Chapter 4

True to her word after helping Danielle pick something out, she made me a sandwich and I went home with two bottles of water and a can of juice.

Danielle’s mom, Sophia, was one of the kindest women I had ever met.  She worked at a nursing home and although she didn’t make much, she always considered me her second daughter.

When Danielle got new hand-me-downs, I got some too. Whenever relatives sent a box of food, I got half of it. If I showed up at their house beaten black and blue by my father at 3 am, she took care of me and laid me to sleep as if I was a baby.

I don’t know how I'd make it without them.

It was a little after 6, and I kicked at the rocks on my way home.

The lower I went, the worse the condition of the street and the houses were. Multiple “keep-out!” signs littered the broken down houses while rats boldly frolicked in the overgrown grass.

I finally arrived at my house and sigh, realizing that both my parents were home from the shoes on the ‘porch’. I walked in quietly, giving the place a once over.

They were nowhere to be seen however there were needles on the floor and a man I had never seen laying on the dirty couch. I slowly walk towards my room, and find my parents going at it, on top of my mattress!

Bile rose from my throat and I quickly rushed out of the house, emptying my stomach on the lawn. The man who I previously left on the couch now stood in the doorway looking lost as hell.

“Wheres my money?!” He screams and my eyes widen as I could barely get myself together, throat dry and irritated.

“I-“

“I’ll kill you! You stole my money?!” He yells quickly making his way towards me and I rush backward, falling on my bag.

“I don’t know anything about your money!” I shout back, frightened and he kneels over, slamming his fist into my face.

“Oh, my g-“ Next I know his grabbing a fistful of my hair and dragging me back into the house.

“No!” I kick at the grass trying my best to scratch at his arms, by a miracle, my hand connects with his face and he lets me go for a second. I quickly stand and try my best to run away while dizzy and disorientated.

- -  -

I’m not sure what time I fell asleep, but the next I feel is someone lightly touching my bruise. I flinch away in pain and open my eyes to find Sophia staring at me with sorrow and pity.

“Oh, sweetheart,” She murmurs softly, using her strength to lift me off the ground while unlocking her door and helping me inside. I had crumbled on their porch in tears, I must’ve dozed off.

“What happened?” She whispers, and I shake my head, feeling the tears coming back. She embraces me in a hug and I sob violently into her shoulder. “It’s okay, it’s okay.”

We stay like that until she insists that I freshen up while she makes me something to eat. I do as she tells me and throw on a huge T-shirt and settle back on her couch. She hands me two microwaved pizzas and I murmur a thank you.

“So Danielle’s on a date huh?” She tilts her head and I nod. “Do you know him?”

“Not personally, but I’ve seen him around. She seems to like him.”

“What about you? Is there anyone you like?"

“Not really.”

“Well Loa . . . it isn’t a bad idea to try you know? Get out there, have some fun!”

“Ms. Diane, no offense but you see me right? I’m ugly, and I live in a home filled with crackheads and rodents. I’m not exactly girlfriend material or even date material for that fact.”

“Stop it, you're beautiful Loa, and. . . as for our home situations, they don’t determine where we’ll end up in the future, find the right guy who’ll love you for you, and all of that won't matter.”

“In high school? Like the one I go to?” I raise an eyebrow and she cringes.

“You’re right, you’re right. But still, you should try and have fun sometimes, get away from the madness. I’m sorry that I can’t offer you more than a place to stay and some food but-“

“That’s all I need.” I interrupt her and she sighs, placing a kiss on my forehead.

“I'm going to freshen up, and probably head to bed, do whatever you want.” She winks before leaving me and I shake my head.

She had long black hair that touched her back, and a small figure that actually looked good, the only flaw she had was a little mole that sat below her nose, but even that was just a beauty mark next to her green eyes, like Danielle.

I curled up on the couch and felt numb. I felt as if the world was on my shoulders and there was nothing I could do about it.

I wonder what Samuel was doing right now, probably laying in his a/c filled room under a larger comforter with the TV playing and a butler to his disposal.

I closed my eyes and forced myself to drift asleep,

#

S a m u e l

••

“Edwidge when my dad comes home tell him to call me, I can’t get him on his cell.” The butler nods at me and hands me the keys to my car. I hop in and make the twenty-minute drive to Carter’s.

His house was just as big as mine, except, it was always empty. Both of us had 0 siblings, but my parents always got home before 11 and showered me with their pestering presence. Don’t get me wrong, I loved them to death. But they weren’t . . .  normal.

“Muttface, how’s it going?” He grinned upon seeing me and I grunted, collapsing on his bed and pulling out my phone.

“You went out,” I state, obviously waiting for him to elaborate and he nods.

“Yea that girl’s friend is pretty great, Danielle,” He stares at the ceiling from where he sat on the floor reading a book. “She’s so shy, yet if you catch her in the right moment, she’ll rant about the strangest things. Did you know that the rollercoaster was designed to distract Americans from sin?” He looked baffled as he stared at me, and I gave him a weird look in return.

“Yea. .  . She sounds pretty great.”

“What about that girl? I saw you ogling at her like a creep while I was talking to Danielle.”

“What about her?” I eye him and he smirks.

“Why don’t you ask her out?”

“I don’t like her in that way,” I conclude and he hums.

“Don’t you?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Fuck off Carter, I just helped her that’s all.”

“Talking about that, that Mace kid barely made it out alive,” He slams his book closed. “I think we need to reduce our violence to a minimum, like maybe 0% a month.”

“So? Many people go into comas and barely make it out alive. He was bullying two innocent girls. I did what anybody else would've done.” I shrug and he clears his throat.

“Anybody else would’ve punched him and give him a warning, not kick his head into the concrete. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you that angry and trust me, I’ve seen you in many instances. Are you sure you don’t like that girl.”

“I barely know her.” I roll my eyes and he hums again.

“You’re so fucking annoying, where are the others?”

“Probably at a bar somewhere, it's just me and you cupcake.”

I glare at him as he pretends to make googly eyes at me.

“I’ll break your jaw.”

“I don’t doubt it.”

He chuckles and returns to his book while I scroll on Instagram. I tried to tell myself that it had been months of searching and searching for hers, and I should just give up.

Loa.

Her name sounded so pretty, just like her. She had really thick, long hair that was always pulled into a high... .thing. Puff. Afro? Whatever.

There were times I caught her smiling at nearby animals, like a bird, or even a damn worm. She liked them a lot and that gave me an idea.

I didn’t like her as Carter assumed, instead I was intrigued by her. The first time I caught sight of Loa she had stepped in bubblegum and looked like she was about to cry. I was going to help, really, but she just sighed, removed the shoe, and continued walking with only one on her feet. I’m not too sure why.

I learned her name from one of the students in her class the next day, and that was only about four months ago. I didn’t approach because most people only cower in fear and ran away when they saw me, and I loved it that way. Just not with her.

Seeing her get beat up by that fat prick just send me over the edge and before I knew it I was going ape and two seconds later

leading her inside of my house.

Gosh, she was beautiful, I never have much to say, but I was truly speechless when it came to being around her.

“Earth to asswipe.”

“What?” I growl at Carter and he raises an eyebrow.

“I said, are you hungry?” I Shrug and he pulls a shirt over his head.

“We’re going out to eat.”

Point is, I didn’t like Loa, but I think I cared for her. There was just something that didn’t sit right with me when it came to her, and after she explained her situation back home, I knew that she had a lot going home.

And maybe, despite me being known for my angry tendencies, we could be friends . . .

Maybe she could help me.