Fallin' From The Tree (StemxStud)

11

[ Valentine ]

"Do you..have the clothes?" Dom asked, peeking her head out of my bathroom. My gun lays casually besides me on the bed. I finished my round on Bubble Witch and sat up. "It's on the bed," I gestured to some clothes I lay out for her. "I'm naked," she told me timidly.

I looked up unintentionally then glanced down quickly, "Ahhh, sorry. Um, I'll cover my eyes." I grabbed my gun and held it as I covered them up. I only could see if Dom moved towards me through my fingers but nothing else.

I heard her grab the clothes and slowly put them on. She could have done that in the bathroom to gain more privacy but whatever works for her. "I'm done," she said. I opened my eyes. My clothes kind of hung off of her, since she was so short. She looked like a little mini me.

"I'm Tino," I told her.

"Tino?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Keris called me Tinko. My real name is Valentine," I offered some clarity. "Oh."

"I'm not going to turn you in. I thought of something better."

My phone buzzed and I checked the notification. Just Teece drunkly texting me. I checked the time. Damn, it's Wednesday now.

"Like..what?"

I studied the girl. "I need to know more about you first. I'm not a danger to you, but if you come at me the wrong way, I might be. I just wanna know about your life, what you want to do."

"Are you gonna..sell me?" she asked, fiddling with the sleeves of my sweatshirt. "No," I told her, growing annoyed. She's acting like I kidnapped her and like she didn't get herself into this situation.

Dom took in a deep breath. "Life was kind of nice I guess when my step dad was alive and he had just met my mother. Then she killed him, she refuses to tell me almost anything about my own father. Her and her daughter abuse me a lot. Her daughter is in college, she stills stays with us though." Dom looked down. I gestured to my bed for her to sit. I kept a blank face as she told her story.

"Uhh. They don't like hit me and shit. But they verbally abuse me. They bring me down a lot. I can hardly ever escape it because I'm usually not allowed to go anywhere, never allowed to get a vehicle, nothing else. No job." Dom sighed, scratching her cheek.

"Keris offered..this," she gestured to me, "for some money. I'm trying to save up to move away. I know it might make me seem stupid but I didn't imagine...hurting someone or doing this would be hard. She paid for my Uber and got me here."

"Where is she? Outside?" I asked.

"No, she's at a park nearby. She told me to take as long as I need," she gulped.

"Well, I suppose we should surprise my ex then, huh?" I got up and tucked my gun. "Take me to the park she's at."

Dom walked in front of me as we went downstairs. "I'm just trying to do something for myself so I don't have to live in a struggle. I didn't finish high school, I don't have a degree. Keris always wanted me to spoil her and spend nauseous amounts of money on stupid shit. All she wanted to do was just show it off, she wasn't worth anything, in the heart. I'm sure she didn't even care for me- she's probably just offended that I broke up with her."

"I don't know her well. She just called me up randomly," Dom told me. We got into my white Lexus, shining in the sunlight. "I know I broke the walkie talkie. Do you have her number?"

"No," Dom shook her head, "all the times she's contacted me has been from different burner phones."

I looked over at Dom curiously as she shut her door and I began driving. "What do you know about those, kid?" Dom shrugged, looking away. I have a feeling this isn't this kid's first rodeo with illegal or criminal activities.