Hotline Bling

Prologue

Two years ago

"Get yo' black ass down these stairs lil' girl!" Essence flinched as she hurried into her old dresser drawer, her shaking hands truly trembling as she searched for a pair of underwear. "I'm coming..., "She yelled.

"I'm gonna give you five muthafuckin' seconds! One...Two-"Essence nearly fell over her own feet as she finally found a pair of panties decorated with flowers. She pulled her jeans on and literally threw her shirt on. She grabbed her shoes and her book bag before sprinting down the stairs like a mad woman.

As soon as she made it to the bottom of the stairs she braced herself for what she knew was coming. A heavy hand came across her soft brown cheeks. She didn't even wince, she had grown so used to things like this. Her neck snapped in the other direction, her teeth colliding with her bottom lip, leaving a small bloody gash in its wake.

She kept her head bowed low. Not out of fear...but merely to give her foster parent the illusion that she was afraid.

"What did I tell you? Huh? What the fuck did I tell ya' ass?" Her foster mother spat in her face.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize that it was past seven...," her words were met with a hard smack against the back of her head. Her head of natural curls bounced forward and faltered, her body moving with the impact. This was a daily practice. Every morning it was the same.

She didn't dare argue or try to fight back. She had learned the consequences of doing that years ago.

"Get yo' ugly ass out my house! You ain't got to go to school, with ya stupid self, but you got to get out of here!"

She didn't think twice before moving swiftly toward the door and walking out. As soon as she closed the door behind her she raised her head high, cupping her cheek gently and licking her lip. She had been living like this for years. And she was sure that she could survive it for another two.

She flung her bag into the bushes tucked sloppily alongside the house and moved down the street, heading for one of the few places she felt important...loved...wanted.

She rounded corner after corner until she came to one of the many neighborhood drug houses. She knocked on the door, running her hands through her mass of curls, before the door was pulled open.

"Aye! King! Yo girl here!" The dude said as he stood back, letting her pass him. His eyes were bloodshot from countless hours of smoking weed.

White smoke permeated the air as she moved past the group of guys playing video games and drinking every assortment of liquor one could think of. A couple of them glanced her way, their eyes admiring her milk chocolate complexion. She ignored them, though she silently enjoyed the attention.

She headed for the basement, the smoke in the air getting darker and more potent as she headed down the stairs. She hopped down the last stair, a feigned smile crossing her face as she caught the attention of the small group of men. They all looked up at her, watching every move she made.

"Get over here girl..., "King said. He was sitting leisurely on a sofa in the corner of the basement, a thickly rolled blunt in his hand. His eyes were filled with lust at the sight of her. She moved straight toward him, moving past the other men in the room.

She sat down beside him and allowed him to wrap his big beefy arms around her waist. She didn't particularly like him. He wasn't the most attractive man she had ever met but he gave her the attention that was denied her at home. He looked at her with eyes that wanted her and that was enough for her sixteen year old heart.

"How you been baby girl?" He asked, his voice laced with calm, the weed he was smoking taking affect.

She smiled up at him, her teeth white. "I've been fine...I'm even better now that I'm with you."