Between Survival & Giving Up

Aftermath 2

"Young love, I can see. However, Ciara dear I know you are a good student so I will do my best to let this slide, but instead of an after school or anything of that sort. I am putting you in charge of helping me around the classroom, and being your bus is one of the last to be called you will return to my class at the end of the day to clean anything I ask of you. Do you understand Miss. Claden? I really expected more from you." Mrs. Baker finishes before opening the door to the class and walking in with me. I put a frown on my face to make my friends misinterpret what happened, and sit down, when I sit down Brandon looks back at me and ask what happened. I pretend to be upset with him which I pretty much am, and roll my eyes and focus to the front of the classroom. Then I get the perfect plan to use my "anger" about what Brandon got me into, against him to get what I want from him.

Later at lunch, I was sitting with Jillian and some of my other friends when someone came and sat beside me, it was Brandon, as he sat down beside me instead of starting a conversation or something he just quickly out of the blue pulled me into his arms nearly on to his lap. I glared at him and tried to pull away but it was no use being he is much stronger than I am, and I looked at him and glared again, before I pinch him while telling him to let me go. He just stares into my eyes smiling, and then his hand is holding mine but there is something between our hands. I move my hand to see what it is but he just tells me no and nods for me to close my eyes, and I do even though I'm mad. I feel his hands warm yet still smooth rub my wrist and something cold and metal like falls on to my wrist and curls it. I open my eyes and see a beautiful silver bracelet with a phrase engraved in it, "will you be mine?", I look at the bracelet and at first I am in shock and happy, but then a rush of sadness comes when I remember that horrid dream I had last night. I look in his eyes and go with my heart, I nod yes and he smiles and lightly kisses me on cheek before letting me go and beginning to eat. I move from his lap and begin to eat myself, and I look at my friends and they are all staring at me smiling. All of them except Jillian, she is just staring at me not smiling but not mad either. I give her a concerned like smile but she only turns away. I look back at Brandon and he just shrugs his shoulders. As the teachers dismiss us from lunch to go to recess, me and Brandon walk together side by side until we get to the recess area. When we reach the recess area I watch as Brandon goes to play some basketball with the guys as I walk over to my other friends besides Jillian and sit with them, as we talk about the guys we like and the ones playing basketball. Then being my back is turned away from the boys, someone comes and hugs me kissing my neck I know it is Brandon and I turn to kiss him back. However, it wasn't Brandon and just before my lips touch his Brandon comes and pulls him back yelling and pushing him before Malik punches him and they begin to fight. Brandon on top of Malik punching over and over, and then kicked and knocked over, with Malik now over him punching and punching I scream for them to stop. I scream for Malik to get off of him and for Brandon to be okay, I look around to find everyone just staring in shock at what is happening. Where are the teacher's to stop this why is noone helping Brandon? Then I can't take it anymore and I run over and kick Malik in his back to get off he falls over and I begin to claw at his face screaming for him to stay out my life. Then someone is pulling me off of Malik, and as I kicked and screamed to finish this mess, I turn to see that it is my sister pulling me off him.

What is my sister doing here at my school? Why does she looked pissed off and depressed? All these questions run through my head as we walk together to the guidance office. When we reach the guidance office I see my mother crying, and when she sees me she tries to pull herself together, but I already know. She tries to get up to hug me but I pull away, it's my stepfather I already know it is.

Ever since I turned ten my stepfather has been treating my mother worse, and worse. He started to talk to me as if I was a grown woman trying to get me to spy on my mother, and he would attempt to manipulate me with lies of my mother cheating. I always knew he was a very jealous man, and even saying something as simple as, "I saw one of mommy's friends when I was in the store with her today." could set him off in a she thinks she can cheat on me and get away with it type of anger phase. I never liked my stepfather, he would always try to change my mother's way of life when it came to just being free. She could never laugh if he didn't laugh, and if she was in the house by herself he would send either me or my brothers and sisters to get him something out the house only to really see what our mom was doing.

And now I know it's gotten worse, because my mother's right eye is blood red, and her lip is busted and dried blood sits on her chin. Her clothes bloody but covered with a jacket, and she is holding her arm. My face drops at the sight of my mother being so beaten up, but then I remember my parents fight from last night that I thought was only just apart of my imagination. My mother has a hint of worry in her eyes, and all I can do from completely blocking her out my life is by showing nothing but anger as I rush out the guidance office slamming the door and walking with my fist clutched down the hall and beating on lockers screaming in my hands. I go to the bathroom across the hall and splash water on my face hoping to wake up from this horrid dream. My sister comes in the bathroom after me, and she hugs me, I let her hug me and we start crying in each other's arms. My sister, Kira, and I have always had our moments, but we were always the same ones to comfort each other during the hard times. Kira stopped crying and rubbed my head, I looked up at her and she started to smile.

"I remember when you were a baby. That's when you used to shut up without having to be yelled at. Sometimes I wish I could just go back to those times, but then I remember that if I did who would I talk to when no one else is listening to me. Ciara I know I must be hard on you, but it's only cause I love you and I care very much about you.", I listen to my sister and I realize that this is the first time she has really said I love you and that I care about you since we were like between five and ten years old. I smile and tell her that I love her to. Then we just sit on the floor next to each other laughing and remembering all the times we would torture, and annoy each other. We sit there for about ten minutes before we get up and walk together back to the office, but when we get there we hear my mother talking to the counselor that we have to move. And we only have a three to say bye to our friends.