Chapter 9

Thorn

"Mom this is Hadaza." I said hoping my wonderful mother would not judge her.

"Oh so your his..."

"Friend. Yes, I am." Daza interrupted with a shaky voice. My mom eyed her up and down as if she were looking at something she was trying to understand. She stared at our attached hands and looked at me. Daza was shaking under my hold and my heart thumped for me to comfort her. I squeezed her hand just to let her know its okay. My mom seemed as if she were in an argument with herself, trying not to say something she would regret.

"Its nice to meet you." She spoke not making eye contact nor stretching her arm for a handshake. This broke my heart instantly. I didn't understand why my mom was being this way because she was never like this.

"Its n-nice to meet you too, Mrs Winter."

I opened the back seat car door for her and jumped in next to her as soon as she went in. My mom started the car and it kind of calmed the thick atmosphere. The ride was pretty heavy and silent. Something about my mom's reaction to Hadaza didn't sit well with me.

"Uhm..." My mom looked at Hadaza from the mirror, looking like she was struggling to remember her name.

"Hadaza." I helped.

"Right Hadaza mind telling me how we get to your home?"

"Yeah of course. Turn left when you get to the stop sign..." She continued to give her directions while I stared at her magnificent face.

Once we arrived at her house, I took down her bike from the back. My mom stayed in the car, still trying not to look at Daza. I wondered why she was being so unusual today, because she didn't even want to say bye to her. I called her and gave her a look, and she soon understood what I was trying to say.

"Goodbye Hadaza." She tried giving a small smile but she failed and I sighed.

"Bye Mrs Winter, thanks for brining me home."

"You welcome." She said quickly. I really couldn't stand my mother at the moment.

I sat Daza's bike down on her porch, where she normally kept it. I was ready to speak until the front door opened. A tall dark skinned man stood there starring at both me and Daza. He seemed very intimidating which caused me to feel less like a man. Daza's father finally spoke making me quake from his deep, almost Godly voice.

"Hadaza you're back.."

"Yes Papa, uh this is my friend Thorn." She introduced.

"Thorn? Mr Thorn...?"

"Winter." I answered him trying not to sound scared. Because I totally was.

"It is nice to meet you Mr Thorn Winter." He reached out to shake my trembling hand. His grip was hard and firm.

"It's nice to meet you too sir." He looked behind me and I turned to the direction he was looking. He made eye contact with mother then back at me.

"Is that Mrs Winter?" He asked.

"Yes it is." Daza spoke.

"I think I should go thank her for bringing Hadaza home safely." He walked past the both of us.

"No that won't be necessary Papa." She stopped him.

"Yeah its okay sir." I continued.

"No, no I insist." He still stayed where we were and began. "MRS WINTER! THANK YOU FOR BRINGING MY DAUGHTER HOME SAFELY!" Daza's father's accent could probably be heard from down the street. Daza cringed at the sound of his voice. My mom jumped by the sudden boom but soon gave a small smile and nodded.

A few seconds later arrived a boy with a black BMX bike. He had a dark hoodie and backpack. He looked like he was gone for hours or a day or so. His eyes were baggy, his mouth was frowning and he looked way too tired to push his bike.

"Gambo! You were out. Again."

"Papa not now." Gambo placed his bike next to Daza's and opened the front door.

"YOU DARE TALK TO ME LIKE THAT BOY?!" I flinched suddenly. As Gambo walked in his father followed behind still yelling. I looked at Daza and she seemed frustrated and stressed. I didn't like seeing her like this.

"Hey what's wrong?" I made her eyes meet mine.

"Nothing, I'm just...tired you know..." I tried to believe her even though I knew there was something bothering her.

"Yeah right...uh I guess I'll see you next week."

"Yeah, tell your mom I said thanks again for the ride." She looked away. Daza always did this when she was nervous and too be honest it kind of irritated me. I wanted to see her brown crystals but she always looked the other way.

"Daza I'm sorry about my mother, she's not normally like that. I don't know what's wrong with her." I knew deep down what was the reason of my mothers behaviour. I just didn't want to leave it at that conclusion, I didn't want myself to believe it.

"Its okay Thorn. I think I should, you know get some rest."

"Yeah, sure. Bye."

"Bye Rose." She teased as she gave me a weak smile and walked into her house.

I tried to ignore my mother the whole ride home. I did not appreciate the way she acted towards Hadaza. When I got home I felt the sudden urge to throw up. I quickly ran to the bathroom, took off my glasses and released everything in the toilet. My head was spinning and my heart was pounding. I quickly brushed my teeth and took a shower.

After spending about thirty minutes trying to think of other things to do other than continuously day dreaming of Daza. I walked into the kitchen where my mom seemed to be busy stirring up something. Suddenly I recalled what happened today and decided I would not let my mother treat an angel like Hadaza the way she did.

"Mom." I grabbed her attention.

"Mmh."

"Mom, whats wrong with Hadaza?" I was trying my best to keep calm.

"What do you mean?"

"Mom you know exactly what I mean." She sighed and started tying up her brown hair. She did that when she was about to talk about something serious.

"Your friend, do you like her?" She asked hesitantly.

"What do you mean do I like her? Of course I like her mom, she's my friend."

"No Thorn you know what I mean." Now the tables had turned.

"Yeah...well I do. She's...very beautiful. And her skin is dark but fare." I smiled and gaze off thinking about her. "Her grace and her soft voice always seems to hypnotises me...she's a spark that never fails to stop shining." I looked up at my mother and she looked at me almost with pity, sadness and hurt. I finally realised the reason why my mother did not accept her. I broke as a tear slid down her cheek. I broke because my mom showed an awful side of herself I had never seen before. I was disgusted. "Why mom? Just why?" My voice cracked.

"Honey I'm sorry, I just...I don't really feel comfortable with someone of her kind arou..."

"NO MOM! How h-how could you? Mom she is just like you and me, her blood is red...just like yours and mine. What makes her so different? And there is no such thing as her kind. Why do you want to be that kind of mother, that kind of person?" My vision became blurry until it faded and I was filled with furry. "Whats wrong with her mom? What?" She looked at me with regret in her green orbs.

"Can you imagine if you were to be with someone like her?" My anger was rising and I hated it.

"Hadaza is beautiful mom and I like her. I don't care if  you don't, but you need to accept it and live with it." I gave her one last dagger then stormed off to my room, slamming the door behind me.

I sat on my bed, tugged on my hair and tried to calm myself down. My heart was rushing and my blood was pumping. I had never been this mad at my mom before. The reason I was fearing all day was now out and it was concluded that she didn't like Hadaza because of her skin.