Rage & Redemption (A Khalil Payne/ Black Lightning FF)

14) Someone I Can Trust

"Adeya, any clue why mom and dad have been acting weird?" Jeniffer asks. I shrug. "No clue. And every time I try to ask them what happened, they just keep giving me excuses. Like oh we'll tell you later. Or oh now isn't the time to discuss it. Like do you get the feeling that they're afraid...of me?" I ask in a whisper.

Jennifer was silent and I take that as my answer. I begin to leave the room but she stops me. "Hey, if it means anything. I'm not afraid of you." She hugs me from behind and I sigh and turn. I lean on her and hug her. "Thanks Jen. That means a lot to me right now. I mean it." We both hear my phone vibrate and on the screen it shows Khalil had texted me.

"Really, Adeya? Khalil?"

"Shh! You don't have to be so loud damn." I retort. "Khalil attacked the school-"

"I'm pretty sure someone forced him to, Jen."

"Oh so you're sticking up for him?" She says defensively. "No, I'm not. Look I'm going for a run."

"No, we're going to talk about this. Now when did he start texting you?" I roll my eyes. "Last I checked we were the same age, but since you want to act like my damn mother, he started texting me a while ago."

"Have you texted him back?" She asks. "That's none of your business." She throws her hands up. "You're something else. Khalil is dangerous."

"Khalil is this, Khalil is that. I'm getting really tired of that record. Now move before I hurt you." I bump my shoulder against her and walk back to my room.

Not a whole three minutes pass when I hear a knock. "What Jen!" I yell. Dad opens the door and I feel embarrassed. "Sorry, dad."

"Are you and Jennifer okay?" He asks. "Yeah, we just had a little disagreement. But what's up?" Dad hands me my book bag and I look at it. "Um?"

"You're coming to school. Not to be a student but I want to ease you back into this. So you'll be in class with me."

"Class? Since when did you become a tea..." He gives me a sad smile and I stand up. "Because Black Lightning and Lotus was there at the school when it needed help, but not Jefferson Pierce, the board decided to demote me."

"But Garfield isn't Garfield without you being the principle. That's not fair."

"I know but theses are the cards that were dealt to me. We leave in a half an hour." As he leaves the room, I feel my fists are balled up. "They're going to regret taking that position from him."

••••

I was sitting in the back of an empty class when I hear noise in the hall. I get up to check and see dad running down the hall from the teachers lounge.

I was about to follow but he looks back and tells me to stay put. I watch him break up the fight and as he talks to the boys, I see some white guy with a snotty looking attitude written across his face, walking down the hall with a security guard.

I try to listen in but from the look on the two students and dads face, I can tell whatever the guy said, wasn't good.

Dad follows the guy and I know what he said to me but I follow as well. He closes the door behind him but that doesn't stop the harsh whispers being heard through the door.