Chapter 5
The next morning, I woke up to my phone ringing loudly in my ear. I moaned, thinking that it would be Jeff, so I answered it immediately.
"Good morning," I greeted sleepily.
"How did you know it was me?" he asked.
"I sense that you like to wake me up in the morning," I muttered. I could feel him smile.
"Well, I bring good news," he said.
"Oh, please tell me that you can come home now," I said happily.
"Yes, I'm coming home." I squealed with excitement.
"Oh, thank God. When are you leaving?"
"I'm packing my things right now."
"Oh, Jeff. Thank God. I miss you so much," I said softly.
"I'll be there probably about 6 tonight."
"Good. I'll see you later," I said and hung up the phone. I snuggled into bed, and smiled at the ceiling. Jeff was coming home! I flew out of bed and started to clean my room. Mother knocked on my door later in the morning.
"April, what are you doing?" She cried as she walked in. I turned around.
"Jeff is coming home!" I exclaimed. She smiled.
"Oh, that's wonderful," she said non enthusiastically.
"I know," I said, putting all of my dirty clothes in my hamper. She looked around the room.
"This is probably the first time I have ever seen this room so clean," she muttered, shook her head and walked out of the room. I smiled, laughed, and finished cleaning my room. I hopped into the shower, and made sure that I was perfect. I was going to look great for Jeff tonight. I shaved my legs, conditioned my hair, and got out. I grabbed my robe, then went into my room to pick out something to wear that he would like. I picked out a crimson sleeveless shirt with a deep neckline, and a black mini skirt Mother would surely hate. I put my hair up, and dabbed on a little lip stick and headed downstairs. Daddy almost had a stroke, and Mother choked on her coffee.
"What are you wearing?" Daddy bellowed. I shrugged.
"Clothing." Daddy turned beet red.
"April, why don't you go upstairs and change into something more suitable," Mother sputtered, nodding up in the direction of my room. I shook my head.
"You will go upstairs and change right now!" Daddy shouted. I raised my eyebrow.
"You're not my father." Mother gasped, and I grabbed my purse. "I'm going out," I announced, then slammed the door behind me.
"What are we going to do with her?" Mother wailed. I got into my truck, and drove over to Katherina's house.
"Hi," she greeted, opening the door. She looked out my outfit and her eyes widened.
"You better get inside," she said shakily, and tugged me inside.
"Do you think it's a little much?" I asked, looking down at the skirt. I could barely sit down in it. She nodded and pulled me upstairs.
"Jeff is coming home today, and I want everything to be perfect for him," I added. She held up her hand and threw open her closet door. My God, this woman has more clothes than some stores! My eyes widened.
"Take your pick," she commanded, and I stepped inside.
"How do I pick?" I asked. She walked in.
"Well, if you don't want something too trashy, but something not too wholesome, then. . . " She looked through her racks of clothing. She picked out some skirts and shirts for me to wear. I tried on many outfits, but the last one was the best. It was a white deep V neck shirt with a faded mini skirt with a belt that came with it.
"You look awesome," she commented. I put my hair up differently and picked out a pair of shoes to wear. I thought sandals would be best.
"You can just leave those here," Katherina said. "I might need them for a different occasion."
"Like what?" I asked, sitting down on her bed.
"Maybe for a date . . . with Brandon Jackson!" She cried.
"Brandon?" I asked. I almost laughed. "Good luck."
"What's that supposed to mean?" She questioned, placing her hands on her hips. I proceeded to tell her about what had happened when I had visited the house.
"That still doesn't change my opinion about him. He's going to be a sophomore in college! A sophomore! In college! Taking interest in me!" She exclaimed. I smiled warmly.
"Why don't we go on a double date tonight?" Katherina suggested. I shook my head.
"Jeff's coming home tonight. I want a night for ourselves," I said with a wink. She gasped and punched my shoulder lightly.
"Just don't do something that I wouldn't do," she muttered.
"The question is, what would you do?" I asked. She laughed.
"I hope on bringing him home."
"Katherina!"
"What? He's been hinting it a few times," she said shyly. I sighed and looked at the clock. It was already 1!
"Why don't we go and do something?" I suggested. She shook her head.
"I've got to get ready for my date. We're spending the whole day together," she explained.
"Well, then let me help you," I said, then went into her closet to pick out her outfit. We spent a long time trying to pick out an outfit for, and we finally settled on one. It was a green denim skirt with a matching shirt that went along with it. She curled her hair, applied her makeup carefully, and stood in front of the mirror and admired herself.
"You look great," I said, smiling. The doorbell rang, and Katherina squealed with excitement and ran to answer it. She came upstairs with Brandon. His smile grew wider once he saw me.
"Hi," I muttered, waving quickly. He nodded and turned to Kathy.
"Wanna get going?" he asked.
"Yeah." She reached over to grab her purse.
"Why don't you come with us?" Brandon asked.
"Sorry, can't, I have to get ready for Jeff tonight," I said. "You guys have a good time." I headed towards the door.
"No, come on, come with us. At least for a little while, until Jeff gets here," Katherina pleaded. I sighed.
"Sure," I said, and looked at my watch. I didn't have anything to do, so I willingly came along.
"I thought we would go out to lunch first," Brandon suggested, getting into his car. I crawled into mine.
"I'll meet you guys there," I said, and sped off. I took out my cellphone, and left a message on Jeff's phone. I told him not to call me at home because I would be out all day. I needed something to pass the time.
I followed Kathy and Brandon to the restaurant. It was quite expensive. As I parked, Kathy and Brandon walked into the restroom, holding hands. How sweet, I thought. I got out of my car, and suddenly my phone rang.
"Hello?" I asked.
"April! Where are you!" Mother hissed. "Are you still wearing that outfit?"
"Mother," I sighed.
"You looked like a harlot in that outfit," I heard Daddy say in the background.
"Yes, I am, and right now, I'm on a date with three other guys."
"Are you being sarcastic?"
"It's your decision." I said, then hung up. I walked briskly into the restaurant and found Brandon and Kathy at the table together. I slid in across from them and set my stuff down.
"What took you so long?" Kathy asked.
"I wasn't gone that long. And besides, my mother called. She asked where I was, and if I was still in that outfit I was wearing earlier," I muttered.
"What outfit?" Brandon inquired.
"It was this red shirt with this little black mini skirt I could barely sit it. I only wore it because I wanted to look good for Jeff, but now that I think about it, I think I wore it just to piss my parents off," I explained. Brandon smiled. I could see him picturing me in that outfit. He licked his lips. The waited came over to record our orders. I scanned the menu.
"I'll just have the BLT and could you put that on a separate check?" I asked.
"April, don't worry about that. I'll take care of it," Brandon piped up.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure. Don't worry about it," he pressed. I rolled my eyes and leaned back.
During lunch, I didn't speak much. I watched as Kathy and Brandon fed each other, and giggled. I blew air from my lips, and finished quickly. I looked at my watch. 3 O clock. Thank God, the time was passing quickly. I wrung my hands to occupy myself.
"You look bored," Brandon noticed as he paid for the check. I didn't put up any obligation to it.
"Yeah, I'm just waiting for the time to pass."
"Have you found out anything about your parents, or your sister?"
I sighed. "No, I haven't. I haven't even tried. I'm going to wait for Jeff to help me," I muttered.
"I see," he said softly and slung his arm around Katherina's shoulders. I shrugged.
"What's next?" Kathy asked.
"Well, I thought that we would see a movie. How 'bout it?" Brandon asked.
"Sure," I said and stood up, slinging my purse over my shoulder. Brandon and Katty stood up and walked to the door. I trailed behind, wishing that Jeff was here beside me.
At the theaters, we tried to decide what movie to see. Brandon and Katty decided to see a horror movie. I shrugged and agreed, and soon we were sitting in the theater.
Katherina scared easily during the movie. Brandon kissed Kathy to reassure her that it wasn't real, and soon they ended up making out. I rolled my eyes and glued my eyes to the screen.
"April," Brandon moaned. Katherina halted and sat up.
"April?" She whispered agitatedly. Brandon sighed and brushed his hair back that had fallen into his face.
"I was going to ask her if she was getting scared," he lied. "Aren't you, April?" A shiver went up my spine.
"No," I whispered. Katherina tugged on the collar of Brandon's shirt and started kissing again. I poked Katherina.
"I have to get going. Jeff could be home early," I told her. She tossed her hand in my direction and softly moaned. I grunted.
"Whatever," I muttered, and stormed out of the theater. I hopped into my truck and drove home silently.
On the way home, I thought of Brandon saying my name when he was kissing Katherina. It sent a shiver up my spine just thinking about that. It also agitated me. Katherina would be very angry about that. I could just feel it coming. I imagined the conversation and I laughed to myself as I pulled up to the house. I slammed my door, and headed into the house. Mother and Daddy weren't home. Probably visiting Mrs. Hastings, I thought. I ran upstairs and flung myself on my bed. I looked at my clock. 4:30! I nearly screamed. Why was time going so slow! I closed my eyes and sighed. Jeff, come home early.
We were sitting at the office of the child protection services. I was sitting in Mothers lap as she jotted down the short letter I would soon read 17 years later. I was probably occupying myself with chewing on my hands or playing with a used toy, a toy maybe the Sanders' had donated. After Mother was finished, she jammed the letter into an envelope, and addressed it to me. She would probably look down at me and whisper, "April." And then she probably burst out into tears.
The woman who was filing the papers would have come out now and handed my mother the copies of the papers. She put them in a folder, and smiled weakly at the woman. Just outside, the Sanders were probably waiting outside for everything to be settled. Mother handed her the papers, then held me in her arms.
"I love you very much April," she would whisper in my ear, then looked at the Sanders. She handed them to me, then started to cry. She looked back at me desperately, said a quick good-bye to Vivian and Daniel, then hurried out of the building and looked around nervously to see if her abusive boyfriend was around. She stepped outside into the chilly morning, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. Her eyes darted around the corner of the building as she crossed the street and walked to her tiny apartment. Her eyes darted down long alley ways, down the street, and into open windows. She was on the prowl to see if Jake was following her.
She pulled out the keys to her apartment, and opened the door. She looked around the room nervously, making sure that Jake wasn't in the room. She sighed a breath of relief, dropped her things and looked around her empty apartment. From behind her, Jake came around and slapped his hand around her mouth and dragged her back into her bed room. She screamed and kicked in protest, but that wasn't enough to get her out of his clutches. He threw her on the bed, and soon, the image faded away.
I woke up quickly, turning my head and looking at the clock. It was 5:45! I leaped out of bed and scrambled into my bathroom, making sure that my hair and makeup were perfect. I wanted this to be a perfect night. I made one last final check, and hurried downstairs. Mother and Daddy had apparently left for shopping or something, because they weren't in the house. Good, they didn't need to be here when Jeff arrived, I thought. I walked outside and sat down on the porch swing that faced the road. I folded my hands neatly in my lap and waited. I was so anxious for him to get here, I couldn't stand it. I wanted to just run around and exert all of my energy, but Jeff's green SUV pulled up. I leaped out of my chair and ran to him.
"Jeff!" I cried and ran into his open arms. It felt so good to be in his arms. He stroked my hair and kissed my forehead.
"Oh April," he said, looking down at me. I smiled and kissed him.
"Jeff, you don't even know how good it feels to be around you," I announced, and hugged him once more before pulling him inside.
"Are your mother and father home?" He asked. I shook my head and smiled. I walked inside the house, headed upstairs and kicked open the door to my bedroom, and pulled him inside. He laughed.
"You look great," Jeff commented, smiling brightly. I batted my eyelashes and sat down on my bed, pulling Jeff down next to me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him.
"Jeff, you don't even know how much has happened since you have been gone," I cried, and started to babble on about what had happened. I let everything out, even when Brandon had kissed me. I didn't want to hold anything back; I couldn't hold anything back. Everything had burst out into the open unexpectedly. I buried my face into my hands and wept. Jeff hugged me.
"April, don't cry. Everything happens for a reason," he assured me. I looked up, and Jeff kissed the tears off of my face. It sent warm shivers up my spine. It felt good to be loved, to be cherished. Jeff tilted my head up, and kissed me softly. I closed my eyes and smiled underneath his lips. He wrapped his arms around me and lowered me to the bed. I moaned. I loved Jeff, I loved him so much. I would be willing to even go back to college with him, if it got me away from here, from Daniel and Vivian. But I pushed the thoughts of Vivian and Daniel, and concentrated on my love for Jeff. He reached for the hem of my shirt, and I hesitated for a minute.
"Do you want to do this?" Jeff asked softly, kissing my cheek. I nodded. I was going to go through with it. It was with the person that I loved very much, and that was the best way to make love. He lifted my shirt, and I wrapped my arms around him. He kissed me. It was a never ending kiss, a long passionate one. He lifted my arms and took off my shirt. I reached for the buttons on his shirt and started to unbutton his shirt. His hands traveled down my body and reached for my belt and undid it so that he could ease my skirt down my legs.
I has never felt so happy. My body responded to his touch, his kisses, his passion. It seemed he had been waiting for me for a long time. He slid my skirt down, and lifted my legs to take it off. He reached behind me to unclip my bra as I slid the shirt down his arms.
"April," he moaned, kissing my body. He unclipped my bra and drew it away from me. I kissed him and slid down his pants. I couldn't believe that I was doing this. I had dreamed and imagined this day for such a long time, and this is just how I wanted it.
Suddenly, the door was thrown open, and Mother and Daddy were gaping at us, shopping bags in their hands. Mother dropped hers and gasped. I screamed and covered up my nudity. Jeff walked back from me and grabbed his shirt. "Daddy!" I screamed.
"April!" Daddy bellowed. Jeff put on his T-shirt.
"Jeff, I think that it's best that you leave," Mother said kindly. Jeff nodded, and glanced back at me. I bit my lip and watched as he sorrowfully walked downstairs.
"April, how could you?" Mother asked frantically.
"Get out! Just get out!" I screamed at the both of them. Daddy stepped back and slammed the door. I heard Jeff drive away in his car and I listened until I couldn't hear any more of his car. I started to cry. How could they ruin this? This was supposed to be perfect! I beat my fists against my pillow and dressed myself. Daddy knocked on the door.
"Are you dressed, or do you have another male in their with you?" he snapped.
"Just go away," I retorted. He threw the door open and waltzed it. I stared him down.
"Let me get to the point. I don't want to see Jeff here anymore. I don't want you to see Jeff either."
"But he came home! To see me!" I shrieked, leaping off of my bed.
"Still, I don't need him to be . . . seducing you," he blurted.
"I was the one who led him on!"
"It figures as much. You're Mother slept around."
"Don't you ever, talk about my mother like that!" I screamed, pointing my finger at him.
'I don't want my daughter sleeping around!" He exclaimed.
"I'M NOT YOUR DAUGHTER!" I screamed. His face turned red, and he marched out of the room.
"I hate you! I hate you all! Daddy! Mother!" I screamed as loud as I could, my voice getting hoarse. I didn't care if I had to scream until my voice was gone, I was going to get my point across. I flopped down on my bed and reached across to grab my phone so that I could call Jeff's cellphone. He answered after one ring.
"Hello?" He asked angrily.
"I'm so sorry," I blurted.
"April, it's not your fault," he began.
"But it is!" I screeched.
"What was the verdict?"
"They won't let me see you!" I cried.
"Can't you like, climb out of your window?"
"I could, but I'm not really up for it right now," I muttered. He sighed.
"OK, well, call me tomorrow," he said and hung up. I slammed the phone down and went downstairs to confront Mother and Daddy. They were sitting in the den.
"How could you walk into my room when you knew that Jeff was here," I nearly screamed at them. They looked up from what they were doing.
"April, we didn't know that Jeff was here," Mother said softly. I grunted.
"How could you not see his big car outside?"
"It was dark, and . . . well, we didn't know that he was here," Mother said quickly.
"I don't believe you. How dare you intrude into my room when I was up there with Jeff! Can't I get any privacy?"
"April, you live in this house, under our roof," Daddy said. I looked at him.
"Fine, I see how it is. You wait and see, you'll be sorry," I told them, then marched upstairs. I slammed my door, and crawled into bed. I wasn't going to let them take over my life. I wasn't!
The next morning, I woke up to my phone ringing loudly in my ear. I moaned, thinking that it would be Jeff, so I answered it immediately.
"Good morning," I greeted sleepily.
"How did you know it was me?" he asked.
"I sense that you like to wake me up in the morning," I muttered. I could feel him smile.
"Well, I bring good news," he said.
"Oh, please tell me that you can come home now," I said happily.
"Yes, I'm coming home." I squealed with excitement.
"Oh, thank God. When are you leaving?"
"I'm packing my things right now."
"Oh, Jeff. Thank God. I miss you so much," I said softly.
"I'll be there probably about 6 tonight."
"Good. I'll see you later," I said and hung up the phone. I snuggled into bed, and smiled at the ceiling. Jeff was coming home! I flew out of bed and started to clean my room. Mother knocked on my door later in the morning.
"April, what are you doing?" She cried as she walked in. I turned around.
"Jeff is coming home!" I exclaimed. She smiled.
"Oh, that's wonderful," she said non enthusiastically.
"I know," I said, putting all of my dirty clothes in my hamper. She looked around the room.
"This is probably the first time I have ever seen this room so clean," she muttered, shook her head and walked out of the room. I smiled, laughed, and finished cleaning my room. I hopped into the shower, and made sure that I was perfect. I was going to look great for Jeff tonight. I shaved my legs, conditioned my hair, and got out. I grabbed my robe, then went into my room to pick out something to wear that he would like. I picked out a crimson sleeveless shirt with a deep neckline, and a black mini skirt Mother would surely hate. I put my hair up, and dabbed on a little lip stick and headed downstairs. Daddy almost had a stroke, and Mother choked on her coffee.
"What are you wearing?" Daddy bellowed. I shrugged.
"Clothing." Daddy turned beet red.
"April, why don't you go upstairs and change into something more suitable," Mother sputtered, nodding up in the direction of my room. I shook my head.
"You will go upstairs and change right now!" Daddy shouted. I raised my eyebrow.
"You're not my father." Mother gasped, and I grabbed my purse. "I'm going out," I announced, then slammed the door behind me.
"What are we going to do with her?" Mother wailed. I got into my truck, and drove over to Katherina's house.
"Hi," she greeted, opening the door. She looked out my outfit and her eyes widened.
"You better get inside," she said shakily, and tugged me inside.
"Do you think it's a little much?" I asked, looking down at the skirt. I could barely sit down in it. She nodded and pulled me upstairs.
"Jeff is coming home today, and I want everything to be perfect for him," I added. She held up her hand and threw open her closet door. My God, this woman has more clothes than some stores! My eyes widened.
"Take your pick," she commanded, and I stepped inside.
"How do I pick?" I asked. She walked in.
"Well, if you don't want something too trashy, but something not too wholesome, then. . . " She looked through her racks of clothing. She picked out some skirts and shirts for me to wear. I tried on many outfits, but the last one was the best. It was a white deep V neck shirt with a faded mini skirt with a belt that came with it.
"You look awesome," she commented. I put my hair up differently and picked out a pair of shoes to wear. I thought sandals would be best.
"You can just leave those here," Katherina said. "I might need them for a different occasion."
"Like what?" I asked, sitting down on her bed.
"Maybe for a date . . . with Brandon Jackson!" She cried.
"Brandon?" I asked. I almost laughed. "Good luck."
"What's that supposed to mean?" She questioned, placing her hands on her hips. I proceeded to tell her about what had happened when I had visited the house.
"That still doesn't change my opinion about him. He's going to be a sophomore in college! A sophomore! In college! Taking interest in me!" She exclaimed. I smiled warmly.
"Why don't we go on a double date tonight?" Katherina suggested. I shook my head.
"Jeff's coming home tonight. I want a night for ourselves," I said with a wink. She gasped and punched my shoulder lightly.
"Just don't do something that I wouldn't do," she muttered.
"The question is, what would you do?" I asked. She laughed.
"I hope on bringing him home."
"Katherina!"
"What? He's been hinting it a few times," she said shyly. I sighed and looked at the clock. It was already 1!
"Why don't we go and do something?" I suggested. She shook her head.
"I've got to get ready for my date. We're spending the whole day together," she explained.
"Well, then let me help you," I said, then went into her closet to pick out her outfit. We spent a long time trying to pick out an outfit for, and we finally settled on one. It was a green denim skirt with a matching shirt that went along with it. She curled her hair, applied her makeup carefully, and stood in front of the mirror and admired herself.
"You look great," I said, smiling. The doorbell rang, and Katherina squealed with excitement and ran to answer it. She came upstairs with Brandon. His smile grew wider once he saw me.
"Hi," I muttered, waving quickly. He nodded and turned to Kathy.
"Wanna get going?" he asked.
"Yeah." She reached over to grab her purse.
"Why don't you come with us?" Brandon asked.
"Sorry, can't, I have to get ready for Jeff tonight," I said. "You guys have a good time." I headed towards the door.
"No, come on, come with us. At least for a little while, until Jeff gets here," Katherina pleaded. I sighed.
"Sure," I said, and looked at my watch. I didn't have anything to do, so I willingly came along.
"I thought we would go out to lunch first," Brandon suggested, getting into his car. I crawled into mine.
"I'll meet you guys there," I said, and sped off. I took out my cellphone, and left a message on Jeff's phone. I told him not to call me at home because I would be out all day. I needed something to pass the time.
I followed Kathy and Brandon to the restaurant. It was quite expensive. As I parked, Kathy and Brandon walked into the restroom, holding hands. How sweet, I thought. I got out of my car, and suddenly my phone rang.
"Hello?" I asked.
"April! Where are you!" Mother hissed. "Are you still wearing that outfit?"
"Mother," I sighed.
"You looked like a harlot in that outfit," I heard Daddy say in the background.
"Yes, I am, and right now, I'm on a date with three other guys."
"Are you being sarcastic?"
"It's your decision." I said, then hung up. I walked briskly into the restaurant and found Brandon and Kathy at the table together. I slid in across from them and set my stuff down.
"What took you so long?" Kathy asked.
"I wasn't gone that long. And besides, my mother called. She asked where I was, and if I was still in that outfit I was wearing earlier," I muttered.
"What outfit?" Brandon inquired.
"It was this red shirt with this little black mini skirt I could barely sit it. I only wore it because I wanted to look good for Jeff, but now that I think about it, I think I wore it just to piss my parents off," I explained. Brandon smiled. I could see him picturing me in that outfit. He licked his lips. The waited came over to record our orders. I scanned the menu.
"I'll just have the BLT and could you put that on a separate check?" I asked.
"April, don't worry about that. I'll take care of it," Brandon piped up.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure. Don't worry about it," he pressed. I rolled my eyes and leaned back.
During lunch, I didn't speak much. I watched as Kathy and Brandon fed each other, and giggled. I blew air from my lips, and finished quickly. I looked at my watch. 3 O clock. Thank God, the time was passing quickly. I wrung my hands to occupy myself.
"You look bored," Brandon noticed as he paid for the check. I didn't put up any obligation to it.
"Yeah, I'm just waiting for the time to pass."
"Have you found out anything about your parents, or your sister?"
I sighed. "No, I haven't. I haven't even tried. I'm going to wait for Jeff to help me," I muttered.
"I see," he said softly and slung his arm around Katherina's shoulders. I shrugged.
"What's next?" Kathy asked.
"Well, I thought that we would see a movie. How 'bout it?" Brandon asked.
"Sure," I said and stood up, slinging my purse over my shoulder. Brandon and Katty stood up and walked to the door. I trailed behind, wishing that Jeff was here beside me.
At the theaters, we tried to decide what movie to see. Brandon and Katty decided to see a horror movie. I shrugged and agreed, and soon we were sitting in the theater.
Katherina scared easily during the movie. Brandon kissed Kathy to reassure her that it wasn't real, and soon they ended up making out. I rolled my eyes and glued my eyes to the screen.
"April," Brandon moaned. Katherina halted and sat up.
"April?" She whispered agitatedly. Brandon sighed and brushed his hair back that had fallen into his face.
"I was going to ask her if she was getting scared," he lied. "Aren't you, April?" A shiver went up my spine.
"No," I whispered. Katherina tugged on the collar of Brandon's shirt and started kissing again. I poked Katherina.
"I have to get going. Jeff could be home early," I told her. She tossed her hand in my direction and softly moaned. I grunted.
"Whatever," I muttered, and stormed out of the theater. I hopped into my truck and drove home silently.
On the way home, I thought of Brandon saying my name when he was kissing Katherina. It sent a shiver up my spine just thinking about that. It also agitated me. Katherina would be very angry about that. I could just feel it coming. I imagined the conversation and I laughed to myself as I pulled up to the house. I slammed my door, and headed into the house. Mother and Daddy weren't home. Probably visiting Mrs. Hastings, I thought. I ran upstairs and flung myself on my bed. I looked at my clock. 4:30! I nearly screamed. Why was time going so slow! I closed my eyes and sighed. Jeff, come home early.
We were sitting at the office of the child protection services. I was sitting in Mothers lap as she jotted down the short letter I would soon read 17 years later. I was probably occupying myself with chewing on my hands or playing with a used toy, a toy maybe the Sanders' had donated. After Mother was finished, she jammed the letter into an envelope, and addressed it to me. She would probably look down at me and whisper, "April." And then she probably burst out into tears.
The woman who was filing the papers would have come out now and handed my mother the copies of the papers. She put them in a folder, and smiled weakly at the woman. Just outside, the Sanders were probably waiting outside for everything to be settled. Mother handed her the papers, then held me in her arms.
"I love you very much April," she would whisper in my ear, then looked at the Sanders. She handed them to me, then started to cry. She looked back at me desperately, said a quick good-bye to Vivian and Daniel, then hurried out of the building and looked around nervously to see if her abusive boyfriend was around. She stepped outside into the chilly morning, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. Her eyes darted around the corner of the building as she crossed the street and walked to her tiny apartment. Her eyes darted down long alley ways, down the street, and into open windows. She was on the prowl to see if Jake was following her.
She pulled out the keys to her apartment, and opened the door. She looked around the room nervously, making sure that Jake wasn't in the room. She sighed a breath of relief, dropped her things and looked around her empty apartment. From behind her, Jake came around and slapped his hand around her mouth and dragged her back into her bed room. She screamed and kicked in protest, but that wasn't enough to get her out of his clutches. He threw her on the bed, and soon, the image faded away.
I woke up quickly, turning my head and looking at the clock. It was 5:45! I leaped out of bed and scrambled into my bathroom, making sure that my hair and makeup were perfect. I wanted this to be a perfect night. I made one last final check, and hurried downstairs. Mother and Daddy had apparently left for shopping or something, because they weren't in the house. Good, they didn't need to be here when Jeff arrived, I thought. I walked outside and sat down on the porch swing that faced the road. I folded my hands neatly in my lap and waited. I was so anxious for him to get here, I couldn't stand it. I wanted to just run around and exert all of my energy, but Jeff's green SUV pulled up. I leaped out of my chair and ran to him.
"Jeff!" I cried and ran into his open arms. It felt so good to be in his arms. He stroked my hair and kissed my forehead.
"Oh April," he said, looking down at me. I smiled and kissed him.
"Jeff, you don't even know how good it feels to be around you," I announced, and hugged him once more before pulling him inside.
"Are your mother and father home?" He asked. I shook my head and smiled. I walked inside the house, headed upstairs and kicked open the door to my bedroom, and pulled him inside. He laughed.
"You look great," Jeff commented, smiling brightly. I batted my eyelashes and sat down on my bed, pulling Jeff down next to me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him.
"Jeff, you don't even know how much has happened since you have been gone," I cried, and started to babble on about what had happened. I let everything out, even when Brandon had kissed me. I didn't want to hold anything back; I couldn't hold anything back. Everything had burst out into the open unexpectedly. I buried my face into my hands and wept. Jeff hugged me.
"April, don't cry. Everything happens for a reason," he assured me. I looked up, and Jeff kissed the tears off of my face. It sent warm shivers up my spine. It felt good to be loved, to be cherished. Jeff tilted my head up, and kissed me softly. I closed my eyes and smiled underneath his lips. He wrapped his arms around me and lowered me to the bed. I moaned. I loved Jeff, I loved him so much. I would be willing to even go back to college with him, if it got me away from here, from Daniel and Vivian. But I pushed the thoughts of Vivian and Daniel, and concentrated on my love for Jeff. He reached for the hem of my shirt, and I hesitated for a minute.
"Do you want to do this?" Jeff asked softly, kissing my cheek. I nodded. I was going to go through with it. It was with the person that I loved very much, and that was the best way to make love. He lifted my shirt, and I wrapped my arms around him. He kissed me. It was a never ending kiss, a long passionate one. He lifted my arms and took off my shirt. I reached for the buttons on his shirt and started to unbutton his shirt. His hands traveled down my body and reached for my belt and undid it so that he could ease my skirt down my legs.
I has never felt so happy. My body responded to his touch, his kisses, his passion. It seemed he had been waiting for me for a long time. He slid my skirt down, and lifted my legs to take it off. He reached behind me to unclip my bra as I slid the shirt down his arms.
"April," he moaned, kissing my body. He unclipped my bra and drew it away from me. I kissed him and slid down his pants. I couldn't believe that I was doing this. I had dreamed and imagined this day for such a long time, and this is just how I wanted it.
Suddenly, the door was thrown open, and Mother and Daddy were gaping at us, shopping bags in their hands. Mother dropped hers and gasped. I screamed and covered up my nudity. Jeff walked back from me and grabbed his shirt. "Daddy!" I screamed.
"April!" Daddy bellowed. Jeff put on his T-shirt.
"Jeff, I think that it's best that you leave," Mother said kindly. Jeff nodded, and glanced back at me. I bit my lip and watched as he sorrowfully walked downstairs.
"April, how could you?" Mother asked frantically.
"Get out! Just get out!" I screamed at the both of them. Daddy stepped back and slammed the door. I heard Jeff drive away in his car and I listened until I couldn't hear any more of his car. I started to cry. How could they ruin this? This was supposed to be perfect! I beat my fists against my pillow and dressed myself. Daddy knocked on the door.
"Are you dressed, or do you have another male in their with you?" he snapped.
"Just go away," I retorted. He threw the door open and waltzed it. I stared him down.
"Let me get to the point. I don't want to see Jeff here anymore. I don't want you to see Jeff either."
"But he came home! To see me!" I shrieked, leaping off of my bed.
"Still, I don't need him to be . . . seducing you," he blurted.
"I was the one who led him on!"
"It figures as much. You're Mother slept around."
"Don't you ever, talk about my mother like that!" I screamed, pointing my finger at him.
'I don't want my daughter sleeping around!" He exclaimed.
"I'M NOT YOUR DAUGHTER!" I screamed. His face turned red, and he marched out of the room.
"I hate you! I hate you all! Daddy! Mother!" I screamed as loud as I could, my voice getting hoarse. I didn't care if I had to scream until my voice was gone, I was going to get my point across. I flopped down on my bed and reached across to grab my phone so that I could call Jeff's cellphone. He answered after one ring.
"Hello?" He asked angrily.
"I'm so sorry," I blurted.
"April, it's not your fault," he began.
"But it is!" I screeched.
"What was the verdict?"
"They won't let me see you!" I cried.
"Can't you like, climb out of your window?"
"I could, but I'm not really up for it right now," I muttered. He sighed.
"OK, well, call me tomorrow," he said and hung up. I slammed the phone down and went downstairs to confront Mother and Daddy. They were sitting in the den.
"How could you walk into my room when you knew that Jeff was here," I nearly screamed at them. They looked up from what they were doing.
"April, we didn't know that Jeff was here," Mother said softly. I grunted.
"How could you not see his big car outside?"
"It was dark, and . . . well, we didn't know that he was here," Mother said quickly.
"I don't believe you. How dare you intrude into my room when I was up there with Jeff! Can't I get any privacy?"
"April, you live in this house, under our roof," Daddy said. I looked at him.
"Fine, I see how it is. You wait and see, you'll be sorry," I told them, then marched upstairs. I slammed my door, and crawled into bed. I wasn't going to let them take over my life. I wasn't!