Him and I

Chapter 10

Tyrene Pov

This week has been trash, but the weekend I hope will be better. I pack my bag at the final bell. I walked down to dads office, ready to go. We get in the car. I go straight to my room and toss myself on the bed. Silence. That didn't last long. My phone rang. "What Grace?" She laughed. "Wanna come over a sleep over? I'm bored, my dad is here, he said y'all could come over. I can talk to your dad of you need." I perked up. We haven't had a sleepover since before my mom passed. I got up and ran down the steps. "Walk!" I walked up to him. "Dad can I go to Grace house for a sleepover. Please." He looked me up and down. "I have to talk to Mr.Luke first." I nodded. "Grace get your dad on the phone." There was a shuffle and grace screamed dad. "Francis Luke speaking." I shoved the phone at my dad. I listened to them y'all back and forth then hang up. "Go pack your bag." Yes. I took my phone back and ran to my room. I was so ready to get out the house. I threw all my cloths in my bag and went downstairs. "Can you take me over there? Now." He laughed at me, but grabbed his keys. I ran out to the car and waited. The drive there was fun. We sang some songs off the radio. When we got to Graces house I reached for the handle, but the door was locked. "Ty don't make me come get you and don't make me have to whoop yo ass. Please. I don't want to get any calls from Mr. Luke about you being disrespectful. We clear." I wanted to roll my eyes. "Crystal." He smiled. "Good. Gimme a kiss and go." I leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Bye Dad." I hopped out the car and ran to Graces front door. She opened it before I even got to it. Xavier was already there. "Girl we have not had a sleep over in forever. Where has the time gone." I shrugged. "We're here now." I turn and wave at dad. He waves back and pulls off. Great. We close the door and head upstairs. I drop my bag and lay on her bed. "So now what?"

6 hours later...

We found ourselves crying over the scene in Hunger games where Prim dies. I've seen this movie a thousand times and it gets me every time. We had eaten all the pizza and drank all the soda we could. My stomach was killing me. Mr. Luke came downstairs. "When the movie finishes, y'all go to bed. Okay?" Xavier and I responded with a yes sir. Grace started to whine, but Mr. Luke threatened to send us home. Grace pouts but we all head up to her room at the end of the movie. Xavier speaks first. "We should go to the mall tomorrow. It'd be fun." Sounds fun. Grace Nodded. We talked for a few hours and fell asleep.

The next morning I woke up super eager to go out today. I am spending the whole day with my best friends. I hopped in the shower. Grace went to her dads room. Went I came out, I got dressed and waited. When they did both come I grabbed my bag and went to the car. We figured we'd grab something on the way to the mall. We all climbed in. "Where to first?" We stopped by some shitty fast food place, sat, and ate. Then we headed to the mall. When we walked in it was so busy. "Let's all go to Burlington." We did. We walked in and tried in all kinds of clothes. I saw this really cute dress that I really wanted. It was green with silver trim. "Guys I really like this dress." Grace looked at me. "I really like it too and I like this skirt. It's so super cute." Xavier looked at us. "Just take it." We both paused. I looked at Grace. "You mean, like steal it?" Xavier nodded. "My dad would kill me if he found out and I know for a fact Ty's Dad would murder her." I nodded. He would. Xavier looked around. "If you get caught." His voice trailed off. He was right. "Maybe we could, like..." I don't know. Grace cut in. "I'll do it if you do it." I looked at Xavier. He nodded. "I guess so."

Grace opened her purse and shoved everything in it. I think we can do it. I walked out the store first and waited for Xavier and Grace. I see Xavier, but no Grace. I get nervous. "She coming calm down." I wait some more. She comes later and smiles. "I made it." We celebrate and sit in the food court. "That was easier than I thought." I looked up. "Yea same." We sit for a minute before I see someone walking towards the table. I don't think much of it until I see security not far behind. "Guys we should leave." Grace looked panicked. "Agreed." We stood up, but the guy walking towards us told us to stop. "Stop." We freeze. The security man comes up behind us. "Please follow me." We walk back to rooms with him. "Ma'am give me your bag." Grace hands the bag over. They pull out the dress and skirt. Shit. The guy sits and looks at us. I'm terrified. "You guys seem like good kids. Call your parents so we can have a little talk." I looked at Grace. I rather go to jail than to call my Dad and tell him I just stole. Xavier went first. He called Chris. I figured he wasn't too happy. I was next. I rang Dad. "Andre McAdams speaking." I was silent. I didn't want to say anything. "Hello?" I had to respond. "Yes." I spoke meekly. "Ty is this you? Are you okay?" I started to cry. "Ty what happened." "Daddy I'm sorry." I cried harder. I heard him sigh hard. "Baby, what did you do?" I wanted to say it. I did. I just couldn't get the words out. "D-da-daaad. I s-st-stole from the ssstttoooorrreeeeee!" I let out all my tears. There was a silence on the phone. "Dad?" Still a silence. "Where are you?" I gulped. He's pissed. "Mall security. The mall on 4th street." The line went dead. I put the phone back on the hook. I went back and sat next to Grace. Her face was red and blotchy. We said nothing to each other. 30 minutes later Mr.Luke walks in. Shit. Grace turns whiter than she already is. He says nothing to us. He just looks at Grace. The only color returning to her face is red from holding all her tears. I put my hand on her shoulder. We watch her dad talk to the police officers. Mall cops. Ew. I'm still dreading my Dads arrival. Mr. Luke looks back at us. "Xavier, Ty, yalls people coming or do I need to get you." I barely can get out my words. "My dad is..." He walks in. I look at him. He's so pissed. Grace reaches up, takes my hand, and squeezes it. I'm dead. I haven't been this scared since I snuck out and went to that party at Uncle Antrez's house. He went straight to the mall cops and Mr. Luke. The talked for a while. Mr. Luke's phone rang. We couldn't hear the conversation. "Xavier you're coming with me. Chris is caught up." Xavier let out a breath of air. I guess anything is better than dealing with his brother.

They talk for like 30 minutes before dad comes over. "Let's go." I stand without delay and hug all my friends. "Bye guys." They wave. I follow my dad up the elevator and to the car. I climb in the front seat. He gets in and doesn't start the car. Here comes the lecture. "Ty what was going through your mind when you did that?" I knew not to answer that. It was a trick question. No matter what I say he's gonna find someway to bring it back to the point that I don't don't think before I do stuff. I stayed silent. "I asked you a question." Damnit. "Nothing." He turned to me. Here comes the yelling. "Exactly. You never think before you do stuff." See? "You just see what you want and do it. This is why yo ass always in damn trouble. This is why. This right here is why. Do you know they could have pressed charges? They could have sent you to jail. You know what happens to people who look like us and go to jail? We don't get out. We enter into a cycle that you will continually be in. Do you understand?" I nodded. "Words." "Yessir." He crunk up the car. He's gonna kill me. I rode silently in the car. He played my favorite radio station. That was nice. When we got to the house I unlocked the door and went into the living room. Uncle Antrez was sitting on the couch. I screamed. He scared the shit outa me. "Girl stop all that hollarin." I caught my breath and looked at him. Dad came in behind me and spooked me even more. "Now what did you do? Your dad won't tell me, he said you would." I looked over at dad. He had his feet kicked up on the couch. He glanced at me. I looked down. I didn't want to tell him. Why is he always around? "I tried to steal with some friends." Antrez froze. "Run That by me one more time." I hated this. "I stole with friends." He looked more angry then dad. "Them clearly ain't your friends if they were gonna let you steal or steal with you." My dad cut in "My thing is the dress was like what, 12 dollars? I could have just sent it to you if it was that deep. Now I gotta beat ya ass." He leaned back in his seat and put his hands on his face. "What am I gonna do with you." Antrez sits back and crosses his legs. "Baby, I just don't understand. Why didn't you think." Antrez was oddly calm. I expected him of all people to be going off. I figured I should just stand there and be quiet. I'm actually not as scared as I feel I should be. I guess because they're not trippin, so I'm not trippin. Cool. It's a trick. It has to be. I don't wanna do yard work at Nanas house. I rather be whooped. I was pullled from my thoughts by my dad calling my name. "Ty!" I nodded. "Huh, yes." He shook his head. "What am I going to do with you? Go upstairs and wait. Actually bring all electronics down with you. I want your laptop, cellphone, pager, whatever. Bring it." I just turned to go get it. I can't keep my phone to save my life, I swear. When I opened my door, I just threw everything in a container. I walked back downstairs. Dad was in the kitchen with uncle Antrez. "Here." I extended the container to him. He looked at. "Go put it in my room." I took a deep breath. If he wanted it in his room from the jump he could have just said something. "Huff again!" I rolled my eyes. Whatever. I go upstairs and toss the container. When I get back downstairs, dad calls me into the kitchen. He was cutting up vegetables. "You have two options. You can get your punishment before dinner, or after dinner. The choice is yours." There was a gag to this. It couldn't be this easy. "Before, so I can get it over with." Dad nodded. "Okay. Antrez! She chose before." I looked at my dad confused. "Before means Antrez is gonna handle it because I have to cook dinner. This also mean you can have your phone back for certain hours of the day. We can talk about that later. Antrez is waiting." I wanna drop my mouth because that was so unfair. He could have told me. I'll take dad or the belt or whatever over Antrez any day. Anyways. Much to dismay, I walked into the living room. Antrez was standing there, waiting for me. "Corner, now." Corner!! He in some other stuff. I proceed to the Corner anyway. I stand there for what seems like hours until Antrez calls me over. "Ty come here." Now I wanna be back in the Corner. "Bend over the arm of the couch." The couch? This could only mean he wasn't using his hand. Oh no. I bent over the arm of the couch. He's gonna kill me. SWAT. I've never felt pain like that before. SWAT. I still don't cry, I'm in shock. SWAT. I scream. What in the heaven is he hitting me with. SWAT SWAT SWAT SWAT. Shit. This hurts. I cry. "Uncle please!" SWAT SWAT SWAT SWAT SWAT. He kept going. "Dad! Daddy!" I know he won't come. It was at least worth a try. SWAT SWAT SWAT SWAT SWAT SWAT SWAT SWAT. I still don't know wtf he is using. SWAT SWAT SWAT SWAT SWAT. I keep crying. Someone pulls me off the couch. Oh now he wants to come. I put my face into his chest and he speaks. "Ty, I don't want you to go to jail. I know I don't say it, but I love you and jail ain't for you. I promise." It was not dad holding me, it was Antrez. Antrez never did this kinda stuff.

Update just for caitmadi thanks for your support