1 Chapter 1: Ahliyah

"Things will be different this time." My mother told me.

Things were not going to change they will always remain the same. I should've fought a little harder when she told me I would have to come back and stay with my dad. I should've cried, begged, anything, but she told me it would be okay and I believed her. I stood in front of the door hesitating to knock because I didn't know which part of my dad I was going to meet first.

I took a deep breath and knocked, the door opened. I slowly stepped in leaving my bags by the door. The house looked empty, but there was food and beer cans sitting on the coffee table. I looked around the house everything was the same, blackout curtains still covered the window and there were a few movies on the shelf. There wasn't much in the kitchen, but a few plates and silverware, and no food in the fridge.

My bedroom was the same too. Dark blue curtains covered my window and my posters were still on the wall. Coming back to my dads' house reminded me of why I had left, things were difficult and I didn't want to remember any of it. I waited and waited for him to come home and greet me, some part of me hoped that my dad would put the alcohol away and look at me like a dad was supposed to look at his daughter.

I repacked my car because I couldn't stay in that house. I sat in my car watching the sun to set while I figured out, where else I was supposed to go. I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel, my thoughts raced and I couldn't focus on any of them clearly. It was hard being here and trying not to think about the bad, but there were so many bad things that happened here. I called my mother instead to at least listen to her voice and I knew I could talk to her without her judging me.

" Ahliyah, sweetie what's wrong? Did you arrive in Florida yet?" She asked.

My mother was sweet and she cared about everyone . She put people before herself and that's what was hurting me now. I didn't understand it and maybe I never will.

" Yes, mom, I made it. How are things going?"

I was keeping my tears at bay and trying to figure out what I was going to do next. " Same as always. These doctors taking blood and making sure I am okay, they're also getting on my nerves. How are you?" She chuckled.

The hardest things didn't seem so hard when I talked to her, she made them seem so easy. My palms were sweating and the tears were starting to fall. I listened to my mother rant about how she didn't want to be sick anymore and how she would like for us to sit on her porch and sip tea when she gets better

" Mom, where am I supposed to stay. I can't stay with dad and I don't have money to go to a hotel." I cried. I was broken underneath all of these layers and my mom would tell people I was just shy, but there is a lot I carry on my shoulders and she's the only person who knows.

" What's that boys name? Um.. Elias, I think that's his name. Anyways, call him and he'll let you stay with him, until I can figure something out." She said.

" Elias, doesn't want me staying there. How do you know he'll let me stay with him?" I sighed. She explained how she thought he would because we were best friends in school. She said she called his brother and asked, but Elias never gave an answer when the message was passed on.

" Okay, mom. Love you"

" Love you too, be safe."

As I drove to Elias's house, I held my breath. I didn't know what I was supposed to expect. I didn't want to be uncomfortable. I just wanted this night to end, so I could get back up in the morning and figure out what was next. Before I could knock, Elias had the door opened for me. I walked in waiting for him to tell me where I was supposed to go.

Elias sat down on the couch and I waited for him to show me to the nearest bed. He smiled moving over, so I could sit beside him. We were going to talk and catch up, talk about the good times. He wanted to talk because as far as he knew, I was dead.

When I left, I deleted him number and tried my hardest to forget who he was and what he meant to me. I failed because as I thought about it, he meant a lot more than any of the other boys who left. Things have changed, I wasn't the same girl now.

" It's been a long time. When I heard your mom ask if you could stay here, I didn't know what to do. I thought that maybe you didn't want to have anything to do with me." He rubbed the back of his neck.

I guess we both thought the same thing. He talked about what he has been doing and how he was still trying to figure out the adult life.

" Do you still have that old body shop? We used to sneak off in there and.." I stopped myself before I said something I couldn't take back.

" I have still have it. I'll let you see it in the morning. We should get you to bed though." We got off the couch and he showed me to my room. I quickly began to take my clothes off and get in the bed, and I forgot all about Elias.

" I'm glad you remember what we used to do in that old shop. There are somethings I need to tell you though, but it can wait until the morning." He smiled.

Once he was out of the room, I laid in the bed and I was finally relaxed. I was no longer worrying or anxious and this was the first night out of many where I could sleep. I was glad I had a place to sleep in for the night and in the morning I would find me somewhere else to sleep. All my worries went away as I fell into a deep slumber and dreamed of something better for myself.