Make Me Love You

Apt. 651

"Aye girl, it's dawn. Don't you have school?" I was woken by a guy standing over me. I came to my senses and sat up rubbing my eyes awake. It was dawn, and it was way colder than it was last night.

"I don't go to school." I said in a raspy voice. I stood to my feet adjusting the sunlight to my eyes.

"And, why the hell not, you a kid ain't you?" I smacked my teeth, who was he to question me?

"I don't have any transportation." I said, then looked up at the guy. He was the man I saw last night, who was drunk. His complexion was a soft brown. Light brown eyes, and surprisingly good roots.

"Where's ya mama?" He asked, putting his hands on his hips. He must've been having a hard time understanding.

"At home." Is all I said, I couldn't say much about mama's prostitution.

"C'mon I'll take you to school but I gotta talk to yo mama first." He walked swiftly. But I didn't follow.

"I'm not signed up." I paused, and lowered my tone. "plus she's busy." He stopped in his tracks, turned around and starred at me.

I scratched my flaky hair, not knowing exactly what to say.

"I won't be able to go in my house until about 3 anyway" I shrugged as if it were nothing, I started looking down at my feet.

"It's your house too ain't it? C'mon." He insisted. I nodded, and walked along side of him.

"Now, you said she's busy?" He asked, while we approached my apartment building. We marched up the 5 flights of steps.

"She-um handles business throughout the night. I-I mean it's not like every day or nothing." I lied through my teeth.

He noticed I was lying, because his eyebrow went straight up, and he quietly starred at me. I didn't look at him though.

He started heaving from all the steps. "What's your name, and how old are you?" He said, dismantling the previous conversation.

"I'm Remy and I'm 16." I stuttered out.

"Your young, you can't be out here like that." He scolded.

When we reached me and mamas apartment door, we stood in front of it, looking at the big black raggedy numbers that read '651'.

I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath, trying to think of happy thoughts before I walked in.

Slowly, I twisted the unlocked door. There was soft music playing from the stereo.  Fumes rose in the air from the burnt bacon. She pushed the smoke out her face, like there wasn't anything wrong. I stood for awhile looking around the filthy apartment.

The guy that offered me a ride to school followed my foot steps inside the one bedroom apartment me and my mother shared.

"Got dammit Remy didn't I tell you wait until 3? You dumb fuck, you never fucking listen to what I say!" I examined my mother who was slaving over the stove, and clothed with sleazy undergarment.

"Do you want these fucking lights cut off? We don't got no where else to go." She finally turned to me, and her eyes were blood shot red, probably drunk or high off of something.

"Well who did you bring to mama?" She smirked off her anger when she saw my guest.

My mother maneuvered from the kitchen over to us, eying him like fresh meat.

I turned to him, watching his facial expressions.

"I'm Ky, see baby girl here ain't been in school and it won't be any problem to take her ya know, until you find a better way to get her there." Ky spoke with intelligence, and respect.