Chapter 1: Seeking change
You wake up from a long sleep. Its a sunday morning, and your father, has prepared for you your usual brekfast special. A crispy omlette with your favourite herbs and spices mixed in.
“Morning dad” you wearily say as you enter the kitchen, still in your pyjamas, still tired.
“Morning my sweet princess! Breakfast is already surved!” Says your father, smiling elegantly. He sits down at the dinner table, across from your hot fresh plate of an omlette. He begins to dig in with smiles when he notices your eyes becoming slightly teary. His smily expression drops
“Whats wrong? Did i make the omlette wrong?” Says your dad
You: “No dad, its just...it reminds me of mom when she used to do this for us every morning. I still cant get over her death and its been 6 months”. You wipe away a tear from your cheek as you sit down by your omlette.
“i know its hard sweetheart, i know..but i want you to know she will be proud of you, always”. He smiles as he touches your cheek tenderly.
You sit down and govble up your omlette, until you recieve a text from your best friend,isabella, from high school.
"Hey ari! Today were celebrating tom’s birthday. He literally begged me to invite you. Its being held st the night ckub down town at 7pm and theres this new hottest kid in town attemding too! So u in?
You read the text and reply.
"Sure, will be there on time!”
You turn to your dad, whos busy looking a at documents.
"Dad can i go to my friends birthday party tonight?
Your dad looks up, almost startled.
“A what party?? But ari you already know how dangerous it is to be at parties where we live! No im sorry ari, call your friends and tell them you cant come. The risk is too high”
“But dad, i never--”
“Ari, i just told you my answer. You are NOT going to the party! Ill be out at work by 5, how am i supposed to know when you are home? All these things must be taken into consideration.”
You turn away and run up the stairs and slam your room door. You sink down on your bed, struggling to come to terms with your dads words. Youre about to text isabella and tell her the news, when you remember your dad telling you he will be out by 5.
(Thats it! Ill just run away when he is gone! He wont even noticed i left the house!)
5 hours and 30 minutes later....
Its 4:30 pm. You have already picked your clothes for the party, however, you await the right moment to make your move to change your clothes. As you hear your dads footsteps coming towards your room door. You jump on your bed and pretend to be asleep.
"Hey princess im--
He notices you sleeping, bit stunned, and he walks over to give you a kiss on the forehead. You feel the warmth of his face as he strokes your hair away from your mouth.
“Couldnt have asked for a better daughter. The greatest thing ever to happen in my lifetime”. You almost open your eyes feeling a warmth feeling inside your body.
He walks out the door, before you hear the front door downstairs slam shut, and the SUV pull out the driveway.
(Great! Now its time to partaaaaaay!)
2 hours later...
You take a shower and get dressed in a hoodie and a long jeans and prepare to escape the house without leaving a scratch, knowing your dad is chief of police, he can find out anything. You open your window, and you carefully make your way down to the roof pipe. You then jump off and land safely outside your porch.
You are sitting on the chair in the front porch when you hear isabella pull up to the front of the house in her car. You get up as you excitedly run and hop into the car for your first ever party as a teenager!
A short drive later, you arrive at the night club. Buzzing with people from around the neighbourhood, and hearing the thump of a rauceous hip hop beat coming from inside. You hop out and take in the energy.
“This is AMAAAAAAZINGGG!” You yell at the top of your voice. “But my dads gonna fucking kill me!
“Yes i know!” Yells isabella. “But we will make sure youre home before curfew!” You both walk inside the club, boping your head to the music.
You meet tom, whos scoffing down a chocolate cupcake.
“Happy birthdayyyy!” You give him a hug.
“Thanks ari, its good to see you here!” He yells, his breath smelling of alcahol.
You and isabella walk over to the queue for food, when you spot a handsome young looking guy across the room. Dark skin colour, with the neatest cut beard you couldve ever seen. He hands one of his compatriots a large bag and you see him take out a large band of cash. he notices your gaze, before you quickly turn away
You grab a cupcake and a glass of fruit punch from off the cocktail table. You begin to walk over to your spot, when you notice the guy staring at you from the bar
(This guy again? He staring at me!)
You walk over to him.
“Hey! You got a problem or something? You been staring at me all night!”
“Nah. Just admiring the view. Im Darien by the way”. He reaches out his hand for a handshake, you reluctantly shake his hand.
“Cool. Im ari.” You take a sip of your fruit punch.
“So what brings you to this place?”
“Well, it is my friend’s birthday party, although im kinda not supposed to be here because my dad is soo overprotective but i couldnt resist. Sometimes i just want to let loose and be free, you know?”
“Yeah i understand. I live a life in which i have to make huge sacrifices to survive. I own this ckub actually. People like me arent respected because we do things unconventional way. Some say were thugs”
“Why? K i mean what did you do to get this lavish lifestyle?” You become ever more indulged in the conversation. You stare into his glistening eyes and his handsome face, taking in every breath and every word.
“Well um..” He scratches the back of his head, as if hes about to tell you hes murdered to get what he is. He pulls you aside somewhere more private
“I push cocaine for a underground drug gang”. You gasp and nearly drop your drink.
“Everything ok ari?“. He reaches out and touches your forehead.
“Im..im fine... I just didnt expect that i guess”. You sit down on a nearby chair.
“Yup. Told you i dont do things the conventional way. I make money, i get to feed my fsmily, my lil sister goes to school, my mom gets fed, my dad gets finances. Of course they dont know, but even worse, society will never understand. Brooklyn is the hardest place to grow up in. Im sure a beautiful girl like you would understand that and understand where im coming from”. He manages a smile and looks into your eyes.
“Yeah..i do..” Your eyes meet his eyes, and suddenly you find yourselves unconsciously moving closer to each other. You feel a rush inside your body, like butterflies in your stomach. Your lips meet his, as he caresses your face.
But the kiss is shortlived as you hear gunshots ring out from outside. You both jump, startled.
“What the FUCK was that!” You yell as pandemonium rings out in the room, screaming, running, glass breaking, and you wonder where your friend is.
“ISABELLA--”
“Cmon we got no time!” Says darien. He takes your hand as you make your way for the exit.
“But my friend--”
“We have no time! Lets get the fuck outta here before anyone else dies!“.
You follow him to a nearby carpark where he unlocks a ford GT.
“Get in quick!”
You hop in as he starts the car and immieatly race off down the road.
“What the fuck was that back there?! Who were they??”
Darien, face screwed, doesnt answer, speeds up the road, pedal to the metal.
“Nigga answer me you havent said a word since we got in here!“.
“Theyre a rival drug gang”. He reluctantly answers. He takes a big sigh.
“They knew we was out clubbing and thought to make an attack”.
“And you left my fucking friend back there? Take me back i want to know if shes ok!“.
“But ari i told you--”
“Fucking take me back i said! i dont want to lose her shes the only person i got!” You feel a ocean of tears well up in your eyes as you shakily exhale, remembering all the good memories of you and isabella. You constantly think of her birthday, the days of growing up alongside her, and now the possibility of her being dead in the chaos. trying not to cry, you cover your face with your hands as if not to embarass yourself. He looks at you with a worried expression as you text isabella.
′Isabella are u ok????? Pls tell me ur safe!!! Message me ASAP im worried loads 😭′
You put away the phone as you take in the breese from the window, blowing against your braids. Another moment of silence engulfs the car before darien finally speaks.
“Hey look, ill go get your friend for you and bring her home, i promise, but i can’t let you back there girl. Its too dangerous. If you died tonight ill never forgive myself”. He shakes his head as a depressing expression comes on his face. He holds your hand tightly, to comfort you.
“Ok. Please do”. He nods.
15 minutes later, and you arrive at your house after a series of directions giving. You wish darien good night as he turns around and drives back to the club. You walk up to the front door, still shaken from tonights events and open it. You close the door and turn around, shocked to see your father standing behind you with an angry expression. Its 10pm, way past your curfew.
“...d-dad?” Your voice sounding shaky as your hands begin to tremble.
“Where were you, ari?“. He says as he gives you the icy cold stare.
“I-I--”
“You know what, save it. I know you went to that party. I know a shooting happened, and i know exactly who you talked to tonight. Even when i told your black ass to stay home, yet you STILL disobey me!” His voice rises.
“D-Dad im--” your voice begins to tremble as you struggle for words. You feel guilty tears well up behind your eyes and a lump in your throat forms.
“Well SPEAK! Dont just stand there why did you disobey me?!” He stomps closer. Within inches from you.
Panic spreads out through your body as you rememorise tonights events, the gunshots, the running away, your friend, missing. You are speechless. A tear rolls down your left cheek before you try to open your mouth, but your blood turns cold. You begin to feel lightheaded and dizzy.
“ARI! WHY THE F--”
“I..i just wanted to be free...“. You finally manage to bring out words as you breathe heavily, beginning to hyperventilate. All of sudden, you drop to the ground in a faint as your dads voice echoes in the outside world.
“Ari..ARI oh my god!” He quickly gets down and checks your pulse, letting out a sigh of relief that you are still breathing. He hoists you and lays you down on the couch and fluffs a pillow behind your head. He sits down, opposit from your unconscious body and begins to shake his head in his hands.
“What have i done...” He asks himself.
END OF CHAPTER ONE.
