Chapter Nine.
I don't own the lyrics in this chapter.
*Naomi's POV*
I turn off the water faucet, smiling. I finally called the police and Kevin was arrested for what he did to me. They are going to be keeping a close watch on Melanie, Margret, Leroy and I just in case Kevin set something up. I slide on the navy blue dress with a white shawl on top. I'd invited Leroy a few days back, to my church. I glance at the clock. 8:30. Realizing I have to hurry, I slip on my blue high heeled shoes, some earrings, and then head out the door. I run to my garage and smile slightly. I hadn't used my car in a very long time, I'd been on foot for awhile. I needed to save gas because I didn't have money like that. Margret is already helping me with the house, I can barely afford to live in that house. I start the car and drive away. I get a text while I'm driving, but don't take a look until I stop at a traffic light. A text from Leroy. "Hi Naomi! I'm here! I'll be saving you a spot. :) God Bless.-Leroy at 8:41am" I smile quickly putting the phone away and driving again.
When I get to church, it is extremely packed. More packed than it usually is. I glance at the podium where Pastor Locks is sitting. He smiles and waves at me, and I do the same. I scan the room to see if I can find Leroy, but he is no where to be found. Did he leave? I think to myself. I slowly walk farther in the church, to get a better look. Nope. No Leroy anywhere. I turn to a nearby seat and sit, hoping Leroy would show up soon. When he finally does, he looks so handsome. He has on a gray suit, white shirt underneath and a red tie. I smile at him, scooting over so he could sit down. "Sorry, I had to go use the bathroom." He whispers in my ear, causing me to shiver. "It's..It's fine!" I say, smiling. "You look beautiful." He says. I blush and nod. "Thank you, you do too." He looks at me. "I look beautiful? I wasn't really going for that." He says, chuckling a bit. I laugh. "Well, not beautiful. But you look..handsome! Yes handsome!" Why am I so nervous? He smiles and nods. "Thank you, Naomi." I was about to say something when one of the worship leaders spoke into the microphone. "Alright, we will start off the service with prayer as always." After the worship leader prays, we all begin to worship. The worship leaders begin to sing Holy by Jesus Culture. In only a few minutes, we all begin to get lost in worship. "Just one look on Your face. Just one glance of Your eyes. My whole world has changed. My whole world is changed. Oh I seek, only to see Your face. I don't wanna go anywhere, without You God, without Your presence" We all sing, praising the Lord. "The beauty of your Holiness God. Take me in to the holy place. And only one word comes to mine, there's only one word to describe. Holy, Holy. Lord God Almighty." We stand there, singing, worshipping. I can feel God's presence in this place, and I begin to smile. Worship is a very beautiful thing. After the worship leaders stop singing, the entire church is silently praising and worshipping God. Hands are lifted high, some people are on the ground worshipping. After worship, Pastor Locks stands next to the pulpit. He lifts his hands and thanks the Lord. "God Bless you all." He says. "God Bless." We say. The pastor begins preaching about sex before marriage and how it isn't right. Some people squirm uncomfortably at the subject, others just pause. After he's done preaching, he prays us out, and church is over. Church was definitely something I needed. I was so happy and was very sad that it was over so soon. Leroy walks over to me and smiles. "I really like your church, and I think I would like to come some more." I smile. "That's great! I'm really happy." He grins. "So would you like to hang out today?" I think about this for a moment. I'd love to hang out with him, but maybe it's to early. I shake my head. "I don't think that's a good idea." I say. He frowns. "If you don't mind me asking, why do you say that?" I frown. I didn't really have a reason for saying this. Maybe because I'm scared that I'll get close to Leroy and he'll hurt me like Kevin did? No, no. I know he wouldn't hurt me, not like Kevin did. What if I did end up liking Leroy? That would certainly be a bad thing. He wouldn't like me back, anyway. I'm sure he's not looking for a girl like me, I am troubled. I would like to spend time with him though, he's a nice boy. I feel..complete around him. If I end up liking him, that's my own problem. "Never mind that, Leroy. I'd love to hang out with you." He looks at me for a moment. "Are you sure?" I nod. "I am. Where do you want to go?" He stands there for a moment and then smiles. "Do you know that field over by the walk way? On South street? Daisy's Field, I think they call it." I nod. "Yes!!" He nods. "Wanna go there? We could have a picnic." I blush. "That would be perfect."
After we left the church, we stopped at my house so I could drop my car off, and then got in his car. When we got to the Daisy's Field, I was in awe. There were so many pretty daisy's, everywhere. Daisy's had always been my mother's favorite, and mines too. I hopped out of the car and began walking around. There wasn't any others around today, which was odd because this place was usually packed twenty four seven. I wonder if my mother ever came here, it'd been around for quite a long time. I glance at Leroy who's getting the food out that we picked up on the way. I turn away and suddenly, I'm running. As I run by, the Daisy's get taller. I stretch out my arms letting the daisy's brush my arms. This brings back a memory from when I was six. I remember walking in a field of flowers with my mom, only this wasn't in North Carolina. She was holding my hand and smiling at me. "You like the flowers, Naomi?" She had said. I nodded eagerly. "Yes mommy! I love them! Can we plant flowers in our yard?" She smiled. "Of course, sweetie. How about we plant them on your seventh birthday? Would you like that?" I nodded again, smiling at her. "Naomi! Are you alright?" Leroy asks, breaking me away from the memory. I look at my position. I'm on the ground, hugging my knees. I must have stopped running when my mom popped in my head. I nod and force a smile. "Yes, just a lot on my mind." I say. He looks at me. "Do you want to talk about it?" I shake my head. "No, I'm fine. Let's eat." He stares at me for a moment and then offers his hand. I take it, shaking the dirt off of my dress. As we walk back, the tall daisy's begin to get smaller. I slightly frown; I had enjoyed the previous height I was in. We finally sit down, Leroy sits the basket down, opening it. He pulls out a large blue blanket and lays it out on the ground. I smile, scooting on to the soft blanket. He sets the basket on the blanket, pulling out four sandwiches, a pitcher of Lemonade, and Doritos. "Thanks, Leroy." I say. He nods. "You're welcome, Nay." Nay? I have a nickname now? I like it. I blush taking a bite of my sandwich. "So what made you come to North Carolina?" He asks. I take a sip of the lemonade and look at him. "My grandma. She brought me here after some issues in Florida. I came here when I was in the ninth grade. What about you?" He nods. "I came here to with my ex fiance. But she changed her mind. She didn't want to marry me, so now I'm just..here. I've considered leaving and going to live with my parents, but I don't know." My heart drops. Leroy? Leave? No. I don't want that at all. He's the only guy friend I've really ever had. "I don't think that's a good idea, you know. You should stay here in North Carolina. " I say, trying to change his mind. "Well, it's really something I have to think about." He says, raking his fingers through his hair. "So you said your grandma brought you here after some issues in Florida, what kind of issues?" I pause. Was I really ready to tell him about everything that happened in Florida? I never told anyone except Margret. Not even Kevin knew, what truly happened in Florida. It was such a painful and emotional topic. Memories of my mom begin to flood my mind, tears threatening to spill from my eyes. "Hey, hey!" Leroy says, getting closer to me. "I'm sorry, you don't have to tell me. I'm sorry, don't cry, Naomi." He pulls me in his arms, rocking me. I wipe my eyes and look at him. "You don't have to be sorry. It's just that, it's a very painful thing for me to talk about. I will tell you, one day though." He smiles. "Okay." I blush realizing I'm in his arms, my head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. This was such a comfortable position, and I was getting butterflies. I slowly moved out of his arms, sitting back in my spot and taking a bite of my sandwich. We eat in silence, for the most part. It's a good silence though. After Leroy finishes his sandwich, he looks at me, A very serious look. "Naomi, I have something very, very important to ask you." I drop the bag of Dorito's I'd just opened and look at him. Uh oh. "Yes?" I say, trying to seem calm. He looks at me for a long time and then finally says, "Do you, like..rubber..ducks?" I look at him, to see if he's serious. He smirks at my reaction. I start laughing and shaking my head. Must be trying to fill the silence I think to myself. I nod. "I do, I like them very much. Do you?" He nods. "Yes, I like them. My mother would always put knit me rubber ducky mittens in the winter when I was a kid." I smile. "That's awesome! Does she still knit?" He shakes his head. "No, my father didn't like her spending more time with yarn than him." He says, bitterly. I frown. "Your father has no right to tell her what to do. If she likes knitting, than she should be able to knit! I hate controlling people!" I say, anger rising in me. Leroy looks at me, startled. "I..I'm sorry. It's just that my father was a very controlling person when it came to my mom." He nods. "It's fine, I understand, you're right. You know, the only thing I wish my father could make my mom stop doing is smoking. I hate when she smokes, but, at least the baby will give her about a nine months break away from cigarettes." He say, raking his fingers through his hair. "Your mom's pregnant? What a blessing!" I say, smiling. He nods. "Yeah, it's very exciting. I just wish my mom could be happy about it." "Why can't she?" "My dad. He's angry about her being pregnant. He threatened to leave her if she doesn't get an abortion." My heart drops. "Lord have mercy! How can he do that to her?" I shake my head in disgust. He just shrugs. "I don't know. He did the same thing to her when he found out she was pregnant with me." I sigh. "I'm sorry Leroy." He shakes his head. "Don't be. We just have to pray. That's what I do." "Yes, pray." Leroy pulls out his phone and sighs. "What is it?" I say. "My mom, she's been in bed all day. When she finally got up, there was blood on her bed." I gasp. "Did she call a doctor?" He nods. "Yes, I need to get over there. Do you mind coming along?" I nod. "Of course." We rise up, throwing the trash from our food back into the basket. I fold the blanket while Leroy starts to the car. Following him, I trip on a rock and fall, hard. "Naomi! Are you okay!?" He says, pulling me into his arms. I nod. "I'm fine, I fall all the time." He laughs. "Stop being clumsy." I giggle. "I can't help it, I think I get it from my grandma." He smiles, we both get up and walk to the car. I get on the passenger side. The car ride is very quiet, and I can tell by the lines on Leroy's head, that he's stressing. When we finally get to his mother's house, I'm nervous. I don't know why, it's not like I'm his girlfriend or anything. I smile weakly at his mother's house. It's, cute. A large white house, with a blue door and a sign on the side that reads WE LOVE DOGS. Stepping out of the car, Leroy and I quickly walk to the front door. When we get in, a woman is sitting on a cream colored couch. Her red hair is tied in a bun, and she is smoking a cigarette. She smiles weakly at me and then looks at Leroy, frowning. "Mom! You promised!" He yelled, running and swiping the cigar from her hands. "I'm sorry, hun. It's just that I have a lot on me and-" "You're going to have to find another way to relieve stress mom!" "Like what? Leroy! You want me to drink? Is that what you want?" She replies coldly. He shakes his head. "How about pray, mom? How about praying instead of smoking every time you get stressed. You're going to kill yourself, and the baby!" He yells. She looks down. "I'll try, Leroy. I'm sorry." He nods. "It's okay, please stop with the cigarettes mom. Now, has the doctor made it yet?" She nods. "Yes, he says I'm fine. He doesn't know why I started bleeding, but if it happens again, I must go to emergency." "I think you should go now, mom." She shakes her head. "No Leroy. I will only if it happens again." "But mom! You don't even know why you started bleeding, you should go! You don't want to lose the baby!" She sighs. "Leroy, honey. I won't, I promise." "You can't make that promise if you don't even know what's going on, mom!" "Leroy, please. Stop." He sighs. "Fine, mom." She turns to me, who's been quiet the entire time. "Who's this?" She says, looking at me up and down. "This is my friend, Naomi." I smile walking up to her and offering my hand. "Nice to meet you." She says, shaking my now sweaty hand. A knock on the door makes me flinch and she chuckles. "Don't worry hun, we're safe." I nod, wiping sweat from my forehead. That's what's wrong. It's extremely hot in here. Leroy walks over to the door, pauses for a moment, and then opens it.
A man with gray hair comes in. I silently gasp at his face. There was a dark mark on his right cheek. I quickly turn away, looking at the cream colored floor. "Hello, who's this?" He says. "This is my friend, Naomi." Leroy says, coldly. I look up, ready to shake the man's hand but he gives me a cold look. "Well, why is she in my home?" He says, rudely. "She rode with me here, I asked her to. Is that a problem?" "Well you bringing random folks in my house, I guess it is!" "It's not only your house!" His mother cut. "I pay most of the bills, don't I?!" "Oh don't you start with me Darren!" "I should go." I say. "Leroy, take me home." Leroy nods. "Alright." He walks over to me but his mom grabs his arm. "Wait." She says. "Naomi, come with me." She rises up and walks into a room. I hesitate before going in, and then follow her. When I walk in, I smile. The walls are white and the floors are checkered blue. She's sitting on a stool, looking in the mirror. "I'm sorry, Naomi." She says. I nod. "It's fine, I just don't like arguments, ma'am." "Call me, Marylin." I smile. "Marylin, it's fine." "Look, you are welcome to come here, as much as you like. I like you already. Maybe we could do gardening in my backyard or something." Gardening? She likes me already? Does she think Leroy and I are dating? He didn't introduce me as his girlfriend, only his friend. I just smile. "That would be lovely." "Great. I need a friend." She says. Friend, another friend. "I do too." I say. "Well, ask Leroy for my number." I nod. "Definitely. Good-by, Marylin." "Good-by, Naomi." I slowly walk out of the room, wondering if it would be the baby's room. When I walk out, Leroy's father is no where to be found, but Leroy is standing next to the front door, frowning. The car ride back to my home, is silent. When we get to my home, I look at Leroy. "What's the matter?" He shakes his head. "I hate that you had to see my family like that." "It's fine, your mom likes me. I'm not so sure about your father, though." He chuckles. "It takes him a while to like people. I apologize for his rudeness." "It's alright. I had a nice time today." He nods. "Me too. Maybe we could hang out more?" I nod. "Of course! Oh! Your mom's number? I need it." He raises his eyebrow. "Okay then." He gives me the number. "Thanks," I say. He smiles. "You're already good friends with my mother, I see." I smile. "She's definitely a nice woman." "Yes, she is. I better get going. I'll see you soon." "Alright, Leroy. Bye." He drives away, and I frown. Although, there wasn't a reason for me to. I knew after that day, we would be spending a lot more time together.
Picture of Leroy's mother on the side!
Dedicated to Kirsty97 because she's a very nice and supportive person and she's a very good writer! :]