Chapter Seven | Talia

The first thing I see when I wake up Monday morning is my brand new sketch pad. I still can't believe Nick got this for me. I'm even more surprised that he remembered I told him that I want to be a designer. That conversation at the diner seemed like forever ago and I still can't believe he's one of my teachers.

I wish we'd met differently or that I was a few years older and not his eighteen year old student. Not that I think it would've made much of a difference on his end. I don't think he sees me that way. Not when he has an older and sophisticated women like Ms. Carver vying for his attention.

I try not to think about him with other women, but instead I concentrate on getting ready for school. Unlike my old high school where we could wear whatever we want- from pajamas to Crocs, Kerrington had a strict uniform dress code which consisted of all their male students wearing dark blue or black slacks, a white or light blue collared shirt and all their female students to wear a blue plaited skirt, white or light blue button up blouse and close toed shoes.

I smooth my hand over my skirt, enjoying the way my black combat boots added a little edge to the uniform. Once I'm sure I look good, I grab my backpack off the floor next to the mirror and head out.

It's only six in the morning and lucky for me no one in this house is an early riser. I walk as softly as my boots will let me down the hall and start to head for the kitchen but pause when I see Otis sitting in the recliner. He must've fallen asleep there last night.

I clear my throat, trying to act like he doesn't make me nervous. "Good morning."

Otis smiles, pleased that I remembered my manners and I have to fight the urge to roll my eyes.

Figuring I'd done my due diligence I continue to head towards the kitchen for a bottle of water. I'd get breakfast at school.

"So I guess you thought no one would notice you waking up early and leaving?" Otis left his spot on the couch and came into the kitchen.

"I didn't think anyone cared." I admit, opening the fridge. "So, where's my mom?" I ask, hoping to get his eyes off my ass which I could feel were on me.

"You know I've been real good to you and your momma. How about a thank you?" Otis asks, ignoring my previous questions.

Was he serious? He's living with us- not the other way around.

But I thank him anyways, whatever I had to do to pacify him. "Thank you."

"I think you can do a lot better than that." He takes a step closer to me.

"I'm gonna miss the bus." I try to step around him but he blocks my path.

"You have a few minutes you can spare for a proper thank you." Otis tells me. "You are so fine..." He takes another step closer to me.

I try to move around him but he grabs both my arms, causing me to drop my water bottle on the floor. "Let me go!" I struggle to get out of his grasp which he seems to enjoy because he smiles before pushing me against the fridge.

"Let's see what's under that sexy little skirt of yours huh?" Otis says before he puts his hand on my thigh.

"Mom!" I cry out before kneeing him in his privates. Otis grunts before falling over and I take the opportunity to make a run for it.

"Come here you bitch!" Otis grabs my arm again, pulling me to him and I have no time to react before his lips crash against mine.

"Otis!" My mom screams and immediate relief washes over me. "What the hell is going on?"

"Mom," I put some distance between Otis and I. "He was all over me."

"That's a damn lie, baby." Otis argues.

"Oh yeah? So what do you call trying to feel me up under my skirt and kissing me?" I demand.

"Well when you walk around looking like a damn porn star what do you think is gonna happen Talia? Otis is a man." She defends. "I don't know why that damn school got you girls walking around like that. It's no reason you got teachers coming up in my house making house calls. Is that how you getting all these good grades? And what was wrong with your old school? You think you too good for us Talia?"

I can't be hearing her correctly. Is she honestly blaming me for Otis coming on to me? My mom hasn't been a mom for a long time, not since my dad left us. She took it hard and that's when the drugs came in. Somewhere along the line I became the parent and she became the child but I never thought she'd turn on me like this- for a man she barely knows.

"Mom, if there's any part of you that love me at all, you will choose me and make Otis leave."

"She ain't gonna choose you." Otis says cockily. "I got the good stuff right here baby." He pulls out a little bag of white powder and the way my mom's face lights up you'd think he was showing her a Diamond ring.

"Mom?" I call out to her but she doesn't hear me, she's too hypnotized by the little white powder, following it and Otis back into the bedroom, leaving me standing there.

You're gonna be late for school.

School should the last thing on my mind right now but I need the distraction and I have nowhere else to go. I go into autopilot mode. I leave the house, catch the bus and manage to make it to my first period class on time. Somehow I make it through my first two periods without falling apart.

But now it's Nick's class.

I tell myself I can pull through; it's just a couple more hours then I go-

Go where? I can't go home.

"Do you plan on standing up the whole time Ms. Davis?"

I blink to see the entire class turned around in their desk looking at me, including Nick who stands at the front of the class. When did I get here?

I take a seat without a word.

Class begins and I'm vaguely listening to Nick, I mean Mr. Cross, talking about a pop quiz before Spring break. Was today an early release day?

Nick continues to talk. Maybe about questions on the quiz or maybe about the homework he assigned on Friday. I can't hear him anymore because suddenly I feel Otis's hands gripping my inner thigh, fighting to touch me where no guy ever has. Suddenly I feel his lips against mine, rough and dry and begging for entrance. I can feel my eyes burning, but I refuse to cry here.

Breathe. Just breathe, Talia.

"Ms. Davis? Step outside for a moment. You're clearly not here today so you can leave. I'll be out in just a second and we'll see if we can bring back down to earth with the rest of us." Nick says, making a few students laugh.

I don't even care. I'm grateful to be getting out of this class. I pick up my backpack and duck out the door and stand in the empty hallways.

I close my eyes and clasp a hand over my mouth to keep the sob from escaping my lips.

"Talia."

Oh, God. Please no.

"Go back inside your classroom Mr. Cross." I tell him.

"That's not happening. Talk to me Talia. What's wrong?"

The halls were shaking or maybe it was me. I didn't know anymore.

"What's wrong? What's not wrong?" I laugh bitterly. "Let's see. My dad completely abandoned my mother and me when I was ten years old and my mother, Angela Davis, that lovely woman you met yesterday, fell into depression and started doing drugs, which is how she met Otis, who is her supplier. And speaking of Otis, he decided this morning that I needed to show him a little bit more appreciation and kissed me and put his hands up skirt." I spat. "And it gets better, because when I asked my mom to choose between me and the drugs, she chose the drugs. I lost my mom and home and it's not even eleven in the morning. So excuse me, Mr. Cross for not paying attention in class this morning. I have a lot of shit I need to deal with."

I turn and Nick doesn't try to stop me. I don't think about where I'm going. I just run. I run from him, from school, and I run from reality.