Back at Roxbury the next day, Rhanda had stopped by with her parents to collect the school supplies and books she had left behind. The same familiar guard stood by the metal detector.
"Hurry up." Her father ushered, giving Rhanda a small pat under the looming gate.
The machine beeped.
The guard sighed.
"Do you have any jewellery on you, uhh, rings, earrings anything like that?" Rhanda's mother, who had already passed under the metal detector unalarmed nodded and helped Rhanda remove the rings from her fingers and drop them in the guard's plastic tray before walking around the other side of the detector and going under once more.
Rhanda blinked when the machine went off for a second time.
The guard sighed again. "I'm gonna have to ask you to remove your- uh.." He swiped a mini metal detector, a hand held one, towards Rhanda's heejab. Her mother narrowed her eyes, as did her father who followed Rhanda through the machine, eliciting another beep. No more cultural Do-Not's.
"Sir she is only going to get her books, there is no need for this-"
"I just need to do my job sir-"
"I do not care about your job or your machine good sir she is just here to get her books and that is all." Rhanda just watched her father, mother and the guard exchange a few more conflicting jibes before the guard got a tired, bored look on his face and gave in.
Rhanda started off on her walk through the Roxbury hallway.
The last walk she would ever take in that school.
Her face was blank, guarded with a hint of sadness. She glanced back at her parents, now seemingly having a bit more of a friendly conversation with the security guard than before. As she resumed walking forward, her head tilted downward but her steps down the hallowed halls refused to slow.
Rhanda entered Mr. Granger's English classroom a few seconds later, and stepped down through the rows of desks to his little side-office, where he had conferred with Rhanda earlier on about her grades.
The classroom held such a desolate feeling of hopelessness now...
Once inside the small room, Rhanda tucked her hands in under the white garment atop her head, and pulled the sleek black pistol from it's hiding place. Soon after she took her heejab off and layed it on the small desk beside the gun, revealing mid-back length shiny dark hair.
Turning towards the chalkboard, without a hint of sadness now, Rhanda lifted a piece of the white writing utensil, and began to spell out words in Arabic on the green board.
'We Are All Sinners'
A second later a gunshot sounded and her body fell to the classroom floor.
Sorrowful violin music filled the air at Mariam's luxury house. Standing in an upstairs room, Mariam practiced while staring out the wide glass windows.
"Will you shut the fuck up!? Enough already, come on!"
Mariam payed no heed to the angry howling of her father from downstairs, as she once again brought her arm across the instrument, bringing out another beautiful, melodious chord.
Her father growled, leaning forward on his couch to further separate his cocaine in perfect lines with a razor across his ashtray. All of this of course in his boxers and house coat, just the way he liked it.
If only everything else could go so smoothly.
"Will you STOP IT!?"
As the racket continued, he cursed and picked up his glass of gin and gestured towards the sleeping dog beside him.
"Bobo, C-Come here-" He stuttered out, rising up off the couch and parading upstairs. "HEY! Hello, I'm tryna think in here!" The agitated man yelled. "Bobo, come ON!" He insisted, making sure Mariam's lazy mutt followed. "I'm tryna do a little work in here, hello!"
The older man continued his path towards where Mariam practiced, slipping on his slippers and entering the room. "Doesn't anybody think about me!? Enough already with the loopy fuckin' Von Mozart crap!"
Mariam turned to him, still playing as he marched over to her.
"I've got a job to do, I've got WORK to do! STOP IT!" He pointed a menacing finger at girl, to which Mariam sneered at and brought her bow in a jagged cross against the strings, bringing out a quick rut in the melody before letting the violin fall to her side.
"-Stop stop stop, fuck me in the ass, I'M TRYNA WORK!" Her father yelled again. Mariam looked down, away from his angry eyes. "Do you not pay attention to anything but yourself!?"
"..She shouldn't of done that.." Mariam's soft voice quipped. Her father looked confused for a moment.
"Who??" Then he rolled his eyes and made a shooting gesture. "Unh the diaper head." He snorted. "Well maybe somebody shouldn't given just a little more thought," the man narrowed two fingers, "TO THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR ACTIONS! Do-Do you have any idea, how this little plan this little CHARADE you cooked up, how it's made ME look!? HUH?! "
Mariam's eyes swelled with unshed tears.
"I'm sorry about your business Daddy."
Her father whooped.
"Oh thank you I feel SO much better!" The man turned and stomped a few steps away before Mariam's desperate voice stopped him.
"But I bet you have a lot more free time now right!?"
"Free time?" Her father laughed sarcastically and looked at Bobo who had crawled into his doggy bed. "She thinks I'm gonna spend the free time with her. Can you fuckin' imagine? WHY would I wanna spend anymore time than I have to, with a manipulative, little TWAT like you!? You CRAZY!?" He spat, getting back up in Mariam's face. Tears fell freely down her cheeks.
The Dad looked back to Bobo.
"You got a fuzzy lil brain in your head, go ahead; Explain to her; WHY WOULD I WANNA DO THAT."
This time though, when her father looked at her and saw her tears, his anger dissipated just enough to hold back from another vicious scream. He pulled off his glasses and sighed.
"You know there was time... When I actually thought I could protect you." The old man sighed again. "Seems so long ago.." He nearly dropped his glasses when he went to put them back on his face and coaxed a 'cocksucker' out of him before looking back at his crying daughter. "You know what? I'm through with that now. You do whatever you want; I DON'T CARE. You wanna join a rock band? Hah, go ahead." His sarcasm was sickening. "Become a hooker; get pregnant. Heh do drugs, here. Here's a little somethin' to get you started." With a quick toss he shoved a pill bottle into Mariam's hands.
He turned back to Bobo.
"And you; you are just a fucking good little man and I wanna tweak your goddamn fuzzy little nose!" More sarcasm. "Come on you damn dog." He began to walk out; then stopped once more and turned to Mariam.
"You; You're just like your fucking mother. You're a cunt." Then he walked out.
Mariam grit her teeth and looked at the pills in her hand before screaming after him, "I DON'T EVEN LIKE THIS KIND YOU ASSHOLE!"
"THEN SHOVE 'EM UP YOUR ASS!"
The dog, who had remained in the bed, looked up at Mariam as the crying girl clenched the bottle tighter in her white hands.
"BOBO! COME ON WITH DADDY!" The man's voice rang out once more. The dog never moved. With a forelorn look, Mariam unscrewed the cap on the pills and dumped them onto the floor in front of the animal, shoving one close to him with her foot and watching as Bobo lapped one up.
At Hiro's house, Grace walked away from her shocked ex-husband, bag over her arm and others in her hands. Out the door, leaving Granger standing there with a dumbfound look.
'I just can't believe what they put that poor man through. You have to wonder what kinds of homes these girls are comin' from.' A woman on tv said. 'I mean, what kinds of parents could raise such horrible little monst-' One of the executives who'd auditioned Mariam for the television sitcom changed the channel.
'I mean, who knows where she got the gun? Accessibility to firearms is one of the main problems facing the youth of society today.' Kenny said in front of the camera, arms crossed and looking proud of himself.
The executive changed the channel again.
'So forgive me loyal viewers, if I don't clap my hands and join in on another round of blame the victim. To my eyes Mariam Carey will always be innocent.' Judy said, standing bravely. 'And more than that, she will be an American heroin;..' The rest of what the news reported said was cut off as the other executive, sitting across from his friend in the desk began to speak through a mouthful of sub.
"Mariam Carey she tried out for the role of Marie-France didn't she?"
"Yeah." His partner nodded, taking a sip of his soft drink.
"And why didn't we pick her again?"
"Didn't stand out."
"..Is it too late to re-cast that role?"
The other man put down his drink and smirked.
"It's never too late." Pushing a button on his intercom, "Lisa! I need you to find Mariam Carey."
Mariam sat in her room, gazing at the picture of her brother Joseph clad in his army uniform. He looked so courageous and heroic.
Mariam was silent as she then tossed it into the box of other knicknacks she'd packed away. The next object she reached over and picked up; 'The Diary of Anne Frank'. Good book. Priceless gift from her brother... Mariam leafed through a few pages, before returning to the cover where written in permanent marker;
'Mariam; Be good. Love Joseph.'
Mariam rose her eyes and stared blankly ahead for a moment before tossing the book inside the box as well. Then there was a knock at the wall beside her door. Turning around, Mariam's face grew hopeful.
"Girlfriend."
Mariah stood at the door, red-faced and teary eyed.
"Hey." She flicked her golden orbs to Mariam's face before walking into the room. "Kathy let me in." Mariam crossed her arms.
"I'm sorry I haven't called in ages.." Mariam droned out, "I've been really busy. Did I tell you I'm.. I'm movin' to my Mom's?" The blue-haired girl said lightly. Mariah nodded solemnly.
"I was talking to Micheal Horowitz..." Mariam nodded slowly.
"Yeah..?"
"Um.. He told me something;... I've been trying to wrap my head around what it means but I can't." Mariam's face changed in an instant; it went into that steely, rock-faced, dead-eyed, gaunt look.
"What did he tell you Mari?"
"He told me you asked him to ask his father to represent Mr. Granger..." Mariah shrugged her shoulders and made a feeble attempt at a chuckle. "And if that's true, that could only mean that you wanted me to confess." She said. Her eyes narrowed that little ways, taking in the girl before her and her body language. "So I was tryna think why... But I-I couldn't find an answer."
"Well maybe you should think a little harder." Mariam's cold tone made Mariam's blood run cold.
"Was.. Was all this really just to get famous? To get your face on tv to get that part on that st-stupid show!?" Mariah asked. Mariam had to hold back the smirk tugging at her lips.
"Partly."
"Because you're the only one who got famous Mariam!, Everyone's already forgotten about me!" Mariah quipped, her head rapidly shaking to prove her point and her eyes straying everywhere but Mariam's own.
"Don't sweat it hun. Fame is.. Overrated. It's so fleeting you know." Mariam said with such lack of emotion in her voice it didn't even sound human to her friend. Until the next few words Mariam spoke.
"..Heartbreak... On the other hand... Heartbreak lasts forever."
Mariah was silent for the longest time, just looking at Mariam, before looking down at the carpet beneath her feet and running over everything in her blue-haired head. ..Couldn't be.
"..Oh my God..." Mariah tilted her head forward to confirm her estimation. "Ray..?"
Mariam smirked wickedly.
"You're not his perfect little angel anymore are you?" She almost laughed; but her eyes got red. "Oh no. Now;... You're a dirty little whore. Just like me." Mariam couldn't keep back her chuckle the third time. "I've turned you into me!"
Mariah's struggling eyes flitted wildly around the room.
"You mean.. All of this; ..Everything! Was about a boy?!"
"Not very original granted; ...But you know that green-eyed monster? Can be a real bitch." Mariam spat.
Mariah shook her head.
"You never wanted to be Anne Frank did you?"
"Oh yes I did." Mariam spoke, her voice returned to it's normally soft tone once more. "And then I wanted to get fired.. Establish a motive.. Make everybody think I had something against Mr. Granger.. Say my little 'accidental' racial slur, and... Everything fell into place!" Mariam smirked, her emerald eyes red; but the green burned brighter than ever. "I mean my God; Mariah! It's like this whole world is this orchestra; And I'm the conductor."
Mariah's head was still shaking.
"I thought you were my friend.."
"I was." Mariah hung her head and sobbed. "But you stole my boyfriend, Mariah."
"Oh God Mariam..!" The girl in question rolled her eyes. "Rhanda died because of this!"
Mariam wanted to shrug.
"Every way has it's casualties. ..Just ask my brother."
"Oh my God.." Mariah muttered, "You're a fucking psycho!" Mariam just nodded stalely.
Mariah reached into her purse and rapidly began pulling things out.
"The things that I borrowed from you!" Throwing 2 shirts and a pair of jeans at Mariam, "I never wanna speak to you, or see you again!" Mariah hissed. "..YOU PSYCHO!" Then the girl turned around and ran out of the room.
Mariam watched her run out.
Then she turned and looked at the television.
There she was, playing Marie-France, on her show. Picking up the remote, Mariam clicked off the mute button. She heard herself mutter some lame, stupid lines. Then she switched channels.
An interview with Martin Stivers; the Bel-Air shooter.
'It's just like shootin' ducks at the carnival.. They go buy on this long line. And you've got your little rifle;..' Martin looked up at the camera, peering outward eerily..
'Bam bam bam.'
Mariam changed the channel again; It was a horde of reporters, chasing Rhanda Azuni's parents, both crying as they climbed into their limosine.
'Do you have anything to say Mr. Azuni!?'
'My family came here for American Dream;... We only found nightmare!' He pointed, before climbing away from the sight of the camera.
Mariam changed the channel again; South Park. She changed it again. Back to her show.
Mariam just tilted her head; tears began to fall as she watched herself repeat the dance she had done in her audition.
SB: The end.