Broken Hearts of Queens by Jalynn Gray-Wells

Author:Jalynn Gray-Wells
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Best books for teenage girls, best urban fiction books, clean ya books, bullying books for teens, young adult love books, ya new york, bully romance books, teen interracial
Publisher: Jalynn Gray-Wells
Published: 2020-12-19T00:00:00+00:00

The Music of the Night

GIOVANNI’S STUNNING flowers greeted me when I opened my eyes. They sat in a clear vase on the nightstand beside the bed. Reaching for the scented card, I pressed it to my nose and inhaled. Paired with the aroma of slow-cooked stew wafting through the apartment, I was in heaven.

I stretched my arms overhead and smiled. Mom was in a different mood today. She never let me take off from school or sleep in unless I was sick. I’d had the best rest of my life.

* * *

I LAUGHED HYSTERICALLY, rubbed my hands together like a mad scientist, and drooled over the sight—a blueberry pancake tower in the middle of the table.

How it brought me back to the incredible breakfasts from my pre-school years, a time when Dad was better, and everything was calm!

“You’re so strange,” Mom said, rolling her eyes.

“I love food! What can I say?” I said, backtracking down the hall and into the bathroom to brush my teeth.

“I’ve got a surprise for you.” Mom brought the supersized mug to her lips for a sip of coffee.

I slid into the seat opposite her. “Is it a secret?”

“No. I wanted to take you to the theatre.” She sliced her pancakes with surgical precision. “What do you think? Wanna go?”

“Uh, yeah!”

“Good. Hurry up and eat so you can go and get ready. I want you to dress up for it.”

I chewed a strip of bacon and grinned at her with bacon bits in my teeth. Wagging her head, she swallowed her food.

Secretly, I missed how close we used to be. We would paint each other’s nails vibrant colors, play dress up, and even treasure hunt around the city. I knew she missed those days too. We used to be happy. Why couldn’t we hold on to the good times forever?

Mom meant it when she told me to dress up. I slipped into the same lacy-sleeved, black dress I wore to Storm’s memorial. The length brushed my knees, cinched at my waist with a belted bow, and scooped around the neck. It was nice to be able to use it for a happier occasion for once.

Mom rapped her knuckles on the door and popped into the room. Taking a step back with an analytical stare, she studied my formal attire. “It needs something.”

Mom dragged me into Selena’s office. After rummaging through the garbage bag of clean clothes on the closet floor, she finally found what she wanted. Taking my hands one at a time, Mom slipped on a pair of short black lace gloves with a knot and loop that fastened at the inside of my wrist—the perfect addition to the outfit.

Mom used to be a cosmetologist years ago—a funny thought, considering how my thick, multi-textured curls always stumped her. Coloring was her expertise in those days until the chemicals caused severe reactions and forced her to quit.

Normally, I’d wash and comb out the tangles before she’d touch my head to trim it. Today, she insisted on styling my hair for me.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.