Latrice's Story

Chapter 9

Latrice didn't know what to do. She wished she could make herself vanish into mid air. She was now standing face to face with the same man she was butt naked with only hours earlier. She felt ashamed and embarrassed. Feeling guilty, Latrice dropped her head and refused to make eye contact as if that was going to make things better. The lawyer was cool about it. He acted like nothing was wrong. He introduced himself to Jamie and Latrice. When he introduced himself to Latrice, the guilt was all over her face. Jamie noticed and made note of the look on Latrice's face. Jamie's foster dad put his arms around Jamie and said, "Come with me pumpkin, I want to talk to you." As they walk into the din, the lawyer started making small talk with Latrice. "So, what high school do you go to? How long have you and Jamie known each other?" Latrice went into a shell. She didn't know how to respond, was very uncomfortable and the Lawyer knew it. Latrice's life of sex for money is about survival. The pay to play life (drinking and getting high) however, has become her life. But in the back of her mind, she remembers a whole different life that she loved. A life with her family. Her sister, brothers and her mother. She knows a different life now and she knows what she is doing is very wrong, but she feels that she has no other choice. Latrice is now more comfortable while she is doing dirt. Lying, freaking with men for money and getting high. Yet, she feels uneasy now when she is around people who are straight and are trying to do the right thing. After Jamie and her step dad finished their talk, Jamie walks out of the den and sees Latrice sitting in the corner. "Come on girl. Let's get outta here." Jamie said as she rescues Latrice from her awkwardness. "You girls are good." the lawyer says as her watches them walk out of the door. As they were getting in the car Jamie asks Latrice, "So why were you looking like that in there?" Latrice, not knowing that her expressions were obvious, said, "Looking like what?" Latrice said. "When my foster dad and his attorney walked out of the din, you looked like somebody had run over you with a truck! What was up with that?" Jamie said. "Girl, it was nothing. I was just thinking about something that happened earlier." Latrice said. Jamie, not buying Latrice's answer, looks at her and says, "You fucked my dad's lawyer... Didn't you?" Latrice, completely blown away, exclaims, "Why would you say that?" "Because you did." Jamie says. Latrice knew Jamie. Every bad, devious, freaky, sinful and dishonest thing Latrice knows, Jamie taught her. Jamie knew Latrice didn't have the experience yet to know how to deal with a situation like that. "When you saw him today you didn't know how to deal with it. But if you were a pro like me, it wouldn't have phased you." Jamie said. "So what if I did?" Latrice asked with a defiant tone. Jamie, knowing she was right all the time, looked at Latrice and said, "I aint mad at you. I fucked him too."