Page 41 of Halo: Tales Of A Hitman

Now, she had me confused with some other man she was used to talking crazy to. “Quit calling me a liar Story.”

“Then stop being a liar and tell me the damn truth!”

“I did!”

This time she finally stopped challenging and calmed down, “How? How can…how?”

I wanted to put my shit on and leave, I needed to put my shit on and leave. Instead, I stood there and finished spilling more of the real me out to her.

“When I was ten years old, teacher, Ms. Toll, and I had this thing going on. I never asked for anything like that to happen. But it did and it changed me. Wednesday and Thursdays would be the days we had our special time, as she called it.

Everything that I loved and cared about did not matter to me anymore. The kid that I was, carefree and fun, that kid was gone. I now had this secret that I couldn’t tell because Hercules would never tell on his Megara. That was what she called me, her Hercules because she looked like Megara. I was confused because my parents talked to me and my brothers about anyone touching on us.

How we should tell them immediately and never allow it. Yet, I willingly kept going in that classroom on those two days. I hated that I took comfort in it and held on to it because I felt I had nothing else.

I messed up and couldn’t tell anyone about it. It happened two months after my parents died. Guilt drowned me more because I knew now, they knew what I was doing. I became numb until the end of February. I got to school and an announcement was made.

Ms. Toll was no longer teaching at the school. All that we were told is she moved out of the country for a family emergency. You would think I would have been happy, the chains were broken. I’d never smell Burberry Britt and cigarettes again.

Shit, I left that part out. Ms. Toll used to open the window because she’d smoke a cigarette when we were done and her perfume she would spray was called Burberry Britt. Those two scents haunted me and still do. When she up and left like I said I should have been glad.

But I got depressed and felt abandoned. My parents died, I never said goodbye and now Ms. Toll was gone and never said goodbye. How fucked up is that, for me to be sad that she just vanished.” I had no idea that tears were falling from my eyes until they hit my chest. But I had never said any of this out loud to anyone. I never even wrote it all down.

My emotions pulled me back to the present because I spaced out as I talked about this awful memory. Immediately, I wiped my face and pulled myself together.

“I’m done with this shit and I gotta go.” I turned to put my shoes and shirt on.

Story ran over and stopped me. “No, Halo, please don’t go---

I snatched away from her and for the first time since I opened up, I looked at her face. She had tears back in her eyes which made me even more ready to go.

“Naw, it’s all just too fucking much. We don’t know each other and here we are yelling. I poured all this shit on you. Got’chu crying…Just move Story.” She stood in my way and wouldn’t budge.

“So, what if we just met, who cares about time. Stop Halo!” This feisty ass woman took my shoes and threw them across the room. “Can I have a hug?”

I looked at her like she was crazy, but she looked at me like I better give her one like she gave me one. When I pulled her to me my arms locked around her waist and hers locked around my neck.

“Don’t leave Halo, please don’t. It doesn’t matter that we both turned up on each other. It just means we are enthusiastic and a little crazy.”

We both laughed at the same time.

“You should not feel guilty at all Halo. You were a child, innocent and that bitch violated you in more ways than once. Your mixed emotions and confusion were normal. You’re not fucked up at all. You were and are a victim Halo. But please do not let it define you as a person. Don’t let this continue to weigh you down.” Story talked to me while we still hugged.

I was listening to every word she said but my face was buried in her neck and hair. Her scent just swallowed me whole, and I couldn’t believe how safe I felt with her.

“Thank you for that, I still apologize for telling you all of this. You just weren’t about to keep calling me no liar. Nobody knows this about me so don’t---

“I would never Halo. Never, to anyone, no matter what happens between us.”

I never doubted that she was lying for one second. We finally broke apart then sat back on her bed. The tears were dried up, and I felt a lot if not all the bad tension left the room.

“Do you mind if I ask you something?” Story was sitting close to me on her knees on the side of me.

My back was against her headboard again. “Gone ahead.”

Her voice came out so soft, like she was terrified of her own question. “You said you were a virgin so obviously that means she didn’t…you know. What is it she had you do? If you do not want to answer, then you do not have to.”

“Naw boo, you good. Uh, she had me lick between her legs every time. Then sometimes she would do the same to me. That was it, no kissing, or any other touching.”