Behind Closed Doors: My Life As Ke'Ladriah Wallace

15.

"Aye girl you heard about Ke'Ladriah? I heard she got beat up by her own momma." A group of girls were laughing at my pain. I listened to Ms. Crenshaw but now I can't keep my calm with these girls. "Which one of you crispy little bed bugs said that?" They looked at me and looked scared. I haven't fought in a while. I ain't scared to do it again. "You ain't gonna do nothing to me. Not in here not ever." This chick named Jessica. She's about my height. A little taller. But that don't scare Ke'Ladriah Amariah Wallace. She always tried to be funny. This is her second time picking with me and I've had enough. "Aye you animal cracker! You ain't about to sit in here and talk about some that ain't true. This is your second time talking about me you big goose! I'm getting tired of my name coming out of your mouth. I ain't scared of you like none of these other girls! You must have forgotten about me little llama. I may not have fought nobody in a while but don't think I won't beat you up you long back gorilla!" The class instigated the things I said to her. She stepped up to me and her hot breath came down as she said something. "What you say short stack?" She pushed me and I released every demon inside me on her. She grabbed my hair but that didn't stop me. I pulled at least two of her braids out but that was only because she grabbed mines. Other than that I threw punches. She caught them all, with her face and then we were broken up. I missed Jerome as I sat in the office. No mother sitting next to me. "I'm sorry Ms. Wallace but I'm afraid I have to suspend you from the property." My principal Mr. James looked at me over his glasses that sat on the bridge of his nose. "And I'm afraid that I'm coming back tomorrow how about that." I got up and walked out of his office. "Hey young lady get back here! Now!" I kept walking. Mr. James had a bald head and he was round shaped. "What are you gonna do? Chase me?" I laughed to myself and happily skipped down the hallway. Only to be stopped by Ms. Crenshaw. She grabbed my arm and pulled me to the side. "I heard you got into a fight. You can't fight everyone every time they say something about you." I laughed at looked at her like she'd lost her rabbit mind. "Well I do." She huffed. "I know how you feel about the things going on at home and -" "YOU THINK YOU "KNOW" EVERYTHING. YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME. YOU ONLY KNOW WHAT I WRITE IN THAT NOTEBOOK! YOU DONT KNOW WHAT I GO THROUGH FOR REAL! YOU WE'RE BORN IN A WHITE FAMILY! WITH WHITE KIDS A WHITE MOMMA AND A WHITE DADDY. I BET YOUR HOUSE WAS EVEN WHITE! I'M RAISING MY BROTHER AND SISTER AND HAVE BEEN DOING IT ON MY OWN FOR TWO YEARS STRAIGHT WITH NO BREAK! I PLAY MOMMY DADDY ALL OF THAT! I EVEN HAVE TO MAKE SURE MY MOTHER IS ALIVE! NO ONE CARES ABOUT ME! DID YOU KNOW THAT?" "Well Ke'Ladriah I'm sor-" I cut her off. "Yea whatever." I felt myself about to cry so you know what I did. I ran.