The Shadow of Class 203 (Freedom Writers Fanfic)

Chapter 3

  Kianna was pinned against a wall with a hand gripped tightly around her throat. She gasped for air and tried to pry the hand off her throat, in vain, as a deep raspy voice chuckled. She stared into her father's eyes for mercy only to see stone-cold eyes staring back. Her father raised his fist and punched her face. Kianna looked back at her father's cold eyes but her eyes widened. It was not her father holding her throat anymore. It was herself. Kianna stared into the stone-cold eyes of her double and shivered. They were exactly like her father's eyes. Her double smirked before she let go of Kianna's throat and slugged her across the face, knocking Kianna onto the floor.

"Kianna", someone called out. Kianna snapped out of her trance and looked around to realize she was still at Marcus's makeshift home; an old shed. Kianna looked at Marcus and sighed.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something", Kianna said as she looked down at her now wrapped and bandaged hand. Marcus sighed in return.

"It's alright. You had me worried. You were shakin' and all," Marcus said as he sat next to Kianna on the floor. She looked over at him before looking around the shed.

"So, why do you live here?" Kianna asked as she looked back at Marcus.

"My mom kicked me out because I was messin' with gangs," Marcus said a bit roughly.

"I see..." Kianna responded as she leaned back and relaxed. After a while of sitting in each other's silence, it was clear that it was going to get dark soon. Kianna groaned as she got up.

"I have to go before my dad gets upset", she explained as she grabbed her backpack and swung it onto one shoulder. Marcus sighed.

"Alright. Get home safely", Marcus said. Kianna moved the metal sheet that acted as a door to get out. She looked over to Marcus.

"Thanks for helping me out today," Kianna said with a small smile. Marcus scoffed, giving off a bit of a smile at the end.

"Anytime, shorty," Marcus teased with a smirk. Kianna rolled her eyes at him but smiled nonetheless.

"I'll see ya around," Kianna said as she walked out and moved the metal sheet back to its original spot. She straightened up in the alley and readjusted her backpack strap before walking into the street to head home.

  By the time she got home, there was barely any sunlight and the streetlights were slowly turning on. Kianna stopped on the driveway as she noticed that her father's car was there. She took a shaky breath before she walked up to the door. To her surprise, it was unlocked. She silently opened the door and peered in. She was able to hear her father laughing and talking with someone in the living room. Kianna quietly made her way over and saw her father on the couch with a white woman in a skimpy, cheap dress. Her father was clearly drunk. The room reeked of the smell of beer. Kianna looked at him in disgust and anger as he started to kiss the lady. Deciding she didn't want to be around this, she made her way back out and onto the street with a scowl.

  It was fully dark by the time she found a Seven-Eleven. Kianna pulled up her hood before she walked in. To her surprise, the black kid that had disrespected the Latinos was there, playing on an arcade machine. Sindy was also there with a couple of other Cambodians messing around. Sindy looked at Kianna, remembering her. It was hard to forget the little outburst Kianna had earlier that day in the rowdy class. Kianna looked away from Sindy and walked down the aisle with chips. She looked over to the hotdogs and figured she can get two since she planned to crash at Marcus's place.

  While everyone in the store was doing their own thing, a car pulled up carrying Eva and three others. One of them was Paco, her boyfriend. Eva hopped out of the car and walked into the Seven-Eleven. Eva and Sindy glared at each other as they walked past. Kianna looked back at the chips and grabbed two. To her surprise, Eva ended up next to her looking at the chips as well.

  When the black kid started to bang the arcade machine, the Asian shop owner told him to cut it off. Kianna and Eva both watched the kid. He then suddenly slammed the arcade machine before walking over to the shop owner, yelling for a refund. The owner yelled back at him. This continued for a bit until the kid knocked down some stuff on a shelf and walked out. Paco quickly got out of the car and aimed the gun at the kid. Everyone froze in shock. Before anyone knew it, the kid ducked and ran as the gun fired. There was a thud. Eva quickly ran out while Sindy looked down in shock at her now shot friend. Kianna rushed over and put pressure on the wound. She sighed and shook her head as she saw all the blood that was pooling out. She got up and looked over at Sindy.

"Shit...I am sorry," Kianna said looking down at the dead man. She couldn't help but see her dead black friend on the floor and teared up a bit as she thought about him. Sindy just continued to stare. Kianna looked at her before walking out of the store and sitting down outside to wait for the police to come.

  Eventually, the police came and questioned everyone. It turns out they caught the black kid and were considering him as a suspect in the killing. Kianna told the police the whole truth and said she was willing to testify. Once the police left, everyone just kinda stood around. Kianna saw Sindy and her two other friends slowly head to their car and took it as a sign to go. She was covered in blood from her effort to stop the bleeding and decided it was best to go back home.

  When she got home, Kianna didn't bother to check on her father in the living room. She made her way up the stairs, mentally and physically drained from everything that happened. Once she got to her room, she peeled off her clothes and got into her shower. She pressed her head against the shower wall as she looked down at the drain. As the cold water hit her, the blood on her flowed down the drain. Kianna watched it as she kept getting flashbacks. Then, she closed her eyes.

  Kianna was sitting at a lake with her black friend. They ditched school and thought it would be nice to head there to chill. Kianna leaned against his side as they watched the lake.

"Do you want to leave this place, Kianna? No one cares for us here. Not our parents. Not anyone", the 13-year-old kid asked as he stared out into the distance. 13-year-old Kianna looked up at him and scoffed with a smile.

"You bet I do", she replied. He looked down at her and smiled as he put his arm around her.

"Then let's run away together. Just you and me", The kid said with a wider smile. Kianna smiled back mimicking his energy.

"Let's do it. We can leave in a month and steal my dad's car", Kianna said. The kid chuckled and pulled her in closer as he looked into her eyes.

"Sure", He said softly with a smile.

  Once Kianna returned to reality, she was drying herself with a towel. She looked at the round scar on her right shoulder from the mirror and touched it softly. She stood there for a while before putting on her pajamas, not bothering to dry her hair. Then, she walked out of the bathroom and into her room. She sighed and got into her bed. Kianna turned around and looked at her nightstand. She looked at the smiling photo of both her and the black boy at the lake. She teared up a bit looking at it but smiled at the memory.

"Goodnight, Desmond."