but that didn't stop her from using it.

The grass was green and dry around her bare feet, and the sun was bright and the taste of Yuna's Crush was sweet on her lips as she hummed the chorus.

The blush pink dress she was wearing contrasted against her cinnamon skin and the sunshine only brightened the lip gloss she was wearing.

"I feel a little rush, I think I got a little crush on you," Ayoluwa sung lowly.

Behind her, she could hear the screen door opening and someone step out from the house to the bare backyard.

"Is it stupid to want her to come? Even after everything she's done?" Ayoluwa asks without turning around, "Or rather hasn't done?"

"No," Camille huffed a great sigh as she joined Ayoluwa in the grass, "You only graduate from high school once."

"Did you give Lauryn her snack? You know how she gets when she's hungry."

"Yeah, she's still eating it. What's been on your mind?"

Ayoluwa scoffs, "You mean besides the new niece or nephew I'm gonna have to raise?"

"Yes." Camille replied in a solemn tone.

Ayoluwa was silent for a second, "You know that couple that comes by the restaurant a lot? Always asks for me to serve them?"

"The Garcias? Yeah, why?" Camille asks.

"Every time I serve them, they always pray before they start eating. And he always kisses her hand and then her face lights up. And I just wonder... What else do I have to do before I meet someone who makes me smile like that?" Ayoluwa turns her face to look at her grandmother.

Camille was silent, taking in Ayoluwa's words.

"Maybe part of the problem is my looks. Maybe Levi was right when he said it might be better to comb out the locs." Ayoluwa continued as she ran her hands over her long locs, wavy from the braids.

Camille turned and looked at her, own gray locs swinging a little, "Do you think I'm ugly?"

"What? No, of course not."

"And if you look just like me, and you do, let's face it, what does that make you? Huh?"

Camille lightly patted Ayoluwa's cheek, "You're beautiful. Now take these dumb ideas out ya head and go put on those heels and your cap and gown so I can take some pictures for my Facebook."

Ayoluwa smiled briefly at Camille's words then followed her back inside the house.

And just like that, Ayoluwa Palmer was a high school graduate.

She had tossed her decorated graduation cap up in the air along with her peers on the football field at Mayfair High School and now she was a free woman from the shackles of high school.

Ayoluwa was still on the turf covered field, standing alone in a crowd who were separated into little groups.

Someone flung their arms around her neck from behind Ayoluwa and when she looked down, a pale elbow was hooked around her.

"We did it, Ayo! We're out this bitch!" Nicholas whooped as he moved to stand next to her in his own gown.

"I'm so happy, bruh," Giovanni said as he, Quincy and Levi joined the two.

"Now, college." Levi groaned.

Ayoluwa remained quiet.

In the fall, her friend group would be off to college in various states while Ayoluwa would still be in Los Angeles.

She hadn't even applied.

What was the point?

All she would do if she went away is worry about how Imani was treating Lauryn and come back.

The arrival of another baby had effectively taken away any chance of Ayoluwa leaving to find something greater.

"Did y'all find your families yet?" Ayoluwa asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"Yeah, my mom is over there." Levi nodded to where his mother was standing with his little brother.

"I should probably go find my grandma and Lauryn." Ayoluwa shrugged Nicholas' arm off of her.

"Imani didn't come?" Quincy asked.

Nicholas immediately slapped his chest, "Stop talking."

Ayoluwa forced a smile, "I'll see you guys in a bit."

As she walked across the lawn, she accidentally hit a taller boy's ribcage with her shoulder.

"My ba-. Never mind." Ayoluwa rolled her eyes when she saw that the boy she had shouldered was Joshua.

"Watch where you're going." Joshua replied.

Ayoluwa opened her mouth to let out a nasty retort but was interrupted.

Lauryn was flying across the field in a sprint straight for Ayoluwa, "You did it!"

In a hasty manner, Ayoluwa lifted Lauryn to her hip, accidentally elbowing Joshua once again.

"Didn't you hear what I just said, bitch?"

"The only bitch I see here is you," Ayoluwa shot back.

"Fuck you." Joshua spat.

"I bet you wish that you could fuck me, huh?" Ayoluwa snapped.

"They said a bad word!" Lauryn exclaimed.

Ayoluwa sighed as Camille and Joshua's parents approached the trio.

"They said a bad word!" Lauryn repeated, "You owe me a dollar!"

Camille gave Ayoluwa a look as she handed her a medium bouquet of pink tulips and blue forget me nots.

"Thank you." Ayoluwa forced a smile.

"We were thinking about going to dinner together since we live so close together..." Joshua's mother trailed off.

"I don't think that's gonna be a good idea." The adversaries said in unison.

"Oh, well." Camille sighed, "Let's go see if we can get some sunset pictures before we leave."

She wrapped her arm around Ayoluwa, who was still holding Lauryn, "Are you still taking that trip?"

"Yeah, that's the plan. Unless you need me to stay and work." Ayoluwa replied as they trudged away.

"No, it might be better if you left. You need a break." Camille sighed.

Ayoluwa followed her grandmother through the field once more, tightening her hold on Lauryn.

A break is exactly what I need.

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