Flashback to Milani's sophomore year
It was a bright Thursday afternoon as the afternoon assembly was just beginning with a speech that Milani had to carry out. "In the months leading up to this years homecoming. We as in the proud students of Stanton high must think of a creative and memorable idea for our homecoming." Milani stood on the stage facing the thousands of students. "Remember, everybody it's your time to shine this school year. Order tickets now for the night of your dreams. Thank you all for coming and have a wonderful weekend." The audience members reacted to her speech with applause. Getting off the stage Milani shook hands with most of the teachers.
After the announcement Milani was entering the classroom of her favorite teachers, which was A.P Literature. "Oh Milani sweetheart, could you do me a favor, please? Since you have no classes right now." Mrs. White pleaded. Looking at her teacher Milani can already tell it was something important that she didn't want to do. Sighing Milani nodded at her teacher to continue talking. "Could you please take these papers to this address and get the signatures?"
"Sure, anything for my favorite lazy teacher." School wasn't over yet, but since she was so smart she only had four classes. Like the good student she was she took the papers from her favorite teacher and made her way to the school gate.
Milani strolled to her beat down car in the student parking lot. Glancing at all the luxurious cars she looked at hers, it was nothing like the other cars. It was rusty, old, and needed a paint job. But she knew she couldn't afford a new car because of the way her financial life was. Starting up her car she blasted on some music. She didn't have a lot of gas in her car and it could break down after a few miles of driving. But luckily the house wasn't far from the school.
When she reached the mansion gates, she admired the lovely flowers circling the house. "This must be what being rich looks like," she said as she pressed the buzzer. "State your name and purpose," A small voice in the intercom box spoke to her. "Oh, my name is Milani kekoa and I'm here from Stanton high, I came to deliver papers." The gate opened, and she drove towards the house's driveway.
What was so hard that Mrs. White couldn't do this herself? Milani thought as she parked her car and walked to the front door. As if someone expected her the door opened before Milani could even knock on it. Out came the boy that everybody in the school knew.
He had a slim face, sharp jawline with defined cheekbones. His eyebrows were thick, and his charming eyes stared right at her. His nose was slim, and he had luscious pink lips. The sunlight glowed on his golden blonde curly hair. His model like looks slightly intimidated Milani. Awkward silence between the two grew as he crossed his arms. It was then where she caught a glimpse of a tattoo featured on his right shoulder.
Ceaser Michaels, the schools best football player amongst the junior class. He stood gracefully taller besides others, despite his age.
There was something intoxicating about him, perhaps it was his personality or perhaps it was simply his known presence. People gathered around him to be his friend while still making up rumors about him behind his back. Pathetic if you ask me. Milani thought as she checked out the boy further.
"Who are you, how did you get past all my security and why the hell are you on my porch," He watched her, irritated, as the door closed behind him. "You got a package for me?" He said staring at the wrapped folder.
Oh yeah breaking out of thought Milani handed him the papers. "Mrs. White wanted me to hand you these documents to sign," As he took in the wording from the packet irritation spread across his face. "I just want a nice easy life, what's wrong with that?" His palm reaches the top of his forehead as he slammed it together. She didn't know what to say as she'd never had a conversation with the schools golden boy. "Excuse me, sorry for interrupting your reading but are you done signing the papers? I need to return them and go home." He laughed loudly almost like Milani said a joke.
Superman has his kryptonite for Milani it was cute guys laughing. "I should have seen this coming, What's your name again?" He asked. "My name is Milani Kekoa nice to meet you," she replied trying to guess why he asked for her name. "Wait I remember you, aren't you that girl I sit next to in class?" To say it shocked her would be an understatement, how did he know who she was? Not even some of the teachers knew her name. "Well, Milani looks like you'll be my tutor from now on until exams." The corners of his mouth slid upwards showing his perfect white teeth. "Oh ok," Great she thought as she took the papers back from him and hopped into her car.
A few weeks later
Do you ever just feel like you did something awful that you don't know of and now God's after you? For example, if you find a dollar on the ground behind someone and you don't tell them you found their money and you keep it. Then you lose your wallet with all your money in it. A prime example of God giving back karma. For Milani she didn't get to pick a dollar off the floor instead she was burdened with teaching this idiotic goofball.
Over the past three weeks Caesar would annoy the shit out of Milani. For example, this cute nerdy upperclassmen she was in the same class with tried asking her out on a date during lunch. But before she could even answer Ceaser pushed the boy so hard that the guy fell down on his butt. He said it wasn't jealousy when she called him out for it. Caesar claimed he didn't want her wasting time on a boy when she could tutor him nonstop.
The constant ringing of her phone forced her to get up from the cozy cotton sheeted bed. "Hello Is this Milani?" Yawning she sat up on her bed and rubbed her eyes. "This is she," She replied tiredly. "My name is Joseph I work with your old man and I just wanted to make sure your dad got home safe. Last night he was drinking on the job I tried to call him a cab but when I went outside to find him he already left with his car. Sorry to bug you if you're still in bed I just wanted to check on you and your dad. Goodbye Milani and tell your dad the boss wants to speak to him." Milani cursed under her breath at her father's behavior. He's probably out like a light in his bed right now she thought.
Getting up from the bed she walked into the bathroom to shower and brush her teeth. After her shower Milani went downstairs and cooked herself some breakfast. She was eating her food when her phone rang again. Inhaling a deep breath she picked up the call. "Hello," before she could say anything further the person on the other line bamboozled her. "Hi my name is doctor Alton Patrick calling from Downtown Harrington hospital." Why is a hospital calling her? She wondered as she continued to eat her eggs.
"I'm calling to inform you that you were on an emergency contact list for a Mr. Kekoa Is that correct ma'am?" Milani turned, not even bothering to finish up the last piece of bacon. "Yes, I'm his daughter Milani Kekoa, can you please tell me what's going on." There was a slight pause on the line then the clearing of his throat. "Miss your father suffered several concussions after getting into a car accident." That was the point where everything stopped, Milani could no longer eat the food in front of her. She thanked the person for calling her and hung up the phone as she ran to her car. The drive was crazy fast but the whole time she only cared about praying that her father wasn't badly injured.
Milani rushed inside the emergency room and into the waiting room. "Excuse me, my name is Milani Kekoa, my dad Mike Kekoa got into and accident." The receptionist glanced at her up and down, sizing up Milani. "Can I ask was it an emergency?" What type of question is that? Milani thought.
"No, he's stable but—" before she could finish her sentence the receptionist rudely slammed a piece of paper and pen in front of her. "Since it isn't an emergency, you can go sit in the waiting room until you've finished filling this sheet out. Then we'll call see if we can call you up."
An hour passed by where all Milani could do was wait for them to come and tell her how her father was doing. Battling with herself she tried to decide whether she should scream at him for not being careful or cry thanking god that he didn't die of sight.
All she could do was stare down at her hands, twisting and knotting them together as if doing so would hold back the agitation growing inside her. Sadness filled the room, vivid on the faces of people in the waiting room. They all looked as concerned as she did, trying their best to swallow down the pain that brought them here.
The whiff of hand sanitizer hung heavy over her head fused with the cold air. In fact, Milani could feel a sneeze begging to develop. Suddenly in walked a nurse looking down at her notepad. "Kekoa? if you'd like to come through, the doctor is ready in room 2-018." A breath of relief blew out of Milani's mouth as she shook her head to thank the nurse.
To be honest, Milani was tired, she had been at the hospital all morning and didn't get much sleep while she was there. She walked inside the elevator pressing down on the second floor. The nervousness was building up inside her. Her legs felt as though they were made of jello, with every step she took her legs giving in. The sign 2-018 on the door; she pushed it open.
There lied her beat up dad hooked up to multiple wires. The bed sat low to the ground, the bed frame small and the mattress thin. They knew my father was poor and gave him the poorest room in the building, she thought walking up to her father's side.
Milani could feel the pressure from biting the insides of her lip. "Oh, daddy look what you got yourself into," Once that first tear broke free, the rest followed in an unimpaired stream. Bending forward his weeping daughter sat on the floor while her head laid on his lap. She broke down with a force unstoppable.
It was painful for his daughter to see him like this. All she could do was embrace him and let her tears moisten his hospital gown. Silence engulfed the room with only the sounds of her sobbing and her phone ringing uncontrollable. After the fourth time her phone ringed, she finally picked it up. "Hello," she sniffles as she waited for the caller to speak. His daughter looked up and down watching her fathers every move scared that one minute he could just disappear. "Where are you?" The caller replied.
Looking at the number she grew confused, Milani didn't recognize the voice nor the phone number. "Who is this?" There was a slight chuckle, and that's when she knew who it was. "It's Caesar dummy," Milani could tell by the way he talked that he was smirking on the other line. "I'm at the hospital I won't be able to show up for school so don't even bother." Silence broke through the phone as Milani held onto her fathers hand. "Im on my way," She could hear his rapid footsteps in the background. "Wait what? You know you have a game tonight." Milani tried to get her thoughts together. "Stay put, or else." He said as he started his car in the background. She stayed.