by Adaeze Okoli
I gave Trinity a weak smile.
“Thanks,” I said.
Trinity gave me a half smile back. I took a deep breath and looked over at her.
“My grandparents should be here any moment. Well, not right away. They’re old and drive slow, but you know what I mean.”
Trinity tried to hold in a laugh, so I decided to roll with it.
“It’s like turtles racing, they think they’re smashing out going five mph.”
Trinity tried to keep the laugh from escaping her lips but couldn’t.
“Omg, don’t say that about your grandparents, I’m sure they at least go fifteen mph.”
I laughed at Trinity’s words.
“Psh, yeah, totally. And they reach a record breaking forty-five mph on the freeway.”
There we go, I made Trinity laugh so hard she snorted again. This would be the second time I’ve been able to do that. Trinity’s smile gradually faded away. I watched as the happiness in Trinity’s eyes disappeared.
“Thanks for staying and hanging with me for these past couple of days. You made me feel like I wasn’t alone. And that’s hard to do in that big house. I guess I’m a bit sad because I hadn’t had anyone over before. If having you over is this much fun…then I never want it to end. I know I’m being selfish, and I know you need to be with your grandparents at this moment, but still. I don’t know, don’t forget about me and remember I’m always going to be here for you. I’m a call and a text away. For you I’d drive from my place to Inglewood, doing one hundred on the freeway.”
Trinity paused before she began to speak again. She bit her bottom lip.
“I guess all I’m saying is don’t forget about me. I meant what I said when I told you, you’re someone I’d like to have in my life for years to come. I don’t want to drift apart.”
Trinity started to pick at her fingers out of nervousness. When she was talking to me, her eyes never looked up once. She stayed focusing her attention on the rips in her jeans.
“Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere Trin. I’ve got you, like you’ve got me.” Trinity looked up at me, finally. Her eyes were a bit red. Was she crying?
“I know we only started talking to each other, but it feels like I’ve known you for a lifetime. People like that are hard to find,” Trinity said. I nodded my head in agreement.
“Yeah I know,” I replied back.
Without saying another word, I got out of Trinity’s truck. I began to walk away when it happened. Instead of driving away, Trinity jumped out her truck, ran over to me and gave me my first real kiss. I couldn’t believe it, my heart started racing. I didn’t want this moment to end. Trinity’s lips were softer than I could have imagined. I tenderly put my hands around her round face, pulling her in closer. She wrapped her arms around my neck. I could tell she was smiling while I kissed her. Her smile was infectious, I began to smile back. Her hands started to play with the hairs at the nape of my neck. We began to stop our kiss, our lips hovered less than an inch from each other. Trinity’s lips parted ever so slightly, and I went in for another kiss. There was no rain that poured down on us like you see in movies while couples kiss. It was a normal cold night, but you know sometimes the simplest things in life are the best.
Trinity looked in my eyes as if she was searching. She looked like she was searching for some kind of answer that I didn’t know the answer to. I loved watching her beautiful brown eyes wonder. Without saying another word to me, she turned around and got in her truck. Then drove off. I’m glad she didn’t say anything because that kiss said it all. Her kiss to me said that she cared for me, but she too knew that I couldn’t stay in her house forever in hiding. I know it’s a hunch. But I’m certain Trinity knows I had no grandparents coming to meet me tonight at this coffee shop.
CHAPTER EIGHT
I walked around with no direction in sight. The cold wind danced around my face and tickled my ear tips. I rubbed my hand every few minutes or so to keep warmth in them. I thought about laying down on a bus stop bench to go to sleep, but then I saw it. I was within the La Cienega neighborhood. I saw a light on from inside an abandoned looking house. The house looked like it hadn’t been occupied in years. There was no fence around the home, the grass had overgrown to the point it was passing my ankles. The house was grey, the exterior of the house seemed to be wood based. The paint was chipping quit a bit. The porch steps were falling apart. I weighed about 168lbs, anyone heavier than that would break the steps. The little steps bent with each step I took, all while making creaking noises. With caution, I walked up to the house. Should I even knock on the door? What am I expecting to happen? I was curious. I needed to know who was inside this abandoned house. How were they able to have electricity? Curiosity did kill the cat, but I’m hoping that’s not the case this time. As soon as I knocked, almost immediately after someone opened the door.
The man who opened the door was skinny, with rough looking facial features, and must have stood at 6’5. His eyes were a dark brown that almost looked black. He had patchy facial hair, and a wide set mouth. I studied the man, he had needle marks on his arm. Drug addict, heroin could be the culprit? This guy seemed nervous and jittery. Although the door was open you could see no one was behind me. He constantly kept looking over my shoulder.
“You, uh need a place to stay kid?”
His voice was deep and raspy. His voice gave me chills.
Looking at him I said, “Yes I do,that would be great,” with eagerness in my voice.
I could care less if he was doing drugs, I was cold and needed to lay down. He let me in. And as soon as he did, two young teens came out from hiding and helped him secure the door. That way people from the outside couldn’t get in. That’s a tad bit unsettling.
The guy who let me in led me into the living room and the other teens came in and followed. The living room was dimly lit, but I could see two huge cockroaches with wings climbing up the wall. The T.V they had was cracked in the upper right corner and dated back to the 90’s. There was a filthy couch, that actually made the one at my house seem clean. Parts of the carpet were stained. The once before tan carpet looked dark brown and in one corner had black spots. I looked up, there were cracks running along the top of the ceiling. And God, the smell in here. Was it rat droppings? Spoiled food? Whatever the smell was coming from it made me want to gag.
He pointed to the girl.
“This is Jasmine.”
Then he pointed to the guy, “And this quiet one’s name is Austin.”
Jasmine had wild wavy blonde hair and freckles across her face. She couldn’t be older than thirteen. Why was she here with this guy? Austin had toasted brown skin with slanted eyes. His hair was pitch black, and about medium length. Austin was about fifteen. The kids clothes were withered. The guy paused for a while before he told me his name. He looked me up and down, unsure if he should tell me or not.
“Uh and my name is X.”
I smiled shyly and told them my name. The house looked to be in bad shape. Besides the cracks in the ceiling, the painting on the walls was peeling off. I wanted to know what caused these unidentified stains in the carpet. There goes that smell again, I can’t get it out of my nostrils. Although this house is one big safety hazard. This home, is much better than being out on the street. If X lets me stay here, at least I’ll have a place to lay my head at night.
X showed me to a small room in the house that smelled musty and a bit stale.
“Look, dude, this is going to be your room. It used to be our girl Lola’s room, but uh she died.”
I didn’t mind sleeping in a dead girl’s room. Funny how low our standards drop when we’re desperate. I did want to know what happened to Lola though. Something seems off about X. He doesn’t make any eye contact when being spoken to. Without a doubt, X is on drugs. X can’t possibly be his real name? No parent would name their child that. Another thing, where did Austin and Jasmine come from? They could be related to him, but they were completely different races? A
nd X himself was too young to adopt.
I questioned X, I asked him what happened to the girl Lola.
His response was, “We’re rejected, it doesn’t matter what happens to us bro because no one cares. People like us go missing, die, and the world moves on. We do what we gotta do and that’s that. Sacrifices have to be made.”
The answer was vague. It didn’t explain what happened to the girl. The answer only made more questions pop into my head that I wanted to be answered. Sacrifices have to be made, what did he mean by that? One part of my mind told me to run, the other part of my mind told me to wait for X to explain what he meant.
Soon, I turned around and stopped looking at him because it was clear he wasn’t going to say anything else. I looked back over my shoulder to see if he was standing behind me, but he wasn’t. As fast as a shooting star comes and passes X was gone.
I closed the door and checked my phone. I had several messages from Trinity.
The messages read:
“Please let me know you’re okay Peter. I care.”
The next one read: “When we kissed something special happened; I’ve never felt… I don’t know.”
The last text said: “Text me as soon as you can, ok?”
I would have been much happier about her saying she cared about me, but I had this bad feeling about X that I couldn’t shake. Something bad was going on but I didn’t know what. I wanted to walk out the front door I came in, but where would I go? Back to my dad’s? Back where he threw me out and was living with another woman? Back to Trinity’s where I had to sneak around. I’m out of options. I had to stay put in this house.
The two other young teens had a certain look on their faces. A look I couldn’t describe. Now that I’m thinking about it. Their eyes kept darting back from me to X. Before X showed me my room, Jasmine was looked at me and then at the door. Almost as if she was trying to tell me to get out, but if she was trying to tell me to get out then why aren’t she and Austin gone?
Who knows, I’m sure I’m overreacting a little. Every decision I try and make, my mind second guesses it. If my mom was here she’d know what to do. She always did. If my mom was still here with me I wouldn’t have to deal with any of these problems. I’d do anything to get my mom back. If I end my life, would I be reunited with her sooner? Would her body be healthy again? Would we be in a place where sickness can’t touch either of us?
My thoughts were all over the place. I had no control over my mind. I kept thinking about X and what he was hiding, why good people like my mom get illnesses like cancer. Suicide, my mind kept dancing around the idea, for reasons I was unsure of. I would try my hardest to push the thought out. But each time I tried to get the idea further from my mind, the more ways I could hurt myself occurred. I walked around my tiny room, but what for? I didn’t know why I was walking all over the place.
A voice in the back of my mind kept talking to me.
“Find it, find it, find it!” The voice hissed in my ear.
Find what though? There’s nothing in this small little room. All that’s in here is a small bed, smelly carpet, and a broken lamp. I forced my body to lay down. I’m safe, overreacting. I calmed down enough for me to lie on the bed.
I was about to rest my eyes for a bit, but then my phone lit up again. It was another message from Trinity saying: “I hope to see you soon.”
I texted her back saying for her not to worry and that I would see her at school on Monday.
Rolling on my side, I began thinking again. I told myself everything was going to be okay. Trinity cared about me and my mom was looking down on me from heaven. Sleeping was impossible for me to do, even with those two good thoughts in my mind. I was paranoid; I couldn’t trust anything X does or says. I’d need to keep a close eye on him. I wish it was possible for me to sleep with one eye open because if I could do that I swear I would.
CHAPTER NINE
X woke me up. “Get up,” he barked.
I looked at him like he was crazy. Who on earth did he think he was talking to? I didn’t say that of course. I waited for him to speak. His deep raspy voice was unsettling. I looked at him.
“It’s Monday, meaning it’s a school day and by the looks of it you haven’t dropped out.”
I sat up on my bed and thought how on earth could it be Monday if we haven’t even gotten to Sunday? I reached for my phone but couldn’t find it.
“You’re the newbie. You got, uh the first shot on everything including the phone charger.”
Phone charger, a phone charger? How could he afford a phone charger? An even better question to ask is how do we have electricity? This house isn’t in running condition.
“It’s in the front charging along with your breakfast.”
Breakfast, I didn’t even think we had food in this house, should I eat?
A voice from my mind hissed, “What if he’s done something to your food Peter?” But why would he want to do that?
The voice from my mind hissed again and asked, “Why wouldn’t he?”
I got up and entered the living room. My phone was completely charged and lying next to it was two pieces of toast with butter on it.
“Thanks, X,” I said in a mumbled tone while grabbing my food and phone. “Don’t you and the other two have school?” X shook his head.
“I’m nineteen, I don’t have school, I work. The other two have an extra hour before they need to go to school. I woke you up early because I don’t know how far your school is from here. You need to wash up before you go to school.”
I looked at him and began to head out the door. I couldn’t shake the sketchy vibe X gave me. Am I being paranoid? X hasn’t done anything wrong to me. He gave me a place to sleep.
“Also, don’t uh tell anyone where you’re staying.”
I nodded my head as an indication of letting him know I wouldn’t speak to anyone about my whereabouts.
As I was walking, I also was eating my food. Even though my mind was racing with fear over what he could have done to my food, I ate anyway, because I was too hungry not to. Halfway through eating my toast, something hit me that I didn’t notice before. I had my phone on me the whole time last night, meaning he came into the room and took it out of my pocket. How could I not have noticed that? I’m a light sleeper. This realization sent shivers down my spine. I checked my phone.
I went through my phone to see if he called anyone. He didn’t, but he messaged someone off of my phone.
The message read: “Hey Jay it’s me X, I’m using this newbies phone. Last time we talked was when I called you and we had that discussion about the agreement. I wanted to make sure we’re still on? Let me refresh your memory. I’m going to send Austin to give you what you requested. After Austin brings your stuff, give him sixty dollars. We also agreed on two hundred dollars, in exchange for Jasmine. Let me know if we’re still on man.”
The message from Jay read: “We’re on blood, thanks for hooking me up.”
I kept reading the message over and over that X sent. What agreement, what was the stuff that Austin was going to deliver to the guy? What was he going to use Jasmine for? I knew X wasn’t to be trusted, but what was I supposed to do? I tried to get my mind to believe the message didn’t mean anything, but I knew something bad was about to take place.
I texted Trinity, told her where she could pick me up so we could head to school together. Before she came to get me I looked for a place for me to wash up. I didn’t want to smell bad in front of Trinity; I didn’t want her to get the impression that I didn’t care about my hygiene. I walked for a little bit and came across a gas station.
I ran inside and dodged into the bathroom. I tried to wash up as well as I could, I even put some soap in my hair and rinsed it out. I stopped and smiled into the dirty mirror. Teeth, how could I forget to brush my teeth? Putting a little soap on my finger I started to rub my finger across my teeth. I laughed a little, hey mom! I can actually say I washed my mouth out with soap. Trinity texted me and said
she was here. I rushed out and walked back down the street where I told her to pick me up from.
She was leaning against her truck, like the first day I met her after school. The Los Angeles breeze made her hair blow frantically about. She looked gorgeous as always.
“Hey handsome,” she gave me a hug.
“You look gorgeous but that nothing new.”
She smiled a little and said thank you. God, that smile will get you every time. When we got in the truck she gave me a bag. Inside were a fresh new pair of jeans and a new shirt that was black and said, “This is my happy color.”
I didn’t know what to say. I hadn’t had new clothes in a year or so. I’m going to get something special for Trinity. I don’t have money now, but one day I’ll be able to surprise her.
“What’s something that you’ve wanted to buy but couldn’t?”
It was a ridiculous question because her family is well off. She could get anything she wanted, but nonetheless she answered.
“I’ve always wanted a beautiful yellow sundress that looked 60’s inspired.”
I smiled at her, “Your wish is my command, I promise you I will get you that dress.”
In all seriousness, I didn’t know how I was going to get her something that unique. What I did know, was I going to and that’s all that mattered. Trinity had a big smile on her face. Her smile could charm a thousand men.
“I guess we should find you a place to change into your new clothes.”
I smiled and nodded my head.
We drove around and found a McDonald’s for me to change clothes in. I walked out the fast food place after I changed feeling like a new person. I felt much more confident. I didn’t even know I could look good in black skinny jeans. I see why people are always buying new clothes it makes you feel and look pretty great. It’s crazy because Trinity got pretty close to my pants size. I was happy. I headed towards her truck, I realized I was walking different. My back was straight, I had a slight smile on my face as well. I got to the truck and went on the passenger side only to discover Trinity was sitting on the passenger side.