Behind Closed Doors: My Life As Ke'Ladriah Wallace

14.

As the time passed from that day we spent in the corner crying the beatings got worse. Que sometimes didn't come back when he left if Angela didn't do what he said. He hits her when she doesn't sometimes. Ms. Crenshaw has really became my friend. I know what you're thinking. "I thought she said she'd let nobody get close to her." Ms. Crenshaw actually cares I guess and after all. It's been two months. I heard my mother is marrying Que. If she does I know everything will get worse. The only reason I'm writing this is for a grade. So bye.

"Psht!" I looked around to figure out who was being called. It was me. I grabbed the note from Maya who'd grabbed it from Nathan who'd grabbed it from Deshawn who'd grabbed it all the way from Jerome. I looked at him and he said I could open it. "Meet me under the slide at recess before we leave." I looked at him but he wasn't paying attention. "So what did you want me to come here for Jerome?" He looked at me and looked so I waved my hand in his face. "Hello?" He finally stopped. "You been my girlfriend for so long but you never tell me you love me! Why?" I rolled my eyes. "You don't say it neither !" He laughed. "Okay. Ke'Ladriah?" I raised my eyebrow. "I love you." I didn't know what to say. I thought back to the day we'd met and everything. The butterflies came back and I was scared I was going to throw up. "I love you too." That was the last thing I got to say before he hugged me allowing me to hug back. Right before he kissed me. I was out of breath from it. I didn't know what to do. I thought you only was supposed to kiss when you married but according to Jerome you didn't. He took off running and laughing while I chased him. I finally caught him, and when I looked at him I told him if he tried that again I'd break his lips off. I was serious on the outside and happy on the inside. After school I walked my brother and sister to an ice cream place around the corner because we haven't done nothing together in a long time. I thought about Jerome and his smile and his laugh while Trenton said something. It went in one ear and outta the other. I was interrupted in my thoughts with the sound of snapping. "Hey! I said that I'm done!" He showed me his empty cup and he went and threw it away while he grabbed mines and ate some of it. We went home later though. The house was quiet. Finally. As soon as we were about to rest our eyes they come in laughing loudly. They're drunk. "Can you two quiet down. We're sleeping." My mother spoke for Que. "Girl shut up. Nobody cares about you're sleeping. You woke now ain't you?" I rolled my eyes at her. "Yeah your mom's right. Stupid little girl." They laughed at me. I slammed the door and locked it. My sister started to cry and I helped her go back to sleep. I'm getting tired of this now.