*Extra Image*
Mom loved decorating the house with pictures of the family...
The bus driver honked his horn. Since Dad was too tired *cough, lazy*
to take us to school, we had to ride the bus. If only Aaliyah knew how to drive...
She's 17 and still doesn't know how to drive! She wants to but Dad hasn't been up to the
idea of buying her her own car.
I was anxious to see Darren at school, as usual. So I sat up
front all the time, even if most of my friends were in the back.
Aaliyah usually sat at the front, but only to get her homework assignments
finished before the school day was done.
Soon we arrived at our school,
Community School for the Gifted.
Everyone began arriving, yet I couldn't see Darren anywhere.
He usually arrived when I did. I couldn't see his older
sister, Lori, either.
Darren's oldest brother, Andrew Holm, died in the army.
He stepped on a mine, yet it only burnt half his left side, but he
was shot multiple times and died. He's buried in the town's cementary,
and Darren's family is still grieving over the loss of the first born.
I searched for him all day during school, yet I couldn't find
him anywhere. But when fourth hour rolled around, I
saw him, yet didn't talk to him. Mostly because he
was being a bit too quiet than usual.
School was soon over but instead of heading
home, I had to attend my after-school Music Club.
Aaliyah had Study Club, yet she didn't go since she
had to be home to make sure the door was locked.
Mom and Dad were going on their honeymoon for the night.
Darren left school, his Sports Club wasn't in session,
yet he was excused since his brother was a perfect former student
at the school.
Getting out, he broke down right then and there.
Yet when he could see another student was heading his way,
he hid his tears and flexed his muscles a bit.
Tiffany knew about Darren's loss, and didn't care if he broke
down. But she couldn't comfort him now, she had a cat to feed
at home since her mother was working late to support the two of them.
Darren's little brother, Delonte broke down once Aaliyah
came back to the school and attended her Club a bit late.
Turns out, Mom and Dad still hadn't left for their honeymoon
trip out of town.
Aaliyah waited for me, wanting to save up money on
a cab for two than a cab for one going the same way.
Once my Music Club ended, I headed outside
to meet my sister with a hug while waving goodbye
my Club member. Holly was in Aaliyah's study club.
After getting home, Dad drove Aaliyah to the park,
to talk about their day.
After talking, Aaliyah wanted to get her driver license.
"Dad, can you teach me how to drive, please!" Aaliyah begged.
"I'm 17 and I don't have a driver's license. I'm not asking you
to buy me a car, I can get one when I get my own job. But, can
you at least teach me how to drive one until then?"
"Well, alright. But if you trash my car," Brooklyn warned. "You're
keeping it." They both smiled.
"STOP!" Brooklyn shouted as Aaliyah ran a red light by accident.
"What? What's wrong?" Aaliyah asked, worried that she
did something wrong. "Was I suppose to go left?
Are you going to tell me about how I ran over that pencil on the road?"
"No, no," Brooklyn said. "You ran a red light. You can never
run a red light. It's illegal. And you can get into a serious
car accident."
"Oops, sorry, Dad," Aaliyah apologized. "I was trying to keep both
my feet on the brakes and focus my mind on the road...
It's difficult driving at night."
"Damn it, I knew I should have taught you how to drive
in daylight..." Brooklyn cursed. "No offense,
sweetheart, but your not a night person... You get
tired easily during night time."
As they talked, they both tried to beat the pedestrians.
But, Aaliyah was nervous of running them over since she couldn't
really see at this late hour.
Yet, she tried to beat the guy taking a walk.
She would be a in the lead, then he would catch up
when her foot continued to step on the breaks.
After three hours of trying to learn how to drive,
Aaliyah finally did it. She would receive her license tomorrow
at school.
When Dad and Aaliyah took a victory ride around town,
I was in the garage, playing with my drums
that Dad got me when I was a kid.
My cell phone began ringing, and I answered it, hoping
it was Darren... Holding my breath, I listened to the voice.
"Kenyatta? Is Aaliyah there?" a voice said that didn't sound
nothing like Darrens'.
"Hi, Tiffany," I said, a bit disappointed. "No, Aaliyah's
with my Dad, she's learning how to drive for her driver's
test tomorrow."
"Oh, sorry, for calling if I was interuppting something,"
Tiffany apologized.
"It's no problem, I was getting a bit lonely... Darren
hasn't called at all today. Or talked to me for that matter,"
I confessed to her even though that we weren't that close.
"Well, I think for you to take the first step and call him." Tiffany
adviced. "I mean, he doesn't have to take the first step. But since
his brother died, I think he wants to be alone for awhile.
Just so it can fully set it."
"Wow," I said. "I guess you're right. Guys shouldn't be the
only ones to take the first step."
"So, do you really thing I should call him?" I asked.
"Yeah. Maybe if the school has a dance, you can talk
to him there. Well, I have to go to bed now, I guess
I'm keeping you up, huh?"
"No, I usually don't sleep until one in the morning. Well,
I'll tell Aaliyah that you called. Goodnight, Tiff," I said before
hanging up.
Leaving the garage, I could see Aaliyah working on her home
work for tomorrow night.
I joined her, I needed her help since I was mostly getting B's
and C's.
Mom and Dad said goodbye, giving us emergancy
contact information, numbers of their friends in
case something is wrong, and their hotel number.
"Hey, Aaliy," I said as I answered my Spanish questions.
"I was talking with Tiffany, and call her back tomorrow she's
sleeping now, anyways, she gave me some advice on Darren."
"Okay?" Aaliyah asked, getting a bit frustrated on thinking of a
culture to write about in her Social Studies report.
"She said that if the school was having a dance, I could talk to
Darren there... But what if we host a party tomorrow night?"
"We can't do that, Mom and Dad wouldn't like the mess.
Or the people making out on the couch."
"Jeesh, sis," I said. "Haven't you've seen a TV show
about teens throwing parties when their parents are out of
town."
"Yeah, but usually it ends back-firing on the teens. The
parents find out and they get grounded until the next episode ends."
"Why you gotta be such a bummer..." Jokingly I did a
frown.
"Why do you gotta be so immature?" Aaliyah said,
she was getting a bit cranky since she wasn't
a night crawler like me. "Sorry, Kenya, but
I'm really tired."
