Over Him... (Sort Of)

66.

JADA POV

Chris was talking but I didn't hear one word. My mind was focused on Paula and why she was doing all of this. We were at the table eating well Chris was. My mind was too busy to even pick up the fork and put the food in my mouth.

"Jada?... hello" he said.

Turning my head slowly and looking at him "what?".

"Are you hungry? Cause the food is still in the plate" he asked.

Realizing I haven't eaten anything "oh".

"Are you still into losing the baby weight? Cause I already told you the extra ten pounds looks good on you. It fills you out nicely" he said.

Pushing the plate away from me "I'm not hungry".

"I was joking. You need to eat" he said.

"I don't have an appetite at the moment" I said.   Getting up from the table I took Gianna's food cause she was done. Picking her up I took her into her room to just chill. I just needed to be alone for a while.

Letting my mind wonder...

Watching my mom swing from side to side. I felt like time stood still. Everything felt as if it was going slowly. I didn't even feel hands gripping me and covering my eyes.  Moving me out the way.

Not even hearing the sirens. Nothing.

Still focusing on my mom. Seeing the police cover the area. When they got her down and covered her with a sheet. I blinked for the first time.

"Oh... jada are you okay?" Paula asked trying to shake me to answer. Turning my head I saw her brother smirking but staring at the scene.

"Jada!! Answer me!" She said".

Chasity came running over "maybe if I slap her she'll snap out of it". Glaring at her before she even tries it "see that always works!".

"Yo, I can't believe your mom!" Paula said.

Blinking a few times. I wanted to speak but I couldn't. My dad came racing out of his car. He was waving his arms around and looking frantic.

He came running over to me picking me up and putting me in his car. He drove us to his mothers house.

"Jada? Honey are you okay?" He asked.

All I could do is blink. My voice is gone. For weeks I had no voice. Never could explain that.  Not sure if it was shock.

When I returned home. The neighborhood was eerily quiet. But I saw the cops pull up to Paula's home. Still no voice I just watched. Again slow motion. They handcuffed her brother. Paula came out crying running after them. Blinking slowly... her brother saw me and smirked. He blew me a kiss before going into the car.

My dad pushed me inside.

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When I was clear to go back to school. Most of the kids were sympathetic for me. Same goes for the teachers.

Now Paula and I had our own friends. Chasity went to different school.  Sitting at lunch my friends were talking.

"Did you guys here that Paula's brother got arrested?!" One said.

"What? For what?" Another asked.

The one who said it shrugged "that whole family is weird".

"But wait? He was in school today. So maybe he did something stupid?" another said.

"Jada I feel for you. Cause she's your friend. If I were you I would leave that alone" one said.

Changing the subject cause Paula wasn't sitting too far from us with her rowdy bunch.

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"Damn these dresses are so cute and expensive" Chasity said.

We all went to the dress store to get our prom dresses. "Aww look at this one!" I said.

Paula shook her head "not cute".

"Look how about we pick the dresses we want and try them on and we can rate it?" I suggested.

We all went looking around. Once we picked a few dresses we went to try them on. Paula and I were sharing a dressing room since it was roomy.

"Paula can you help me zip this up?" I asked.

Feeling her trying to zip up the dress I also felt her fingers tracing down my bare back "what are you doing?".

She jumped "zipping up the dress?".

Feeling uncomfortable I moved away from her and went to look at myself in the mirror.

"This is the dress!" I smiled.

Paula sucked her teeth "it'll look better on me. Only because my boobs are bigger".

Turning to her "Luckily i found it first". She walked up behind me and I felt her smell me. Pushing her back "Paula what the fuck is wrong with you?".

She smiled "what you smell good?".

"You need to chill out with the weirdo shit" I warned. She nodded and walked out the dressing room with her dressed.

It was there all along. How come I didn't see it when it was there?. Gianna came crawling to me and grabbing onto my shirt. That brought me out of my thoughts.

Chris cleared his throat "you okay?". He walked in picking Gianna up and tickling her.

"Yeah... just had a moment of memories that somewhat showed me the person Paula has always been" I said.

He nodded "sometimes when we are going through things our mind protects us... by not letting us see the true nature of someone. When the mind thinks we are ready to handle that information then it slowly reveal things".

"Chris I must say and don't take this to any offense but you are an intelligent person" I said.

He looked at Gianna "mommy thinks daddy is stupid. How rude!".

"You know what I mean" I said.

"I'm smarter than you realize... and wise" he said.