He'll Thug For Me

Niecey Wiecy

WARNING: Rape scene ahead. If you do not care for it, skip over it. You've been warned.

"Why you always gotta show your ass when we have company? Huh?" Shelly spat.

I curled up every time she raised a hand.

"Now you know you ain't gone learn if I don't beat you. Take those clothes off." She ordered.

Everyone watched in the living room. Sympathy sat in all their faces except Daneisha. She never liked me. She use to lie on me and cause more beatings. I never understood why.

"Mom," Mercedes tried. "We had a good day, why you ruining it? We got more mac and cheese. What's the problem?"

Shelly looked away from me to Mercedes. "So you defending her now?"

Mercedes quickly shook her head. "No, but I want a day where she ain't fcking it up. We all happy. I'm bouta get an apartment with my girls in a few days, can we just be happy? Do this for me."

Shelly bit her lip and smiled. "My baby growing up." She stepped away from me, filling me with relief, "tomorrow we gettin you some furniture."

Everyone began happily talking about Mercedes new place, while I stood there frozen. Seeing all of them smiling and laughing made me wish I had a family of my own. One that wanted me as much as I want them.

After they all talked, Dranko focused his attention on me. Not again. What the hell does he want?

"Three more months and you get your first client baby girl." Then he walked down the hallway, downing his drink.

I wiped my mouth as if I had just threw up. In three months I'd be 18. Three months I would be pulled from school. Where I live students could drop out after 18 and no consequences would come to the parents.

My aunt and Dranko planned on turning me into a full time prostitute. Little did they know I had plans of my own. I was either going to kill myself or run away. There was no way I'd sell my body and continue being abused.

I tried running away but that just bit me in the ass. The cops returned me and I was severely beaten and without food for three days as punishment. When I run away this time, no one will find me. I'll be sure of that.

"Marika already got her rent for three months. I swear strippin ain't no damn joke. She finna hook me up with one of the managers so I can get in," Mercedes happily said. "Being 23, broke and with a kid ain't it. I'mma make my way."

Alicia nodded, "Right Anton daddy wanna be a deadbeat so bad so imma be independent as hell on that ass."

Daneisha commented, "when your sisters are stupid and have kids. The niggas only good for the d and money baby. Ain't no nigga impregnating this clean clean...somethin Maia know nothin bout."

I just shifted uncomfortably on my homemade pallet. It was three blankets stacked on one another and a half torn pillow. Anton and Devontae sleep on the mattress I use to have. Last semester I got all C's on my report card so my bed was taken from me.

What makes it so bad is the fact that the boys barely slept in the room with us. And if I ever attempted to sleep on the mattress, someone would tell resulting in yet another beating.

I just have to keep believing there's more for me in this world than this. That's basically the only thing keeping me going and the memory of my mom.

I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I knew what that meant. Every time my aunt passed out before Dranko he'd tap on me.

Keeping my mind focused on anything but what was about to happen was the only way I made it through.

My aunt pretended not to know what Dranko did to me but she knew. She just loved him more than she cared for me. She caught him on several occasions and yet I was the one beaten.