
“That’s my girl.”
Darryl drove me home from school and kissed me goodbye. I walked into the kitchen and saw a note on the counter.
Leigh,
Sorry, but I won’t be home until late tonight. Use
the money to get yourself something to eat. I’ll see
you in the morning.
Marie
I put the note down and sat down on the couch. I flipped through an old magazine until I heard my stomach growling. I grabbed my sweater and headed out the door.
“So what town do you live in?”
“I know it’s where you’re expecting, but it’s what I can afford.”
“Where is it?”
“The Bronx.”
She couldn’t be serious, she had to be joking. Marie looked sternly at me; I could tell she wasn’t joking.
I stared out the window and saw a sign saying Welcome to the Bronx. We pulled up to a house that was white with a red door. The paint was chipped, and the house looked like it was falling apart.
I slowly opened my door and looked up at the house in front of me.
The sun was starting to go down and the air got colder and colder by the minute. I thought about what Imani said to me, and what Darryl promised me as I was walking. I knew Darryl would never let anything bad happen to me, but if he wasn’t there, there wasn’t much he could do…
I walked into the restaurant and ordered my dinner.
As I ate my pizza I couldn’t stop thinking about Imani’s threat. I knew that she always kept to her word…
The house smelled like a mixture of musk and mold. The kitchen was filthy and the sink was filled with dirty dishes. The small couch in the living room was ripped and tattered. A small TV sat on a cooler in front of it. I walked up the stairs; my room was the first door on the left. I opened the door and looked inside. My room was just as disgusting as the rest of the house.
It was dark outside, but I could still see thanks to the flickering street lights above me. I rounded the corner and saw a black car several yards in front of me. It was running, but I couldn’t tell if anyone was inside.
I was being followed by the black car; it was about a yard behind me when I heard someone yell out .
“I told you you were going to be sorry.”
I looked back and saw a gun pointed out the window. I heard two shots and fell to the ground.
“Leigh! Please don’t leave me! I’m so sorry, I should’ve known better. Leigh please I’m so sorry”
It was so good to hear Darryl’s voice, but he was too late, I gave it all I could.
“I love you too Darryl.”
I don’t know what heaven is like, but I know this has got to be it.