The Struggle is Real

Chapter 2

After hours of hearing mama and Jonathan yell and fight, Jonathan came in my room. "You okay sis?" he asked me and the sat next to me "I hate her! I hate her so much! Why did dad have to leave us with her?!" I exclaimed with anger in my voice, and I meant everything I said too. "I don't know Alisha, but for now we have to stay strong until I can get enough money to move us out of this place." Jonathan said with a smile on his face. The hope that me and Jonathan can live together in a better place was the only thing keeping me from going crazy in the hell hole. Me and Jonathan hugged and then he left my room so I could sleep, but it was hard to sleep with the sick feeling that everything would get worse instead of better.

Jonathan dropped me off at school the next day, surprisingly early too. Jonathan pulled off and then I turned around to see Rodney in my face, "Ah! What the hell Jonathan?! Don't sneak up on me like that!" I said having a hard time breathing. Rodney laughed at my fright, like always, "Didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to catch you before you went to school." Rodney said. "What's up?" I asked wondering what was so important that he had to stop me before I entered school, "Well, I got something you can do for your birthday." Rodney started and he immediately caught my full attention "I'm listening." I said very curious and scared on what his idea. "For your birthday, we should go to a club!" Rodney finally said, and it had to be the worse idea he had ever had. "Okay first of all, Jonathan would kill you and me if we even talk about going to a bar. Second, I'm too young to go in a bar you idiot." I explained trying to make him see the light in his stupid plan. "Jonathan doesn't need to know, and I got this for you." Rodney then presented a fake idea that had the name Nelly Rivers, but it had my picture on it. "How in the world did you get this?" I asked, astonished that he got me this, "I got connections, but you willing to go now?" Rodney asked again. If I go to the bar, I know I'm going to have a great time, but if Jonathan found out I'm dead. "Alright, I'll go, but Jonathan can't know." I confirmed to him "Awesome! Trust me it'll be a night you'll never forget." Rodney said trying to excite me for it, and it was working. As Rodney walked away I yelled stop to him. he then turned around confused on why I said that, "Do you by any chance have a knife on you? I asked him, kind of scared of asking. Rodney then took and knife out his back pocket and gave it to me "I always got a knife on me." he uttered then walked away. I useless don't use knives, but this is just incase Brianna and her gang mess with me again

It was the end the day, and there was no sign of Brianna or her gang. I thought I was in the clear for today, but again I spoke to soon. Brianna pushed me from behind on the ground and her with her gang laughed "Aww the bitch fell in dirt." one of her gang member said "Are you kidding me? She is dirt!" Brianna exclaimed and they all laughed more. Fuck this! I've had enough of this crap from them! I got up and took the knife Rodney gave me out "Oh shit!' Brianna uttered and backed up slowly. For the first time, I was standing tall and make them back away in fear "Now who's the bitch!" I said with rage overshadowing my good judgement. Someone then snatched the knife out my hand, and it was Jonathan. Brianna and her gang got closer to me, ready to best the loving crap out me. Jonathan turned and looked at them "Don't you even think about it." Jonathan warned them. Even though it was a gang of them, Jonathan could still beat then all. Brianna and her ganged then walked away and Jonathan grabbed me by the neck and walked me in the house. "What the hell are you doing with a knife?" Jonathan asked, I could hear the anger in his voice which scared me. I couldn't tell him it was Rodney, he wouldn't let me go out tomorrow if he knew. For the first time I have to cover for him, "I got it from a friend of mine. I was just using it to scare them off." I explained to him, although I knew he didn't care what I had to say "This is not you handle situations like this Alisha." he lectured at me "Jonathan, I tried using your way, but it was only getting me beat down or bullied upon. You want that to me Jonathan?" I asked him and he stayed silent for a moment. "Just go to your room Alisha." he ordered me, and I just walked away from him, full of anger and sadness.

As I was walking towards room, I tripped over Jonathan old book bag, it hasn't been use in over a year, yet it felt like something was in there. I dragged the bag over to me and unzipped it, and saw little bags of dope fall out it "What the..." I was in complete shock when I saw it, the thought of Jonathan being on dope is just unbelievable. Jonathan walked upstairs and saw exactly what I saw "What is this Jonathan?!" I asked him with anger in my eyes "Alisha it's not what you think." he said trying to calm me down, but it only enraged me more. "Then what the hell is it?!" I said and threw the bag at him "I'm not on it I'm just selling it." Jonathan explained to me "That's the same thing Christopher said, and then he got addicted!" I explained to him and he started getting angry. "What do you expect me to do?! I'm a high school drop it Alisha how the hell you want me to earn money if no one will hire someone like me!?" he screamed at me and all I could do was cry. I'm so scared that Jonathan is going to go down the same path Christopher went down, and I don't want that at all. Jonathan tried to hug me, but I just ran in my room and locked myself in it. I cried and cried for the entire night til I cries myself to sleep. If Jonathan changed like Christopher...my life would be over...