"Jem, you gotta forget about her. She ain't worth the heartbreak. Come on, man." Dougie said in the dark bedroom. Scattered clothes and empty bottles covered the carpet. Jem lay on the bed with the same clothes he had on since that day. Dark circles under his eyes, his skin grew paler, he wasn't eating anything. "Come on, Jem. Get up. We're going out." Dougie said as he pulled Jem out of the bed. "No!! I wouldn't be in this fucking mess if your dumb ass hadn't said shit to her!!" Jem snapped. "You couldn't fucking stay quiet!! Ya had to run your gotdamn mouth again!! Always saying shit that matters to ya and nobody else!! It fucking cost me marriage, Dougie." "Look, I'm sorry, alright? But ya know I don't trust her. It ain't right for gurl to be doing stuff like that and not want in on it. Jem, I'm sorry." Dougie said. "Go fucking say it to her. Not me." "That's bullshit. I ain't doing it." "Just leave me alone, Dougie."Jem said.
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"Ya alright?" Cleo asked as she stopped by my room. I haven't moved since Jem was here. My pillows and sheets were stained with my tears. My eyes burned like hell when I ever let them open for too long. The plate of food that was brought in this morning lay in same place by my bed, cold and hard. "Krissy, ya gonna have to get yar ass outta bed soon. I would say I'm sorry, but I'm not. I never did like that asshole. He changed ya. Come on, let's go out." I shook my head and turned over. "Come on. Let's go see Paris." I perked up a little. I love spending time with my niece. She was adorable, but the thing was I didn't like hanging around her dad. "We'll go see her?" I asked softly. "If ya get ya crying ass up out da bed and take a shower." She answered back. I got a fresh change of clothes and took a much needed shower.
Paris and daddy didn't live too far away just a couple blocks over in a really rundown apartment. We waited for the door to answer. On the other side, I could hear Paris making noise. That made me smile for the first time. The door swung open to reveal Baby face as he's known on the streets. A cigarette hung out his mouth. What makes me so uneasy around him is that he spent 20 years in prison for drug and sex charges and his face was covered in tattoos. He said he wanted to be like his favorite rapper. He would always habe this mean sneer look he gave everybody. And the worst part is he's been trying to get with him since Paris was born. "Da hell y'all want?" He asked. "I came to see my daughter. Where she at?" Cleo said, walking through the front door. I followed behind. "She in here. Paris, mommy's here to see you!!" He yelled. "Stop all that damn yelling." A voice said in the back. "She right here." Coming from the back room, another lady, slightly older than me, came up hold ING Paris. She was in her bra and panties, which didn't match at all. Cleo looked at Babyface. "What da hell is she doing holding my child in her damn underwear?" "Chill, bitch. We weren't doing anything. Just smoking and chilling." "Yea. You're loud as shit." "Whatever. Go say hi, so ya can leave." Cleo snatched Paris up and took her into the living room. Just as I was about to follow, a tattered arm stopped. The smell of smoke almost made me gag. "Damn ma. You looking sexy as hell right now. I would tear that ass right up. Let's go to the back." He said, trying to push me. "Don't fucking touch me. I ain't in the mood." I snapped back. "Come on. I'll let you ride this dick first." "I said no." I pushed him out the way and sat by Cleo. "Hey Paris." I said. She smiled. Her two bottom teeth showed as a string of drool slid out her mouth. In her hand was a stuffed minnie mouse doll from the hospital. She likes Disney as much as I do. I look over to Baby face and his little friend in the kitchen, whispering. The lady came out and front of us. "Cheloe, I need your help in the back with Paris." "It's Cleo, bitch." They two went in the back and shut the door just as Baby face made his way towards me. He stood in front of me, looking down at me. He suddenly put his nasty hand around my mouth while the others held my wrists. In a odd movement, he managed to straddle me while sitting on my wrists. His other hand was still in on my mouth. "Listen here, gurl. I always get what I want. Even if I gotta take it." He whispered just before his free hand darted to my crotch. I screamed and cried into his hand as his rough hand violated me. I felt something warm run down my legs. With all my strength, I managed to push him off. "HELP!! HELP ME!! CLEO!!!" I screamed. "SHUT DA HELL UP!!" He screamed as his hand came in contact with the side of my face causing me to fall and hit my head hard on the table. My vision went blurry as I saw Cleo and the lady coming out of the room. I heard the faint cry of Paris just as I shut my eyes.
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That constant beeping always drove me nuts. Even in the movies. It was like a timer, counting down your last beats. But I guess in a way it sorta is. The air around me smelled of bleach and too much cleaning, if that's a thing. Bright lights shown through my eye lids, making kinda squint. They fluttered open to a dotted tile ceiling. I groan as I tried to move. "Thank God, you're awake." Someone said. I couldn't tell who. "Wh-what happened?" My voice was dry. "Just...just get some sleep. We'll tell you when ya wake up, kid." Some one else said as I shut my eyes again.
When I woke up, the nurse was the only one in my room. "Hey there, Krissy. How ya feelin'?" She asked in her thick accent. "I'm hurting a little. What happened?" The nurse sighed before explaining to me what happened. The incident at the apartment got the fuzz's attention. They found a bunch of illegal guns and drugs. But was the worst part was hearing how my niece was being treated. Thank God the police arrested him and took Paris away.
Later on that, I was in the hospital bed. The whizzing of the bright light above my head was the only noise. I shifted onto my side, facing away from the door. I thought I heard someone knock on it, but just blew it off. The door opened then shut. "You can just leave the food on the table." I whispered. The room fell silent, so carefully turned to see Jem. He was standing half way in the light with some flowers. He looked sickly. Tears automatically ran down my face. I jumped out of bed, not evening caring about the machines I was hooked, and ran into him. I never hugged anyone so tight in my life. I felt some wetness leak through my hospital gown. We stayed like that for a long time.
