Hey guys! I just finished chapter two. If you see any mistakes or have any suggestions please tell me!

enjoy 🙂

Chapter two

Three weeks later…

Amaria fought back tears all throughout her parents funeral. She still couldn’t believe what had happened.

An angry coworker was upset that her father had taken a new position he wanted at work, 

So he decided that if he couldn’t get the job, no one would. ” I don’t want a black man takin my job, he done belong pickin cotton!” 

These words were hurtful but her father had chosen to tell his children. “In life, not everyone will love you. Sometimes it is because of things you can change, other times it is things like the color of your skin that you cannot change. Just be sure that you never look down on someone unless you are bringing them up to be greater. Treat others the way you would like to be treated” 

These words were a few of the last she heard from her father. For the next couple weeks, the story was all over the news. “Hate crime claims the lives of two Illinois residents” ” “angry coworker murders two just outside of house” “couple dead after coworker chooses revenge for position”

These were things the outside world heard about the Harrison family’s tragedy. But what they didn’t know was how their precious daughters were hurting. How they felt the whole world was crumbling upon them…

“If only my father hadn’t got that job” these words constantly went through Amarias head. But she tried her best not to show it. From the time of the funeral until after thanksgiving break she stayed with her older sisters. But, her oldest sister Avalia had to get back to her husband and two small children. She took Karis, the youngest sister, back to Florida to permanently stay. Then, her older twin sisters had to leave to go back to college and work. That left Amaria, Cadria and Talia. The three girls were soon adjusting to life living with their aunt Imelda. Auntie Mellie, as they called her, had two children, an adult daughter who no longer lived with her and a son who was 14 years old. She had always been the one of the girl’s favorite aunts. She lived on the east coast, so they did not see her as frequently as they wished for. But here they were….

The arrival 

It had been almost 4 weeks since the funeral. For the first time in her life, thanksgiving was celebrated without her parents. But she kept pushing forward. Three days after thanksgiving, the trio flew into New Jersey Airport. Auntie Mellie and cousin Justin were waiting right outside their flight exit for them. Auntie saw the girls and she and Justin took turns greeting them.

“My little munchkins” Auntie Mellie said as she tearfully greeted them. The ride to aunt Mellie’s house from the airport was 45 minutes but seemed much shorter. When they arrived at their new home, the girls unpacked and settled into their new rooms. Amaria and Cadria shared a room, while Talia slept in cousin Aleyna’s old room. Little did they know this, but moving to live with their aunt would be a life changing experience.

The Church

After the girls had fully settled in, Auntie Mellie decided that they would start going to school and church as well.Going to church was funny for Ria. It was on Saturday, which she didn’t understand. She also wasn’t really a believer in God, but she decided to keep it to herself. 

As the family walked into the church, the girls stood in awe. Glass stained windows depicted many different bible stories. An organist played a unknown yet familiar sounding tune on the piano. Beautiful sunlight shone on the wooden pews.
Almost Instantly, Ria felt a sense of peace she hadn’t felt in months. She softly sat on a pew next to her sisters. Staring at a table in the front, she read “do this in remembrance of me” silently, she looked around. A friendly man came and greeting them, which slightly supprised Ria as she sat. “Hello there!” The friendly man called out as he shook their hands. “I’m Elder Paulo DeSouza, and what are your names?” The girls quickly told him their names. Elder Paulo then went to greet aunt Mellie, then greeted Justin . “Don’t forget to go to Sabbath school this week, Justin” he to said cousin Justin with a twinkle in his eye. “Yes sir” Justin responded. After Elder DeSouza left, Justin quickly asked the girls a question.
“So you guys coming?” He said looking at his three cousins with eager eyes. “Um, suree..” Amaria stammered. “Why do they call it sabbath school” she wondered. But she shrugged it off as she got up to follow Justin.

“I’ll stay here with Auntie” said Talia. 

“I’m coming, I want to see what kind of school you go goat church” her other sister responded. Soon, the teens were sitting in a room with about 10 other kids their age. Ria did a quick look around. A tall boy with wavy hair quickly caught her attention.For the first time in a long time,she felt a ray of excitement .

“He’s so cuteeee...” Ria silently thought.

“Hey!” “Heyyy!” Miss daydreamer!” “What you lookin at” Justin asked her with a cheeky smirk.
Ria looked at her cousin with a shocked embarrassed face.  “Um….nothing” she stammered back. But it wasn’t true. All throughout sabbath school, she snuck quick looks at this this boys beautiful figure.

He was tall with sort of long wavy hair that he kept pushing out of his face. His tan skin and gorgeous jawline was just another of his mesmerizing features. And the way his face lit up whenever the teacher called on him… “Oh look he even has dimples” she thought. And before she knew it, class was over. Quickly, the group prayed. Ria thought that was it, but Justin had other plans. He pulled his two cousins over to where a group of his friends were standing. Ria stood a little way off as her cousin greeted his friends. Among  them stood the very handsome boy who she had been staring at all of sabbath school. “Amaria, Cadria, these are my friends- Bruno, Samantha, Isaac, Olivia, Zion,Jayden, Ashlyn and Ricardo” he said pointing at each one.The name Immediately stuck in Amarias head. “Ricard,Ricardo…what a nice name” she thought.” After he was done introducing his friends, Ricardo shot a little smile and wink at Amaria. She couldn’t believe her eyes. She nearly folded in two. As they headed back up stairs, she whispered to her sister.. “Did you see him?”

“See who?” She asked. “Ricardo.” She said, tumbling over his name. “I have never in all my life seen a more handsome guy” but her whisper was a bit to loud. Her cousin Justin heard her, and he quickly started to poke fun.

“Hahaha all the girls want Richie” “they say Oooh, “that Puerto Rican hunkkkk.” “They always forget me. Nobody wants Justin” he said in a sad mocking tune. “Mrs.Amaria Harrison, do you take Ricardo DeSouza, son of Paulo And Eva DeSouza,to be your lawful husband,” he said in a mocking tune. “You’re just like all the other girls here haha”

“But I’m not like other girls” she thought.

Cadria was still shocked at her sisters sudden crush. She never cared for anyone back home, and all of a sudden she was falling over some random church boy she had never met before. She rolled her eyes and laughed. “What if he’s just like the average boy…just cuter.”

“No heart,doesn’t care about you, just got lucky enough to be cute…” But it was too late.
Amaria  already decided that she was in love, just by looking at him. “Imagine how much better his personality is” Amaria thought. And she was right. Ricardo, or Richie, as his friends called him, was a real charm. He had everything you looked for in a guy. He was just a year older than her, and was the son of elder Paulo, the first person she actually met at this new church.
Amaria had a feeling that her new life in New Jersey wouldn’t be so bad.