TODAY'S OUR LAST day in the inn.
"Who wanted fries?" Uncle Kimmy asks.
"Me," Nickolis says taking the fries out of his hand and shares with his sisters. We're all sitting in the dining part of "McDonald's" as I slowly eat my burger. They're wolfing their food down and fighting over who's drink is who's. Slobs.
"We grew up south, ain't that right, Buddy?" Lucy says giving Uncle Kimmy a nuggie on the top of his full head of hair.
I push out a fake smile before Uncle Kimmy had to ruin it, "See, I knew you'd come around, Indie."
I roll my eyes as I slouch back in the booth wishing I'd never pushed out that plastic smile. After we're done, Uncle Kimmy and I go into the U-Haul. I see a sign: lane four SouthLane. Misery comes across my face, my stomach churns into a knot, and I feel like I want to die. Uncle Kimmy notices when he asks, "Kid, you okay?"
I feel dizzy and I want to throw up, I want to say but instead, I sit here in silence.
"Hey, don't worry, we're almost there," he says as he pulls over to a construction site.
I manage to ask him, "How many hours until we get there?"
" Hours? About two days. See--"
"Don't," I jokingly interrupt pretending that everything is okay. I feel relief come across me, though.
"Hey, I know it's hard and I'm so proud of you for accepting your Aunt and your cousins."
"Are they going to live with us, and if so, am I still gonna get my own room?" I desperately ask.
"Yes and most certainly." He pokes my nose as we drive off.
Hours pass as he pulls up into a little town. Questions fill my head.
"Don't worry, we're staying here with your Nana tonight."
"Just me and you?" I ask wanting it to happen so, so bad.
"And your cousins, too." We sit in silence for a long while. The word south seems to haunt me for the past few days we were at the hotel. One night I had a dream about coming back home to Tennessee and hugging Cass. Saying all of the sorries I could give. I wish I would've known how to say goodbye. I fiddle with the locket my dad gave me the day I hid the letter underneath my pillowcase. I wish that I could go back in time to a time before my life and scream. Two officers give us the okay as we drive.
The next morning Uncle Kimmy wakes us up as light stings my eyelids.
"Five more minutes," Amilla groans pulling the covers off her head.
I sit up as I watch Natalie throw a shoe at her sister's head. I have to admit, living with other kids my own age is kinda fun. Natalie is the hyperactive one, while Amilla's the opposite.
"What the hell!?" She says throwing the shoe off the bed and tossing it on the floor. What I miss is my own room.
"Indiana, is that where you're from?" Amilla asks me as Natalie runs out of the room.
"Yes." I get out of bed and go downstairs to eat what Nana has prepared for us to waffle down. I wash my hands before eating.
She says with the thickest country accent I've ever heard, "You have a good kid, Chum."
"Why does she call you chum?" I ask as she puts the plates filled with sausages, biscuits and gravy, yogurt on the side, and scrambled eggs out on the table as we sit down.
"Oh because he's always been my chum, right?" Nana says scratching his head just like Aunt Lucy did at the McDonalds diner.
"What if we can't eat all of...this?" I ask trying not to ask too much
"I can. You jus skinny, girl," Amilla states.
"I call your eggs and yogurt if you don't want them," Natalie says as I give her my sausages and biscuits with gravy.
They all talk and laugh as if nothing has changed as if the world's still spinning around and around on its cold; cool axis. I get up to put my plate in the sink, "I want the rest of that!" Natalie says as she snatches the food off my plate.
"It wasn't even that much," I state. I sit on the couch, Uncle Kimmy does the same.
"Hey, kiddo."
I don't say anything back I just text Esmerelda, Ty Sju, and Rita about my adventure so far. In my old school, they were the only people of color. I was one out of five people that were. Brittney is my only white friend and that's because her dad and Uncle Kimmy work together.
"Look, I know it's hard to cope with change but it's for the family."
I just want to shush him so bad so I can hear the video my friends show me on their story. I chuckle as I lean back on the soft sofa. I feel someone snatch my phone and the first instinct I say is, "What the fuck?!" It's Nana. I quickly cover my mouth.
She hands my phone to Uncle Kimmy, "Sometimes, discipline is the best policy. Now honey," she says her stern eyes dart towards me as I plop back on the couch devastated, "you are not an authority figure. If I was your uncle, I'd spank you senseless. Do you act like this in school?"
I shake my head.
"Then don't act like that at home, understood?"
I nod as Uncle Kimmy gives my phone back. I can't tell who's mad at me as fear courses my body. Uncle Kimmy gets up from the couch as he pulls me by my elbow into Nickolis's room, "Please stop triggering my mom," he states. I can tell we share the same fear.
I nod completely understanding his predicament. His mom's scary and my gramma's scary. Nickolis comes in holding what smells like dead fish but it's dead dear. I scream.
Nana and the girls rush over to my scream.
"What the...oh," Nana says her face going from a pale brown back to Uncle Kimmy's skin color.
I stammer, "Th-th-th-th...what is that?!"
"Dinner," he says as he pushes it closer to me. I hide behind Uncle Kimmy clutching my phone.
"Well, get outta my room!" He hollers as we get out. He closes his door as the girls laugh at me.
"Woooo, you shoulda seen your face!" Natalie bellows.
I roll my eyes at their laughter, "Well if your slots weren't so...disgusting, then I would've never had to question my safety."
"Girl, this world ain't safe. It's best if you know now so you won't have to learn the hard way," Nana says with a bowl of something white in it, she mixes it.
"Wacha makin', Nana?" Amilla says about to dip her finger in it.
"See what I mean!" I say as Nana lifts the bowl away from her finger.
"Potatoes, and you oughta learn now, baby. Not everyone's gon' be here for ya. Everyone's nasty."
"That's not true, Mama," Uncle Kimmy states.
"Yeah, it's true. Them discutin' people 'r gon' tear you up 'n spitcha out."
"Mama's right," Lucy says liking her fingers as her bell hangs out of the wall as she almost puts her finger into the bowl.
Another night of starvation, I guess. I hate it here. I hate it here. I want to run back home in Tennessee where I belong.