Mercy

Chapter 3

Ella's dream:

My grandmother and I sat outside on her front porch, while she braided my hair.

"Your momma is coming home today baby. Are you happy?" My grandmother asked as she tickled me.

"I am! Mommy promised to take me to Disney world when she gets here." I smiled.

"You have such high hopes but—"

"I'm here!" My mother smiled as she walked up to my grandma and I.

"Mom!" I yelled in excitement as I tried to hug her, but grandma grabbed my arm.

"Don't move." Grandma commanded.

    I nodded my head.

"Come on momma, let me take my baby home." My mother beseeched.

Grandma shook her head in disappointment as she took a small bag of cocaine out my mothers pocket. "You're still messing around with Corey aren't you? Your a fuckin' shame Linda! I raised you better than this. You let that man turn you into a fuckin' drug addict! Now look at you! Comin' home from rehab with drugs, trying to see your only child!"

"Mom stop. Come on, I'm clean momma. I'm clean!" My mother assured.

"You ain't clean! And Ella ain't going no where with you. Her father is gonna come pick her up after work and take her home." Grandma fumed.

"Seriously! You let Jamar take care of her while I was in rehab? That man abused me!"

"Jamar is her father! And don't give me that bullshit when you go right back to him everytime he beats you, even when I tell you not to!"

My mother looked furious. "Bitc-"

"Say it! I want you to call me a bitch so I can slap that motha-fuckin' coke right out yo' lopsided head!" Grandma shouted.

    My mother took a deep breath.

"Now get the fuck off of my porch! You'll see Ella when Jamar takes her home since you ain't got nowhere else to go." Grandma added.

"Ella, baby you're nine years old. You're a big girl! You don't have to listen to my mom. Just come with me so we can go home." My mother entreated.

"Get off of my porch Linda!" Grandma commanded!

Reality:

I gasped as I woke up from my sleep early in the morning minutes before my alarm went off.

"Ella! Raiden's mom is here to see you!" My mother shouted.

"I'm coming!" I yelled.

I quickly brushed my teeth and rushed over to the front door.

"Good morning Mrs. West. Is everything okay?" I asked.

"No. Something is wrong with Raiden and he won't open his bedroom door so I can speak to him. Can you come check on him?" Mrs. West explained.

"Yeah–yeah, of course."

I followed Mrs. West to her house and went upstairs to Raiden's bedroom.

"Raiden! It's me!" I said as I knocked on his bedroom door.

He opened the door and pulled me in quickly.

"Raiden, what's wrong with you?" I asked as I sat on his bed.

"And—what is that right there?" I asked as I pointed to a small bag filled with white powder on his desk.

Raiden looked me in my eyes.

"How long have you been using?" I asked.

"A few months."

Tears began to fill my eyes as I shook my head. "Cocaine? Seriously Raiden?"

"Where did you even get it?" I added.

"Alexa."

"Raiden! You–"

"Wait Ella, just listen–"

"No! You listen!" I cried.

"You saw my mother become an addict when I was young. That shit damaged her! It damaged me! It damaged my family! I could have lost my mother because of that shit. Raiden, you mean a lot to me. You're not just a friend, you're family. But if you think for even a second that I'm going to watch you throw your life away because of some girl who introduced you to cocaine, you need to think again." I cried as I stood up from the bed.

I inhaled and exhaled as I sat back down. "You know what, I'm going to listen to you. Im sorry for getting so upset. Why are you taking it?"

"It makes me feel happy Ella, like you just don't understand. It feels so goooood. But I just do it for fun." Raiden smiled.

"Wow." I smiled.

"I knew you'd understand. That's why you're my best friend. Now can you stop crying." Raiden laughed.

I shook my head. "You're full of shit."

"Ella—you're not going to make me feel bad about something that so many people do. Let me live! If you're my best friend, you won't judge me, and Alexa is the best thing that ever happened to me. She has done more for me than you! So you can either be my best friend or you can leave. It's that simple." Raiden said as he shrugged his shoulder.

"You're serious right now?" I asked.

"I'm so fucking serious." Raiden assured.

I nodded my head as I stood up from his bed. "Okay."

Raiden shrugged his shoulders as I opened his bedroom door and walked out.