Tamed [BOOK ONE]

Chapter 3

"God knows I would never kill my kids, but I'm about to send you to your early grave girl." My mother was going on about the suspension sentence I was currently serving, but I was barely listening. I folded my arms and that really took her over.

"Unfold your damn arms when I'm talking to you. That's the problem, you too damn grown." My mother snapped and grabbed my arms to pull them out of their folded position. Normally I would be cowering in the corner when my mom got like this, but I was pissed. I hated that I would have to go to school Monday and come face to face with whatever his name was.

"Are you listening to me Natalie Ann Atkins."

"Yes ma'am."

"You know I'll knock you from here to Timbuktu before I let you act crazy. I didn't have a high school life, I was pregnant. I want the best for you, but I will kill you dead before I let you act a fool."

"I know mama, but it wasn't my fault."

"I don't care who's fault it is Natalie whatever problems you got going on with that boy ends today. I fought too long and worked too hard to give you a good life for you to throw it away over some stuck-up boy."

I sighed, "I'm sorry mama. I love you."

"I love you too baby girl, but let me ever hear about this shit again."

I understood why my mother was mad. She had to work her way through high school and not even go to college so she could take care of me. She never made me feel like a burden, she just wanted me to be careful and not give up my goals in life the way she had. My real father was a smooth talking player who had his fun and when he found out my mother was pregnant, skipped town. He came back when I was two and tried to come back into my life, but the damage was done and him and my mother were never able to settle their differences. I visited his house on some weekends so I wasn't fully cut off from my father.

My mother pulled into our driveway and got out. It was a two story brick house, and it was just fine for me and my mother. It was in a subdivision with a million other houses and every one of them looked exactly the same, but something made our house special. Unlike our neighbors who threw decorations up around Christmas and Halloween, my mother had flowers and small lawn decorations out all year. They changed depending on the season and holiday, but for the most part it stayed the same.

I pulled my book-bag on my shoulder and walked inside the house behind my mother. I removed my shoes and dropped my book-bag down and went hunting for a snack. My mother was waiting in the kitchen with her hand out.

"Phone." She stated simply and I groaned.

"But mama-"

"But mama nothing, give me your phone Natalie."

"Please let me keep it mama, I'll give it to you every night at nine."

"I am the adult here Natalie Ann Atkins and I do not make deals with children now give me that phone."

I sighed and placed my phone in my hand. I wasn't hungry anymore so I stormed upstairs and landed on my bed. I couldn't tell my best-friend Chloe about why I wasn't going to be a school until Monday and that sucked. I continued to sulk and roll my eyes while reading a magazine. I loved fashion, but wasn't big on actually designing clothes. When I was younger, I use to model in my underwear for my mother or father to see. They would applaud and my mother use to give me shawls and short jackets to try on. We didn't have much, but we had dreams and that was enough.

I closed the magazine and rolled on my back. I was beyond annoyed at the fact that I wouldn't have my phone. My phone was an extension of myself and I couldn't live one day without it. I was going to die.

I heard the door open downstairs and the low greetings that my mother and father usually exchanged. I wondered why my dad was here and then remembered how much of a strict disciplinary he was. I was still get beatings from him up until I was fourteen.

"Nat! Come down here!" I heard my father yell. I didn't move fast I just slowly eased down the stairs. My father came into view when I reached the fifth stair from the bottom.

My father was tall and a chocolate complexion. He was slightly muscular from his days of running the streets and his hair was now completely bald. He always kept a Bluetooth in his ear and currently had on a local youth football league shirt since he coached it.

"Yeah dad?"

"Suspended?" He questioned with a look of shock and some disappointment plastered across his face. I had always been his little girl and hoped that would help me talk my way out of this one.

"This boy called me a name dad."

That got him. He wanted to continue the argument with me, but I was his baby girl and no one called his baby girl a name.

"What'd he call you?"

"He called me a bitch dad and I punched him."

A smile ran across my dad's lips for a brief second, but he cleared his throat and shot his dagger eyes at me again.

"I don't want to have this problem again Nat."

"It won't happen again."

"Good, now if this boy ever says something to my baby girl again, tell me and I'll knock his teeth down his throat."

I smiled, "thank you daddy."

I finished walking down the last few steps and wrapped my hands around his neck. He kissed my cheek and told me he had to go to work. He gave my mother the money she was owed every month and said goodbye.

I turned to my mother was turning off the stove.

"Dinner?" She asked and I nodded greedily. Dinner was a combination of spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread. It was one of my favorite meals especially with the way my mother cooked it. Dinner was quiet and I suspected that had something to do with the fact that I was in trouble. I finished my food, placed it in the sink, and told my mother good night.

I laid in bed thinking about the boy from earlier. He had seemed calm about seeing his mother unlike me who was sweating bullets. It wasn't normal. It didn't matter that he was white and I was black and there some 'difference' in discipline. As my mind began to wonder about the boy, I found myself nodding to sleep and finally drifted into dreamland.

Author's Note

Chapter's a bit longer, yay! I had a lot of inspiration for this chapter for some reason and the next few chapters as well. I've been working on this all day and can't wait to see you guys reaction to it. Leave a comment and be sure to vote thanks.