He slowly turned to me with the meanest look I've ever seen on his beautiful face. His long legs allowed him to take three short steps towards me until we were face to face. He leaned down to reach my height and then pushed me against the wall.
"I...
"Ms. Grace," one of the boys that live in the same building as me called out. I woke up early to run, its way too early for Andre to be awake and he wore himself out last night.
"I'm too young to be called Ms. but what's up?" I smiled at the boy who looked around 13. "Aren't you supposed to be at school?"
"The bus ain't come yet," he looked behind him at his group of friends and told them to come over. "We just wanted to sing you a song, because you're very strong," he smiled.
"These walls are thin and our parents tell us to not talk about it but we hear everything that goes on. My mom says she wants to help but she knows cops aren't going to do anything," a chubby one said. I think his nickname is Diggy, don't know why. These kids can hear everything? My face flushed with embarrassment and my eyes began watering.
They began snapping and humming them soon started singing in harmony. My heart melted at these little boys, singing to me because they're trying to put me out of my misery. As they sang, the bruises all over my body began to ache and my muscles had a pulsing feeling, like I've been walking for hours.
"Ms. Grace, the bus is coming," the young one said. "By the way I'm Anthony," he smiled. I didn't even noticed they stopped singing but they sounded amazing, so I told them.
"Thanks," they all said as they ran to the bus.
• •
"You look so beautiful," Andre wrapped his arms around my waist. "I'm sorry for hitting you and doing drugs, I wanna be right,". He's never said anything so sweet in a year but I'm not going to fall for his shit. By the time I get back this evening, he'll be beating my ass and telling me to go to work.
"Okay," was all I said as I did my makeup.
"Jail was horrible," he said. I stopped dabbing concealer into my skin and stared at him in the mirror, because he never talked about jail. "I was beat on, shanked," he lifted up his shirt. "They called me pretty boy, I had to start fighting to defend myself and soon that's all I knew how to do," I resumed with my makeup. "Somehow, my cell mate got cocaine and I began doing it to help with the pain of fighting,"
"Can you please stop with this story," I asked him. I don't want to know how he became this raging hulk. I don't want to know how he became this evil man who ruins my life, because prior he was amazing. I loved him but I can't say the same now.
"I'm sorry," he patted my stomach. "We're gonna have a baby girl," he smiled.
"No," I said and his smile dropped. "I can't afford anymore kids, my careers won't allow it and I refuse to have another baby at my age," I'm only 24, I don't need to have two children.
"We'll see," he rubbed my belly once more and left the bathroom. I rolled my eyes as I straightened my naturally curly hair and put my clothes on for the night. It's Halloween so we're required to dress up. A lot of people come to the club and party on Halloween night.
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