Blackbird

You Ain't Ever Gonna Fly

"Hey, wait up" a voice called, I ignored it and kept walking. Someone then grabbed my shoulder and I spun around angrily. "Woah, easy tiger I just want to talk about the project" Evan said holding his hands up in surrender.

"Oh, sorry" I mumbled.

"Are you free this afternoon we could start on it, if you want" he suggested.

"My sister...I have to pick her up from school" I replied finding an excuse to avoid the meeting. I started walking again and he stepped in front of me, blocking my path.

"I have a car we can pick her up, she can come along too if you'd like" he smiled. I opened my mouth to protest but his face said he wasn't taking no for an answer.

"Ok, we can only stay for a little while" said quietly

"That's cool, my car is this away" he led me down the hall and I followed a few feet behind. I didn't want to embarrass him by making people think we were together. His car was the closest parked to the entrance door in the the parking lot. He unlocked the car doors to his Range Rover and we climbed in " Your sister, she goes to the elementary school a few blocks from here right?"

"Yeah how'd you know" I questioned suspiciously.

"I see you guys walking to school sometimes, I think I drive the same route you walk. I offered you a ride one time but I get it stranger danger" he chuckled. After a short drive we pulled in front of her school. Tara was sitting on the steps with her teacher waiting for me. I got out my heart lighting up at the sight of my cheerful little sister.

"Hey babygirl, we're going to go by a friends house today. You ready?" I asked.

"Okay, bye Ms. Maddock" she said turned to her teacher waving her goodbye. I opened the backdoor, she climbed inside and I buckled her seatbelt. I got back in the car and prepared for the drive to Evan's house.

"Hi, I'm your sister's friend Evan what's your name" he asked focused on the road but seemingly interested in interacting with Tara.

"Tara, you said you're my sissy's friend, that's so good...I didn't think she had any" she replied, I mentally face palmed.

"Tara, that's a pretty name and of course we go way back" he smiled. We pulled into the driveway of a really nice house well pretty much anything is really nice compared to where we live. We walked onto the porch and he unlocked the front door for us to go inside.

"Evan" a little boy screamed running up to him.

"Hey kiddo" he replied ruffling his hair "This is my brother Ethan" 

"Rena, I'm thirsty" Tara whined tugging on my sleeve.

"We have snacks c'mon" Ethan said grabbing her hand.

"Wa-wait don't-"

"It's okay, my mom won't mind" he reassured me. Still I followed behind Tara just to keep an eye on her. I ended up following them into a kitchen where a dark haired woman stood at the stove handing Tara and Ethan juice box and sandwiches. When she looked up at me she smiled the brightest smile I had ever seen.

"Hi I'm Evan's mom Vanessa, you must be Rena" she chirped.

"Yes ma'am, I'm sorry about my sister-" 

"It's no trouble, we have plenty to go around" Vanessa assured me.

"Told ya" Evan chuckled "You ready to start on the project?"

"Yeah, can we sit in here. I don't like to let her out of my sight for long" I mumbled sheepishly.

"Sure, that's cool just let me go get my laptop" Evan said. While I waited his mom slid a sandwich in front of me and I wanted to protest but my stomach growled in disagreement. 

"Thank you, for being so nice" I said gratefully

"It's no problem sweetie, are people usually not not nice?" she asked, I looked down at my hands and thankfully Evan walked back in with his laptop cutting her off. I could tell she wanted to say something else but instead she went back to cleaning, not wanting to intrude. After a few hours of doing research and taking notes Evan offered to take us home.

"So this is where you live?" Evan asked parked in front of our visibly old house.

"Yeah, um  see you tomorrow. Let's go Tara" I said getting out the car.

"Bye Evan" she said cheerily, he just smiled and waved back at her. We walked inside and there was new furniture and decorations, it made the house look almost decent. I kept Tara close to my side waiting for Teresa to make an entrance but she never showed.

"Hey Rena" a male voice said making me instantly sick to my stomach. No, she wouldn't let my rapist back in here but the more I thought the more I knew that she would have in fact let him come back.

"Tara, go to the room don't come out unless I say so" I said. She ran towards the room and he grabbed her tiny arm. "Don't you fucking touch her" I screamed jumping on his back and started hitting him with everything in me which made him let her go get me off of him.

"You little bitch" he growled tossing me onto the ground.

"Run Tara" I yelled. He snatched me up by my hair then wrapped his hands around my throat. My vision started to go black as I slowly lost oxygen then he dropped me to the floor. I started to crawl away, hoping he was finished. He then kicked me in my ribs afterwards he began to forcefully tug off my clothes, so much for flying right? All I could think was at least his attention was off of Tara for the time being. Teresa came in just as he was finishing up. She looked at me in horror.....maybe she had changed.

"I told you not to be so rough this time Vick, look at the bruises. You okay baby?" she asked hugging me, I shoved her away from me in disgust.

"There's the money Theresa, see you next time Rena" he winked at me and pulled up his pants and walked out the front door.

"Look Rena, I know this is hard but we need this money. You're doing a good thing for your sister and I" she said sympathetically.

"You're such a sorry excuse for a mother" I spat. I went in the bathroom to assess the damage and Teresa was right he left bruises that were going to be impossible to cover up. What's the point of praying, no one is going to come save us.