For Better Or Worse ?

Changing Faces

Tabreen sat in the front passenger side seat of her boyfriend's SUV staring into space. He whirled into the parking lot and stopped in front of the building where she worked. She got out and slammed the door. "Thank you. For making me late! I'm so glad I'm getting my own wheels back today." She howled. "Awh, hell I told you not to get your car painted this week anyway, you knew I had shit to do. Look at you acting all brand new." He gave her a smile and licked his lips. It was the same gesture that hooked her when they met. "Marcus, I have to clock in at eight and it's already eight-fifteen." She snapped, "You can't never do shit on time when in comes to me!" He pointed to the clock in his dash. Tabreen looked at it a second time and remembered that it was fifteen minutes fast. "See look at ya, jumping off on a nigga when he just tryna help you out. Now, come here and gimme them lips so I can be out." He slapped her on the ass then squeezed it. "You sure you don't need me to pick you up lata cause I-." She cut him off, "Yeah Marcus, I'm sure now let me go before I'm late for real." He frowned. "Let you go? You know I'll never do that without a fight, Ma." He kissed her lips again and drove away. Marcus was always confusing Tabreen with his expressions and saying things that made his jealousy evident, he was full of surprises and so much drama . In the beginning she used to think the drama was flattering but things had changed since then. She had grown tired of all the episodes and embarrassing moments but she wasn't ready to move on from him just yet. Her sister felt she could do so much better and so did her mother. She detested him and it bothered her that Tabreen didn't respect herself enough to get out of the relationship. She feared something terrible would happen to her daughter eventually and Marcus' name would be all over it. She said, "Tabreen, ain't nothing good gone come out of this thing ya'll got going on here!" Tabreen just laughed and replied, "Ma, I a'int worried about Marcus and you shouldn't be either, cause I know how to take care of myself." "Yeah, but you been saying that same shit for two years and for two years that nigga been smacking you upside yo head!" A year after she and Marcus met her and a few friends were at a night club. Marcus tracked her down and created a scene. She made it her business not to tell him where she would be that night but he had friends; more like spies that knew and told everything. He came up behind her and put his arms around her waist. "So you sneaking out on a Nigga now? Who you come up here to see?" She didn't get word in before he grabbed her by the hair, bit her in the face and called her a sneaky Bitch. When he let go, she slapped him and ran out of the nightclub screaming. He chased her down and manhandled her while onlookers watched but everyone knew Marcus and what he was capable of so they just continued to watch as he pummeled her to the ground.