Page 18 of Intercept My Heart

“Well, Tootie and her daughters will be there. They’ll keep you company if you want to go. They were at our homecoming game too. Speaking of homecoming, how come you didn’t go?”

“Nobody asked me.” I shrugged, turning my body to face the window.

“Well, what about prom?”

“I probably won’t go. You know I don’t have any friends, and I don’t want to be in a room surrounded by all of the bitches who don’t like me. The only event I care about is my graduation next year.” Dinero nodded his head but didn’t say much else.

Once we made it to the house, my stomach dropped to my feet because I really didn’t want to go inside. Mr. Dennis warned me about locking my door last week, and he’d been coming and going as he pleased ever since. Vera still had her usual bullshit on the weekends, so I usually took my time coming home mostdays. My hand gripped the door handle before Dinero called out to me.

“Hey, I got something for you.” I turned back to face him. My eyes fell on a bag in his lap.

“What’s this?” I opened the package he set in front of me. When I pulled out the jersey, I looked up at him curiously.

“Just in case you decide to come. A lot of the players got these for their girlfriends and stuff.”

“So why did you get one for me?” Dinero and I had gotten closer, but not enough for him to want me to rock his jersey.

“I’m gonna be honest, Rae. I’m feeling you. I know you have a lot of shit on your plate, but I have to be honest with you. I want you to be my girl.” I gulped, feeling the air become thin. I’d never had a boyfriend, and being with one of the most popular boys in my school hadn’t exactly been on my agenda.

“Why me? I mean, you’re Dinero Sutton. You can have any girl you want. Why would you want to be with me when I don’t have shit to offer you?” I wasn’t insecure about my looks because I knew I was pretty, even with my hand-me-down clothes. However, we were from two different walks of life. Dinero came from money while I barely had a roof over my head or a family who cared.

“What does that mean? You’re Charae Royster, one of the smartest and finest girls in our whole district, if we’re keeping it honest. Don’t you ever forget that shit either.” My face hurt from smiling so hard.

“I don’t believe in hiding my feelings, but that doesn’t mean you’re obligated to reciprocate them. I’m here whenever you’re ready, and even if you want to stay friends, I’m here for you.”

“Thank you. That means a lot.” Clutching the jersey in my hands, I pondered on whether I was ready to be someone’s girlfriend, especially when we were going to be graduating next year. I opened my mouth to say something when I noticedour front door opening. When Vera emerged carrying two trash bags, I wondered what was going on. As long as I’d been living here, she’d never taken the trash out a day in her life. When she tossed the bags in the yard, I knew something was wrong.

“Umm, is everything okay?” Dinero looked on in concern as well.

“I don’t know yet. I guess I should get out and find out.” When Vera came back out with two more trash bags, my stomach fell to my feet. Opening the door, I braced myself for whatever was about to come my way.

“Umm, Vera, what’s going on?”

“It’s time for you to get the fuck out of my house! And take that other whore’s things too.” My heart beat rapidly in my chest.

“I-I don’t understand. I thought I didn’t age out of the system until I turned eighteen.”

“Fuck you and that system. You must think I don’t know what has been going on between you and my husband. I told you that you weren’t going to come in between my family, and I meant it.” My eyes widened in surprise.

“I don’t know what you think you know, but it’s nothing like that. I?—”

“Shut your lying ass up! I see the way you look at my husband whenever he’s in the room. You’re trying to take him from me, and I won’t have it. Ciera tried the same thing, and I’m glad she’s gone. You think you can just seduce my husband with sex, but he doesn’t want you. He wants me!” A shoe went flying in my direction, but I dodged it. I heard the sound of a car door opening, and I assumed it must have been Dinero.

“I-I never had sex with Mr. Dennis.” It wasn’t a lie, because I never consented to him touching me, and I begged him to stop most nights.

“Liar! I waited up one night to see what was taking him so long to come to bed, and I saw him go into your room. I even stood there to confirm my suspicions. I’ve watched him go into your room several times, so don’t you sit up here and try to tell me I’m lying. You preyed on my husband’s weaknesses, but I won’t let you destroy the family we’ve built.” Her revelation floored me because I couldn’t believe she would admit to something like this.

“W-wait. Why would you stand there and do nothing? What kind of woman are you!” My yelling quickly turned to sobbing as I realized she’d been a witness to what had been happening to me for the last few months.

“I don’t feel bad for you one bit. As many times as you pranced around in those little shorts, you got exactly what you were looking for. Now it’s time for you to go.”

“Where am I supposed to go?” I didn’t want to go back to a group home, but I wasn’t eighteen yet, so technically, I couldn’t make those decisions on my own.

“I don’t give a damn where you go. As far as I’m concerned, you can die in the streets like the piece of shit you are.”

My emotions were getting the best of me as I stood there sobbing. Granted, nothing about this place felt like home; this was all I had for the moment. I hadn’t started working on a plan because I still had time before I turned eighteen. Everything seemed to be going downhill fast, and I couldn’t seem to find my way out.

Dinero began to pick up my bags as I stood frozen in the yard. I had no family or friends I could stay with for the time being. I’d saved my checks from work, but I wasn’t of legal age to get my own place.

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