Christian

Renee*

I drove to my son's school with our lunch around 12 pm. When I walked into the school's main office my next door neighbor just happened to be the secretary behind the desk and she immediately had my visitor's pass ready and just needed me to sign Christian's check out slip for her.

"Hey Renee. How are you?"

"Hey Ivy. I'm great. How's Miles and the baby?"

She glanced behind me and I saw the principal come behind me and quickly zipped my lips. He didn't know about her pregnancy or that we knew each other outside of school.

It was rare when I checked Christian out early but with Christian recently being skipped 3 grades ahead, they didn't mind.

"Going on a business trip?" The Principal asked me. He knew of me since Christian was sent home with a F a while back for writing in cursive in his 3rd grade class. His teacher refused to hear me out and change his grade or test him to see if he could be moved up into a higher grade. I'll admit now I was petty, I sent the paper to the board and reported her. The next week or so the teacher was fired and Christian was moved up to 5th grade. I didn't feel bad either.

"Yep. I'll be gone tomorrow morning and won't be back till the next day."

"Do you want me to call him down or let you surprise him?" Ivy asked me.

I smiled, "A surprise would be great."

"You remember his home room right?"

"Yep. Room 505."

"Yes ma'am."

I walked to his class, peering in from the door. He was in the little reading nook sitting in a beanbag, reading a book while the other children were taking a test. I knew he had already finished all his work and by the wide smile on the teacher's face to see me, he had passed with an A+. Like always.

She made her way to me and I stepped into the doorway.

"Good Afternoon, Mrs. Mack."

"Good Afternoon, Ms. Renee, picking Christian up early today?"

"Yeah. I have a long business trip tomorrow and wanted to spend a little extra time with him today. I'll be gone for two days."

"Thats no problem. I've been meaning to contact you about Christian's test results. He is still off our charts, I know we have just moved him up to 5th grade but he is actually quite too advanced for this school. Homeschooling has shown to have great results."

"Thank you." I said smiling so hard. Hearing that was everything to me. I had home schooled him out of fear until Chris talked me into putting him into public school. He assured us me that me and Christian were under his protection and safe and I needed to stop babying Christian.

"So I need to put him in middle school already?"

"Yeah but don't worry, I've written down the name and information about the best charter school in our city here. I can guarantee that he'll excel there. Especially since he hates it here."

"What ? He hates it here?"

"He really ignores the other students." She sighed. "He barely tolerates me."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. He's an angel compared to these-"

The students, noticing the attention of the teacher's elsewhere began to whisper, causing Christian to look up in annoyance. When he finally saw me in the doorway, he was surprised then he beamed at me. "Hey mom!"

He looked so relieved that I felt bad, he'd never told me he hated this school. He immediately began getting his things and met me at the door. "Hey baby."

"What's for lunch today?" He asked, trying to take the containers of food from my hands.

"You gonna have to wait and see like always." I said smacking his hand away from our food.

"Ugh Ma!" I laughed at him as he pretended to choke himself.

Before we left, his teacher handed me his test results and a voucher which was basically a personal recommendation letter that would help Christian get accepted into the school. The school was expensive but brilliant children who couldn't afford it could go for free. It wasn't really going to be a problem after tomorrow but I just thanked her and turned to hug my son.

"I'm sorry Christian."

"For what Mom?" He asked. "Nothing's wrong."

"I'm sorry you hated it here and I didn't know. I'm so sorry." I whispered.

He groaned. "Its fine mom. I didn't want you to worry."

I kissed his forehead. "Its my job to worry baby."

Afterward eating lunch together, we met up with Christopher at Sky zone but I didn't tell them what had happened immediately. Later, when me made to the house I told them.

"Today I was close by downtown, I was picking out a suit for the job I have tomorrow and a white male started an altercation with me-"

"Did you drop him like you taught me to?" Christian asked.

"Damn straight, bet, she did." Christopher said, trying to bet Christian.

"Yes, but only after he put his hands on me.-"

"-Told you Christian!" Christopher yelled, fist pumping the air.

"-Like I've said before Christian, we are not our ancestors and these white people will either respect us or get these hands."

"Yes ma'am. With time, the schools will have to grow more diverse so hopefully we can, in that time, prove these stereotypes wrong." He said.

"That's right baby."

After our discussion, Christian was nodding off. Christopher carried him into his room and tucked him in his bed, while I packed his clothes for tomorrow.

"Mommy." He said half asleep.

"Yes baby?"

"Everybody I talk to at school have both of their parents, Uncle Chris is a great male role model but where is my Dad?"

My heart broke.

"He just isn't with us anymore baby."

Christian was very mature for his age and picked up instantly that I was uncomfortable with the question but he also was my son, and with that came my stubbornness.

"Well can I have a real daddy for Christmas, Ma?"

"I will ask Santa." I whispered to him looking directly at Chris. I kissed his cheek and followed Chris to the living room

"You know I got you, babygirl. Fuck his daddy, I got y'all." He said, calming me. Christian's father was a terrible man whom I'd ran away from 8 years ago, he didn't know about Christian and no matter what, I intended to keep it that way. It was the only way we'd both be safe.

"F*ck!"

**

Lamar*

As I sat in one of the private clinics I owned, getting a brace put on my wrist, I couldn't stop thinking about that woman. Not only did I feel guilty, like the piece of shit that I was, I also couldn't believe a small petite female handled my ass like that.

I couldn't get angry because I knew I was wrong for talking to her like that. She didn't deserve the anger that was reserved for the issues I dealt with on a daily basis. Issues that derived from my parents. And women.

Women who came at me just because of who I was. These women who only wanted to use me and play petty games. I had 3 false pregnancy scares this week alone from women I didn't even know.

I was convinced women really were the root of all evil. I hadn't touched a woman in months. The last woman... Let's not even go there. I had to get a handle on myself because I was becoming someone I despised, it sucked because I had nobody with balls who could call me on on my bullshit and put me in place like I needed. Hell my own sister had stopped talking to me.

I had to find that woman.