Motherless Child ( Urban )

Choked

The car ride home was the quietest. It was the quiet car ride like after your mama has to leave work and pick you up from school because you got in trouble. I didn't have to even ask if Daquan had spoke to Sway. It was clear as a starless night.

The silence wasn't what shook me though. It was the look in his eyes; it read hurt and betrayal. The radio was powered off and he never looked away from the road as he drive calmly with his left hand clutching the top of the steering wheel.

I stared at him out the corner of my eye, internally shaking my head realizing what Sway meant.

Daquan was a spoiled brat, to say the least. He has had everything handed to him since he was a child. He didn't earn it. And his stubborn, bratty attitude did little to help his case.

The radio was off so I just stared out the window wondering how TJ was going to take the news, if he hadn't already heard, how I would adjust to such a change, and how would I keep it a secret.

My only true fear in the matter was letting Sway down; that was something I would not let myself do.

When we pulled up to his apartment complex, instead of unlocking all the car doors, he pulled his opened and got out the car. I sat there for a second deciding whether or not I was going to say something to him.

I chose not to. Instead, I thought I'd match his level of petty. When I got out the car I slammed the door as hard as could attempting to shatter the window. Daquan was already close to entering the building but when he heard the car door slam he did an about face and stared at me making a face that was suppose to intimidate me.

I cocked my head to the side challenging him to say something though I knew he wouldn't. He ignored me and continued towards to building and I followed behind him internally laughing at him.

You could practically see the smoke coming out his ears as he stormed through the complex like a five year old.

I was still a few steps behind him so when he got to his apartment he unlocked the door, looked back at me, and walked inside. When I was approaching the door he slammed the door in my face... like a child.

I took a deep breath and entered the apartment walking towards the room I share with Ky. But as I walked passed him in the kitchen I made sure to mumble, "Dumbass," loud enough for him to hear it. He made it out the kitchen to standing in front of me with lightening speed. It shocked me at first but I'd never let him know I was off my game so, I stood up taller and held my chest up.

"Ava, I will have your ass pent up to this wall by your neck before you can blink so..." I cut him off.

"Do it," I challenged him.

He gripped around my neck and picked me up hitting my back onto the wall. Something in me knew that he actually would but I didn't think he actually would. So to say I was taken back is an understatement.

Though I was shook, I wasn't going to let him get the best of me. So with my feet dangling off the floor, I gave him one hell of a kick to his nuts causing him to drop me and bend over clutching his partner. While he was hunched over, I continued my fight slapping him in the face and kicking him in the side.

He must have gotten tired of me beating on him because after I slapped him again he grabbed both my arms and rammed me into the back of the couch. We were full fledge fighting.

He never actually hit me but he was using his strength to overpower me. I fought more than he did. Ever time I swung he ducked and pushed me away and every time I missed I got madder and went back for more.

I got one good blow to his right eye and then all I could feel was his forearm wrapped around my neck. All I could see was red. I kept swinging and kicking like a mad woman but I couldn't do much because my back was to his chest.

He then lift me again by my neck and slammed me onto the couch. He had adjusted his grip and he now had my arms wrapped around my back while he gripped onto my neck with his other hand.

"You're going to learn to stop fucking with me." Though I couldn't see his face I could tell he said it through clenched teeth.

I managed to get a, "Fuck you," out when he loosened his grip some around my neck before tightening it back. My chest heaved up and down as I struggled to get air to my lungs.

Just then somebody bust into the apartment yelling at Daquan to let me go. I couldn't see towards the door but I was glad whoever it was had shown up because I was starting to see black.

I could feel the person wrestling with Daquan to let go of me and when he finally released me, I fell over the arm of the couch, exhausted.

"What the fuck are y'all doing," the person said. I turned around to see that it was TJ who had broken us up. "We supposed to be a team and y'all in here fighting each other like strangers," he paused looking back at both of us. "...At a time like this," he trailed off.

I looked over to Daquan who was sitting on the floor with his back against the other couch. He was also breathing heavily and it made me smile knowing I put up a good fight. He stared back at me with hurt in his eyes and again I felt a small bit bad for him. My smile fell and I broke eye contact and looked down at my lap where I was playing with my hands.

"Ava?" I heard TJ call from behind me. I looked up for the first time making eye contact with him and for the first time I saw emotion in his face. There was a mix of anger and understanding. "Go get you and Kylan some clothes." He looked at Daquan before continuing. "Y'all gone stay with me for a minute."

I got up and went into the room grabbing majority of Kylan's clothes leaving most of mine behind. I didn't want to take anything that Daquan had brought for us but I knew Ky would be better off.

I looked at my reflection in the room mirror. I could see Daquan's large handprint laying on my light colored skin. I wasn't mad at Daquan. Nor was I sad. But I somehow I felt stronger and I wish I had stood up to all the people who had abused me during my life.

A watched as a single tear slid from my left eye as I wiped it another came from my right eye. And next thing you know imma face was wet with resentment. I calmed myself down enough to clear my face. As I wiped at my face a final time, TJ appeared in the doorway. I jumped and fumbled wiping my face not wanting him to see that I had been crying, though I could tell by his face that he saw.

"You ready?"

I looked back at my reflection deciding if I was ready to walk passed Daquan. I turned back at him and nodded, following him through the apartment.

Daquan was still in the same spot in the living room but he looked as if he had calmed down. "I'll call you in the morning; we got business to handle." After saying this, TJ walked out the apartment and to his camaro with me trailing behind him.