Chapter One

“Mm mm mm. Your daughter has grown up to be a fine young woman. She's already sixteen, Ivory." Crenda said to Ariel's mother, Ivory.

"I know. Lord, she grew up way too fast. It feels like yesterday when she was saying her first words, and now she's gonna be graduating from high school soon." Ivory slightly sobbed.

"Girl, don't start crying on me. Come here." Crenda hugged Ivory and patted her back as Ivory sniffled.

"I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't be crying, but I'm just so proud of her." Ivory said as the hug was broken and fanning herself.

"We're all proud of her honey. Very proud." Crenda said. "And she's going to love this birthday party."

"Yeah.. Actually, where is she? I haven't seen her this morning." Ivory said.

"Now that you mention it, neither have I and it's almost one in the afternoon.." Crenda added. They both shook their heads and rushed to Ariel's room to see what appears to be body under her covers. They flipped the covers off and both huffed and scoffed at the pillows stuffed underneath.

"That girl done left this damn house after I set this entire little shindig up." Ivory said, and she was right.

Ariel had once again left the house to go to one of her favorite spots, the junkyard.

"Ariel, this ain't a good idea. We shouldn't be here." Frankie said, making Ariel chuckle.

"Frankie, don't be like that. We're only looking around. We find interesting things here in the junkyard." Ariel stated while searching around.

"What exactly are we looking for, Ariel? Do you even know?"

"Hmmm, nothing in particular. I'm just hoping to find something new. You know they always throw perfectly good things away here." Ariel said, making Frankie look at her strangely. "White people. They always throw things away that work just fine.. Like.." Ariel gasped. "Like this lava lamp. Look at it." Ariel picked it up and smiled. "Not even a scratch on it, and I bet it works just fine." Ariel said.

"If it works, why would they throw it away?" Frankie asked while glaring at Ariel.

"I don't know. Last week, I heard Nancy say that lava lamps aren't popular anymore. White people seem pretty eager and quick to throw away things that others don't think is cool, but I find this lava lamp very pretty and I bet it works just fine." Ariel said.

"Well, at least put it in a bag. You're going to get your pretty blue dress dirty." Frankie said.

"Frankie, you really do worry too much. We won't get caught, this lava lamp works, and I will not get my pretty blue dress dirty." Ariel said, but she was quickly proven wrong when a voice called out to them.

"Hey! What you kids doin' in here?!"

"Uh oh, sounds like Sammy. We're really in for a scolding now.." Frankie said as Sammy, a black man in his late forties, walked over to them. He's security for the junkyard, which is why Ariel sneaks in a lot.

"You two again?" Sammy said.

"It was her idea. Not mines." Frankie said, making Ariels jaw drop. Ariel scoffed and shook her head.

"I love how you put the blame on me as if I forced you here, Frankie. You're twice my size, I can't force you here. You willingly came on your own." Ariel stated. "And the word is mine, not mines."

"Whatever Ariel, you always act like such a smarty pants."

"Smarty isn't quite a word either." Ariel said, making Frankie scoff and shake his head. "I'm sorry for breaking in again, mister. I just noticed a lot of good workable things were thrown away and decided to take a look. Like this lava lamp. Won't it just be absolutely beautiful in my room?" She said to Sammy. Sammy let out a sigh and took off his ball cap.

"Listen Ariel, you're a good kid, smart kid, but I ask y'all not to break in here because it's unsafe. What if y'all got hurt while no one was around?" Ariel's eyes fell to the floor as she thought about how right he was.

She knows the junkyard is dangerous, but the junkyard is where a lot of useful things go; it's practically her second home.

"Now since it's your birthday, I'll let you go with the lava lamp, but I seriously don't want to see you kids back up in here, or I'm calling the police."

"What?!" Frankie and Ariel yelled.

"Sammy, please, you can't.." Ariel said.

"I can and I will. Now head on home before you get that pretty blue dress dirty and let your momma know I said hi.." Sammy said sternly before walking away. Ariel huffed.

"Sammy shouldn't be like that when he knows good and well that there's good stuff in here.."

"Oh, dont be like that Ariel. Sammy is just worried we'll get hurt." Frankie said.

"If he was that worried, he wouldn't have threatened to call the police on us. If we get hurt in a junkyard, it was an accident. If we got shot by the police, it was no accident." Ariel said

"I know, but let's just listen to him, please?" Frankie pleaded, making Ariel sigh and put her lava lamp into her bag.

"Okay, let's go home." Ariel said. Ariel and Frankie walked out of the junkyard; they crossed over Deadmans bridge. Her momma had told her the bridge was made back when she was a child and men, women, even children would die there whether it be accidental, or intentional. As Ariel and Frankie were walking across the bridge, they both heard splashing.

"You hear that, Ariel? It sounds like a big ol' fish." Ariel looked over the bridge to see what was causing that noise. "Ariel, be careful! Remember what Mrs. Smith said about this bridge!" Ariel ignored Frankie and continued to search the water and just as she was going to turn away, a gasp left her lips.

"Oh my lord, that man is drowning!" Ariel yelled and started to rush off the bridge and onto the grass; Ariel was going to jump in the water, but Frankie stopped her.

"No! Let's just go get help and your dress-"

"Oh Frankie, we don't have time for that!" Ariel started to take off her dress and the blue bow that was in her head. Frankie turned away in embarrassment and covered his eyes.

"Ariel, warn people before you do all that!" Ariel dived into the water and swam to the man that was drowning.

"Sir, try to relax, I'm here to help!" Ariel said before grabbing him; he had fully relaxed, which concerned Ariel.

Was she too late?

She dragged the man out of the water, making Frankie gasp.

"A white man? You really gonna hear from Mrs. Smith now.." Frankie said while shaking his head very slowly. Ariel ignored Frankie and checked for the man breathing.

"I'm gonna do CPR."

"CPR? Do you even know how?" Frankie asked.

"I've studied up on these things. I think I can do something." Ariel held the boys nose and breathed oxygen into his mouth; after each breath, she would roughly press on his chest for ten seconds and repeat the process until the man coughed up water. "Oh goodness! Sir, are you okay?" Ariel asked, but she received no response. The boyremained unconscious.

"Ariel, you crazy. I'm going home." Frankie said before rushing off. Ariel's eyes went from Frankie to the boy resting his head on her lap. He had such nice black hair and such pale skin.

"How does pale skin such as yours endure such harsh summers?" She asked, but no response, just the soft breathing that passed his pink lips. "You don't seem so bad." Ariel said.

White men are dangerous.

The remembrance of Ivory’s words caused Ariel’s face to scrunch up in confusion.

"Dangerous? He looks so peaceful here. Angelic almost. How could someone so intriguing be dangerous?"

Satan was once an angel.

Way to counterattack yourself, Ariel.

She thought to herself.

Ariel's eyes wandered down and she then remembered she was in her underwear.

"Lord almighty.." She felt so embarrassed as she has never gotten undressed in public before. She gently laid the man down on the grass and reached for her dress and bow and put them back on carefully. As she did this, the man slightly squirmed, making Ariel concerned, but she knew she had to leave. "Well take care, sir. I hope we meet again and you never know. Maybe I'll be part of your world and you can get a quick peek of mine." She picked up her bag with the lava lamp running off back home.

Little did Ariel know, the boy had woken up and saw a Black girl with a pretty blue dress running off.

"Did that girl help me?" He asked to himself, having a hard time remembering everything. With his head pounding and feeling really out of place, he got off the ground and groaned at wet his clothes safe. "I remember falling into that water and I remember a girl coming up to me to help me. Was that her?" He stared in the direction she ran off in wondering if he would ever see her again. Was he even really sure what she looked like?

The boy started to walk home and made sure to walk very carefully over Deadmans bridge still wondering who that girl was.

When Ariel made it home, she tried to sneak back inside without being spotted, but was immediately caught by her mother.

"Ariel Smith, you're in huge trouble. Get over here now." Ariel let out a soft sigh and walked over to her mother.

Did Frankie tell on her?

"Momma, please let me explain-"

"You were in that damn junkyard again, weren't you? Don't try to lie. I see that lava lamp I definitely didn't buy you."

Ariel wanted to let out a sigh in relief, but that would be suspicious, so she just smiled instead.

"I'm sorry momma, really I am, but look at all the silver linings here; I'm perfectly safe, I got this brand new lava lamp for my birthday and I did not get my new pretty blue dress dirty." Ariel did a little twirl, making her mother smile.

"Those are good things, but Ariel, that junkyard is dangerous. I heard some white boys done snuck in there and was smoking and drinking and fighting and what not. I don't want you near them and getting hurt. Now stay away from that junkyard like I asked you to the first time." A small frown appeared on Ariels face as she said that.

She got so many precious things and memories from that junkyard. How can she just throw it all away?

"Now come on. You got people waiting on you and people hungry, girl." Ariel laughed a little.

"Alright momma, let's go inside." Ariel and Mrs. Smith walked inside and was greeted by all her friends and family.

"Happy birthday, Ariel!" Everyone yelled, making Ariel smile.

"Thank you everyone! I'll be right back. Let me just go put this lava lamp up." Ariel ran to her room and plugged the lava lamp up; it has vibrant blue goo flowing around and Ariel's eyes couldn't help, but brighten up at the sight. "See? I told everyone you'd work just fine." Ariel said before she got up and ran back downstairs to her party.