Chapter 2(Edited)
"Jazzy you don't have to walk me home I ain't no lil girl I can take care of myself" Cindy sighed walking the streets to her house. On their way back to the party Cindy realized she left her overnight bag at home, so now they were on their way to the young white girls' house.
"Trust me I'm well aware you can take care of yourself, remember Donna? You beat the shit out of the biggest girl is school in less than a minute!"
"That's what the stupid hoe gets fo pourin' strawberry soda in ma hair," Cindy growled reminiscing on that day. "And so what if I beat her up in less than a minute I was mad and she didn't know how to fight, it didn't matter how big she was, if she cant fight, she cant fight."
Jazmine rolled her eyes ", I mean for such a pretty girl you know how to put that smack down" she giggled.
Cindy's smile fell ", don't call me that" she muttered.
The mulatto girl turned to her friend ", what?" She asked her smile falling also.
"I ain't pretty Jazmine, you don't have to lie to me" she stopped walking and turned away from her best friend trying to hide the sudden wave of insecurity that washed over her.
Jazmine stared at her friend in shock ", what do you mean you're not pretty?"
Cindy cleared her throat and began to walk again ignoring her friends concern for her, "I mean I aint attractive Jazmine, you know ugly"
"Says who?" Jazmine asked scrambling to catch up with the now speed walking girl.
"It don't matter, I know what I look like and I agree with them."
"Cindy what happened?" The mulatto asked her friend grabbing her shoulder, stopping any more progress to her home.
"Nothing happened I just had a realization that I'll never be as pretty as you or any of my other friends" Cindy shrugged without turning. If she did Jazmine would have plainly seen the tears threatening to fall from her icy eyes.
"If you aren't confident then why wear what you're wearing?"
"Because I know that's all I'm good for!" Cindy yelled suddenly knocking her friends hand off of her shoulder.
A tense silence passed between the two girls as Jazmine let her friends words sink in. Both were lost in their own confused thoughts until Jazmine decided to break it.
"Cindy?" Jazmine finally asked hesitantly. She put her hand on her friends shoulder again only to have it shrugged off for the second time.
The young white girl looked up at her friend with watering eyes "I-I have to go" she said as she turned around getting ready to run.
"Wait Cindy!" The mulatto girl called catching her friend by the hand and turned her around. She watched as a tear made its way down her friends pale cheek. She was getting worried now "What happened? Why are you acting like this?... Are you okay?" she asked placing a friendly hand on Cindy's shoulder for the third time.
Cindy didn't knock it off this time. She chose to bow her head and let a few tears fall instead. A few minutes passed in silence between the two girls until Cindy looked up into her friends lovely green eyes with her own bloodshot blue ones.
"Ill never be ok" The Caucasian whispered more to herself than to her friend. Before Jazmine could process the words she was on the ground watching her best friend go in the opposite direction.
"Cindy!" Jazmine called but it was too late her best friend disappeared around the corner at the end of the block leaving jasmine on the floor with nothing but her thoughts.
-
Cindy opened her front door and closed it behind herself as quietly as possible. She was well aware her stepfather was home. Her only hope was that he was sober, though she highly doubted it. She put a hand over her chest trying to still her rapidly beating heart.
"Cindy!" A deep male voice called from upstairs successfully stopping her heart completely.
"Y-yes?" she called back slowly making her way towards her backpack which lay three feet away from her. Being alone in that house with her stepfather was like being locked in a cage with a rabid wolf. Fear racked her body at the sound of staggered footsteps behind her. Before she could turn her body was thrust on to the door knocking the air out of her lungs. The potent smell of vodka invaded her nose as his lips came within inches of her ear.
"What do you want?" she asked threateningly despite the tears prickling in the back of her eyes.
"I already told you what I want" he said letting one hand run roughly over her petite, bathing suit clad body. "Do you remember what I said a few months ago?"
Flash back
The elder man chuckled "What? No hello?" He asked smirking as he seated himself next Cindy. Her mother was upstairs getting ready for their date.
"I don't say hello to people I don't want to see again" she growled scooting to the far side of the couch. She didn't like this man for many reasons but the main one was because he always found some kind of excuse to touch he in a way that she didn't like or want.
"Cindy," A silence fallowed him saying her name. She didn't like the way he said it, his voice was husky like when he talked to her mom when they thought she wasn't listening. She didn't answer him, instead she settled on glaring at the TV.
He sighed seeing he was being ignored. Silently he scooted closer to her so she was trapped between the arm of the couch and his muscular body.
Simon was an attractive man in many ways; she understood why her mother wanted him physically. He was a tall man with pitch black hair and tanned skin and dark eyes. He looked like he came right out of a male swimsuit catalogue.
He wore tight shirts on a regular basis, much like tonight, he wore a black skin tight shirt that showed his muscles off perfectly under a grey blazer and a pair of casual slacks. He looked handsome but his persona made him uglier than Flava Flave on a bad day. She smirked slightly at the analogy she created, it fit perfectly.
"I really wish you would show me some respect sweetheart, I can severely harm everything you hold dear" He chuckled running a finger up her arm, he watched at her like a hungry lion as she flinched away from his touch.
"I aint got nothing to hold dear" She growled trying to remain calm. "You took it when you stole my mom."
"What about your virginity? That can easily be taken" He smirked at the brief look of panic in her eyes.
"I aint gonna be one of your lil hoes Simon" she said evenly catching his finger as it made its way past her belly button. She bent it back achingly slow until a satisfying crack sounded about the room.
A grunt of pain came soon after, and Simon backed off of her cradling his finger. A small smirk made its way onto Cindy's face as he hissed and flicked his hand around trying to rid himself of the pain.
"You bi-," He paused hearing footsteps coming down the stairs.
"Simon I'm rea- Baby what happened to your finger? Its turning purple!"
"Slammed it in the door." He hissed placing the usual act of the 'innocent fiancé' into play.
"Oooh! My poor baby!" The elder woman exclaimed, "Come on, lets get you some ice."
Cindy rolled her eyes ashamed to call this woman her mother. It didn't even look like it was slammed into a door. It looked like someone bent it back and sprained it.
"Dumb ass." She muttered changing the channel to "Making the Band"
End flashback
Simon pressed his body roughly onto Cindy "I told you what I want. Now its time to get it" He looked down at with satisfaction at the pure fear behind her eyes.
"W-what do you mean" She asked loosing the black slang edge in her voice.
"Your virginity sweetheart, I wouldn't have thought you would have forgotten, I wasn't kidding" He closed what little space there was between their faces and caught her lips in a rough forced kiss. Tears fell from her wide horrified eyes as she tried to push him away, but try as she might she couldn't relieve herself of the foul taste that tried to force itself into her mouth. Thinking fast she bit down on the first piece of flesh that got close to her teeth that was not her own … which just so happens to be his tongue.
She bit down harder and harder until the familiar yet unfamiliar taste of blood and vodka filled her mouth. He howled in pain and pulled back trying to nurse his bleeding tongue.
She grunted as his fist came in contact with her left cheek, the force caused even her knees to go weak under her.
"You don't play with a mans desires little girl" he growled back-handing the other side of her face. "And I'm about to show you why" the lust behind his eyes magnified as he threw her to the floor.
"No, no please" she gave up on trying to fight, all there was left was to beg. She gasped as he grabbed the front of her bathing suit.
He ignored her pleas "This wont be pleasant" he chuckled.
-
At the party Huey and Jazmine sat on the side of her heated pool reviewing what happened between her and Cindy.
"Sounds like she has some self esteem issues" he turned to the mulatto teenager next to him "why didn't you fallow her?"
The birthday girl wiped her tears "Because she was long gone and I don't know where her house is" she sniffed.
Huey nodded "Has she been acting any different before this?"
"Nuh-uh she's never acted like this before"
"Well… the best advice I can give you is to just be her friend. Don't press her to tell you if she's not ready" He kept his voice at a simple monotone though his words were wise and sweet his voice held none of it, But then again that was typical Huey.
She wiped her tears "thanks Huey"
"Whatever"
"Hey! You wanna have a chicken fight?" she exclaimed regaining her shining deposition. It was amazing how fast she could bounce back.
He rolled his eyes "and why would I want to do that?"
"'Cause you're my best guy friend and I don't want to ask Riley" she pouted gesturing to the boy six or seven feet behind her sitting in a chair with two girls on his lap.
Something about the thought of Riley touching anywhere on Jazmines body made a strange feeling of jealousy bubble up in Hueys chest, "fine" he growled slipping into the heated water. He felt like he was in a bathtub not a pool and it annoyed him. He hated baths, and much preferred a nice long shower.
All thoughts left him when Jazmines smooth legs slipped over his shoulders.
Hm… maybe this game wont be as horrid as I assumed, he thought absently as he waded out into the middle of the pool to begin the game.
-
Cindy curled herself into a corner of her room; her stepfather's comatose body was downstairs. So many thoughts ran through her head but one rang out above them all, she had to get out of there before he woke up. A lamp to the head could only keep him down for so long.
Her bathing suit top was back on as well as a pair of jeans, her pink Sean John shirt and her all white forces as she stepped over her stepfather grabbed her overnight bag and was out the door.
-
"Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!" Huey rolled his eyes. It escaped him why anyone would actually go through with drinking down not one, not two, but three entire bottles of vodka. At least the hangover should get the poor soul off of liquor for good. He pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance then stood deciding he couldn't take it anymore.
"Where are you going?" Jazmine, who was sitting next to him, asked. They had long since changed into their pajamas so now she was in a pair of pajama boy shorts and a simple tank top. He went with his red silk pajama bottoms and a wife beater.
"Oh my god! He's half way through and he hasn't taken a breath yet!" Some random person on the sidelines exclaimed. Huey rolled his eyes ashamed of his piers for what seemed like the millionth time that night.
"I'm not about to sit here and watch some random guy drink himself into a coma. I have a book in my bag, if you need me I will be upstairs reading it." He didn't wait for her to speak, instead he turned his back and left up the stairs of the house and into the first bedroom he saw, Jazmines. He turned in the light flinching slightly at the pink fluffy objects.
"Whatever, I need the quiet" he sighed as he sat himself in the comfortable (pink) beanbag chair by the window. "Finally" he muttered opening his book to his last left off page.
-
Thump
Cindy gasped slightly as her footing was lost. Scaling the side of her best friend's house proved to be difficult. She knew it was a stupid act but she refused to worry Jasmine by showing up at the front door looking the way she did. Instead she decided to climb through her window and clean herself up there.
Imagine her surprise when the window opened before she could get to it and the handsome face of Huey Freeman poked out looking down at her with confusion in his wine colored eyes.
"Cindy?" He asked looking down at her "What the hell are you doing?"
"Shhh" She hissed, "Shut the hell up and help me!" she snapped holding onto the vine she was climbing up for dear lofe with one hand and reaching up the other for him to take. He took her offered hand and yanked her through the window. Once on solid ground she fell to her knees shakily.
"Would you mind explaining or should I go get Jaz-,"
"NO!" she exclaimed jumping to her feet, running to the door, and closing it. "You aint telling Jazmine nothin'!"
"…Okay… Now that you have that out of your system, mind explaining why you were scaling the wall of Jazmines house when y-… what happened to your face?"
She gasped and turned away from him, "n-nothin'"
He walked over to her and roughly grabbed her face and turned it to himself, "bruised lips, a black eye, and other cuts and bruises I assume aren't only on your face doesn't classify as nothing" he said letting go of her face and walking back to the beanbag chair before plopping back down into it. He plucked his book off the ground and resumed his reading.
"It's nothing rea-"
"Where were you Cindy?" he asked glancing up at her.
"I was..."
"I thought you were at home, at least that's what you told Jazmine"
"I-I did go home"
"Then what could possibly happen at your house that…" he paused dropping his book and looked up at her with shocked, slightly concerned eyes, "who was there when you got there?"
"M-my step-dad" she said feeling the pricking of tears in the back of her eyes.
"He did this to you?"
Quietly she nodded feeling her knees go weak under her, she fell on them letting a few of her tears fall.
He stood and walked over to her quietly sobbing form and kneeling before it, "did he.."
She shook her head, "but that's only because I broke a lamp over his head before he could"
He nodded, "why didn't you go to the police?"
She scoffed, "They wouldn't believe me I already lied to them once on the subject"
"…lied..." realization took over his features fallowed closely by frustration, "you tried to get rid of him by telling the police he raped you."
She flinched at his slightly raised voice, "yes"
He sighed and kneeled before her, "have you ever even heard of the story of the boy who cried wolf?"
"I know okay?" the Caucasian growled glaring up at her best friends crush, " I was stupid, and now there's nothing I can do about it."
They were left in a tense silence, Huey remained as stoic preferring not to show how concerned he was, while Cindy fidgeted and moved trying to make some kind of noise, any noise. Finally she couldn't take it anymore, she broke the silence.
"H-Huey?' she cleared her throat despising how timid she sounded, "Huey?" she asked a little more confidently.
"What?" he growled.
"Can I sit in your lap?"
He stared at her with shocked burgundy eyes, "excuse me?"
"I just want to feel safe, it's nothing sexual I swear!"
For a long moment he just stared at her, she could tell he was debating the pros and cons of the situation, "Fine." He said standing and walking over to the bed and leaning onto the wall. He beckoned her over after making himself comfortable.
"You know you don't have to do this if you don't want to" she mumbled walking over to him.
"I really don't care either way" he muttered.
She gave him a soft smile knowing he was just hiding the fact he wanted to help, before settling into his lap. She rested her head on his left shoulder while her legs dangled off of his right thigh and off the bed. His strong arms wrapped around her petite waist to keep her from falling and leaned his head back to rest on the wall. You would think this would be a very intimate position but neither felt that way. Cindy felt she was being held by her brother, the kind of protection you could ever get from someone who really cared, and Huey, well… he was helping a friend… that's about it.
Soon both fell asleep completely forgetting about the party going on downstairs.
(An hour later)
"Hey Huey I… Oh hell no"