OKAY SO LAME CHAPTER BUT NECESSARY

you are not who you've been

CHAPTER SEVEN

Valerie woke up to the sun bouncing off the white walls and an arm around her torso. Cole didn't have curtains because he liked to walk up early and his place was so high up privacy wasn't an issue. Valerie had an issue though, with the sun.

"Good morning, Valerie." Cole said in his rough morning voice. He had just woken up and was rubbing his eyes.

"Morning, Cole." She gave him a small peck.

She couldn't even believe herself. After her incident with Jack, she snuck out of the house when he had gone to bed and made her way to Cole's to seduce him. Valerie in a fucked up way thought she owed him that after feeling something for Jack. She thought it would make her feel better but instead she felt even grosser. She felt like a hoe or something.

His hands traced down her bare body. "I had fun last night," he mumbled into her neck.

Valerie laughed and pulled away. "Me too."

She rolled over and pulled the blanket with her so she wasn't exposed. Valerie bent down to grab her clothes and quickly put them on.

"I gotta head home and get ready for school," she said. "Call me later?"

"I sure will," Cole smiled. "See you, Valerie."

Valerie tried to be as quiet as possible as she creeped back into her apartment. It was six in the morning and it wouldn't be normal for Jack to be up yet and she definitely did not want to wake him up. He would know that she had been out all night if he saw her and she would bet he could easily guess why.

The first thing Valerie did was grab a shower and throw her clothes to the laundry so nothing would seem odd if Jack did wake up. She didn't know why she was trying so hard.

When she left the bathroom, Jack was in the kitchen.

"What's for breakfast?" Valerie tried to make it appear that she wasn't awkward as hell.

Jack just pointed to the box next to him. "Cereal."

He poured up a second bowl and handed it to her.

Awkward. But Valerie was glad didn't say something like 'so about last night…' or another variation. She'd like to believe there was nothing about last night.

They ate their cereal in silence.

Valerie picked up Jamie on her way to school. Valerie didn't have many friends, she always tried to distance herself but Jamie was the closest thing she had to one.

Jamie was unnaturally quiet as they drove through the neighborhood, she just stared out the window. She didn't even react when 50 Cent's Candy Shop came on the radio. And anyone that knew Jamie knew that was one of her favourite songs to jam to.

"You okay?" Valerie asked worriedly.

Jamie ignored it. "Do you ever think the D is ever gonna make its comeback like everyone says? Look at it. Empty houses and empty streets. Seems like bullshit to me."

"What happened?" Valerie knew Jamie wouldn't just spout this crap out of nowhere.

Jamie's eyes were watery and she pursed her lips. "You know Victor Sweet?"

Valerie nodded. She never met the guy but his name was passed around a lot. Everything attached to Sweet's name was heavy. Gang stuff.

"What about him?"

"My brother, Darrell," Jamie's voice broke. "He's sort of working with him. I don't know. I never thought… I tried to keep him out of all that shit."

Valerie took a hand off the wheel to squeeze Jamie's. "I'm so sorry."

Valerie really was sorry. Valerie was lucky that Stef never got messed up in any of the hard crimes around here because it would be very easy for him to do so. The only time Stef got hauled in was when he tried to rob three cases of beer from a corner store. Stupid as hell but not serious. Other than that, the biggest criminal in her life was probably Bobby. He was always getting locked up back in the day. He was probably locked up right now. Nobody had seen him in forever.

Valerie handed in Jack's essay to her sociology professor and ended up blowing off her last class to go home. She never used any of her absences the whole time she had been in that university, she figured she could afford it. She just couldn't get Darrel off her mind. He was only freshly eighteen. He shouldn't be in a gang like Sweet's.

Evelyn Mercer always told all the kids in their neighborhood that Detroit was on the rebound. She was so hopeful that it would make a comeback even Valerie started to believe it. People like Sweet poked holes in that hope until all she had were doubts.

She thought about maybe going to see Evelyn but going alone seemed too weird. Evelyn said Valerie was welcome any time but without Jack or Stef, Valerie never had before. Screw it, she thought. She made a U and headed towards the Mercer's.

Valerie was greeted by a smiling Evelyn after she knocked. "Twice in one month, Valerie? Am I dying or something?"

Valerie laughed. "I hope not."

She didn't jump right in and tell Evelyn why she was stressed, instead she listened to the gossip the woman had to tell her.

Evelyn was hooking up with some lawyer guy and seemed pretty happy about it. She also talked quite a bit about the kids in the neighborhood she was helping. She thought she was making a change, the exact thing Valerie had doubts about.

"You actually think Detroit is gonna get better, Evelyn?"

"I know it is," she said. "But what's this about?"

"You think a kids got a shot and he's gonna make it out because he's been nothing but supported but then he goes and does the complete opposite and joins in with the exact shit that's ruining this city further."

Evelyn's brows knitted together. "This isn't about my Jack is it?"

"God no," Valerie said hurriedly. "It's my friends brother."

"There's always gonna be bad things happening, Valerie. But I truly believe one day the good will outweigh the bad. People are gonna get sick of those forgein cars, trust me. Then we'll have so much money. Then things will get better."

"I'm not from Detroit myself but I stay because I see the potential."

Valerie still had doubts but it was refreshing to hear a positive outlook. That's all she really needed right now.

"Stay for supper would you? It's still weird eating by myself."

Valerie agreed and Evelyn pulled a hashbrown casserole out of the oven. Supper for her before Jack came along was TV dinners and cheap take out. Jack got all his skills from Evelyn so eating at her place was delightful.

She ate and helped Evelyn clean the dishes. Evelyn then told her she was going to see her lawyer friend again so Valerie headed home.

"You tell my Jack to come see me, alright? I miss his pretty face." Evelyn said as Valerie was leaving.

"Put that damn thing out, Jack. You know you can't smoke in here."

He was standing in the kitchen, frying something on the stove but a cigarette was hanging lazily in his fingers.

"You're home late."

"I had supper at your moms. She says she misses you." Valerie said, laying her stuff down. "Put the cigarette out, Jack. It's against my lease."

Jack threw the cigarette in the sink.

"Thank you."