[4] A Crazy Thief and a Reckless Driver

Kaya’s POV

"Uh yeah, when I grow up you know what I want to be?

Take a seat, let me tell you my ridiculous dreams,”

I rapped along to the faint music coming from my bedroom, using my shower head as a mic, hip hopping it up like I was shooting a world star music video, and yes, I was naked. That’s what people do when they get into the shower.

 Jumping out the shower, my body dropped to a gangster walk as I slipped the towel across my body, taking off my shower cape, allowing my long straight locks to fall to my shoulders.

I superstar slid into my room, my hair brush taking the place of my shower mic as I rapped to the music which was now much more louder and ultimately more enjoyable, allowing the music to take a hold of my body as I rapped to NF, letting the music answer,“ anybody want to hear me rap?!’

No-

“Come on let me play a couple tracks,”

No-

“Come on I can spit really fast!”

No-

“You think I should throw this in the trash?’

No-

“Tricked ya! Haters go away before I hit ya, I am not a beggar or a kiss up, you don’t understand well I forgive ya, I am not a quitter, you didn’t really think that did ya?”

Flopping on my bed with satisfied giggle I let the music feel my ears. I was tempted to close my eyes when my Aunt walked in, "Kaya , can you please help me-" my aunt mumbled, walking in with her knee high dress unzipped, trying her best to reach it.

She paused facing the fallen me as I sat up, a slight frown over taking her features, "girl do you know what time it is?" She asked placing her hands on her hips, “Good lord, you haven’t even done your hair yet.”

"Morning Aunt Lily," I replied with an innocent grin, crawling toward the edge of the bed. She turned her back towards me as I helped her zip up. My aunt was a lovely, dark skinned woman, very proud of it. She wasn't particularly short, but not too tall either, had a gorgeous body and one heck of a personality. A little on the talkative side, didn't like nonsense, extra protective, very fun and reminded me a lot of my mother.

"Thanks love, “she replied turning around and kissing my fore head, "oh and it’s already 7," she whispered slapping my cheek softly.

"Ow!" I exaggerated rubbing my cheek, giving her my very best puppy dog eyes.

She chuckled, "child, you aint an actor and you aint never gon be one," she grinned sheepishly walking out.

I playfully rolled my eyes after before freezing, "Wait? Did you say Seven?!!" I screeched after her. My head did a three sixty glancing at my digital alarm.

Dang it! Late on the very first day! I could still make it on time if I cruised. DANG IT NF! You and your freakishly good music that made me have mini concerts in the shower. Which I definitely rocked.

"Breakfast will be ready in five!!" Aunt Lily called from somewhere down the hall.

I was like a super ninja, the way I tamed my hair, found a good outfit, got down stairs and ate my breakfast in a span of ten minutes was record breaking, nope, Guinness book of records record-breaking rushing out just as my aunt honked from the drive way/.

"Get in here already!!" She yelled as I locked up.

So I'm kidding.

I didn't finish my breakfast at all.  I just carried a mug of coffee in one hand my shoes in the other as I raced out into the driver.

I opened the front door, noisily getting in, "Eish, you couldn't just wait five minutes?" I complained as my Aunt pulled out.

She grinned, "Got to keep you on your toes lazy bones" she replied glancing at the side mirror.

‘I’m not lazy,” I scoffed.

“Really?” she dragged, “Miss ‘I’ll have a whole Eminem concert in the shower before school’ ’”

“It’s NF,” I countered, sipping on my coffee.

“Please child, all those white rappers sound the same,” she replied.

I chuckled, “that might be true...” I hummed, “but the music, the emotion, the vibe and the message is different.” I could identify white rapper from Eminem, to NF, Machine Gun Kelly, G-eazy to Zero.that didn’t mean I didn’t have mad love for my kind. Play me a little lil-wayne, Meek Mill or Drake anyway day.

“Still doesn’t change the fact that you’re a lazy bone,” she whistled and I chuckled, shaking my head.I slipped into my shoes and took the liberty to straighten my hair as my Aunt talked on and on about her hot boss, she was a real estate agent.

"I mean he was giving me the flirty eyes yesterday and I just I didn't know what to do, for goodness sake, the guys my boss! I know he is a good guy and I like him too-"

"Then don't think about that part Aunt Lily,” I encouraged slightly turning to face her as she drove. “Don't tell me you're not going to date him because he is your boss. If your feelings are truly mutual then it will all come naturally. You’re both grown! Adults!  I say give it a shot and a dang good one," I replied chugging my coffee down.

'You think so? I don't want to be named a gold digger or nothing, you know how crazy people get, especially in this town,” she huffed, “gossip travels faster than the speed of light"

I chuckled at this, "yeah well, you'll always regret if you never give it a try,"

She sighed, "your right,” she admitted slowly, "look at you all grown. 17 and already handing out grown advice, good for you.”

I chuckled at this, savoring the sweet taste of coffee travelling down my throat, I wasn’t much of a tea person.

“But,” she dragged, “I’m not going to ask him out, he has to."

"Aunt Lily," I whined,                

"Uh uh, I don't go down like that. You know I don’t get down like that!” she hissed, shaking her head.

"This day and age there is no such thing," I argued.

“This generation sucks," she hummed glancing over at me.

"Empowered" I retaliated with a slight nod.

"Yeah whatever, “she muttered, "still not going to do it though".

I rolled my eyes playfully as she rounded the corner.

“You nervous?" she asked as the school came into view.

"Me? Yeah, I guess," I replied.

"Ah, you'll be alright. You always are," she replied, with a slight grin as we entered the school premises.

She found a good parking spot and parked. I took that as a queue to skedaddle, grabbing my bag.

“Have a great day sugar, break a leg and make friend.” she said hugging me and kissing my cheek, I wiggled out of her arms, opening the car door,"Thanks, but I'm not five," I muttered as I closed the door.

"Good luck!" She yelled as she pulled out.

I watched as my aunt drove away before turning to my new school. It looked nothing like my old one. Rodney high its own certain charm. I wasn’t good at being the new kid, growing up, I’ve only ever been to two schools. I dreaded walking into class and adapting around new faces, but one thing relaxed me. I at least had one friend. That was better than the average newbie.

It’s just for one year I kept repeating to myself.

Just

One

Year.

What possibly could happen in just one year that hasn't happened in the last seventeen? This was no biggies, all I had to do was find Ally and she would get me through the day.

"Kaya!"

I would know that voice from anywhere. Step number one already covered and I hadn’t even taken my first step. So far, so good.

Ally!' I yelled excitedly waving both hands up in the air to get her attention, one I just realized she already had. She speed-walked toward me while I her in, loving the flirty pink skirt and a cream white top that contrasted nicely with her cocoa skin... Her curly hair was pulled up in a fuzzy pony tail. Immediately engulfing me in a large bear, she groaned in my ear, “oh sweet lord I missed I missed I missed you!”

"Oh you have no idea!" I squealed back. She took a step back, examining me from head to toe with the largest and sunniest smile I had ever seen.

"I didn't notice yesterday but dang you grown!" she exclaimed, it being her turn to take me in.

I chuckled, stepping back, "look who’s talking,"

She grinned, throwing her head back, "That's right Goldie. I'm no longer the fourth grade kid you used to know and instead in her skinny place is this feisty spicy momma" she cooed shaking her hips back and forth.

"I can see that," I chuckled, “feisty spicy huh? Did you by any chance take a trip back into the nineties?”

ugh, don’t mind me. I was binge watching every nineties movie ever made with my mom last night, it kind of stuck,” she chuckled out. Throwing one arm around my shoulder, she gently shook me while fantasizing about the past "oh the good old days Goldie, can’t believe you’re here, I mean, what are chances my old best friend would locate to the small town of Torrent? I didn’t think you could even find it on the map.”

I nodded along, “pretty slim.”

 “So come on!” she tugged me along, arms interlinked, “I want to know everything that happened to you in the last what?? Six years? But first wait-wait-wait. I’m getting too carried away, uhm what’s the first subject you have today?" She asked referring to my schedule that was blowing in the light breeze in my grasp.

According to the sheet, I had arithmetic, good old mathematics. Great.

She glanced over the paper with a subtle hum, "super! I have that too. Let’s walk and talk, I know the-"She suddenly stopped dead in her tracks without warning. I looked up at her confused, staring at the stoic expression her face now possessed. “Tink?” I said softly. Her eyes remained frozen in time. “Ally?” I tried again, this time gently tugging at her arm. She mechanically turned to me still in a faze, “I uh...” she trailed off, staring back in her previous direction.

I was officially confused looking up around us, realizing the rest of the student body that had still been outside, had also stopped, staring out in a particular direction. This was definitely not normal. I couldn’t for the life me understand what they were all looking at, there was nothing but cars around here, I mean it was a parking lot.

"Tink, what are we waiting for?" I groaned, dropping her arm as I pulled on my back strap, we were going to be extra late for nothing, “Ally, we need to head to cla-“

”that" she blurted out, pointing out at something. I looked at her for a second sighing, before following her finger. She was pointing to a car that had just pulled in into a parking lot. My heart suddenly rammed against my chest when I recognized the slick image of the car. A big, ugly range rover. I shut my eyes for a minute begging to anything at all that this wasn’t the same car…it couldn’t be. Firstly, it was expensive. Could a kid be given such a car to drive to school? I mean, I’m a rich kid and I have to catch a ride with my aunt. But what am I saying? This was America, there were a lot of boogie parents out there.

However, I shouldn’t get ahead of myself. That could be any other range rover, it couldn’t be-

KNG6271 the number plate flashed before my eyes and I felt heat travel down to my fist.

Dear lord why me? I was going to the same school as my potential murderer. Geez, what a wonderful way to start my final year, “Ally lets-”

“That’s Azian, “Ally suddenly said, her hand stopping me from turning away.

 “Wow, I really wanted to know that, “I replied with a sarcastic smile.

She turned to me, raising an eyebrow, “I’m serious Goldie,” she hummed, “you are about to see the hottest guy in the whole freaking world, walk out of that car,” she purred turning back to the range rover.

I looked at her squinting, folding my arms, “that’s a stretch and you know that.”

A sly smirk appeared on her features, “really? Then why don’t you see for yourself?” she asked glancing behind me. I frowned as her suspicious behavior, turning around only to have the air knocked out of my lungs. I never believed in the phrase ‘built like a Greek god’ but that’s the first thing that came to mind as I stared at the boy that just got out from the car. I breathed out lowly, unable to comprehend what I was seeing.

I couldn’t see his eyes past the dark sun glasses he was wearing, but his golden blond hair that tumbled over his face in straight locks, seemed to fall into perfection. Lips that called out to temptation and a firm jawline chiseled firmly by gods, accompanied by an alluring height and equally bold broad shoulder build  was enough to tell anybody his beauty was never to match anything else that has existed, will exist or is existing. He moved like he commanded the air, shutting the door closed, and an air of authority bustling around him.

I considered my father an Alpha male but the mere boy I was seeing before me, made me rethink everything I had ever known, “sweet mother of love,” I murmured beneath my breath. And just like that I became one of the thousands of people spelled by him.

“You are staring at Azian King, the most popular guy at Rodney high,” Ally whispered from beside me, “welcome to the fan club.”

I nodded mindlessly eyes still focused on the boy of a god, watching as two other people walked out of the car. However, I couldn’t describe either one of them. My attention was solely enraptured by a specimen I was sure belonged on the cover of vogue or beside the word beauty in the dictionary…wait. What had Ally just said? My gaze faltered looking at ally with a still dazed expression.

“M-most popular guy?” I murmured lowly. She didn’t seem to catch what I said, but something cold and shallow in me dropped.

Oh sweet Jesus no.

Images of me on the hood of the car, banging against the wind shield clouded my mind and I could literally feel my heat running a marathon realizing what I had done. I literally insulted the evidently most loved and adored boy at my new school, pounded on his lovely car and called his beautiful self a demented fish! Why always me?! I mean sure he almost killed me but who was going to believe little old me? Little old newbie me? I was going to start my last school year as a social outcast, I couldn’t let him recognize me.

“Is...is he looking here?” Ally stuttered, unsure of herself. I turned back slightly, looking at him. He seemed to be looking this direction, one arm around his back strap, standing at a perfect height. I couldn’t see anything past his dark shades to confirm it. But the feeling of my soul on fire was enough for me to turn around quickly dodging my way through the school population.

I didn’t know where the hell I was going or why I left ally behind, though I doubt she noticed I wasn’t by her side anymore. The feeling of a fiery gaze on my back made me seek the first door I spotted, opening it up and slamming it behind me rapidly. My breathing rapid as the palm of my hand kept the door shut, eyes wide with a growing fear as I took a few steps back into the classroom.

“Well hello there,” a familiar voice resounded from behind me. His accent subtle on each word. I turned round at the empty classroom, well the classroom I thought was empty coming face to face with clear grey eyes.

You have to be kidding me.