A smile lingers on my face as my fingers tighten around the surface of the necklace Gavin had

given to me this morning.

Our initials engraved on the back, well-- his was on my piece, while the piece he had held my
initials.

Like he’d planned this all out, him asking me to be his Girlfriend, and then this?

"Babe?" My smile widened as I took notice of him in his uniform, neat to the bone, what made
me even proud of him was the 12 different badges he had pinned to the left of his jacket, the
bwoy was just always neat, even in his uniform.

"Come on, we have Admin." He says, using his hand to gently pull me from the seat.

Yave class and deh ya a siddung?

Internally rolling my eyes at my subconscious, I walked out of the auditorium going towards the
B Block for class, Gavin not too far behind me.

Final class for the day, then I can go home.

His yard, or your home?

Mines, both my parents are home for Ash Wednesday, so I’m heading home.

I didn't inform Gavin of this yet, shouldn't be much of a deal, I'm always with him, right?

Being lost in my own thoughts, I almost walked pass our classroom, “You good?” He asks,
handing my water bottle to me.

“Yeah.” I responded, entering the classroom which a few students had started to file in.
Our teacher was at the whiteboard, heading up today's date, alongside the topic and objectives.

She hardly wrote on the board, dictation was mainly done, or we’d receive handouts with
information pertaining to the then topic.

Finding our regular seat at the back near an open window, I sit, and Gavin takes his seat. “Sure
yuh gov?” Again, I assured him I was okay. “I need to tell you something, but it can wait until
after class.” I whispered to him just as the teacher turned her back.

“Write it on a piece of paper and give me.” Came his response as he tore a piece of paper from
the back of his book, handing it to me.

I forgot to mention I'll be going home today, after school. Parents are
home for Ash Wednesday.

Handing the paper to him, I watch a frown appear on his face before he crumbles the paper not
saying anything.

Not letting that distract me, I collected the paper being handed to me by a classmate--- Deonja
and began working silently on the past paper.

I will be due at the end of the class.

Breezing through the first 5 questions, the last one gave me a tough time, but it turned out I kept
focusing on the wrong part of the question.

_________

Class finished minutes ago, but Gavin was giving me the cold shoulder.
He wouldn't even look at me when I approached him 5 minutes ago, only took up his bag and
waited outside, but as soon as I approached him, he began walking off.

“My gurl walk up man, chro.” His words caused me to stop on the top of the stairs looking down
at him,

“The hell ya behave suh fah? Did I do something to offend you?”

My voice came out calm, but I was far from it. I felt somewhat hurt by his sudden behavior.

We were good an hour ago, what the hell changed?

He sighs and waits until I'm at the bottom of the steps, taking my hand in his, “I’m sorry, Liyah,
shouldn’t have spoken to you like that. Just vex ya gweh leff me.”

“But it’s only one day, we can facetime.” I say hugging him.

“That gov man. Later.” He says, all emotions now gone from his face. I watched him as he
walked away from me, leaving me out by the gate. Usually, he’d wait until Henry arrived—
hugged me then watched as the car leave.

Feeling embarrassed by this sudden coldness from him, I rang Henry asking how far he was.

He has serious communication issues.

O he’s bipolar, one minute he smiling with me, the next he’s all cold asf.

Just then Unique and Serina approaches me, my frown instantly turns upsidedown as the two
girl’s bubbly personalities were contagious.

Cya sad and sulky round either of them.

“Weh me dry head cousin deh?” Asks Unique as we stood by the entrance of the school.
I shrug, truely not knwoing where he’d left and gone to.

“Goodly soon reach home, he left a couple minutes ago.” Sensing my mood, she changes the
topic. “Are you ready for the mock exams?”

Serina was the first to respond as I became distracted by the sight of Gavin standing over by
Royal Pharmacy speaking with a girl from our English lit class.

My chest burned with jealousy when I saw how she touched his chest while laughing at
whatever he told her, a satisfied smile replaces my jealousy when I saw his flash her hand off
him.

Serves har right, too ups.

“A cya Vena that a laugh up laugh up with yuh man girl?” Asks Serina as she too took notice of
what was happening.

Just then Henry pulls up, ending our conversation, “Group call later. Stay safe girls.” I say giving
them both a hug before entering the car.

“Good afternoon, Henry.”

He returns my greeting before driving off.

My phone pings and my display come on,

Mr. Douglas

Travel safely, Babe ❤

I smiled reading the message but didn’t respond.

Yes, I was still in my feelings about what I saw, even thou I was happy at the way he reacted.
***

GAVIN DOUGLAS

Sending off the message, I watched as it turned to two ticks, but no reply came in.

Mama Vex .

I agree that yes, I dealt with the situation wrong, but Aliyah has been with me for like... weeks
till I got used to her sleeping beside me.

Tomorrow a big Valentines Day and me Girl naah wake up beside me? I had made plans to take
her to dinner tonight now all of that mash up.

When them crawsis ppl deh fi deh home them MIA, but now as I'm about to take her out they’re
suddenly available.

Chro. The man cross eno, Jah Jah.

Me vex man, then me out a Royal, Jasmine- an old fling approaches me and just because she
could spot Liyah she come a feel up man.

Locking the phone, I began walking through the short cut, and in no time, I'm walking into the
driveway.

I would drive my car to school, but me nuh waah nuh man a pree me, so yeah, I walk, or
sometimes ride my bike.

Entering the house, I headed to the bedroom, and just as I opened the door, I began missing the
feeling of Aliyah being here, even her scent lingers in the air.

Just O bade and wull a sleep ya.

***

ALIYAH

4:15 PM

Greeting my parents, I headed to my room to take a shower.

I still was being petty and haven’t responded to his message as yet.

I stripped off my uniform, and under clothes before I ran my body under the water for a couple
minutes. After 30 whole minutes, I exited the shower and began drying off my body.

By the time I was finished getting ready, it was after 5:30 PM and the sun had gone in already.

By now I was feeling hungry, stuffing my feet into my bed sleepers, I made my way downstairs,
only to pause halfway there, it sounded as though both my parents were arguing which was the
first for me.

They always seem to just click.

“Mommy?” I call out before fully entering the kitchen.

Seeing her wiping tears from her eyes, my heart sinks, my mother wasn’t the type of cry for no
reason, this argument must be serious. “Baby, go up to your room, I’ll be up there with you in a
minute.” My father's back was turned to me, as though he didn't want me to see him.

It couldn’t be right?
Let’s not jump to conclusions, Miss Ma’am.

Nodding in understanding, I made a detour to the fridge to find something to munch on, naah
starve myself while I waited.
Collecting what I needed, I hurried up the stairs, the tension in that kitchen could kill.

Somebody messed up pretty bad,

Nuh your time subby, this serious.

10 Minutes later a soft knock could be heard from the other end of my door, “Come in!” I raised
my voice a bit, while pausing the past paper I was watching.

The door pushes open, and my mom enters.

A sad smile graces her face as she sits on the edge of my bed.

“Hey baby, what you doing?” she asks, her voice soft.

“Watching a couple papers. What’s happening with you and Daddy?”

“You and Unique must be studying alot, huh.” She avoided my question, and I sat mute.

I have been studying, but it wasn’t with Unique, mommy nuh need fi know that thou.

“Yeah.” I found myself saying.

“You don’t think she would mind you coming over this late, right?”

They’re leaving again?

So much for spending Ash Wednesday with my parents.

“No, why? Are you guys leaving?”
She avoids my stare and shifts unto the bed, “I’m sorry baby, something came up, I could speak
to Unique's mom and then let Henry drive you, promise I’ll make it up to you.”
Her way of making things up to me was buying gifts, those still don’t make up for the time they
leave me alone.

I thought moving to Jamaica would change things, but since I’ve been here, I can’t count how
many times we’ve sat at the dinner table and ate food as a family. They’re always gone, and I
hate it.

“It’s fine, I’ll speak to her, sure they’ll send someone to pick me up.”

“Okay, let me know when they’re here.” With that she left the room, and instantly my eyes
began to water.

Grabbing my phone off the table, I enter Gavins's chat and clicked on the call icon, on the second
ring he answers, sounding as thou, I’d woken him up.

“Babe?” He calls out, and I sniffle feeling emotional.

“Aliyah? Ya cry fah? Matta fact, give me 20 minutes, soon drop a yuh foot. Stay on the call,
Babes.”

Awe, uno sick me.

“Okay.” I say, then attached my air pods before I began packing my stuff, I’ll need my uniform
for tomorrow.

Who and you a go school tomorrow?

Child bye, they’re keeping school then after an event will take place in the afternoon, sometime
after lunch.

10 Minutes later and my bags are packed, just then Gavin’s voice comes through the line,
“Babes, me outside.”
The heck did he reach so quickly? Turned a 20 something drive into 10 minutes?

That nuh sounds safe.

“Okay. I’m coming.” I voiced, then hung up.

Heading down the steps with the large suitcase and my school bag, laptop bag and my uniforms
in my hand, I'm stopped by my father, “Like ya move out suh, I'm a send you something. Take
care Princess.” He engulfs me into a hug and follows me to the car.

Never want nobody see Gavin, lawd Jesus weh me O tell daddy say now?

Upon seeing me exiting through the gate, Gavin exited the car opening the back door for me to
put in the suitcase and hand my uniform on the handle.

“Good night.” Gavin then greets Daddy, to which he responds formally.

“Alright Princess, keep safe me one gyal.” He kisses my forehead before bidding me goodbye.