First Draft

Looking back now I see how far our story started before we even met. How the universe was our own matchmaker. We were two stars ready to fall but was somehow pulled by the universe to form a new beautiful one.

Us.

It may not have started that day. It may have even been a longer time before but somehow my memories always led me back to that day. My first day as a student of this country. My first day in ninth grade. My first day closer to meeting you. Maybe I am wrong and just trying to be melodramatic and make a good story. But I know that I felt it that day even though it wasn't immediate. Something changed.

Me.

⚜
It started when I was just a few months away from fifteen. I wasn't a happy child and even less happy when I became a teenager. Since I was six, I lived with my grandaunt- Aunt Regina- in the US. She wasn't my favorite person in the world but I had seen worse. Sometimes I didn't blame her, I was a rotten goods. If the people who bore me didn't care a penny about me, what more did I expect from a sixty something year old woman who was in her third marriage to a man who was two decades younger than her. In her defense, she did try, I was just untamable.

So that's why when I was in freshman year and she got a report that I was in a fight for the umpteenth time that got me suspended from the second school that semester, she called my father in Nigeria and screamed that enough was enough. She couldn't handle a destructive, suicidal and crazy teenager especially since she was having some troubles in her marriage in form of a younger woman. So you see why I don't blame her.

Six weeks later, my father booked a ticket for me back to my homeland, not even given me enough time to tidy loose ends but I wasn't that sad about that fact. Except for our Sunday school teacher, Miss Gran our octogenarian neighbor and my grand aunt's lame dog named Foolish, nobody was going to miss me much.

That was why on a Monday morning, I was staring at the window with my toothbrush in my mouth trying to make a decision.

Pretend like everything is fine, dress up and go downstairs to the lion's den or just jump off the window and if there was an afterlife, so be it. There was no hell worse than the one I was living in anyway. 

Knock. Knock. And whoever was at the door made my decision for me. Lion's den it was then.

Rinsing my mouth and dropping my toothbrush, I walked to the door and opened it. It was Auntie Chika. "Auntie good morning."

She smiled back at me revealing her gap teeth. "How are you? How was your night? I hope you didn't allow mosquitos feast on you?"

I chuckled. "Aunty Chika! Which question am I even answering now?"

Aunt Chika gave a small laugh. "Don't mind me. I already know the answer. You'll say your fine even when you are not and I'm sure you didn't sleep until around one since you were reading. And for the mosquitos? They are probably happy because they haven't eaten so much in a long time."

This time I laughed out loud. "Auntie it's not my fault I don't feel them when they bite. They are miserably small."

"No you don't feel them because you sleep like a log of wood." She gave me a smile. "I'm sure you are almost ready."

I nodded. I knew what she came to tell me and even though I hate the message she brought. I couldn't just hate the messenger. Auntie Chika was a childless woman who became widowed at the age of twenty-eight. Two years later she came to work as a housekeeper for our family. Thirteen years had passed and she was still there that I considered her family. In fact, she was among the few I considered family which wasn't as much as a handful. She was a beautiful woman who was petite and her dark skin complemented her catlike eyes. Even as she was almost the same age with my mother, she looked far younger and more beautiful. Why she never remarried puzzled me.

"Okay then dear. I need to get back to work."

I grimaced at the thought of the day and a panic attack crept into my chest.

"Breathe Chrisè. Breathe. It's going to be alright. Don't worry. It wouldn't be that bad."

I nodded feeling better already. "Thanks Auntie. I'll be down very soon." I closed my door and got dressed for the day. My first day in a new school in a foreign country.

After few minutes I came down stairs and walked to the dining table which was already occupied by every other person except me.

"Madam Christina good morning." My mother didn't hide her distaste in her voice.

"Good morning mother." I pushed a chair out a took a seat beside my sister. "Good morning daddy." Still focused on the newspaper on his hand as he sipped his cup of coffee on the other, he gave a small sound like a hmm that almost went unnoticed.

I wasn't surprised he didn't answer me, if any thing I was more surprised he even acknowledged me. For my father- Honorable George Iheanyi Onyeka- I was clearly non-existent. I've always tried to get his attention in many ways but after almost fifteen years of trying, I've decided to call it quits.

I stretched my hand to reach the flask on the table when I felt hot liquid pour on my arm.

"Christ!" I looked at my arm which was hurting badly.

"Look what you did!" My sister Amanda shouted hitting me on the same hand, looking at me like I murdered someone.

I was confused. That wasn't the apology I was expecting. "What!" I managed to say. "You were the one that poured your tea on me!" I almost felt tears fall from my eyes. I didn't know if it was because my arm hurts or because of how she was behaving.

"Oh just shut up already. Christina just clean your hand and stop making a big deal out of everything." Irritation written all over my mother's face.

I was quiet. I looked at my dad waiting for him to support me but I knew it was just my wishful thinking seeing as he never stopped paying attention to whatever was written on the paper. I really felt like crying then. "Please excuse me." I stood up from the chair, "I'll like to use the bathroom."

"My friend! Sit down there." My mother commanded. "Every small thing you'll be behaving like someone that lacks home training." She turned to my father. "George, I think you are seeing this girl now. When I shout at her, it's like I'm just being dramatic."

Just then, someone's chair made a very loud sound as it was pushed back. "Junior, where are you going?" My mother asked my brother who looked like he was still at sleep.

His face looked very fatigued which was either from his lack of sleep or because of the drugs he took. Looking at him at that moment I figured it was the both. The way his body slumped made him look more like a homeless person than the son of a billionaire. And his hair- God his hair- was bad. Very bad. It was too high and very dirty looking. I'm sure my father didn't say anything about it because he was happy that he wasn't on dreads. And at that moment, I wished he was.

His height towered all of us as he stood up. "What now mom?" His deep voice even deeper and hoarser than the last time I remembered. "Haven't you guys had enough drama? You woke me up from my sleep today to just waste my time. If I want to watch any drama, I'll turn on some Netflix thank you."

He walked to the stairs and few minutes later we heard him bang his door. I knew he could get away with talking to my mom like that. At twenty- almost twenty-one- he got away with almost everything. He was a college dropout who was hooked up on drugs but in the eyes of my parents, he was the perfect son. I, on the other hand was the mistake, a disgrace to my family.

A loud thud was heard on the table making it vibrate as the newspaper landed on it. "I just lost my appetite." Saying that my dad left the table.

I followed him a few seconds after not ready to be at my mother's receiving end.

"And where do you think you are going? Eh?" Her voice trying to ripped out the little restraints I had left. It was a shock to me that I stayed a few minutes with her and didn't end up losing my cool.

"To the car." I said like it was the most obvious answer. Because, duh, it was.

"I hope you know we aren't going together. I'll rather die than be caught dead with you." Amanda cursed.

"Same here Mandy." I flashed a fake smile at her as I called her by the name she hates so much. Knowing I didn't have anything to say anymore I quickly left the house and entered the car.

"Good morning Miss Chrisè." Mr Suleman one of our driver greeted looking at me through the rear view mirror.

"Good morning Mr Suleman. I'll be going now."

He nodded. "Is your sister coming with you?"

I didn't know how she would come to school especially since Mr Dave, our other driver wasn't around but since she made it clear she didn't want to be caught with me. I was just keeping to her wishes. "No she isn't."

I plugged in my ear phones to reduce the anxiety I was feeling. Closing my eyes I tried to relax and mentally prepared myself for the day.

I wasn't feeling the best almost half an hour later when Mr Suleman announced I have arrived. I looked outside and closed my eyes for some seconds before I opened the door and stepped out.

It was just a school not a prison yard. I reminded myself.

Talk to nobody. Mind your business. Stay out of trouble and it would be alright.

And boy, I have never been so wrong.

Thank you for reading When We Cross Our Stars. This book is very personal and close to my heart and I'm very excited to share it with you. I promise you it will be very worth your tears. Thank you.