Aloe Vera

Gold at the end of the rainbow but we’re not leprechauns

“Thank you.” I murmur, grateful that his face never changed when he pulled up to my house. He glanced at it, and kept looking with the same neutral/ hard expression that he always had.

I expected anyone who saw my silly excuse for a house to burst into laughter after the first glance, but he didnt.

Samuel didn’t reply as I stepped out, but he grabbed my hand before I could close the door.

“If anyone touches you again, tell me.”

“Thanks but I can handle myself.” I tell him, shutting the car door.

“It wasn’t an offer Loa.” His eyes darken and I shake my head.

“I’m grateful, really, that you saved my ass back there, but I think it’s best for the both of us that we retreat to our normal lives. You’re on the other side of the school; it’s a miracle that you even captured me at that moment. I’m sorry but I won’t come running to you for something I’m accustomed to facing. Goodnight.” I pull my hands from his and turn immediately, walking up to my house.

He speeds off the moment I shut my door, and the smell of something burning caught my attention. My mom is on the floor, passed out and my father was nowhere to be seen. In the kitchen, a pot lies on top of the stove, dried up and all black. I sigh, and turn off the burner before quietly heading to my room.

I felt really tired, and on top of that my head felt like it was going through menstrual cramps. I didn’t have the energy to go to Danielle’s house tonight so I only sank onto my bed and coughed slightly as dust rose.

My room was literally empty, only a small lamp stood next to my bed . . . mattress. I hugged my knees to my chest and laid my head upon them.

I had truly never seen Sammy around before, and I wondered why he coincidentally had his vehicle parked on the other section of the school today, when they have an entire section for themselves. I wondered how he knew my name and I wondered why he took me to his house. I wondered why I didn’t feel entirely scared while meeting him, and what went on in his mind when I told him my conditions.

My eyes fluttered closed desperate to ease the pain that swarmed through my head, and within seconds I was out.

#

I woke up the next morning to the smell of oatmeal. Danielle stood in my room, sweeping and adding little stuff that my mother would always come to destroy.

“Good morning.” She smiles at me and I smile back, sitting up.

She frowns. “Did you even eat last night?” She asks, pushing the bowl towards me and I happily take it.

“I had a headache.” I answer, shoving a spoonful in my mouth.

“I brought cetamol, hurry we only have about forty minutes before school starts.”

Danielle was a pretty girl. Short pixie brown hair and bright green eyes and you guessed right, she was white. But she was like me. We were both almost dirt poor, with scholarships being our only shot at survival. We’ve been friends since kindergarten and the bond never broke. She was just a little shorter, with a petite figure. The only difference was that her mother actually cared about us, and if it wasn’t for my powder sniffing mother who threw a tantrum every time I slept over there, I would’ve probably been living with them.

“Ms. Loa, get up so we can get going.” She says slapping my thighs and I stand, downing the water that she brought.

I hurriedly got into the ‘bathroom’ and stared at myself through the broken mirror. Dark orbs stared back at me, as well as a fresh cut under my left eye. I shook my head as I took in my thick 4c hair, that was left in a afro from since yesterday. I was blessed with a length that left me looking less bald headed, until it got wet.

I removed the shoelace and used a little spray bottle to lightly moisten it before using a wide tooth comb to get it puffy again and detangle it. I put it back into the shoelace and brush my teeth, dreading the fact that I had to step into the bathroom.

Praying that a cockroach doesn’t come crawling out of the drain, I took a fast shower and dried off before slipping into a pair of old jeans and a black t-shirt. I put on my flip-flops and reenter my bedroom to find Danielle looking outside my window with her arms crossed. She was humming, perhaps in another world.

Snatching my bag from the floor, I smile at her. “Ready to go?”

She turns and sighs. “You think things will ever get better?”

I try my best not to frown as she stares at me.

“I believe so D, we just have to hold on.” She slowly nods at me and I engulf her in a hug, before quietly tiptoeing out of the house, careful not to wake the sleeping terror that was my mother.

#

“So are we going to talk about yesterday or?” I kinda hoped we didn’t have to. I wanted to forget Sammy, before I even considered his offer.

“What about it?”

“Who were those boys Loa? Why were they helping us?"

“Youre asking me,” I snort, kicking at a rock as we walk to school. “I was surprised as you. They’re Z level boys, so I'm not sure what really happened yesterday."

“Where’d you go?”

“With Sammy.”

“Sammy? As in Samuel Blue?”

“I guess,” I shrug, glancing at her. “You know him?”

“Of course I know him! Everyone knows him!”

“If you’re going to say he’s loaded I’m pretty sure everyone besides us at school has money.”

“Loa, Samuel has the biggest of anger issues, I should’ve known. We need to stay away from him.”

“He’s a hormonal teenage boy Danielle, of course he has anger issues.”

“I’m not talking about the usual petty problems, I’m talking about borderline. He beat his anger management teacher into a coma, it was all over the news once.” My head whips to her direction.

“Are you serious?” She gives me a dead look and my eyes widen.

“I was alone with that guy yesterday!” I shriek.

“Im lucky. I got his friend.” She says for a moment before slowly smirking. “And he was hot.”

“Okay Marilyn Monroe, slow your horses."

“Seriously though Loa, you should stay away, everyone knows that he’s dangerous, and surely not someone to mess around with.”

“Don’t worry, I had no plans of getting to know him anyway.”

- -

By the time we arrived at school everyone was already in their classes. The teachers glared at me as I walked in late, muttering apologizes and the entire class

was quiet.

They didn’t sneer or cough insults, but just looked on as if we were something of interests. This was new. The lesson seemed to drag on and on and surprisingly I found my thoughts wandering to Sammy.

A moment passed and I sighed, bored before staring out the class window.

And there he was.

Out on the court, shirtless while shooting hoops with his equally muscular friends . . . I wanted to look away, I should’ve, because seconds later his eyes connected with mine.

My mouth dropped open, and he didn’t smile, nor did he look away so eventually I did, only to find Danielle looking at him and then back to me. She shakes her head slowly.

Finally the bell rings and I pack up as if my tail was on fire and head out the door with Danielle right behind me.

Everyone was acting so weird, they avoided us like the plague and I haven’t seen mace in school today.

“Do you think he’s dead?” I ask Danielle as we walk towards the benches outside.

“Its not impossible.” She says solemnly and I bite the inside of my cheek. With her chemistry book open she sinks into her own world and I gaze around. This would be the time that dull teenagers would throw trash at our heads, even glass bottles, but there was none.

From a far, I notice one of Samuel’s friends approaching up and I immediately tense, slapping Danielle’s thigh.

“Ouch! What’s wrong?” Her head whips in his direction and her eyes widen, but it wasn’t in fear.

Confused, I watch as a blush creeps up her cheek.

“Danielle.” He nods at me, before completely turning to her. He was a shorter than Samuel which was nothing because Sammy was a coconut tree, however his build was just as buff. He had dark green eyes, almost in the same colour as Danielle’s, and a tanned complexion with brown hair.

“H-hey, what're you do-"

“Just checking up on you, are you alright?”

She smiles softly and tries to place the hair she does not have behind her ear. I raise an eyebrow at her before looking away to find Samuel leaning on a vehicle, just staring at me.

I clear my throat at him before lowering my gaze to the ground. I had tuned out the two, and was now focused on a small bird hopping around the parking lot.

“I’ll pick you up at 7, is that alright?”

“Oh no, that’s usually my time with Loa.” She says and I shake my head.

“No, that’s fine. 7 is alright for her.” I state, forcing a small smile as I realize that they’re probably going on a date.

She shoots me a thankful smile in return before exchanging numbers with . . . I don’t know his name. Must be nice to have a phone, I thought.

He winks at her before jogging back to Samuel and Danielle simply stares at nothing with a soft smile on her face.

“First date?”

“First date.” She nods, still in awe and I chuckle.

“You have to come over after school to help me pick some, ill make you a sandwich since you won’t be home for dinner.” I nod and we stand to get to our next class.

“Y’know, he has other friends. . . "

“I’m fine D, really.” I chuckle but really I wasn’t. I was happy for her, she needed it.