by S. L. Walker
“Oh no, I couldn’t. I came here for you. Besides, not my thing,” I sneered at all the preppy styled clothing; the plaid shirts, blue jeans, bright puffy coat jackets, and plain tees.
“Really?” He said, sarcastically looking me up and down. I guess I did look a little plain Jane. My thoughts went back to the lady in the Chanel store and the way she looked at my clothing.
“I know where to take you,” he smiled again with those straightly lined teeth. We walked up to the register and I watched him take out his perfectly crisp leather wallet and Mastercard. He winked at me that I was sure he knew made me blush. He received his stuff and surprisingly took my hand. Who did he think he was? And why was he so forward? I didn’t care, he had me hooked.
ANGEL
I could still smell Big Willie’s alcoholic breath in my face as if he was still there. It left a bad taste in my mouth. The way he looked at me like I was a piece of meat. The way Treach looked at me. Then I thought about Eva and what she did for me and prayed she was okay. Then I grew angry at Raven and this situation. What we were doing. I touched my small purse that barely fit the stacks that was given to me. I never wanted to go back to that place again.
I noticed my mother’s car in the driveway and entered the house. When I turned the kitchen corner, she was sobbing, tears freshly falling down her red face. Black eyeliner dripped down as if she could care less about wiping it. She had a bruised lip and small cut on her cheek. When she saw me looking, she tried to wipe the tears away, but it was too late, I had already saw the damage.
“Mom, what’s wrong?!” I ran over to her and dropped to my knees and put my hands in her lap. She held her head down still trying to wipe away tears, but me being there just made her cry more. “Who did this to you?” I asked her.
“Oh. Sweety. I am so sorry you…you had to see me…like this,” she sobbed. I got up and grabbed a paper towel for her. She used it to wipe the runny mascara off the corner of her eyes and snot that was beginning to form from her nose.
“Mom, what happened?” I asked her again.
“Sit down, Angie,” she managed to try and get herself together. I took a seat on the kitchen chair next to her, not taking my eyes off of her. She took my hand.
“Remember, how I told you, your dad and I are going through some things?” She reminded me.
“He did this?!” I assumed, my heart immediately filling with rage.
“Baby, your dad has been seeing another woman. That’s where he has been this whole time,” her tears were dry now, she grabbed my hands. I wanted to act surprised, but the fact that I already knew he had cheated, only made me feel guilty.
“So that asshole put his hands on you because HE was cheating?!” I stood up, pulling my hands away.
“Don’t curse sweety, you know it’s not ladylike. It wasn’t like that,” she stood up with me.
“What’s going on then? Did she hit you?!” I asked her. She touched her lip, not realizing how obvious it was.
“Baby. Listen. I…I…was seeing someone else, too,” she managed to spit out and her words hurt like daggers.
“WHAT?!” I screamed at her. I backed up because I thought I was going to actually put my own hands on her.
She began to cry again.
“Angie, listen to me, okay?” She sobbed moving towards me. I shook my head as I kept backing away.
“You both are a bunch of shit!” I yelled.
“Now, you watch how you talk to me!” She yelled, her sobs turning into trembled anger.
The nerve of them two both stepping out on each other. And here I was feeling like shit this whole time.
“To think I felt guilty. To think I felt bad for you!” I was disgusted. Disgusted in them both.
“Guilty about what?” Her trembled voice began to straighten.
“I saw dad with another woman in YOUR bed and I threatened to tell you. I wanted to tell you. And I didn’t! I felt like shit! And all this time…” I began to cry now as her face grew red. We were both hurt for two different reasons.
“You knew?!” She bit her lip. “What did she look like?” She was no longer crying, but her eyes sliced me open like a loaf of bread.
“I don’t know. Mexican. Long hair, skinny,” I backed up, still mad, but it wasn’t matching her anger. She dazed off into space as if knowing exactly who I was talking about.
“How long did you know?” She demanded.
“What does it matter, you’ve been cheating on daddy, too!” I yelled.
Then she slapped me.
“How long?!”
I couldn’t even hear. She had slapped the shit out of my left ear. The ringing muffled her voice, but I could still hear her question. Then she began slapping me over and over again. I wasn’t answering her fast enough. “How long?! How long?! How long did you know?! How long?!”
I guarded my face as much as I could crying for her to stop up until she got me in the corner. Her slaps hurt my hands so bad that she was able to get through and slapped me again in my cheek and ear. She was crying, too.
“Got damn it Angel!” She finally stopped. She yelled once more and then I heard the front door open and slam. She had left the house. I cried my eyes out, crouching to the floor in the corner of the kitchen. My mother had never hit me like that before. She had never been angry at me like that before. My purse had fell to the floor during the whole ass whooping and I could see some of the money peeking out of the top of it. I was surprised my mother didn’t see it. I got myself together, grabbed the purse, zipping it up, and went straight to my room. I packed as much stuff as I could into a suitcase. I didn’t know where I was going, but I wasn’t staying here.
EVA
When I came to, I woke up in a dark room only lit by the moonlight. I could hear muffled voices outside of the door. I instantly remembered what had happened. The coke I had snorted; the ride in the back of the truck; Raven. I jerked up off the bed and looked down at the different clothes I had on. I had to be at Ravens’, all the other girls dressed too girly for these sweats I had on. I got off the bed and turned on her light. My eyes searched for my clothes and I could see a pile by her window sitting next to my backpack. I checked for my pager and saw one from Professor Heart and my mom. Raven startled me when she came through the door.
“Oh good, you’re awake,” she said with two plates of pizza in her hand. “How do you feel?”
“Like I’ve been run over by a train,” I walked over to her and grabbed the plate of pizza she handed me.
“My dad keeps asking about you. I told him you just didn’t feel good. I’ll get you an Aspirin,” she quickly said, leaving the room. I noticed her cordless house phone on her dresser and grabbed it quickly to call Professor Heart.
“Hello?” He answered in his sweet manly voice I loved so much.
“It’s me. Eve,” I told him, checking the door for Raven.
“Hey!” He said, excited. “Who’s phone is this?”
“Ravens’. I can’t talk to you, though,” I told him, dreading to what I was about to say.
“Okay, call me when you can. I want to see you soon,” he said.
“No. You don’t understand. Um, I can’t talk to you like this. Anymore,” I stuttered.
“What are you talking about, Eva? Everything okay?” He asked. I wanted to tell him to forget everything I was saying and I’d see him tomorrow and then Raven walked in with a soda for her and water for me. I hung up.
“Who were you talking to?” She asked me.
“Steve. I mean Professor Heart. I was telling him I couldn’t see him anymore,” I told her, sitting on the bed.
“Good,” she said, trading the water and Aspirin for the phone. “You don’t need that kind of drama, trust me,” she sat down next to me and took a bite of her pizza. “I’m sorry I yelled at you earlier about it. I was just as in shock as your mom.”
“Are you gonna tell the girls?” I asked her. She gave me a look that said she wanted to.
“Nah. Lo
ng as you promise you’re done with him. Plenty of boys our age just as good looking,” she said.
“Where?!” I chuckled. She laughed with me.
“I know, huh? That was really brave what you did for Angel,” she nudged me with her elbow, changing the subject.
“Brave? More like stupid,” I told her.
“Very,” she laughed. “Big Willy’s a bitch for trying to make her do something like that.”
“You think we should tell Treach?” I asked her, throwing the Aspirin in my mouth and drinking it.
“Nah, I don’t know how to read Treach, yet,” she said, eating more of her pizza. No one could read Treach. He was a walking puzzle piece but I knew the more we worked for him, the more we would be able to. And knowing Raven, she would soon devise a plan. But little did I know, on the other side of her door, Deon was listening; devising his own plan.
CHAPTER 21
Angel raced through the cold night on her bike to the nearest gas station. She dug some change out of her pocket and called Sam’s house phone.
“Hello?” He answered as if he was busy.
“Sam? It’s Angie,” she tried not to cry but her voice fluttered.
“Angie, what’s wrong? You okay,” she loved that he was so caring, a warmth ran over her and she couldn’t help but let out a sob.
“Can I come over?” She asked him, gripping the phone, praying he’d say yes.
“Of course, Angie. You coming now?” He quickly asked her.
“Yes, thank you,” she hung up without saying bye. She was flustered. She knew she should have been going to one of the girls’ house, but she was afraid their parents would instantly call her mom. She knew she was wrong for ignoring Sam and then calling him when she needed something. But, she wasn’t going back home.
Sam’s home wasn’t far, in fact, Angel was there before she even knew it. Sam lived in nice condos. His mom did nicely for herself as a nurse and they lived off his Dentist of a dad’s child support money.
She left her heavy bag by her bike afraid of not being able to stay. She tried her best to fix her face without a mirror and walked to the door. Sam immediately opened it when she knocked.
“Angel, come in,” he told her, opening the door wider. His house was bright with all the lights on, warm and homey. Nothing like her home right now. It smelled of Jasmin and the TV was on in the background. “Jesus, Angie, what happened?” He grabbed her face where her mom slapped her. Angel didn’t even think she had a mark on her face. Her eyes widened as she touched the side of her ear. He grabbed her arm and sat her on their soft cotton beige couches.
“Stay here,” he left and got a small bag of ice. Angel was still silent, holding in her tears. He put the bag of ice on her face and looked her in her watery eyes. “You gotta talk to me, Angel,” he told her, with a concerned look. She looked around.
“Nobody’s here. They are at a luncheon for my dad’s job, they won’t be back for a couple hours. You can tell me,” he told her. For the first time she actually saw Sam. His need for her safety, his feelings for her, his kindness. She looked into his eyes and kissed him. He kissed her hard back, both never leaving each other’s grasp. She rubbed at his small shoulder muscles and grabbed his black tank top taking it off over his head. He kissed her neck and proceeded to take her jacket off. Her purse was hanging on her shoulder and dropped to the floor, the small button on the clasp opened and dumped out her cash and a red lip gloss. She didn’t pay attention, but Sam did. He stopped kissing her and stared at the money now lying on the floor. She looked at him confused and then in shock at the money on the floor. They both went for the purse at the same time. Angel reaching it before him, quickly grabbing the money and stuffing it back in her purse. Her eyes were frightened but Sam’s eyes were baffled.
“Where did you get all that money?” Sam asked her. “Is that why your face look like that?” Sam questioned her more.
“No, I, uh. I shouldn’t have come here,” she stuttered. She backed up, putting her jacket back on. “I’m…sorry.”
“Wait! Where you going?” He jumped up to grab her arm, but she dodged him, running out of his front door to her bike. He stopped midway outside, calling her name as she grabbed her bag off the ground and rode off.
“Angel!” He yelled after her. He had never been so confused and worried in his life for someone.
Angel cried all the way to Raven’s house. She was delirious. She knocked hard on Raven’s door like the police, causing Deon to swing open the door.
“Deon?” Angel said, trying to do a half smile. She didn’t want him to know anything was wrong, but her face told it all.
He smirked.
“Must be a sleep over, huh?” He said sarcastically, referring to Eva still being there. “She’s in her room,” he pointed towards Raven’s room and watched Angel walk past. He could smell something in the air. Something was going on. As soon as Angel walked in Raven’s room closing the door, he went back to listening at the door.
“Angel what the hell you doing here?” Raven asked her, surprised. Her and Eva had been sitting around eating snacks. “You aight?”
Angel’s eyes lit up at Eva and she ran over to her. “You’re okay?!”
Eva hugged Angel back.
“Yeah, are you? Your mama know you here?” Eva asked her. She looked at Raven and Eva, who both had questionable looks on their face.
“Your face,” Raven touched it. “Did Treach do something to you?!” Raven’s eyes widened.
“That muthafucka,” Eva clinched her jaw.
“No! No!” Angel denied. “My mom, she did it,” she struggled to say.
“Why?!” Raven asked. Angel began to sob, dropping her bag and purse. Both Eva and Raven hadn't noticed her carrying it.
“They both are cheating on each other. I told her I knew about it. I don’t know why I told her, I was mad at her.”
Angel started crying more. “What’s happening to me?” Angel looked at the floor overwhelmed. Raven and Eva both took her in their arms holding her. “I don’t want to go home,” Angel told them. “I can’t go home,” she whimpered.
“Shhhh shhhh. It’ll be okay. You’re overreacting,” Raven let her go.
“Yeah, your mom is just hurting, she didn’t mean to do it, girl, you know that,” Eva assured her. Angel nodded her head. She wanted to believe them, but the way her mom took off on her, she was sure that her mother meant every blow.
“Bitches for life. Remember that. You will get through this,” Raven told her. Raven’s pager buzzed on her dresser. She picked it up.
“Treach,” she told the girls. She dialed the number and was off the phone in less than 30 seconds. “He wants to meet tomorrow night,” she told them. Angel sat on the bed in a daze as Eva rolled her eyes. Here we go again.
Deon’s eyes shifted, still listening to them. Treach’s name sent chills up his spine. Treach was more involved with these girls than he had thought and he knew Treach wouldn’t stop if he didn’t have to. Then neither would Deon.
CHAPTER 22
Treach sat in his chair at his spot as Kaitlin entered his room escorted by DJ. She walked in wearing a sequined red dress with a diamond necklace showing off her v-neck cut cleavage. Her long legs were accompanied by red strapped pumps.
“MmmmMmmm Mmmm! Well, look at you! You do clean up nice, Kay!” Treach sat up from his chair and walked up to her. He admired her brown curls that laid over her shoulder, her fake eyelashes and dark red lipstick.
“You look like a woman, baby,” he whispered into her ear. Kaitlin trembled while DJ looked at Treach with uneasiness. “Come,” he motioned to her to come closer to his desk. DJ followed just a couple steps behind.
“So, Kay, I have some good news and some not so good news,” he sat back in his chair, pouring him a drink. “Good news is, you won’t be working for me anymore, in fact you will be making way more doe than you ever made,” he told her as he looked behind her. Lila eased her way in with her same two goons. Kaitli
n turned around as Lila greeted her with a smile.
Lila was always impressively dressed. She showed up in her own short red dress covered with a long black jacket. Her pearls were large in her ears matching her pearl necklace. Her braids were tied back revealing her beautiful sculptured chocolate face. Kaitlin’s eyes grew wide in fear fore she knew exactly what was happening.
“Hello, Kaitlin,” Lila said to her softly. “You look lovely,” she smiled at her outfit she had on. Kaitlin didn’t say a word. Lila’s eyes then turned to Treach. “She will do,” she smirked. Kaitlin looked at Treach in disbelief. Everything happened so fast. The two men with Lila handed Treach a duffle bag that he opened and checked full of money.
“Pleasure doing business. Oh, and Kaitlin, this is the bad news, baby,” he grinned.
“No,” is all Kaitlin could whisper.
“Oh, no no no we not gonna do this, you already knew the game baby! Hell, you’re a pro!” He laughed. Treach was hoping Kaitlin had enough practice by now and wouldn’t give him a hard time.
“No!” She yelled at him and then at Lila. Lila rolled her eyes and motioned for her men to grab her as she walked out first. DJ, unaware of Treach’s plan backed up in disbelief to get out of their way. The men grabbed Kaitlin who tugged and pulled away, making a scene. She dragged her front heels across the ground as they pull her out of the office. DJ looked at Treach pouring him another shot.
“We will be in touch,” Lila nodded and followed her men out of Treach’s establishment. Treach saluted to her with his shot and took a gulp. He slammed the shot down on his desk and dug his hand in the wad of money in the bag.
“DJ my nigga!” He grinned with greed. DJ had never thought Treach would stoop that low. He pimped out some of the hoes in the warehouse but that was by their choice. They wanted a pimp so he gave them one. But this was different. He sold Kaitlin against her will to one of the biggest hoar houses in Baltimore. “This is the start of some new money!” Treach whoo hawed. He poured DJ a shot along with him and DJ uncomfortably took the shot with him. He could hear Kaitlin still screaming as she was hauled away with Lila and her goons out of the warehouse.