Too Far Gone (Urban)

15| "Reunited"

"So, are you gonna tell me what's up with her before we go inside?" Chenelle asked again as she shifted the car into park. They were in front of her house now, just a few feet away from the front door. Trinity's house looked foreign to her. The exterior paint seemed more vivid, the trimming of the house looked brand new, and the windows even shinier. It was like she was looking at a brand new house.

A few patches of flowers adorned the yard here and there, giving the overall appearance of the house that "I have no kids" vibe. Chenelle also noticed Trinity still didn't have her truck. Pierce shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"She said she's pregnant." Pierce mumbled.

"What?" Chenelle gasped. Trinity? Pregnant? By this alcoholic? "No way. You sure she's not-"

"I'm sure. I saw the test myself. It was positive."

Her lips parted and her eyes widened, and all she could utter out was, "Damn..."

She couldn't believe her ears. Trinity had always talked to Chenelle about her future plans, how she was going to marry a handsome rich man and live in a big house with four kids running about, terrorizing their pet dog.

She remembered when they used to have sleepovers, Trinity would always bring magazines with hot men in suits in it, pick certain pictures and claim he was her boyfriend. She used to be so sure of her future, and now look at her. Pregnant by an alcoholic gang banger. Looks like neither of them got what they wanted.

They couldn't sit inside the car forever, so after a moment, they began to exit the car and head inside. Chenelle was led by Pierce to the living room, where Trinity sat along hugging a pillow to her chest as if it was a teddy. She sensed their presence and peered over her shoulder at them, red eyed and face glowing brightly like a campfire. Chenelle was shocked at her appearance. She looked like a completely different person to her.

"Trinity," Chenelle gasped. "What happened to you?"

Trinity was mute.

"Your boyfriend told me you're pregnant." Chenelle spoke, shoving her hands in the pockets of her zip up hoodie. Still no reply. "I know what you're thinking."

Chenelle sat on the couch a few inches away from her. Her hand itched to give her a comforting touch, but it's been too long since they last spoke. She glanced at Pierce, uncertain as to what he wanted her to do.

"Um, pregnancy isn't that bad. You wanted this, remember? You used to talk about it all the time. It may not have happened the way you wanted it to, but it's still happening... right?"

"No!" Trinity squealed, throwing the pillow onto the floor. "Nothing's going the way I planned it before Chenelle! Nothing! I'm not married to a rich man! I don't live in a big house! So why would I want to have a child now? Especially with-" Trinity cut her sentence short, biting down on her lip as hard as she could bear.

Chenelle raised her hands in front of her, taken by surprised from her outburst. From the fringe of her eye, she noticed Pierce shift away.

"Trinity," Chenelle spoke soft, yet stern. "You didn't have to say that in front of him."

"Oh, why the hell do you care?" Trinity snapped. "You were the one who questioned my relationship to begin with. You were right. He's a nobody."

"Trinity, c'mon-"

"Oh wait, I forgot. You two are buddy-buddy now, huh?" Trinity gave Chenelle a dark stare. Trinity turned around and called out, "Pierce!"

"What you chattin' about?" Chenelle asked, squinting her eyes at her to emphasize her confusion. "Why are you acting so-"

"Bitchy?" Trinity finished for her. She laughed and pointed at herself, then laughed again. A tear slowly rolled down her cheek as she answered her. "Maybe if you weren't such a sleaze sleeping over his house, I wouldn't be acting this way!"

This surprised Chenelle. Pierce peered around the corner of the hallway just as confused as she was. Neither of them told her about their little sleepover that night. In fact, they pretended like it never happened. The only person who knew about that besides them was-

"Wait a minute." Pierce said, staring at Chenelle with a frown on his face. He came back into the living room, pointing from Chenelle to Trinity. Chenelle shook her head 'no' to his unspoken question. Chenelle realized why he was so shocked, and they both glared at Trinity.

"How do you know Rascal?" Chenelle interrogated, slowly getting up from her seated position. Trinity froze, her mouth wide open, lip quivering, but no noise came out.

As long as Chenelle knew Trinity and Rascal, she didn't recall them meeting in her presence, and from the way Pierce reacted to her, it was the same case for him as well.

"Answer me." Pierce snarled, "Answer me!"

"Four and a half months ago!" She shouted, "When I was with you! I didnt know he was your friend until-"

"Until what!" Pierce yelled even louder, stinging Chenelle's ears with the thunderous boom of his voice. He breathed heavily as he glowered at her, and his fists were tightly balled at his side, the white of his knuckles visible beneath his chocolate tone.

"Pierce," Chenelle spoke, hesitatantly reaching her hand out to him. "Please calm down."

Pierce ignored her and stepped towards Trinity, who cowarded further into the cushions of the couch. "You cheated, didn't you?"

"Pierce." Chenelle said again.

"I thought you'd be different from the rest of them skanks," Pierce muttered, "but you're no different."

"Screw you!" Trinity wailed. Pierce raised his right hand far over his left shoulder, but before he could bring it down against Trinity's face, Chenelle grabbed his arm and cried out,

"No!"

"Shut your fucking mouth!" Chenelle's father bellowed, shoving her child-self to the ground. Chenelle quickly recovered, charging at his back and latching onto his leg. She sunk her teeth into the back of his leg as hard as her tiny teeth could. He let out a hiss and attempted to shake her off.

"Let go Chenelle!" he demanded, prying her off forcefully. He grabbed her by her hair and flinged her to the side, not caring that Chenelle bumped her head on the wall.

Chenelle could see her mother begging for him to leave her alone, right before her dad slammed the bedroom door closed. All she could hear was loud screaming and thuds coming from behind the door, and Chenelle screamed at the top of her lungs, "Mommy! No!"

And for the second time that day, she cried.

✝