I stood in the corridor, numb and exhausted, waiting for my belongings to be returned. "Do you know who bailed me out?" I asked curiously.
"No clue, but there's a car outside waiting on you," the woman behind the counter answered. She nodded to the door setting my phone and wallet in front of me.
It was a black SUV. I didn't know the make or model, but it was nice. I thanked the woman, collected my belongings, and made my way out. The passenger window slid down as I approached.
A middle-aged Hispanic man was driving. He had on a button-down shirt and a dignified aura surrounded him. "Daniel?"
"Yeah?" I shot back in confusion "Do I know you?"
"Somebody ordered an Uber for you, I'm here to take you home," he responded. His tone was suspicious. Not in a malicious way, but it had a hint of empathy. Like he knew the situation I was in. "Come on man, let's get going."
Without any protest, I climbed into the back seat. The ride was silent and awkward. The driver didn't utter a word or bother turning on the radio. Every once in a while I would catch him glancing at me through the mirror. For some reason it was comforting. You'd think that he'd be nervous picking up a big black man from jail, but there was compassion in his eyes. A stark contrast from the people I'd dealt with for the past two days.
We pulled up to my apartment complex and everything seemed back to normal. I stepped out of the car giving the driver a nod, then made my way up the stairs.
I had a strange feeling in my gut as soon as I turned the lock. The door swung open and I was greeted by a pile of stuffed trash bags.
"The hell?" Crouching down, I scrambled through them to find a collection of my belongings. Why was all of my shit in trash bags? "Michelle!"
When I hadn't gotten a response, I started storming through the apartment. Is this why she hadn't answered my calls?
"Michelle!"
Finally, I made it to the bedroom, and my heart sank. Sy'eer was curled up under the sheets fast asleep like he lived there. A million thoughts ran through my mind. Before I could even process them, I found myself on top of him sending blows to his face and body.
It wasn't long until I heard a scream from behind me. "Get off of him," Michelle shouted helplessly.
Two pairs of dainty hands grabbed hold of my arms and shirt, desperately pulling me away. He slid onto the floor coughing and gasping in a panic.
"What are you doing!?" Michelle shouted angrily, putting herself between us. That's when I noticed Celine trying to force me out of the room.
"What am I doing? What the hell are you doing?" I shot back, snatching out of Celine's grasp. "You got my shit in trash bags, this nigga in our bed!"
"In my bed! My bed that I paid for," Michelle retorted, tending to Sy'eer.
He gasped for air, sitting up. "It's not what it looks like Danny."
"Don't explain yourself to this criminal," Celine chimed in.
"Criminal?"
"Yeah, Criminal! You're all over the news Mr. Celebrity. Everybody knows your broke ass was stealing from the bank! A job that he helped you get by the way!"
"Y'all really believe that shit? You know me better than that," I said looking at Michelle. She clung to Sy, avoiding my glare. That sight alone left an uneasy feeling in my chest. "I didn't do it."
"You didn't even have the decency to put that money to use. Michelle has been paying all the bills, cleaning up your shit while you're out here living your bank heist fantasy," Celine scolded.
"Hey, can you shut the fuck up," I spat at her irritably.
"You shut the fuck up"
"Hey," Michelle interrupted. "Daniel, you have to go."
"Chelle..."
"Leave now, please," she begged.
I turned my attention to Sy'eer, who had finally caught his breath. I clenched my jaw gritting through my teeth, "This is how you do me?"
He couldn't even look me in the eyes.
"Get your shit before I call the police. You don't need another charge on your hands," Celine said in a snarky voice.
I brushed past her roughly and collected my things. I didn't have much, just my clothes and my gaming system. Two trash bags; that's all I was left with.
I checked my bank account when I got outside. I had just over $200 to my name. Maybe enough for an Uber and two nights at a hotel. I could feel tears starting to fill the brim of my eyes but they didn't dare to fall.
During the ride to the hotel, I concluded there was nothing I could do. I couldn't afford a good lawyer, I had no place to stay and now I had nobody to support me. The best solution now was to plead guilty and do the time. Considering I didn't have the money to return, I'd probably get a harsher sentence.
I'll never forget the way the receptionist looked at me. I'd gotten used to the look of disapproval and disgust, but this was even more discouraging. It could've been my imagination but with my name being blown up in the media right now I felt shamed.
She turned her nose up at me as she grumbled, "We don't take cash here."
I chuckled bitterly, taking out my debit card. "I'm paying with a card, miss," I muttered.
I couldn't get up to the room quickly enough. I could only afford to stay for two nights, so I needed to speak to my attorney immediately.
He seemed ecstatic when I brought up the plea deal. However, his mood quickly dropped when I revealed I didn't have any money to return to them.
"Shame. I'll talk to them and see what I can do," he sighed. "I'm glad you came to your senses."
Thank you for reading.
Please remember to vote/comment