CORINNE DIDN'T HAVE A BAD LIFE. She could easily rank the top five worst days of her life because she didn't have bad days. She was privileged like that. No matter what Nicole, Coriah, and her grandmother always made sure she was straight.
She never had to worry about where her next meal was coming from, whether or not their utilities and rent would be paid, she never worried about people talking about her because of her clothes because she had the best of the best.
Her lifestyle humbled her because everybody ain't have it easy as she did. So she always participated in school donations, anything she could to give back to the community. She would handout out of the blue compliments to random boys and girls because you never know what somebody going through. So she didn't understand why the boy that was hers had to be a criminal going to jail
"Look I know you don't like answering unknown numbers and shit but tonight I'mma need you too." He says completely changing to the topic of conversation.
"What?" She asks.
"I can't text you or anything and tell you it's me. You just gotta answer." He continues to explain. Corinne's heart drops when she realizes what was happening.
"Now?" She asks.
"Yeah, they at the door." He says, looking at her through the phone. "Look you gone be straight. Anything you need, gang got you." He gives her the same spiel he had given his grandmothers, mother, and sister.
"Everybody know it's up over you." He continues. "What you need me to do? While you...away?"
"Let my momma know for me." He tells her. "Okay, what's her number?" She asks. He starts listing the number off the top and as he finishes, there was a knock. "I'mma call her in a minute" She whispers, wiping away tears before they fell.
"You know Ion like you crying over me." He says. "I'mma miss you." She forces a smile.
"They can't keep me away from you for too long." He attempts to comfort her. "I know." She nods wiping her eyes again.
"I love you, mama." He tells her. "I love you too, stink." She says before he hangs up. She wipes her eyes trying to get herself together before she went to ask her teacher if she could step out to make a call.
"What do you need, milky way?" Dr. Ramsey asks when she walks up to his desk. He had nicknames for every student in his class. Since Corinne's last name was Solis, it was too close to Solar which was Solar System not to call her "milky way".
"Can I step out to make a call?" She softly questions making him look up at her.
"What's wrong?" Her eyes and nose were red. "A lot but I'mma be okay." She says. "Well as I say, the best work is produced from pain which is why I'm recommending you for the Global Pre-Med Scholarship. I know you've already submitted your application for the National Honor Society but this is exactly the type of thing that will set your resume ahead of others. You want to go to Hopkins right?" He tells her. He already had intentions of telling her after class but he figured she needed the pick me up.
She slowly nods her head. "Northwestern is better. I'm biased but it is. Now I know you'll excel anywhere. You transferred during your most important school year and you're doing great on making lasting impressions with your teachers. So I'm asking you to fill out the application. I've already written my recommendation letter for you and I gave Mr. P and Ms. Martin a heads up that you will be asking for ones from them." He attempts to cheer her up.
Just telling her he already had her recommendations letter was all she needed to agree. She would hate to have wasted his time. "I'll fill out the application, Dr. Ramsey." She says.
"Great, now. Go make your phone call." He tells her. She steps outside sitting down on the bench slightly disappointed that she couldn't tell Demon about the new opportunity that she was presented but she dialed the number slightly distracted.
They had a co-dependency on each other, Demon found himself talking to her about his pain and problems, just as much as she did hers.
"Corinne, sweetie. How have you been?" Her grandmother's former nurse speaks. "I've been okay. How about you?" Corinne asks, thinking she dialed the wrong number.
"Not my best...but we take it one day at a time," De'Anna says. "I'll have to try that," Corinne mutters, realizing she didn't make a mistake. "Did you need something?" De'Anna asks softly.
"I didn't know Adonis was your son."
"So you're Cece." The smile on De'Anna's face got bigger. "Yeah," Corinne tells her, awkwardly. "Whew...now I can stop worry about who this girl that got him so in love is." She says. "He talked to you about me?" Corinne asks. "All the damn time. So they arrested him?"
"Yeah...like five minutes ago." Corinne solemnly informs her.
"Have you cried yet?" De'Anna asks.
"A little." She mutters.
"He had me thinking you were gonna be an emotional wreck," De'Anna says. "Well I'm at school right now and I have work later but I will most definitely be a wreck as soon as my day over," Corinne tells her. "How about you call me tonight and we can talk longer cause I know you gotta get back to class at some point," De'Anna says.
"Yeah, I can talk to you while I'm at work. I can't sit with my thoughts for too long." Corinne informs her.
"Okay, and after that, we can talk about you stopping by the hospital. I know some of the other nurses would love to see you." She says.
"I'm not exactly the biggest fan of UIC."
"Well we are having a holiday mixer at this Santa Baby and my daughter doesn't want to come. I would be happy to have you as my plus one."
"That sounds great." Corinne finds herself smiling. "Good, we can talk details later. Now you can call me if you need anything. I'm used to that boy getting himself in some shit...you just getting started."
"It's always something with him, ain't it?" Corinne asks making De'Anna laugh. "Always." She nods despite it being invisible to Corinne. "I'll call you later then."
"I'll talk to you later sweetie," De'Anna tells her before letting her hang up. She didn't mind Corinne being a part of her family one bit.
$ $ $
"Y'all good?" Corinne asks, closing her locker. Her three friends continue to look at her with sad faces when she turns around.
"We gotta tell you some, pooh." Paris starts.
"Okay, tell me." She says. "It's about- I can't do it." Five exclaims, walking away. "What happened?" She asks. "The feds got D this morning. Tadoe just told us in fourth. We ain't know how to tell you." Meech tells her.
"Do you want a hug?" Paris asks.
"I'm good. Do you want a hug?" Corinne asks Five. "You being all strong." Five says, coming back over letting her hug him.
"I already knew and I don't need people in my business." She tells him.
"What you mean you already knew?" Meech asks.
"I always talk to him during the second period and that's when it happened." She says. "And you ain't tell us?" Five asks. "He wanted me to tell his momma." She tells them. "How that go?"
"It was for me cause she taking it just fine," Corinne tells them as the bell rings. "I'll see y'all in Spanish." She adds before walking down two doors to go into her class. "You never make it to my class before the bell rings." Mr. Johnson tells her.
"I'm sorry." Corinne apologizes to him sitting down next to one of her classmates. "One of these days, I'm going to make you get a tardy pass." He says.
"You would? Mr. Johnson, that hurt my feelings." She tells him. "Yeah, yeah. Just pay attention."
$ $ $
"Look, kid. This is a really good deal, especially with your charges. You should take it." The agent tries to convince Demon to just take the plea after spending hours asking questions only to get blank stares in response.
The door soon bursts open. "Gwendolyn Parker. I'm Mr. Dragić's attorney. I would like to know what he's being charged with and a copy of the case file." The black woman starts immediately.
Gwendolyn was his godmother. She was his mother's best friend growing up. While De'Anna chose to follow love and the streets, Gwen went to Stanford before law school. Now she was one of the best criminal defense lawyers in Illinois.
"Right away, Ms. Parker." The agent says, keeping his composure until he walked into the room.
"I want to talk to my client in a conference room. He is not under interrogation right now." She says, knowing he was supposed to sit in the room with the two-way glass and metal chairs.
"Right away, Ms. Parker." A guard says walking into the room to walk Demon to a conference room that they used for preliminary hearings with witnesses. "What the hell did you do?" She asks, as soon as they were alone.
"Nothing." He shrugs.
"Tell me what I'm dealing with Adonis, or so help me God. I will whoop yo ass. You not too old." She tells him. "I ain't do none." He repeats as someone knocks on the door. "Here is your copy case file and the arrest warrant." An agent says.
"Thank you." She fake smiles before closing the door and sitting down. "Bubba, did you or did you not commit these three murders?" She asks. "No." He answers before muttering "...not all three."
"You want the usual..." She starts making him nod. The usual was to get a speedy trial. The niggas on the block couldn't do anything better but kill and if all the witnesses ended up dead with a trial date right around the corner. They wouldn't be able to hold their case.
Demon knew that they were relying on those five lying ass people but he would need a preliminary hearing or get his hands on the names and that was all he would need to start the mission.
"One of these days, Vic not gone be able to afford me."
♥︎♥︎♥︎
a/n: It's her family still being in the process of suing the hospital and them still loving Corinne for me. so...next chapter it's gone be a time jump but it's not a big time jump though..