Tore

fifteen | long as you know

Flashback, 2009

Fredrick Douglass Highschool.

Leigh

I could overhear their conversations. It was hell always being the new girl or the fat girl. Imagine being both.

"Yo, son I think we found the perfect one for ya'." A short Hispanic boy exclaimed to his friend.

I was a tall, chubby girl, with braces, and thick ass green glasses. My hair was curly and jet black, my face was full of red blemishes.

He made eye contact with me and laughed ,"What the fuck? You can have that...lil' Joan not me nigga."

"Excuse me." I said trying to get to my locker.

"Aye y'all look it's Meg Griff'." 

That was a new one. How clever.

"I'm not going to say it again, excuse me."

Everyone turned their heads and spectators surrounded us.

"Fat Bitch, who the fuck do you think you're talking to?" 

"Nigga, You. Who the fuck are you anyways? Peon ass nigga, move out my fucking way, like I said. Say that shit to me again, I dare you. I gotta get to class like everybody else."

Young men circled around me. I was scared shitless, but I had to stand my ground.

"Leave the young shorty alone.." The tallest out of all of them forced them away.

They all looked at him weird,

"What nigga? She didn't do shit."

"You buggin' Mack."

"Forreal son."

They left him, as the bell rung everyone scattered. It was only him and I.

"I didn't need ya help."

"You couldn't have took on four niggas and you're a freshman from the looks of it, nobody would have helped you. Let me help you, left..right..left."

He grabbed the paper out of my hand, stating my locker combination.

As he helped me open my locker, he stood behind me, his hand was on the small of my back, and that was the first time I had been close to a man. 

An attractive one at that.

Especially because they were almost always shorter than me. Although I was quite tall for a female, he towered over me significantly, he had to be at least 6'6.

That's the day I fell.

Hard.

"Thanks..."

Later on that day, it was lunchtime. I had free lunch and I went to that line, everything was fine until I began to walk down the aisles of the cafeteria. I was shaking nervously. My tray of nachos suddenly splattered all over my clothes, milk was being poured down my back and in my hair, and fries were stuck upside my nose.

I was pinned down and more milk and nachos were poured onto me, nearly drowning me.

"Okay that's enough! That is enough!"

Yelled the administrator on duty. They handed me a single napkin for my face, I looked up only to see the person who I thought to be my savior and friend, become my tormentor.

He's the one who flipped my tray and started a never ending cycle of bullying for me to combat.

"I thought you were my friend!" I flicked nachos onto his clothes and everyone just laughed,

"Why would you think that Mack would be your friend. Dumb young bitch!" A brunette haired girl screeched.

I would spend the rest of the day with the nurse. I couldn't show my face again. And Mack had made an enemy and fool out of me.
..

Present  Day

Kaine

I didn't even remember that part of that story or day.

I remember seeing her walk through the hallways, shy and mysterious.

She was the new girl.

My boys were being childish as hell and I helped her out when I could, simple.

I let her continue.

"You were my first heartbreak from a man, my second heartbreak was Grant."

"Grant? I keep hearing this name."

"Noa's father."

I never really thought about the nigga. I'm not saying that I assumed his role, but he obviously didn't care that his child had been in another state.

"Continue."

"G, was more than my everything. He's low country from South Carolina, he and I went to NYU together. He was different—he wasn't a rough and tough northern guy—perfect, kind, and gentle. Until he left me. Noa has a sister three weeks younger than him, G claims her, but not Noa. I don't even hurt for me—

..

Leigh

"But for Noa." He said angrily,

I nodded in agreement, "He didn't think that I'd leave. So I didn't for a long time, until I saw your job opening and others in LA. Ask if he's called to check on his son. No. He and you..really left and impression on me."

She had tears rolling down her face, reliving the whole thing.

"I honestly thought that just because you helped me with my locker, you were my friend. You were just buttering me up, just to toast and burn me, then disregard me. Then I gave you my body and I don't know if that made it better or worse."

"When you graduated, I thought that life would be so much easier for me, I could actually enjoy my last year in high school, but we had gotten so close by then.. so secretly..it made me physically sick to enter that building everyday and not see your face, or get your help with my locker. I can admit I missed you. I'm so fucking stupid." I said sadly.

"Leigh I am so sorry, for hurting you."   He came over to comfort me.

Kaine

She put her hand up, rejecting my advances, "No, we will keep this strictly professional, as it should've been from the start. I'm tired of the back and forward because of this sick history we have."

"Do you know what lengths Nico will go to to get this algorithm?"

"He shot Eazy, I'm sure he has no problem with killing anybody who stands in the way."

Leigh

"Does anyone know my involvement?"

"No, but I need you to keep your necklace safe."

"Turn it into a ring. A necklace is too obvious."

"A ring?"

"Yea, let's do what these blogs and shit are suggesting.."

"What?"

I grabbed my phone,

"Notable Playboy and Top 30 under 30, Tech CEO, with mystery woman on expensive shopping trip..the next Mr and Mrs Bill Gates? The Musks'? The Millers? No? The Coles."

"The Coles..but you just said.." he smiled,

"I'm still getting paid..and no sex."

"And who the hell looks in a ring? A locket is way too obvious."

"And explaining Noa?"

"Fuck all that. Noa's set for life."
..