I AM PRINCESS

**Princess**

*beep beep**beep beep* My alarm attempts to wake me up for the third time this morning. 7:35am flashes on my alarm clock. 

"Princess! Princess! We're gonna be late, hurry up." Avery calls for me from the kitchen down the hall.

There are three people living in my two bedroom apartment. We have me, my boyfriend Avery and my little brother Deion. We have one bathroom and little family room. Thats really all we could afford living in Chicago. 

"I'm up. Here I come." I say while putting on my robe. 

"Sis, you got some money for me? We suppose to be going to skating today at school. I need about 10." My brother ask me while putting on his shoes before leaving out.

"Yeah, go in my room and on my dresser its a ten and a couple singles you can take. That should be enough."

My brother has been living with me since he was 15 and I've been living on my own since 21. 

On March 20, 2015, my parents got sent to jail for beating on each other literally. They would fight constantly, almost every night. My neighbors , the Smiths, saw them in the act one time and decided to call the police. Luckily, my brother was over his girlfriends house so he aint get to see all the shit that went down. I don't think he know they in jail though because for the past two years I've been telling him that they went off together and left me some cash so we can have someplace to stay.

"Bet! Thanks Princess. Love you." Deion says while leaving the apartment.

"Baby, we got some more toothpaste? Where my ring go? Can you grab my shoes for me? Put my keys on the TV stand for me." I yell from the bathroom to Avery.

"You asking me for too much at one time boo." Avery said with a little smile in his voice. 

"Well, now that you have some time on your hands, answer those questions and put my keys on the TV stand please." I say with mouth full of toothpaste foam.

"I'll pick some up after I get off work. The ring is on your finger. Your shoes are by the couch and the keys are on the TV stand for you my love." He says while coming up behind in the bathroom. "You ready for the day baby?"

"As ready as I could be love. Just another day of single mothers with 7 kids and 4 baby daddies yelling at me to put more money on their food stamps card. EVEN THOUGH THAT IS NOT UP TO ME! Sometimes I hate my job Avery."

"I know babe, but just think about all the people you make feel good on daily bases including me." He says while kissing me on my cheek. "You lucky you aint gotta hear those old folk talk about who died and who they don't like in the home and who should just hurry up and die. These folks ruthless forreal. I wouldn't want to cross them them the wrong way." He says with his cute, big, cheesy smile. 

I met Avery in high school. He was the only one I could really relate to with my whole family situation that was going on. He was a victim of Munchhausen's Syndrome. His parents used to give him food that would make him sick, so they could get the rare types of drugs so and sell it. He didn't just come up to me one day in school and tell me all of this. I found him out in the back of our school making himself vomit and it was the most terrifying thing I have ever seen. I went out there to help him out, but of course he shunned me. I could understand why he didn't want people to see him like that. The next day though, he hit me up through our classes group chat and private messaged me. He wanted to meet after school the next day and he broke down and started to explain why he was doing that to himself. Ever since then he has been my rock and I've been his. 

"Alright, I'm ready to go. You ready?" I asked Avery.

"Yeah, lets go."

***pulling up to the Social Service building***

"Alright babe, I'll call you at 1 and see you at 5:30 love you" Avery says while letting me out the car. He has to go about 5 minutes away to the old folks home to change some diapers.

"Alright cool. Bye."

I go into the building show my ID, get patted down and clock in to work. It is exactly 8:07am and I'm about to start my work day.

"Hey Princess. Whats up Priscilla? How you doing beautiful?" All I hear while walking down to my little cubicle. Its a daily thing for me.

"Hey, Princess. I see you wearing the shirt I got you." My very annoying co-worker Jeremy says while looking over my little wall.

"Yes, Jerm. I am. Now go away." I say with a not so horrible attitude.

"Don't be like love. I see how you be looking at me when you be going on break."

"You mean the look of disgust. Thats just automatic every time I---

"SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP, ME AND MY KIDS WE CAN'T TAKE IT NO MORE!!" This lady comes barging into the office with 2 kids on her hip and pregnant with another.

Jeremy runs over along with five of my other coworkers. 

I look over my cubicle wall and try and see her face. The look of pain is so sad and to see it on a woman with child is the worst.

I walk over to the huddle real calm like and ask for everyone to go back and tell them I can take it from here.

"Come with me ma'am. Don't worry I gotchu, its okay. Come on over here. Let my friend take the kids for a little bit ok?" I say while trying to calm her down. I need to find out who did this to her.

We walk over to conference room. The ladies clothes are so ripped, she has bruises on her face and legs. She looks scared and trapped.

"Whats your name mama?" I asked after the first couple seconds of quiet.

"Shanice" She says very quietly.

"Hey Shanice, I'm Princess. You mind telling me your last name?"

"Baker."

"Shancie, what happened? I want to help you."

"My baby daddy came home drunk as fuck and started hitting on me and my kids. I ain't seen the man in about a week and he comes to my house drunk as hell and starts hitting on me!"

"I need a name Shanice, help me help you."

"His name is Tyrelle. Tyrelle Underwood. But you didn't hear it from me or my kids ight?"

"I'm gonna bring you your kids and have my boss come in and talk to you. Do not tell him you told me his name ok? All you told me was your first and last name alright? Thats what I need you to do if you want me to help you."

"Okay, Princess. Just bring me my motherfuckin kids." She says very agitated.

"Alright. I'll tell them to bring your kids in."

I go back to my little cubicle and search up 'Tyrelle Underwood' in the criminal database.

Two felony records, 5 driving violations, 3 warrants and his address is 5256 East Taylor Street.

"Got his ass. Can't wait to tell Avery we got our first one in 2 months all ready for our storage unit."