Reckless

s a little over two weeks after carnival and the streets were still abuzz wi

with the tips of her damp hair as she made w

ocial problems' later. Tio Gael and tia Mariella were constantly on her about her reclusive lifestyle. She, on the other hand, didn't feel like she was missing much; at the end of the day, being anti-social was just who she wa

w, and dimming blue, Dallas waved goodbye to her friends and took out

ad made an attempt to call her that d

t there was never an answer-not even a return text. Dallas was st

er, and she had begun noticing her mother's forlorn tone over the phone. When Dallas would ask if everything was alright, the subject would either

count on was her mother. That day, however, she didn't even answer and it wasn't like her m

ght? You're starting to sc

ow if everything was alright. No one answered-not even her father. Each time she ended the ca

one for a while, a lump suddenly building in her throat a

Dallas as she walked barefoot on the

s and took a deep breath, feigning a smile. When she was sure that her smile was wide enough to seem gen

active and charming as he seemed to be, however, she was well aware of his reputation

re you going? He asked he

, her mind not at ease enough to even attempt to

cedo?" He asked, wondering wh

ied, relaying to him as she did a close f

hat while Dallas was fluent, she preferred to speak English when

Dallas smirked. "Goodbye, Be

t walk you home

-eyeing him as she kept to he

l and aunt Mariella's home. She'd been sta

icia as well. She even missed her brother's friends-one of them adopted as her brother

working on with her uncle Gael. Usually, when there were a bunch of her uncle's guys around it didn't bother Dallas. This tim

y built man, brawny and masculine in his deeply tanned, sun-kissed skin and thick wavy black hair. Looking at

called her puppe

said with somewhat

uppet." Her tio would always lapse in and out of English when Dallas was around out

ng very sociab

hing suit top, grabbed a pair of dusty, dark coveralls and sl

he mood to be social

der-she wanted to react the way that she would have had he said it any other time. But she cou

ce over at his guys was momentary be

. No, she wasn't alright-not at all but als

particularly, Dallas because of her past. Her coming to live with them nearly four years ago caused their relationship to grow even

back home?" She asked. "Did ma or daddy call you? Ko? King? Bea?" She was starting to grasp at straws.

hen she asked the question and her u

ut then stopped and looked away from her uncle. "Is that what h

spicions with an answer-though he alr

y be my paranoia but...I-sometimes I feel like mama is hiding something from me-that everyo

niece into his arms. "It

ncle curiously. "It's not?

ook upon his face as he spoke. "We will

n gripping her insides

d the hood of a classic 69 Plymouth Roadrunner; a car they'd

ght up at the mention of the car an

some sort of Auto CAD designer. Dallas didn't know the specifics of the job but

pany; and as taxing and time-consuming as that sounded, it s

allow anything to take priority over his passion for cars

huh?" She finally asked her uncle a

the hood to start the car again. Sti

s asked. When her uncle turned around and looked at her sheepishly,

e started ushering the guys out of the garage. However, there was one left behi

, lin

ckeys standing there watching her. He had been watching her closely since she got in and always

. She didn't care too much for him, though. Abel was an older and very attractive man, but there was something

ay sly things to her that most would deem inappropriate for a man to say to a seventeen-year-old girl, he hadn't ever really done or s

ho still seemed to be preoccupied with what looked to be

eeted before returning her attention to

ll me Abel, pl

d. "I'd rathe

aid. There was silence and Dallas was becoming annoyed by his presen

" She sarcast

re talking to your uncle." He replied. Da

but I can take care of my

Again there was utter silence, Dallas wondering when her uncle would intervene when Abel spoke again.

from the trunk. "That's nice. I thin

y, I didn't h

ver here?" Gael interr

at Gael. "Was only asking about how D

as sighed and subtly nodded her head before Gael returned his attention to Abel. "With the rumors that I've

id before turning his gaze to Dallas and serving her with

f he was bothering yo

moment, looked at her uncle and s

reluctantly nodding. "Okay." He said. "I'm going to

versation earlier came back to mind. "And th

hat he hadn't forgotten what he promised. He looked at Dall

back, boneca." He s

sages and phone calls before attending the car again. Nothing. Reluctantly, she began tinkering again to take her mind off o

e." She said, concern filling her insides as the line continued to ring. She wasn't hopeful for an answer, feeli

ell

ieved to hear a voice on the other end of

llyb

t of it. "Da-daddy

baby. I

"Daddy, I've been trying to get in touch with everyone all

Her father said and th

been answering and I-I kept call

I'm sorry." He said and t

more and more unnerving. "Daddy? Is ev

ched the heart of her chest as she struggled to take deep breaths. What was he going to say?

, what

e and aunt aro

answered. "Why? Why does that matter? What

think you should

are you keeping from me? Why haven't you been a

igh. "Dallas, are you s

le bad news that she was about to hear, Dallas broke

happened?" S

nce, Hassun Black finally answered

s the fact that Dallas didn't even know that her mother was sick in the first place. She attempted to hold on to what was left

said. "She'd been sick for a few-a few months now, followi

She tried to take a deep breath, her anxiety going into overdrive as her knees buckled beneath her. Bu-why-what-why would she keep that from me?!" Nothi

reason why he was telling her all of this. It all revolved around her mother, and she had

.where-wh

d like forever before her father finally got himself t

one

ne, the tears streaming like waterfalls from her bright ambe

ine a blur to Dallas as she felt herself losing consciousness...the last thing on her mind befo