Page 32 of Behind the Bars

“Jesus,” Ray murmured, rubbing the back of hisneck.

“Wh-what are you doing home?” I asked, my mind scrambling, trying to catch my breath. Elliott hadn’t moved an inch, and all the color had drained from hisskin.

“Is that really the question you want to ask me, Jasmine?” Mama said, her voice solid and stern. “Tell your friend he has five seconds to get out of myhouse.”

“We weren’t—” Istarted.

“FIVE!” Mamashouted.

Elliott scattered. I’d never seen a person move as quickly as he did as he left. The moment the door slammed shut, I felt a knot in my stomach as both Mama’s and Ray’s eyes peered intome.

“Snow White, what were you thinking? Bringing a boy here alone?” Ray asked calmly, because Ray never raised his voice at me. “Do you know how dangerous that could’vebeen?”

“We weren’t doing anything,” I told him, my voice shaky. Mama’s stare was terrifying me. “He’s just afriend.”

“You said you were sick,” Mama scolded. She tossed her purse onto the sofa and placed her hands on her hips. “The only reason I went out with Ray tonight was because you told me you were sick and couldn’t make it to dance class or the studio towork.”

“I know,but—”

“And instead, here you are, messing around with a boy like a little hussy,” she remarked, making my skincrawl.

“Come on, now, that’s harsh,” Ray scolded her as I lowered myhead.

“Stay out of this, Ray,” Mama snapped. He parted his lips to stand up to her for me, but I shook my head slightly. He shouldn’t have to fight with her over me. “You are so childish and you’re missing out on all of your opportunities because you’re running around with some boy. This wouldn’t have been an issue if you were homeschooled. So, from here on out, I forbid you to see him, or any other boy for thatmatter.”

“But, Mama!” I cried. “He’s just afriend.”

“No, Jasmine, he’s a distraction, and tonight you proved that you are not capable of dealing with distractions and your career. You know the rules: three strikes and you’re out of public school. This is strike two. Now go tobed.”

I started to argue, but she wasn’t having any of it. As I lay down in my bed, I listened to Ray fight with Mama as he tried to stand up forme.

“She’s a teenage kid, Heather, and you’re treating her like a grownadult.”

“She needs to focus. The last thing she needs is some boy knocking her off her path to success. While she was running around with that boy, she was missing meetings, opportunities, herlife.”

“Her life can’t be spent in music studios, dance studios, acting studios. You’re suffocatingher.”

“I’m saving her life! I’m giving her more than I ever had, and if you have a problem with that, you can leave at any time,” Mama said, her voice socold.

No…

Don’t go,Ray.

The argument ended with a slamming door and Mama remaining in the apartment. I reached for my iPod and put my earbuds into my ears to listen to music. It was the only thing left in the apartment that understoodme.

Through the music, I could hear Mama’s footsteps coming toward my room, and as she entered, I pretended to besleeping.

“I know you’re awake,” she told me. “Tomorrow you owe me four hours of vocals and three hours in the gym. You’re going to make up for every single second of time wasted this evening, and if you ever pull something like that again, you will bear the consequences. Do you understandme?”

I remained quiet as a tear rolled down myface.

She walked over to my bed and sat down, nudging me in the arm. “I said, do you understandme?”

“Yes, Mama,” I said with a slight tremble in my voice as I noddedslowly.

“Good. Maybe now you’ll think about your future instead of being a little whore for a boy who can’t provide you anything inlife.”

She stood up and walked away, closing my bedroom door behindher.

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