Karen winced as Jacky gently dabbed a wet cloth on her busted lip. She could feel the sting as the alcohol hit the wound, and she clenched her fists, trying not to flinch too much. Her thoughts drifted away from the pain, remembering Drew's words from the day before.
"D-Drew said I was beautiful" she mumbled, her face turning pink as she stared at her lap. Jacky raised an eyebrow, smirking as she continued cleaning Karen up. "When did he say that?" she asked, genuinely curious. She knew Karen had a crush on Drew, but this was news.
"Yesterday..." Karen's voice trailed off, still blushing at the memory. But then her mood shifted, and she started fidgeting with her nails. "But... he probably wouldn't think I am anymore. Not after this." She motioned toward her lip.
Jacky paused, lowering the cloth. "Oh, please, girl. Don't even think like that. You're always beautiful, no matter what anyone says. Even if some asshole tries to make you feel otherwise." She spat the last part, her mind immediately drifting to Earl and the damage he always seemed to cause.
Karen let out a soft sigh, looking up at her sister with teary eyes. "Thanks, Jacky." She gave a small smile, feeling a little bit of comfort in her sister's words, though the pain from Earl's latest outburst still burned deep inside her. "Don't let that nigga get in your head, okay? You hear me?" Jacky said firmly, brushing Karen's hair back. Karen nodded. "Yeah... I hear you.
-
Meanwhile, Denise and Twinkie were rudely awakened by Mattie, shaking them out of bed. "Get up! We gotta get ready for this tour," Mattie barked. "We leave in an hour. Don't make me come in here again."
Twinkie groaned, turning over to look at the clock. "Ugh... it's too damn early for this."
Denise, already irritated, sat up and stretched. "And why the hell does Earl have to come? He ain't even family." Her voice was laced with venom as she threw the covers off and stood up. Twinkie shrugged, rubbing her face. "You know how Mama is with him... it's like he's her damn shadow."
Denise rolled her eyes. "Yeah, her abusive-ass shadow." She paused, lowering her voice. "You saw what he did to Karen the other night, right? And Mama just stood there like nothing happened."
Twinkie nodded, her eyes darkening with anger. "I saw. He's a piece of shit." They got dressed quietly, the tension in the room thick. It was always like this now. Their first big tour as a group should've been exciting, but with Earl tagging along, there was always a dark cloud hanging over them. And it hurt even more seeing how Karen had to suffer through it, always getting the worst of his abuse.
-
The bus was parked outside, ready to take them on the road for their first tour. Dorinda arrived separately, getting dropped off by her husband Greg. His grip on her arm was a little too tight as he pulled her out of the car. "You better behave while you're out there," Greg hissed, his breath hot on her face. "Don't forget who you belong to."
Dorinda bit her lip, trying to suppress the fear that crawled up her spine. "I know," she whispered, glancing over at the bus. She could see her sisters waiting. "I'll be fine."
"Good." Greg let her go, and Dorinda hurried toward the bus, trying to act like everything was normal.
Jacky and Karen arrived next, with Glynn dropping them off. Glynn wasn't like Greg or Earl, though. He always took care of Jacky, always looking out for Karen, too, like a real big brother should.
"You two be careful, okay?" Glynn said, giving Jacky a kiss on the cheek. "If Earl gives y'all any trouble, you call me."
Jacky smiled. "We will. Thanks, Glynn."
Karen gave him a small wave, feeling a little better knowing Glynn had their back. But once they stepped onto the bus and saw Earl sitting in the front, her stomach dropped again and she didn't know if it was from fear or....something else.
This was supposed to be their big moment—their first tour, their chance to shine—but all Karen could think about was surviving the next few days without Earl's fists finding her again.
