Score: The Catch

Chapter Ten

When the door opened, my mother walked in. Ever since the incident, communication between us decreased. Like, we stayed away from one another, although I didn't want to. I mean, she's still my mother so I love her. I understand why she'd be mad now. "Hey, ma."

"How are you and Erica?"

"We're good, maintaining. you?"

"I miss talking to you, I guess."

"Ma."

"I'm serious. The reason I hit you is because I know for sure you can be better. You. Are. Not. Here. To. Become. A statistic. Do you hear me? If you wonder if I regret hitting you with that bat, no. If I had one on me right now I would do it right now if I even had the image in my head that you were out there harming somebody's family. Look, I know you wanted to make money from football. Hell, I did, too. But, it didn't work out like that. Everything happens for a reason. I didn't want you making money by the gun simply because the same thing that'll make you happy and laugh will make you cry later on."

"Yeah, and people change like the seasons, I know. Everybodu telling me the same thing. That was my passion. Then again, I don't care about it now."

"I'm go'n to be real with you, do something. I don't know what else you doing and it ain't caught up to you yet, be lucky. You better get off yo' ass. And about Erica, she a good one. Don't you get too into what you doing and forget about her."

"I hear you. Guess what?"

"What?"

"You're a grandma now!"

"No I'm not."

"You are."

"How you know?"

"She went and got tested."

"It's yours?"

"Better be."

"Haha, I'm playing. I'm happy for y'all. Erica would be a great mother and you better be a good father. I gotta go." She stood up and we hugged before she walked out the door. I walked back to the room and went to the dresser. "I'm surprised you ain't come out there," i said to Erica once I got back to her.

"I figured y'all needed to talk."

"Did you call your grandma to see if her and your aunts wanted to come?"

"Yeah."

"And?"

"Their coming. I thought they were mad because I didn't talk to anybody at ma...mama's funeral." I can tell she was still a little shook. She continued, "Bae I wonder who could do that to her? I mean, I know we didn't know each other for that long, but nobody deserves that. And why did Chris leave when something like that happened? Maybe he didn't know what was happening, but still. It don't sit well with me."

"I been thinking about that, too. But then I just couldn't even put that on him," I wondered how everything happened and what happened. I asked.

She said, "I went outside for a few to get away from all the people after I said hey to the girl I was talking to. It was still people outside since it was daytime, but most people was inside with you. Anyway, somebody grabbed me by my hair. I thought it was you playing with me until they pushed me into a car near a bush that smelled like kush. I wanted to turn around, but for the first time in a long time, I was scared. I didn't dare make a sound. We pulled up to this big house that was downtown."

"What happened to your face? Did he ever say why he did it? I called you a hundred times, why didn't you call back?"

"Wait, i'm getting to that. So, when we got in the house, I got thrown into a room in the back after they took my purse. I knew that things for me could only get worse. My mind immediately started racing and I started pacing. I was trying to figure out how the hell I was getting out. No doubt, I was scared, but that was the last thing on my at the time. I didn't care at all. The room was small and after a few hours, I felt like going crazy, thinking that just maybe somebody would come and save me. I didn't realize what I was asking for at all. I banged my head on the wall until I heard footsteps coming down the hall."

"Then what?"

"He said, 'shut up, before I pull out my Beretta and I won't let up while I blow yo' fucking brains out, show you what this aim 'bout.' He stuffed the gun in my mouth and didn't pull it out until he though that he had me shook."

She finished her story, telling me everything that happened before I got there. "Bae, what was that thud?"

"I heard your voice and I had some hope. It was a hole in the door and I used it like a scope. The room was crowded with junk, so I tripped." I hugged her tight.

"Erica, I am sorry that happened to you. I never told you how sorry I was-" she interrupted me, "I know, I know. I don't want to talk about it no more."

I got up and went to my laptop to do my history homework. I had to talk about how the youth today is now fearless and ready for everything. Also, I have to write about the black race and our struggle. I have to present it in two days, before winter break.

Erica came behind me and kissed my neck. "What's that for?"
"I love you. You hungry?" She asked as she massaged my back.

"I love you, boo. You know I am."

"What you want?"

"Steak sounds good."

"I'll be back," she walked out of the room. My hands tapped the keys on the computer. She came back in the room minutes later with two steaks on a plate in one hand with a bottle of water in the other. "Here you go, baby." I tink the plate and ate the two steaks in just a matter of minutes. "Thank you E, you looked out. This was clutch."

"I need you to do me a favor, Brandon."

"What?"

"Call Chris."

"Why?"

"To see what he's been up to."

"Uh, alright." Chris and I text from time to time, still. I dialed his number and he picked up on the last ring. We greeted each other until he said something that took me by surprise.

"Bro, I can't believe he killed somebody.
Yo, her. Damn why was it E mother?" He Hold on, boo! I'm coming. I gotta go, my girl want me to get on this jet ski. Word is born, I could get used to this." The call ended.
Something didn't sound right to me. What he said made me become skeptical.

It felt like he was saying something else.