I leaned over the table and grabbed the pile of napkins to clean my new mustard yellow knee length dress that I’m sure was ruined. My focus was on my dress, so I didn’t notice Faith approaching me until her hand whipped towards my face. I released the napkins and caught her hand mid-swing, pulling her arm across her body. Faith’s momentum knocked her off balance, and she stumbled while I squeezed her hand until she squealed. Realizing all eyes were on us, including her handsome son, I released Faith and stormed off.
Entering the church, I maneuvered through the dark like it was second nature. I spent so much of my life in that church that I could make it from end to end in the dark.
“Elise!” My father seethed, storming into the church behind me, his cane clacking along the way.
The lights flickered on, and I spun around to face them. My father lurched forward, his angry strides landing stiff and furious.
“Slow down, Peter,” my mother urged him from behind. Then her eyes landed on me. “What has gotten into you?” My mother added.
“Faith tried to slap me. Honestly, she should be banned from this church. Every time we cross paths, Faith starts with me. I try to keep it cordial but…”
“There ain’t no buts!” My father raged, ceasing my rant. I lifted my chin and adjusted my posture despite the scolding. He shifted most of his weight to his good leg, clearly exhausted from the swift hobbling he did on his new knee and cane. “You are my daughter. You are just as much the face of the church as me and your mother! Yet you’re out there acting like you were raised to street fight! How do you think that makes us look? How does that make the church look?”
“Speaking of how the church looks, I saw pictures of you at Victoria’s celebration event with Essex and his wife last week. You were practically naked! Then this morning, I saw a picture of you dressed up for Halloween last year. You had the nerve to dress up as a witch.” My mother complained, folding her arms across her chest. Clearly, that criticism was burning her up all day. At least it explained her dry greeting when I first arrived.
“I was not practically naked. I had on overalls and a bandeau top. The most you could see were my arms, upper shoulders, and maybe my sides. There was no cleavage. I made sure I bought my top a size up and had it altered to ensure I was completely covered,” I argued.
“You’re assaulting people in the parking lot…”
“I was protecting myself,” I fumed. “What was I supposed to do? Let Faith assault me?”
“You sure weren’t supposed to use the wrestling skills you learned during the time you snuck and joined a team against our wishes. That type of behavior is exactly why we didn’t want you in wrestling. Now you’re coaching a wrestling team and showing aggression in front of the entire town,” my father badgered.
“Then you left that great Christian school you were working at for a school that doesn’t include any mention of God, so you can coach a wrestling team. This is like your freshman year of college all over again. Have you backslid with Rashawn, too?” My mother taunted, placing her hands on her hips. My face must’ve given me away because her hands flew to her pearls, and she clutched them tightly. “Are you seeing him again? Is that what has gotten into you?” She accused.
My mother struck a nerve. It was true, I had backslid and was seeing Rashawn in secret again, but he had nothing to do with my actions.
“Have you forgotten the consequences of your actions the last time you went down the path of lust and sin with him?”My father inquired, striking another nerve that caused tears to blur my vision. Memories that I fought hard to suppress resurfaced, and suddenly I was struggling to breathe. Walking past my parents, I frantically fanned my face, heading for the door. I needed fresh air. My chest and throat tightened, my body overheated, and my breathing turned shallow.
“She’s running away because she’s seeing himagain.” My mother panicked, waving her finger at me.
I was in the midst of a meltdown, and my parents couldn’t care less. When I slipped into the October air, the kids singing, screaming, and laughing were no longer joyous. It was taunting me. Sprinting to my truck, I pulled my key fob out of my sweater pocket and unlocked the doors. Tears clouded my vision, and I’m sure many eyes were on me, but I was too emotional to care. In the privacy of my truck, I belted a heart-wrenching scream.
CHAPTER TWO
Rashawn Kentrel Williams
Ipulled into the parking lot in the back of the school to pick up Nash’s bad ass. Over the years Essex and Nariyah would ask me to pick Nash up here and there but all of that stopped in August when Elise started working at the school. If they couldn’t grab Nash, Elise would take him home since she was already there. With Elise, Essex, and Nariyah busy, I was left to grab Nash on Halloween.
While I waited in the truck, I pulled my phone out to text Elise.
Me: I’m thinking about you beautiful. I can’t wait for the next holiday season so we can celebrate the holidays together. I understand you didn’t grow up celebrating Halloween and I don’t mind hitting up the Fall Festival at my mom’s church. It don’t matter to me, as long as I’m with you.
I made sure to slip in my mom’s church because even Elise’s pretty smile couldn’t convince me to slide through her pop’s church.
After sending the text I looked up and still didn’t see Nash approaching my whip. Whatever the hell he was doing after school had to be over because cars were pulling out of the parking lot and it was practically empty. My head swiveled around, searching for his peanut head ass. He was posted up bumping his gums with a group of kids. I blew the horn while rolling my window down. “Nash, brang yo ass on!” I shouted. He turned around and smirked at me before dapping up his boys and jogging to my whip.
“Why are you here?” He questioned, climbing into the passenger seat.
“Damn, you wanna walk? I’ll toss yo lil ass out and go ‘bout my business.”
“Nah, man, stop playing,” he chuckled, showing off all his teeth as I pulled out of the parking lot.
“I’m just saying. I know where my TT is but where is my mom and dad? Or my Grammy? Anybody? The last time yo cry baby ass picked me up from school you was complaining about me drinking Capri Suns like I’m not a growing boy. I’m not trying to hear that again,” he complained.
“Yo overgrown ass came over and drank a whole ten pack in two hours. How tall are you?”
“Five-eleven. I’mma be calling you and dad my lil niggas in a minute when I pass y’all in height,” he bragged, rubbing the top of my head. I swatted his hand away.
