Free Mommy's Angel by Miasha

‘head.”
    “So, I was about to tell him I was cool, and here she come out of nowhere calling me a B. Then she swung on me. I had to fight her after that,” I recalled.
    “Um, um, um. So, what, you got suspended?”
    “Worse,” I said, regretful.
    “What?”
    “They kicked me out.”
    Stacey’s bottom lip dropped. “No they didn’t.”
    “Stacey, I am so pissed off,” I said.
    “You should be. What are you goin’ do? How are you goin’ get ya education?”
    “I don’t know. Mrs. Keen made me so mad. I just walked out on her.”
    “Who’s that, your teacher?”
    “No. The principal.”
    “You walked out on your principal? Oh, girlfriend, you in hot water.”
    I took a deep breath. “I know.”
    “So, what you goin’ do?”
    “I don’t know. If my mom had her act together I would have her go up there and curse everybody out. That’s what Marie mom did and that’s why I’m the one that got kicked out and she didn’t. But…”
    Cat walked in the store, interrupting me and Stacey.
    “What it is, my favorite customer?” Cat greeted me loud and cheerful.
    “Hey, Cat,” I said with a slight smile.
    “Hey, baby,” Stacey said, hugging Cat.
    “You goin’ be doin’ a lot more than hugging me when you see what Daddy got for you,” Cat said, handing Stacey two plane tickets.
    Stacey looked at the tickets and then jumped up and down like they were winning lottery tickets.
    “Oh, my God, Cat, you got ’em! We’re goin’? For real?” she shouted.
    “Where y’all goin’?” I asked, trying to peek over at the tickets.
    “Oh, girl,” she began. “We’re going to Jamaica.”
    “That’s what’s up,” I said. “When are y’all goin?”
    “We’re leaving Wednesday!” she said excitedly. “We haven’t been back home in a while, and I told Cat I wish we could spend the holidays with our families.”
    “So y’all goin’ down there for Thanksgiving?”
    “Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year,” Cat informed me. “We won’t be back in here until the day after New Year’ s.”
    Stacey screamed with happiness. “Oh, my God. I have so much packing to do!”
    “What about the store?” I asked. “How y’all just goin close the store for that long?”
    “My brother goin’ run it for us,” Cat said. “We need a break.”
    “But what am I goin’ do for so long without y’all,” I whined. Cat thought I was just joking, but Stacey knew I was serious. She knew that her store was like a safe haven for me.
    “Girlfriend, you’ll be all right. That time is gonna fly by so fast you not goin’ know we left,” she said. “And if you need me to I’ll go up to your school when we get back.” She winked her eye at me.
    I appreciated the gesture but was still upset that they were leaving. I was happy for them just sad for me. I wished they could have took me with them. I would have loved to go to Jamaica—shit, I would have loved to go anywhere away from home.
    I left C & S’s right before the elementary kids rushed the store. When I got home Naja was in our room on the phone. Kindle was in there with her scribbling on a shoebox top.
    “What’s up, y’all,” I said, sitting on my bed.
    Naja waved and Kindle said hi, but both continued doing what they were doing.
    “Where Mommy at?” I asked.
    “In her room,” Naja answered.
    “Marvin in there, too?” I asked.
    Naja shook her head.
    “Hold on,” she told whoever she was talking to. “Him and Mommy got in a fight and he left,” she said, smiling.
    “Did he hit ’er?” I asked, almost whispering. I didn’t want Kindle to hear me.
    “Yup,” Naja said, going back to her phone conversation.
    “He a sorry son of a bitch. He lucky Curt ain’t alive. His ass would be…”
    Naja nodded and said, “I hope he stay gone.”
    I took off my school uniform and threw on some chill clothes. I went downstairs to the kitchen to start dinner. I decided I would make spaghetti. It was the only other meal I knew how to cook