Bad Gal

Chapter 1: In the beginning ..

Reader beware!!

To give a better understanding and to make the book all the more interesting..... There will be multiple perspective switches from time to time to tell a different side of the story or to give it I the perspective it was meant to be in.

I

In the depths of night she laid in her bed awaiting the sound of her fathers keys turning in the lock. Two hours after midnight, still he had not yet arrived home. But this wouldn't be the first time he came home late, in fact this happens every night. He would stumble in around three-thirty never letting Laila see how tired and beat down he was after a full fourteen hours of work. Sometimes he'd quickly grab whatever was quick to eat and head to bed other nights he'd just crash on the couch. Unable to sleep until she was sure her father was home, Laila pulled out her notebook from under her pillow. Besides her best friend Drake, her journal held her life story. Everything from her first memories to now. She needed a new one, the one she had was beginning to rip and besides it had already lost its firm state.

I wait in the dark and the silence of the night while the shadows of cars move across my walls in the dimness of the street lights. Hours upon hours, sometimes days upon days. I wait up to make sure you got home safe. 1:30 2:30 3:30 4? Finally I hear the knob turning on the door. You stumbling in heading straight for the couch, worn out and beat down, bone aching and muscles jelly. But you wouldn't back down, naw you'd neva quit until your baby girl is out of the hood and into something good. You'd work your self to death sometimes you wouldn't eat. All because you don't want her to be a victim in these streets. So you bend ova backwards and you bust your butt to make ends meet and to show that you'll neva give up. Make that money , long as you can. You wont be able to foreva. And here I am 2 a.m waiting for you to come home.

She closed her book and shoved it under her pillow as she finally heard the knob begin to twist on the door. She listened to the door fling open and close and the sound of her fathers work boots trod across the floor. She heard his usual grunt before he collapses on the couch and taps out for the night. When he wakes up the next morning she'd be gone for school and by the time she'd return home, he'd be gone for work. This was their never ending cycle. Her father worked like a dog to pay the bills in their house, he refused to let Laila get a job and help out. She had always been a straight A student and if she had a job all of her hard work would go to waste and he refused to let that happen. Although Laila wanted to help, she wouldn't dare disrespect her father as hard as he would work to take care of her. She hated watching him struggle but she respected her fathers wishes. But eventually she would have to get a job. Her fathers loud snoring rocked her like a baby and finally she fell asleep.

Waking up the next morning is always the same. She would get up take a shower, get dressed, give her father a kiss and walk to Drakes house. Nothing ever changes. She could never have an actual conversation with her father because of how much he worked. She was determined to prove to him that her having a job would not change her grades, she just didn't know how. She knocked on Drakes apartment door and waited for him to answer. After about twenty seconds as usual he opened the door and let her walk in. Drake has his own apartment because his grandmother pays the rent. His parents put him out because of his behavior problems. They couldn't control him so they wanted nothing to do with him. They never tried to talk to him about it they just kicked him to the curb. Although Drake has attitude and behavior problems he would always go the extra mile to make Laila smile just as she would do for him. He didn't need anyone to control him all he needed was Laila and his Grandmother.

Once Drake put on his shirt. He finally spoke. "Hey Lai?" She looked up to him from her laying position on his bed. "Hmm?" He sat at the edge of his bed near Laila's feet. "How's your pops ? What time he come home yesterday?" She rolled over onto her back and sighed. "Well you know him, always working. But he's good. And the usual time" Drake nodded and laid down on the bed as well. They would always have an extra ten minutes to lounge around Drakes apartment before they walked four blocks over to get to school. She only lived two blocks from Drakes apartment sometimes she'd even stay the night.