Daphne

It has been two days since my awkward encounter with my father, who dropped me off at school and who called in telling them I am going to be late. We haven’t talked since and it wasn’t like things changed between us.

I lit a cigarette and rested my head back against the wall I was sitting on, watching the students arrive. A few rich kids that go to this cool, either owning a BMW, Maserati or an Audi. And there was one tough guy, who owned a Dodge Charger. The car of all muscle cars.

Brandon Hills.

I watched him get out of his car, with confidence. Or was it cockiness? With him, it could be both. I watched him smirk as he found everyone looking at him. Yeah, he was cocky all right. I watched in fascination when the queen bees of bees made her way over to him, swaying her hips just a little extra.

Now that was the attention seeker of our school. Clarissa Dorrington. One would think that she would be the captain of the cheerleaders but all she was, was a spoiled rich kid. She acted as if she owned these halls but honestly, her mother owned them, not she. But you think that she got the memo?

But back to the lovers, she threw her arms around him and planted a kiss right on his lips. I stifled a laugh when I noticed Brandon’s expression. Yeah, lover boy, you wanted to screw this pooch, now you have to sit with the consequences. Clarissa was a very selfish girl, she wanted things for herself and no one was allowed to touch anything that belonged to her. And she made Brandon hers.

He raised his gaze as if he heard my thoughts making our gazes lock for a single moment. He winked at me while I threw him the bird, he tried to smirk but his pooch begged for his attention. And she got his attention alright.

I took another pull from my cigarette as I watched a girl got tripped by a junior boy. If she didn’t trip over her own two feet it was the boys who picked on her. I watched as the boys laughed at her, making their way where I was sitting. I pushed myself up and jumped onto my feet, taking the last pull from my cigarette and blowing out the smoke before dropping it to the ground.

I picked up my bag and walked past them but not before shouldering the guy who tripped her. I ignored his protest when his ass met the ground. “You okay?” I asked the girl, crouching down to help her pick up her things.

“Fine.” She mumbled not looking at me. “Those boys are retards.” She continued.

“You know what they say about boys picking on girls.” It is the first time she actually acknowledged me as she looked up from the floor. “In this case, I wish it was true but we all know that it isn’t. They are spoiled brats picking on girls for the fun of it.” She said pushing herself to her feet.

“I’m Sasha-Lee.” I said holding out a book and some paperwork out to her.

“Thanks, I am Daphne.” She said fixing her glasses after taking her book from me.

“Are you new here?”

“No, I actually have Calculus with you.” She said shaking her head in disbelief.

“Well, I don’t know everyone around here as I don’t spend time making friends or friendly conversations.” I told her with a shrug.

“So, I’ve noticed. You are like a lone wolf.”

“Yeah, just without the fur and teeth.” She gave a soft giggle while grinning.

“I have to go and please next time, just step onto his foot real hard.” I started making my way when she called. “Hey, Sasha! Thanks! You are not as bad as everyone says you are.” I just saluted her and continued making my way.

I haven’t made any friends since Jaylin and Camille, and since my dad took me away from people I know. I haven’t actually spoken to anyone here since I was transferred over just two years ago, to me, it was a waste as the kids drawn up their own picture of me.

So, I was a little rebellious. Okay, maybe a lot. I will do things that they won’t even consider doing but it didn’t make me the bad guy.

I made my way over to Aunt Maggie’s after finishing up with school, this time she didn’t have a visitor with her. She looked up from her phone when I entered the Pub and Grill. “Oh, hey Sasha.” She greeted slipping her phone into her pocket.

“Hey, where is lover boy today?” I asked.

“He actually works and he is not my lover boy.” She scowled.

“Yeah, yeah whatever. Just like my father told me three years ago that Meredith doesn’t mean anything and look at them now.” Aunt Maggie just rolled her eyes at me.

“Talking about Meredith. She called, Jonah has a game later today and something to do with you always attending his games.”

“Oh, yeah. He has his first match of the season today. Can I go?” I asked, almost forgetting.

“Who is Jonah?”

“He is Meredith’s eight-year-old son.” I walked to the back to get dressed in my uniform when Aunt Maggie followed me to the back. “You treat this boy as if he is your brother?” She asked surprised.

“Uh, yeah. Jonah never had a father. His father left Meredith the day he found out she was pregnant with his child. She was only twenty-years-old when she had Jonah.” Aunt Maggie nodded and waited for me to continue. “Jonah loves my father, and for one weird reason he looks up to me.”

“And what about Meredith?”

“What about her?”

“Jonah accepted your father, why can’t you do the same with Meredith?”

“It feels as if dad moved on too quickly with her, mom was dead for only two years and he was already considering finding him a new bride that is only ten years older than me.”

“Your mother meant a lot to your father, you weren’t there when they met. There is a lot of things that you don’t know Sasha. And I think it was hard for your dad to be alone after everything they went through.”

“I know but I needed him.” Aunt Maggie looked at me with sympathy in her eyes.

“I have lost my mother when I was thirteen. I was just a child, I needed my father. But he left me, I was alone for two years. He would only come home to eat and the rest of the days he would sit in his study and work.” Aunt Maggie just looked at me before she took me in her arms.

“And then one day he brought her home and expected me to invite her into our home with open arms.”

Aunt Maggie just hugged me tighter, running her hand through my hair giving me the comfort I longed for years. “I’m so sorry, part of it was my fault. I also left you when you needed me.” She said placing a kiss on top of my head.

“I couldn’t look at you.” I confessed. She pulled away to look me in the eyes. “You look a lot like mom and your triggered emotions in me. When I see you, I see her smile and I hear her laughter.”

“But still, Sasha. You needed me.” I nodded wiping off a fallen tear. “How did you cope without us? All on your own?”

“There were days that I couldn’t get up from bed but then I read your mother’s letters and I realized that she didn’t want me to give up on life.” I nodded with a frown. “Letters?” I asked.

“She loved writing letters. She didn’t believe in technology, she believed that the letter wasn’t personal enough when typed.”

“Sounds like her.”

“Come on, let’s get started so you can be in time for Jonah’s game.” Aunt Maggie said wiping off all the tears.