Hidden Valley (D. SWING)

XIX. I Promise

"What about him?"

The sincerity in Dalvin's voice expressed how off guard he had been caught. He snatched up the phone and sped to his room, shutting the door behind him. To his understanding, Derek went to the mall to meet up somebody... whoever that somebody may be isn't all that important. His entire attention seems to be focused on Cynthia and what she has to say.

Dalvin and Cynthia both, unknowingly, fall onto their beds. Feeling comfortable enough to talk to him about anything, Cynthia can feel herself relaxing a little bit. The only true discomfort within her comes from being forced to think back to the downside of her summer vacation. "Remember everything that happened with Ricky?" Her nails tap against the phone's receiver.

"Yeah?" Dalvin's nerves fluctuate. 

The summer of 1986 had came with a series of lessons for Cynthia. Cheer camp all the way in San Fransisco, California gave her a new perspective on life. She felt the positivity flowing through her veins. To see Prince in concert for the second time was a rush. He was never her favorite but, she knew Don would love to hear every single detail of it, as it's been years since he's been in North Carolina. Her smile had grown wider and her hair grew longer. It was almost as if she could feel herself becoming a woman.

It soon became evident that others could see that she was becoming a woman.

The trip to South Carolina looked bad from the very beginning, starting with Javon and their mother's argument. After years of no longer living in the house with their mother, Javon began to feel entitled over Cynthia's decisions— being that he is, after all, the man in Big Mama's house. Big Mama expects him to play his role, the kind of role that his mother was not able to give him. Cynthia had grown used to running her decisions past her brother and fatherly figure. Even when one did not ask for his input, he'd throw it out just to do so. This was exactly what he did to anger his mother.

Cynthia flew in from San Fransisco and into North Carolina. Ananda's plans were to meet her at the airport and jet off directly to South Carolina. Javon didn't like the idea. He felt that the girl needed a break. She'd just flown across the country after weeks of cheering. She should at least be allowed to sleep in her own bed for a night or three before junping on a second aircraft. The knowing manner that he stared his opinion in had struck a chord sith his mother. Is she your daughter or are both of you my kids, were her words. He didn't like that. The quick response came flying out of his mouth without a second thought. Big Mama is more... He'd never gotten to finish the statement when his mother slapped him.

Well, you can't say he didn't deserve it.

The embarrassment and built hurt angered him even more. So, he uttered a few profane phrases and went on about his way. He went home. Ananda, seeing him as a challenge to her authority instead of her pained child, did not feel she had to chase him. The actions of her changed Cynthia's entire viewing of her mother. She couldn't believe it. The new tint to her mother's character bothered the whole time they visited family in South Carolina, but it only got worse from there.

Cynthia's cousin Ricky, whom of which shares her blood, developed a special kind of liking to her in a very short time. Hearts filled his eyes at the thought of her. Because his mother was Cynthia's great-aunt, he figured enough distance had been delivered for him to rightfully claim her as his own person of interest. However, in North Carolina, second cousins count! Ricky, four years older than Cynthia, found himself making up a great effort to get her attention. As she fed into the trap, believing that she was simply his favorite cousin, his want for her sexual attention came next.

It started with the simple things. He'd hold her hand during prayer, he'd sit by her on the couch, he'd find himself sleeping next to her when everyone slept on the floor. It was not until a particular foggy night that Ricky had gotten complete out of line.