Behind the Bars

by Brittainy Cherry

  Mom pulled Katie into a hug, and they both cried against one another for a long time. We stayed in the school parking lot until both could catch their breath. Mom wiped Katie’s eyes, and Katie wiped Mom’s.

  “Let’s get home for dinner,” Mom declared, putting the car into drive. “And then we are going to look into transferring schools.”

  “Mom?” I called out.

  “Yes, Elliott?”

  “Did you, um, d-did you call Todd a sh-shithead?”

  She smirked in the rearview mirror and shrugged. “I think I did.”

  I smiled my biggest grin as she started drove us home.

  Coolest. Mom. Ever.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Jasmine

  “Mickey Rice is one of the best producers in the whole wide world, Jasmine. This could be life-changing if we get him to work with you. He has connections with the best of the best, and he’s pairing us up with T.K. Reid, the mixing engineer. You really couldn’t be luckier,” Trevor exclaimed as we took a taxi to the studio in London.

  Mama was staring out the window taking pictures of all the buildings as we drove by. We’d been in England for a few weeks now, and it’s been nonstop work for me. When I wasn’t in a studio or meeting with potential producers, I was with Mama being homeschooled.

  Whenever I got a free minute, I’d email Elliott. It was the only way we had to communicate, and with the time difference, there were so many times I’d wake up to a new message from him and go to sleep wishing I had more words from him.

  “When we get up to the meeting, let me lead it, okay?” Trevor told me, fixing his tie. His attire told me it must’ve been a very important meeting.

  Trevor was the complete opposite of Ray. He looked and acted like a snake. There was no softness to him at all.

  “Can I come into the meeting?” Mama asked.

  Trevor cringed a bit. “I don’t know, Heather. I think it might just be best to, ya know, keep it to the professionals.” He winked her way.

  “I want her in there,” I said, staring out the window as we drove past Elizabeth Tower.

  “But—” Trevor started, and I glared his way.

  “If Mama doesn’t come with me, I’m not going in there.”

  “No, it’s fine, Jasmine. I’d probably just get in the way and step on people’s toes,” Mama joked, smiling at me. “Trevor will be there with you. It will be fine.’’

  I argued with her, but I could tell she wasn’t going to go against Trevor. Unlike Ray, Trevor didn’t put up with Mama’s sharp tongue. When she bit him, he bit her back—harder.

  I reloaded my email, hoping a new letter from Elliott had arrived since I’d checked five seconds before, but still nothing. Even though it was only three in the morning back in New Orleans, I really wished he were awake to talk to me.

  “How long has she been performing?” Mickey Rice asked Trevor as he leaned against his desk. He spun a pencil between his fingers, eyeing me up and down.

  “Six years,” Trevor answered for me. “She’s been performing professionally for six years.”

  “And how old is she?” he asked, his stare locked with mine though he spoke to Trevor.

  “Sixteen.”

  Mickey cocked an eyebrow. “She could pass as nineteen.”

  “It’s the makeup. We can always tame it if need be,” Trevor told him.

  Mickey’s eyes traveled up and down my body once again. I crossed my legs and arms as discomfort washed over me. I hated how they spoke about me as if I wasn’t in the room. I hated how I wasn’t allowed to speak for myself. I hated how Trevor—a complete stranger—was my voice.

  “No, no. We want her to pass as older. More attention.” Mickey gave a sly grin. “How much does she weigh?”

  “Why don’t you just ask me?” I snapped. Trevor pinched my arm and gave me a stern look.

  “She’s one hundred and thirty pounds.”

  “Get her to drop fifteen.”

  “But I’m five eight,” I argued.

  “You’re right—get her to drop twenty.”

  “What does any of this have to do with my career?” I asked, annoyed.

  “This is the music industry, sweetheart—it has everything to do with your career.” Mickey pulled out a pack of cigarettes and placed one between his lips. He offered Trevor one, and he took it. God, I hated cigarette smoke.

  “So, describe her genre for me,” Mickey continued.

  This went on and on. The two talked about my flaws and my talent, the direction they each believed I could take, etc. I grew tired of it all, and every now and then I’d steal a glance at my cell phone to see if I had a new email from Elliott.

  Of course not.

  He’s still sleeping.

  “And she dances?” Mickey questioned.

  “Don’t you want to hear me sing?” I cut in, growing tired of their talk. Mickey gave me a hard look.

  “Excuse me, missy. Two grown men are having a conversation here.”

  “About me,” I argued.

  Trevor gave me a shut-up-right-now look, but I didn’t care.

  “You’re talking about me and my career and my this and that, but you haven’t even asked me to sing for you.”

  “What does your voice have to do with anything?”

  “That’s the whole reason I’m here—for my singing.”

  Mickey laughed. “This is the music industry—that has nothing to do with your career.”

  Trevor leaned toward me and slightly shook his head. “Just let me handle this, kid. I got your back.”

  I didn’t believe him.

  They went back to their conversation, and I went back to refreshing my email. My heart jumped when I saw EAdams pop up in my inbox.

  Subject: Three A.M.

  Jazz,

  I woke up to go to the bathroom and 3:33AM was flashing on my alarm clock, and then I thought of you. What time does that make it there? Nine in the morning? You have that meeting with the big producer, right? It’s going to go perfect. They’d be crazy not to sign you.

  I miss you.

  -Eli

  Subject: Re: Three A.M.

  Eli,

  I’m in the meeting now. It’s almost ten in the morning here. The guy doesn’t care about me as a person at all, he’s only interested in how to sell my brand.

  I didn’t know I had a brand.

  I just wanted to sing soul music.

  Trevor seems to be in his happy place.

  I miss you more. Go to sleep.

  -Jazz

  Subject: Re: Re: Three A.M.

  I can’t go back to sleep. Tell them you only sing soul music. Tell them pop music sucks. Tell them your truth.

  Are you happy?

  -Eli

  Subject: Happy?

  Happy? Yeah, I am.

  -Jazz

  Subject: Re: Happy?

  Liar.

  -Eli

  Subject: Re: Re: Happy?

  Good night, Elliott.

  -Jazz

  P.S. Listen to Ella James—she always helps me get to sleep.

  Subject: Re: Re: Re: Happy?

  Good morning, Jasmine.

  -Eli

  P.S. Listen to Tupac—he always helps me tell the world to piss off.

  Subject: P.S.

  Jasmine?

  -Eli

  Subject: Re: P.S.

  Yes, Elliott?

  -Jazz

  Subject: Re: Re: P.S.

  I think your voice is beautiful. Even when it sings pop.

  -Eli

  Oh, also, I love you.

  Subject: First time

  That’s the first time you’ve ever said that to me.

  -Jazz

  Subject: Re: First time

  I know.

  -Eli

  Subject: Re: Re: First time

  Elliott?

  -Jazz

  Subject: Re: Re: Re: First time

  Yes, Jasmine?

  -Eli

  Subject: Re: Re: Re:
Re: First time

  I think your voice is beautiful. Even when it shakes.

  -Jazz

  Also, I love you, too.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Elliott

  “You know what happens to snitches?” Todd whispered as he walked past me, bumping into my shoulder just slightly. He’d been harassing me each day, but his harassments were much quieter now, almost as if he was afraid to get caught. It was the same with his friends, and the only thing they really called me was a snitch, because I’d gone to Mom about Katie.

  I didn’t care, though. As long as my sister was okay, I’d take being called a snitch.

  I reloaded my emails, checking to see if there was anything from Jasmine. Whenever I reloaded the page, a big knot sat in my stomach as I waited to see if she’d written me back.

  When she hadn’t, I just reread her old emails.

  That was good enough for me.

  On Saturday, Uncle TJ still made me go to the corner to play my music, even though I didn’t want to without Jasmine there. “Music must live on right beside the broken hearts, Elliott. If it didn’t, how would people ever heal?”

  I played on the corner, and everyone cheered me on as they always did, but the cheers seemed a bit quieter without her there, a bit lonelier.

  Uncle TJ was right, though—music did help me. What helped even more was Mom, TJ, or Katie showing up each night for my performance. That night my sister came and cheered me on.

  “You don’t have to come here, ya know,” I said as Katie kept applauding for me.

  “I’m not gonna have you out here without any support, brother, and since Mom has to work and TJ is teaching tonight, I’m here. Plus, I love seeing you perform. You’re amazing, Eli.” I awkwardly smiled. Compliments were hard for me to accept sometimes. “Are you going to sit in the alleyway to listen to music?” she asked.

  “Yeah, just for a little while.”

  “Want me to grab some hot dogs from Dat Dog and join you?”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Even if I say no, are you going to come?”

  “Yep, pretty much.”

  “Then I’ll take an alligator sausage and Coca-Cola, please.”

  “On it! I’ll meet you back there in a few.” She hurried off to the restaurant, and I wandered toward the alley.

  Sitting on top of the dumpster behind the bars was a way for me to unplug from the world. Listening to the music playing was more than enough peace. During my time spent back there, I imagined what it would be like to see Jasmine again, what it would be like to hold her.

  Jasmine Greene was the girl I was never supposed to get, and if I ever had the chance to see her again, I knew I wouldn’t let her go.

  I heard a voice as I was staring up at the darkened sky, but it wasn’t Katie’s.

  “You know what happens to snitches?”

  Todd and his guys walked down the alleyway toward me. I tensed up, jumping off the dumpster to run, but one of them grabbed me by my arm.

  “Where are you off to so fast?” Todd barked. “We’ve been asking for weeks now, and I think it’s time you answered us, Boney Bones. What happens to snitches?” he hissed as two guys pinned me with my back against the dumpster. Todd slammed his fist into my gut, pushing all the air out of my lungs. “Snitches get stitches and buried in ditches.”

  “N-no, p-please,” I begged, but they didn’t care. They were obviously drunk or high—or both.

  “I saw you talking to your sister on the street. Is she meeting you back here?” Todd asked as I kept moving, trying to get out of their hold.

  “No,” I lied, swallowing hard.

  “Well maybe I should call her real fast and tell her to hurry back over. Grab his cell phone,” Todd ordered.

  “Leave her alone!” I shouted. The guys slammed me against the dumpster, making me groan in pain.

  They snatched my phone, and Todd flipped it open. He tried to get into the phone and he grimaced. “What’s your passcode, freak?” I kept my mouth shut. He huffed as he walked over to me and locked his eyes with mine. “I said”—he slammed his fist into my gut—“what’s…” Fist. “Your…” Fist. “Passcode?”

  Vomit began to rise from my stomach, but I didn’t say a word. I couldn’t. I had to protect my sister. He could beat me as long as he wanted to, as long as she was safe.

  “What the hell are you doing?” a voice shouted at the end of the alley. I turned to see my sister dropping the food to the ground.

  Oh no, Katie…

  “Well, aren’t you a liar?” Todd scolded me, slapping my face.

  “No, Katie! Run!” I hollered, but she didn’t listen to me at all. She started running toward us. “No!”

  “Goddammit, shut him up, will you?” Todd groaned. “Toss him into the dumpster while I deal with this bitch.” He flipped open the lid, and the guys started to lift me. One grabbed me by the ankles, and the other wrapped his hands tight around my wrists. They lifted me into the air and then swung me in. As I tried to hurry to my feet to leap out, they shut the lid and jumped on top of it.

  I pressed my hands against the lid, trying to push it up, but I couldn’t.

  I’m not strong enough.

  I’m not strong enough.

  I listened to them snicker and laugh. The smell of the rotting foods made me want to gag, but I did my best to keep it down. My first and only concern was making sure Katie was okay.

  “Well if it isn’t the biggest whore in town,” Todd huffed.

  “Let him go, Todd,” Katie said stern. “Stop being an asshole.”

  Katie, no…leave.

  “Don’t worry about him. He was just feeling down in the dumps,” Todd joked before someone pounded their hand against the dumpster.

  “Eli.” Though her voice was steady, I could tell Katie was terrified. I didn’t want her to worry about me.

  “Run, Katie!” I shouted, my voice burning as I kept pounded against the cage I was trapped inside.

  “I’m not leaving,” she replied. “Don’t worry. I’m calling the cops.”

  “No, hold up. I think we should talk first,” Todd said.

  “Give me my phone back, jerk!” she hissed.

  Todd laughed. “Do you know my parents took away my car privileges after that stunt your shit brother pulled?”

  “Well, maybe if you weren’t a complete pig, you wouldn’t have gotten in trouble,” Katie barked, not a tremble in her voice. I loved that about her—she wasn’t afraid of anything. At least not on the outside. Even with everything she’d been through, she always held her head up high in the face of conflict.

  “You got a slick mouth, don’t ya? What else can that mouth do?” Todd said ever so slyly.

  I pounded against the lid as I shouted. My veins popped out of my neck as my hands bled from hitting the lid repeatedly. I kicked, clawed, and punched the lid. The skin on my knuckles ripped and tore. My body was beat and bruised as I tried to escape the cage I was locked inside, but nothing worked. I used everything I had, I used every inch of my body to try to escape, but still, I couldn’t.

  I’m not strong enough.

  I’m not strong enough.

  “Let me go!” Katie yelled. The fact that his hands were on her made me livid, but still, I couldn’t budge the lid.

  “How about you use those lips for something other than talking, huh? I know my brother loved your mouth,” Todd hissed before I heard him shout in panic. “What the fuck?!”

  “What happened?” one of his friends asked, leaping down off the dumpster. I took the chance to push on the lid once more, but I still couldn’t move it.

  “The bitch sprayed me with pepper spray!” he hollered. “You’re going to fucking pay, you slut. Get her, Tim! And, Ryan, don’t you dare get off that dumpster!”

  There was a loud commotion, and I listened to Katie try her best to get out of their grips.

  “Let me go! Let me go!” She fought, trying to get to me as I tried to get to her, but nothing was working. Nothing I trie
d worked. “No,” she cried. “No, please,” she begged.

  Then, Katie’s voice disappeared.

  “Dude, Todd, you’re choking her,” one of the guys muttered.

  “Shut up, Ryan! I got this!” he said.

  “What the fuck are you doing, man?” Tim said, his voice sounding shocked.

  “She’s a fucking whore,” Todd hissed.

  “She’s not breathing!” Ryan hollered, and I felt him leap off the dumpster.

  I shoved on the lid, and finally it opened. I saw Tim and Ryan trying their best to pull Todd off my sister. One of his hands was wrapped tightly around her neck, and she gasped for air while his other hand was down her pants.

  No…

  Todd slammed her body against the concrete wall repeatedly as Katie clawed at his hands.

  I hurried out of the dumpster right as the guys forced Todd to let go. I watched my sister’s body fall to the ground, saw the blood from where her head had pounded against the wall. I saw the panic in the guys’ eyes as they stared at her motionless body.

  “Dude!” Ryan cried, terror in his stare. “What the fuck did you do?”

  I tackled Todd the moment my feet hit solid ground. I knocked him to the ground, shouting at him, screaming, crying, beyond logic. He was bigger than me, they all were, but I didn’t care. My hands flew into his face continually as I punched him. His blood covered my hands as I kept swinging. I hadn’t a clue what I was doing, but I needed him to suffer, needed him to stop breathing, needed him to hurt the way he’d hurt my sister. Tim and Ryan took off running, and Todd shoved me hard. The moment I went flying, he took off down the alleyway.