Concrete Rose (Norminah)

Seven

I sat at the foot of the bed tying my shoes while looking around the room taking in my surroundings " Are you going to call me later on " I heard a voice say behind me choosing not to acknowledge her I stood up and pulled my sweats all the way up.

I looked back to look at her just to see her looking at me " Well are you? " she asked sitting up in the bed not even bothering to cover her top half. I turned my head slightly to look out the window before looking back at her " Probably not Ima be pretty busy today " I bent down sliding my phone from under her dresser just for her to give me a funny look.

I pulled my shirt over my head just to see her still sitting there looking at me " You always busy " she hissed out while getting out of her bed and picking up her shirt. I walked over to the door grabbing the knob " You wanna know something " I turned my head looking at her " You could be busy too if you wasn't always laying on your back " I opened the door walking out of it not even caring to hear her response.

I walked pass a few doors until I came up on the one I remembered Jabari stumbling into approaching the door I knocked hard a couple of times before walking away.

Hearing a door open and close I didn't bother to check behind me already knowing it was him " Damn Dinah I thought it was the police knocking I faked sleep so fast " he walked to catch up with me.

" I felt you about to pillow talk I had to stop you " I stopped in the middle of the steps listening for any signs of movement or talking from anybody but got nothing taking that as the close was clear I continued on my way. " ain't nobody pillow talking all we did was lay up and watch movies " he walked in front of me pulling on his shirt while opening the front door. " Lucky for you, you had the easy sister while I had the God is good all the time I ain't popping this pussy til I'm married one " he spoke in a dry tone causing me to lightly chuckle " you just won't saying the right things " we walked side by side down the sidewalk " Cause mines was telling me how she won't that type of girl just to show me what kind of girl she was 15 minutes later " I bumped into his side just for him to give me a dry look.

We walked straight ahead for a few minutes before turning the corner walking down the block " Ain't your house that way " I mumbled pointing behind me just to get silence " You know it is " he finally spoke up as we turned onto another street " You know damn well I ain't letting you walk home by yourself " he nudged me with his elbow " if you always trying to protect me who going to protect you? " I looked over at him just to see him looking straight ahead " I'm Gods favorite person you think he gonna allow someone to harm me DJ? " he turned his head towards me slightly grinning before looking back ahead.

We walked in complete silence for a few minutes before the girl I seen a few days ago came across my mind. She had to be new for I have never seen her around before not even at school.

Something about her made me want to know her maybe it was the way she carried herself or maybe it was the way she never spoke but you could still look into her eyes and feel every emotion that she was feeling at the moment. I couldn't really put my hand on it but a part of me wanted to know her and the other part didn't for I knew someone of her caliber didn't belong with someone like me. I'm pretty sure she was a good girl living the good life and I couldn't relate to that, who am I to mess up somebody else's life simply because I chose to mess up my own.

I continued to walk allowing my thoughts to consume me I looked over to my side to see Jabari not there anymore I stopped in my tracks to turn around and see him with a raised brow " Your house is right here DJ where you going " he spoke with his hands up in the air. I just shook my head making my way back to him, I didn't even know her and she was already taking over my thoughts.

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" Come here baby girl " Normani stood half way behind the wall eyeing her father " Come here daddy isnt going to hurt you " he sat his beer bottle beside him on the floor and held his hands out for his daughter to take.

She stood there watching her father before flicking her eyes over to her mother laying balled up in the middle of the living room floor. She looked back to her father to see he still had his hands out, watching him for a few seconds more she slowly began to walk over to him.

He watched her hesitant for a few seconds before taking small steps he reached over lightly taking her small hand into his, he picked her up and sat his daughter beside him on the couch " you see that " he picked his bottle up taking a swig before sitting it back down " don't ever be like that " he spoke while looking at his wife " she's weak " he looked over at his daughter before looking straight ahead at the wall " Never show a man he can take your power from you because then he will and you'll end up just like that " he pointed at his wife lowly chuckling.

Normani sat there looking at her mother lay there senseless she wanted nothing more then to go lay beside her in hopes of taking some of her pain away but she knew her father wouldn't have that. She also knew if her mother got up her father would just continue to take her power away from her so she just watched her lay.

She looked over to her father feeling a rage no child should ever feel she couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that he got off on seeing her mother like that, like he actually enjoyed watching her hurt. What did she ever do to deserve the pain that he inflicted on her, why did he treat her like gold but his wife like dirt. Her young mind formed questions that she needed answers to but she knew from him she would never get them.