Chapter Four

 I stepped out of the room and found Damon sitting with Josh.  “You talk to her for me, when school ends, you can have her for the summer.” Damon threw his hands up in frustration. He looked over at me before grabbing Josh’s attention. Josh stood up and straightened his suit against his tall dark frame.

“I knew you’d be problematic,” he murmured. I took a step against the wall in fear. I didn’t think Damon would call him.

“I’m sorry Damon, I won’t do it again. I promise, just don’t send me with him.” I pleaded with Damon, tears falling down my cheeks.

“It’s too late for that. Josh, talk to her today, and I’ll set up the rest.” Damon stood up from the table and walked into the living room.

“You didn’t take my warning did you?”

“I’m not going with you, you’re crazy.”

“You don’t get this do you? All you have to do is listen, that’s all good girls do is listen.” He forced me into a chair in the kitchen and sat across from me. “This is how this is going to work, you do what I say while you stay at my place, if you stay out of trouble for a month, I’ll let you comeback during the summer, if not, I might keep you for the school year.”

“You can’t do that, I have to go to school. They’ll know something’s wrong if I don’t go to school.”

“Not if I home school.” A smile crept across his face before he leaned in. “You’d be surprised at what I can teach you.”  He let out a small sigh before saying, “I’ll see you next weekend as promised.”

“I’m not going with you. You can try to take me, but I’ll run if I have to.”

“Say what you want, but you’re going with me.” He walked away with a smirk on his face.

School went on like normal, Josh kept his promise and talked to me, and I kept my promise to Mr. Joe. When school ended, I was ready to run. I got home from school after exams, and Damon had my bags packed. I didn’t think he would really be that way.

“Damon, why won’t you change your mind? I’ve done everything you’ve told me.”

“You need this for your own good.” He walked away and left me alone in the living room. Josh pulled up, and met me at the door.

“Let’s go little girl,” Josh grabbed me by my arm.

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” I snatched my arm away. “I don’t get what’s up with you two. I’ve done everything asked of me, and neither one of you will get off my case.”

“You haven’t really learned anything, so come on and stop wasting my time.” I picked up the two bags Damon had packed. We got in the car together before he spoke, “I had sex with you that first time to make a point. I get what I want. I ask nicely the first time, and then I’ll take it by force.”

For once in my life, I had no response. He drove to a little house by the lake. It was probably beautiful at the time, but I was too scared to notice. “Take your suitcase upstairs to the room on the right, at the end of the hall. Come back out when you’re done.”

I sat my suitcase on top of the dresser, I didn’t wanna give him the impression I was stayin’.

“Back down so soon.” I stood silent at the foot of the stairs, “listen, if you cooperate this could go a lot quicker, but if you don’t then you’ll just deal with the side of me I hate finding. I can be a good guy, or your worst nightmare.”

“I just don’t get it. Why do I have to stay here?”

“’Cause I’m gonna help you figure some things out.” With that he started walking away. He looked over his shoulder and said, “clean up the kitchen, and get out of those s****y clothes. I have some for you in my room on the bed.”

“Yes.”

“Yes what?”

“Yes sir,” I responded. I looked down at my clothes. They were skin tight and left nothing to the imagination, but they weren’t as bad as some of my classmates’ clothes. I went upstairs first to change. There was a basic black sundress laying there that met right at my knees and covered my chest. It wasn’t at all what I expected from him.

I went back downstairs and begun washing dishes and wiping up the counter. I wiped out the microwave, washed the stove top, and cleaned out the fridge. When I finished, I found him sitting at the bar with his hands folded. “I’m done,” I simply stated hands propped on my hips.

“Let’s see.” He looked over the kitchen before responding, “you did a pretty good job. Come here.” I stood in front of him. “You still have attitude problems, but we can work the kinks out.” He reached out to rub my shoulder before I jerked away. Almost as if he read my mind he said, “don’t worry, I don’t mess with little girls. I wouldn’t have if you had just put on the handcuffs and listened.”

“Listen to you why? I know all you were gonna do is get what you wanted and leave me stranded.”

“All men aren’t like that. You’ve had nothing but bad experiences. Give me a chance.”

“I’ll do whatever you say as long as you promise not to hurt me.”

“Fine.”

For the next few weeks we went along peaceably. He’d post my chores on the fridge and go to work. I would get up and finish them. After a month of this, I wanted to go back home. That night over dinner I had to ask.

“When can I go home?”

“I haven’t thought that far. Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure,” I responded.

“Damon told me you changed when you got to high school, why?”

“An eighth grade teacher took advantage of me. I had stolen some stuff from the library and he caught me. He promised me he’d forget it if I went to his office and did him a favor.” I looked across the table to see a straight-faced Josh. “He told me to bend across his desk and I willingly submitted all because he promised to not turn me in. When I asked him to stop, he told me that Damon was a pimp, so I had to be nothing more than hoe. I had to face my reality.”

“Why didn’t you just tell Damon?”

“It was the truth, I had to just deal. Damon couldn’t do nothin’ no way.”

“Is Damon your real daddy?”

“What’s with you and all the questions?” I couldn’t give him a straight answer. Damon was all I had and I wasn’t betraying him or anybody. “He’ll always be my daddy. He took me in and raised me.”

“Oh,” he muttered before an awkward silence fell between the two of us. We didn’t have another real conversation for a week.

“You’ve really improved. You should be going home a few weeks.” I nodded in response. “You’re not just this loud ghetto little girl anymore. You’ve really grown up this summer. I got you something.” He handed me a small jewelry box. Inside was a necklace with a silver puzzle piece that said ‘peace’ on it. I walked around the table and hugged him.

He gave me a kiss on my cheek and traced down my neck. I pulled away in fear. Flashbacks of the first time we met flooded my mind. “Thank you for the necklace.” I quietly went back to my side of the table to finish dinner.

“I’m sorry about what I did to you my little head was thinking faster than my big head. It was stupid.”

“It’s ok. How old are you?”

“I’m 25.”

“Oh, you act older.”

“I could say the same for you, you’ve probably seen more than most adults.” I let out a soft chuckle.

“You’re right, but I’m still ready to get home.”

“You only have three weeks until you head back home. You wanna do something fun to celebrate before you leave?”

“Like what?”

“We can go to a club. You wouldn’t have to wear any of the clothes I picked for you. You could wear your own clothes.”

“That sounds cool, let’s do it.”  That Friday we went out to a local club. I wore a chocolate halter top and a mini skirt. It was better than I thought it would be. It was like being back home, loud music and barely dressed teen girls. I had fun until one man gave me a drink, then another and another. I found Josh sitting at the bar looking lonely.

“Why so down,” I asked drunk.

“Let me take you home. You don’t look okay.” I sat in his lap and gave him the kiss he so desperately wanted. “Come on T, don’t be like this.” My miniskirt rose pass my thigh. “I’m going to the bathroom, stay here.”

“Ok.” As soon as Josh walked away, the man that had been giving me drinks, crept up beside me and took a seat.

“You from around here?”

“Naw, I’m just working out here.”

“I knew you didn’t seem familiar, you mind if I ask yo’ name?”

“They call me T.”

“I’m Frank.” He pulled his arm around me and worked his hand under my skirt.

“What are you doing? Get off me.” I pulled away from him.

“I saw the way you were dancing with those boys, but I’m a real man. I don’t even see why you came with that punk tonight, but I’m gonna make sure you leave with me.” He started nibbling on my shoulder. I had been drunk before, but it never felt like this. I couldn’t fight him off, or speak my mind like usual. I just sat there. Before I knew it, I was sitting in Josh’s car listening to him rant.

“Why would you let him do that, I should have known better than to let you go to a club.”

“It wasn’t my fault, he did something to my drink.” I wanted to argue with him, but I lacked the strength. He looked at me in pity.

“I’m sorry I snapped at you, but he really could’ve hurt you.” He pulled into the driveway and carried me into the house.

I woke up the next morning with pain all over. It was almost like somebody hit me with a bus. I did all my chores as quickly as possible in order to take a nap.

“You feelin’ better?” I looked up to find Josh sitting on the edge of my bed.

“I’m fine, just tired.” I knew this was the slip up that would hold me back. The one time I make a mistake is all he needed to make me stay with him.

“You looked worried.”

“Does this mean I have to stay with you after summer is over?”

“No, you can go home. It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know Frank was like that.” He reached to pull me up. “Let me take you out to dinner.”

The next night Josh went out with me for dinner. I wore something conservative as not to draw attention to myself. I still felt out of place.

“You look uncomfortable, what’s wrong?” He whispered across the table.

“It’s like they all know my dirty little secrets. Like they’ve seen where I’ve been. The world’s longest shower can’t make this go away.” I felt like hiding in a dark.

“But they don’t know. No one would know unless you tell them. You’re a cute girl, and at first glance I would never know your situation.” I could feel myself blush. “If you really want to go we can, or we can stay out and have some fun. It's up to you."

I thought about it before responding. "Let's stay out, I can't run away from everything." We finished up dinner and headed out to see a movie. As soon as we got back, I wrapped my arms around him. "Thank you for the encouragement," I whispered in his ear.

"You're welome." He kissed me softly on the lips. It wasn't long before I found myself disrobing in his room. We went back to passionately. "Stop. We can't do this."

"Huh?" I was puzzled.

"I know more about you than you know."