The Innocent Woman [Janet FanFic]

34

Janet

I stood outside of the cell that Kendrick was seated in. The guard yelled as she opened the cell. "You're free to go!"

Kendrick didn't move and the guard yelled again. "I said—."

"Michelle, can you give me a moment please?" I asked her. She simply nodded and walked away.

I walked into the cell and sat next to my son. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just don't feel like leaving out this cell just to go to another one." He shrugged me off.

"Another one?"

"You and Beth hate me. Nadia does too. I disappointed everybody because I'm a disappointment. I can't ever do anything right in my life, I mess up everything. I know y'all are going to send me back into the system, and I'll do nothing but end up right back here. So I'm staying."

Kendrick hadn't looked up at me, nor did his voice crack or break. I knew he was deep in this feeling.

"We don't hate you." I began slowly. "Sure, we're disappointed, but it happens Ken. You aren't going to be perfect in this lifetime, so don't ever beat yourself down like you're supposed to be perfect. We aren't going to send you back into the system."

He still refused to look at me.

"Kendrick, what happened?" I asked him since he wouldn't move.

"If Nadia hasn't told y'all—."

"She has." I quickly responded. "We know what happened two nights ago. We know why you got involved, but what the hell happened that night?"

Kendrick shook his head. "My friend got shot. My best friend got shot as he fought Trey. That's what happened. Can I just talk to Momma B?"

"Yeah, she actually is doing the track thingy with her friends today. She wanted you to come and see her in action if you wanted to."

He finally looked up at me. "I guess it'll be good to see anything other than these white walls."

I stood up. "Well, come on. I'm sure Nadia and Beth will be very happy to see you. Plus orange isn't your color."

The teasing that I portrayed, I expected him to have a rebuttal. The Kendrick I knew would have had a rebuttal, but he fell silent as we walked out the cell.

We walked to inventory and the woman looked at me. "Can't give it back."

"His clothes? Why not?" I questioned.

"Evidence for the murder of La'Devean Harris." The woman responded. "You may have gotten him out of this one for now, but with as much blood and evidence on that boys clothing, he'll be back."

My nostrils flared. "First off, don't threaten me, because my son may have been at the scene but didn't commit any crime with holding his friends body as he bled and died. He won't be back."