Ziyah's POV
A picture of Daya storming away in the hallway is etched in my brain reminding me of the terrible mistake I made. I'm not completely sure if it was a mistake though, because what is someone like her doing with someone like me. Someone who doesn't cuss out the freshmen in the hallways when they bump into her, and says thank you to her teachers after every class. Who the fuck am I to box her in?
"Ziyah!" My mom screams and I jump out of my desk chair. I would ask her what, but I've learned that just my name means get your ass over here. I head to my mom's room where she stands in the middle of holding two evening gowns. Oh god not this shit again.
"Yes mom," I say and she turns from the too fancy dresses to me.
"Baby which one is better for a gala the sapphire or the gradient light blue?" She asks. I wish I could say I've never heard of the word sapphire, but living with a bunch of girls it's in my limited vocabulary close to the word fuck.
With reluctance I take the slightest glance at the dresses. "Honestly mom I think you'll look good in whatever."
She narrows her eyes at me. "Boy you know I'm not trying to just look good?" She holds the dresses up some more revealing that they're longer than her.
"The sapphire," I say.
At that she throws the sapphire dress on the bed, and walks to her closet with the light blue one. I begin to make my way out of the room, but in a matter of seconds she comes back into the room. I was being dumb thinking she just wanted my opinion on a gown.
"Mhmm you aren't getting out of here that easy." She gestures me into her closet which has become her room for therapy sessions, and knowing the routine I sit at her little bench. For some reason she already has a cup of tea made for herself, and after taking sips she places the cup down on her tray. "Tell me everything," she says more with her eyes than with her voice. Over the past few feeks she's been working non stop making me familiar with those depressing microwave meals beside Angela and Sofia. Still she has eyes in the back of her head, and I'd be more of a fool than I already am to think those eyes didn't see me in my somber post bad decision state.
"Everything I read to Sofia last night? Well there was green eggs and ham, Barbie mermaids, and I forgot the other one, but it had-" My mom's burning scold senses my bullshit and she takes another sip of tea.
"You know what I mean, but if I have to make it clear, I'm asking you to tell me everything that is making you so depressed, I can sense your energy and baby it's draining." With one hand holding her tea she places the other on my hand that I've been tapping on my knee since I sat down.
"You're not going to be disappointed or mad?" Shit she fell in love with Daya when she came to the house just like Sofia and Angela, I wouldn't be surprised if they all get depressed with the "break," news. Or maybe they won't because we're not broken up.
"Only if it's the solution to the problem." There she goes with her positive meditation shit.
"I sort of broke up with Daya," I say and out of fear of her slapping my hand I remove it from hers.
Like the time she caught Angela making out with some boy in the garage her face lights up with surprise and her mouth flies wide open. " What the hell and, what do you mean sort of?" She yells and rises from the bench to look down at me.
"I told her I needed some time," I mumble and try not to look at her eyes.
"So a break?" She's reached level three on the mad black mom scale as her hands land right on her hips. So much for being all positive and zen.
"Yea a break."
"Oh my god why?You know what happened to Ross and Rachel right?" Her anger and surprise seems to settle down and she runs her hands through her curls before going back to sitting next to me. "What happened?"
I let out an annoyed sigh as I know I have a big old speech coming my way. "She deserves someone better mom." The second I turn to look back at her she rises from the bench again, and is looking down at me as I look around the closet for some crazy piece of clothing. The blue cheetah print hat, that's what I stare at as her eyes bore into me. I focus my eyes on the hat until my mom gets close and makes me turn with one snap of her lavender nails.
"She deserves someone better? You're kidding me right?" Saying yes would be the right answer, but I'm fucking done with lying and all I do is shake my head. Mom lets out one of those mad laughs and also shakes her head. "And I thought it would be Daya to break your relationship up because of insecurities," she says loud enough for me to hear.
And now she for sure has my attention. "What?"
"Baby you slaved away in that room of yours drawing that girl, who could be more deserving?" The only answer I can give is a another dumb shrug. My mom goes back to sitting by me, and she holds my hand in hers. I love my mom, but sometimes I wish I could just have one of those cool father son talks where I can cuss instead of this sentimental shit. "You know what I'm going to say right?" Her tone isn't as nice and sweet now.
"Yes, you're an amazing person and you deserve the world," I say with no emotion in my voice.
"No I'm going to say stop being such a female dog and making stupid fucking decisions!" Well I was far off. "She makes you happy right?"
"Yea."
"Then that and some other things I don't feel like talking about are all that matters."
"So what do I do now?"
"Boy don't be stupid you get her back!" I pull my phone out of my jean pocket and the second I get to typing my passcode my mom snatches it out of hand. "Not by text!"
"Fine I'll talk to her tomorrow." Even without the intention to get back together all I want to do is talk to Daya, hell I don't mind arguing with her.
"No! no you asked for a break you guys are going to have a break, you can't just come back to the girl after practically breaking her heart, you have to wait!" God this relationship shit is so confusing, I almost see why Lucas doesn't settle and simply bounces from bed to bed or backseat to where every else he gets lucky.
"How long do I wait?"
Mom takes a sip of her tea and then looks around her closet until her eyes land upon a pair of bright red heels I've never seen her wear. Her face lights up, and she rubs her hands together. "A week, a week! Oh that would be perfect!" I don't bother asking and let her continue as I've done enough talking. "Next week is valentine's day, and that's when you'll win her back!" She concludes. For some minutes she goes on about all the romantic gestures I can do to get Daya back into my arms, but my mind is still stuck on the thought that no gesture will make me good enough for Daya.
Daya's POV
I sit in my room at my desk staring at my computer and the blank google docs page that has been haunting me since I opened it. Everyday I have numerous amounts of ideas, and they normally spill out onto my keyboard. but not today. Not after three days of trying not to look at Ziyah in french class, and not telling anyone that we're on a break. I want to write an amazing short story that I can turn into an amazing screenplay, but I can't and instead the first two words I type are Dear Ziyah.
The second I hit the return button, the words that were supposed to go into some 5000 word story form to make a letter to Ziyah. It's not lovey dovey or sentimental, or even my best piece of writing. It's simply a letter of all the things I want to say to him. This includes funny stuff that happened today, all the jokes in my head, and things I wanted to tell him. Like every time I write I'm relieved as I look at my words and thoughts put together so perfectly in the Times New Roman font.
"Yo Daya can I use your charger?" Vince shouts and peaks his head in the door. He's in his football muscle tee and shorts even though he got home from practice like an hour ago.
"Are you sure you didn't just put your cable in wrong?" He's done this several times along with giving his cable to people who "forget," to give it back to him.
"Yes it's not working I'm positive, dad said he's going to get me a new one soon." With a shake of my head I throw him my charger that was sitting on my desk and like the accomplished quarterback he is he catches it.
"Thanks."
"No problem." I try and go back to looking at my screen, but Vince remains in the same spot making me close my window with the letter to Ziyah.
"Yes?" I say looking at Vince who looks like he's dozing off into space. He quickly blinks and shakes his head. Probably a side effect from the seizure.
"Oh I know," he says matter of factly. I turn all the way around in my chair and raise my eyebrows basically yelling, What? "Daya I know," he says slower. Now I know what he knows, but I just want him to let it pass. Every time I think of Vince knowing I'm not thinking about it, instead Vince's words when we were decorating the tree flash in my head, "If he hurts you I'm going to break every bone is." Of course he didn't finish the sentence, but he didn't need to.
"Vince everything is fine," I assure him.
"Daya you know you're terrible at lying. Also I have amazing eyesight and I saw that Dear Ziyah shit. Whenever you got to put a dear in front of your boo's name some shit went down."
"It's none of your business Vince." Vince takes that as an invitation to come further into my room, and sit on my bed.
"I told you when Vicki and I broke up, and the reason we got together. Shit I let you ask me 10 questions after we broke up, the least you can do is confirm what I already know." He does have a point about him telling me about Vicki , but the difference is I didn't have any intention in beating Vicki up.
"If you already know then there is no point in me telling you." I spin a little in my chair which is quite calming.
Vince lets out a sigh and avoids bumping his head when getting up from my bed. "Daya look all I'm saying is this time try and win him back, don't do what you did before."
"What do you mean?"
"Don't be scared of sounding clingy and actually text him. Like this sounds cheesy as shit, but fight for him." That does sound cheesy as shit, but I get what he means. For some reason the minute I heard the word break my brain just jumped to being completely cut off from Ziyah, but it doesn't have to be that way.
"K thanks, and since those therapy sessions seemed to help you, yeah we're are on a break," I say staring right into Vince's eyes. He mouths, "I know," and walks away. Taking Vince's place is my mom who slides right into the doorway. Oh shit, she was eavesdropping.
"You and Ziyah are on a break?" She's using the same tone Vince use to have before his therapy sessions. I hate it.
I spin right around in my chair. "Mom with all due respect I know I'm supposed to be 100% honest with you, but I don't want to talk to you about Ziyah. I know you don't think he's good enough for me which I don't get. And you're probably beaming on the inside." I keep my voice light as I don't want to sound like Harper when she talks to her mom.
"Daya I could never be happy if you're unhappy," she says in that motherly tone that's supposed to fix everything.
"Ok," I say and spin some more in my chair. I believe her, but I don't say it and let her go back to the kitchen while I text Ziyah.
Me: Hey I know we're on a break, but I miss you and I hope you're ok.
Ziyah: Shit I thought you were going to ghost me, but I miss you.
Then why are we on a break?