The Sophomore || Tori Kelly

The Act

8:15 PM

André's grip on the steering wheel got hot as his fingers wrapped tightly around the hard leather. He waited outside the familiar apartment complex for a moment, before watching a sudden movement hit the curtains. It was odd, but not out of place. In Andrés mind, Maya was just checking to see if he had made it.

Taking two steps at a time, André hurried to what he thought, would be the aide of his ex girlfriend and her child. But, the situation that waited for him on the other side of the metal door was far from a damsel in distress.

8:47 PM

Tori bit at the beds of her nails, eagerly staring at her phone. She needed a sign that André had handled the situation. A text or a call. Something that could get her through the waiting game. Was Maya coming back with him? Was he staying the night with her? Was she okay? How long was Josh going to be away for? Was he finally getting what he deserved? All this a more soared through Tori's mind, as the minutes ticked by.

She felt one of her boys start to settle as the other stretched out, jamming their foot into her side. However, Tori was too distracted to notice the pain. Her stomach was airy, palms sweaty. Nervous.

9:17 PM

Muffled yells rang out through the apartment building. Nothing that wasn't typical for the type of neighborhood. Domestic violence was apart of the rental agreement there. What wasn't apart of the agreement though, was the shot that blared out. André's ears rang as he dropped to the floor. Yells and cries of panic and fear were heard as the situation before them escalated more rapidly than expected. The police were called and a body was caught.

A single tear rushed down his face as the body went cold.

10:15 PM

Tori paced back and forth cradling her phone, counting down. But, every time she got to one, silence.

10, 9, 8–

Buzz Buzz

"Hello?" Tori frantically answered. "He what?" She replied. Shock filled her body. "A gun? Sh-shot?" Tori paused. "Where is he?"

12 AM

Thump thump.

Tori's heart raced as she came into the ER.

Thump thump.

She looked around for a familiar face. Someone to let her know everything was okay.

Thump thu—

"Dré," she said, catching her boyfriends attention. She watched him stand up to see his shirt covered in blood, holding a six month old baby. "Oh my gosh," she shuttered, rushing to him. "Are you okay?" André nodded, keeping a bouncing motion to soothe the baby.

"I'm fine. This isn't my blood," he reassured. "When I got there, it was a trap. Maya thought Josh and I would fight. She didn't account for him pulling a gun. They fought over it and he shot her. I don't know where he went, but he dipped as soon as he heard sirens," André recalled. Tori was careful not to get the blood on herself and pulled André in, by his jaw, for a kiss.

"Don't ever scare me like that again," Tori warned before turning her attention to the baby girl. "Did they call CPS?" Tori asked, taking the sweet baby into her chest. André shook his head.

"No, I told them her dad was on the way, to buy some time before they did. The last thing Maya needs, if she pulls through, is for Jasmine to be taken," André said. Tori looked down to the baby as she shook her head.