The Slave Across the Street by Theresa L. Flores

Author:Theresa L. Flores
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Ampelon Publishing
Published: 2010-06-07T04:30:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Two: Paying My Final Dues

Typing was my last class of the school day. The teacher handed out a paper to copy on our individual typewriters. The room was silent except for the hypnotic sound of keys hitting paper. No conversations, just kids concentrating on fingering, letters, and paper. The class was located in the same hallway as my locker. Randy, a cute Jewish boy whose locker was next to mine, was standing there. He was popular, smart, handsome, and rich, and we often joked around. With my back to the hall, pulling out my notebook, I heard something change in Randy’s voice. I looked over at him. Randy stood frozen. Then I turned and saw Nick and his cousin. “Get lost, kid.” Nick looked threateningly at Randy. Randy looked at me apologetically, and then ran down the hall to class as the bell rang. “I have to get to class,” I pleaded. “I can’t be late.”

“Do you really think we care, Theresa?” Nick stepped closer. “We need you after school for something very special.”

“I can’t Nick. My mom is expecting me home right after school.” “It wasn’t a request.” He backed me against my locker. “Be there.” As he reached for my throat, the typing classroom door opened and the teacher peeked out. “Theresa, are you coming?”

“Yeah…”

“She’ll be there when I’m finished with her.” Nick stepped toward her. She stared at him, nodded her head, and went back into the classroom. Nick and his cousin left, laughing down the hall. In class, the teacher avoided looking at me. I realized she was also afraid of Nick. The teacher never spoke to me again for the rest of the school year.

*******

After class, I wasn’t surprised to see Daniel waiting by my locker. Randy returned to his locker but didn’t look my way. Our joking around was long gone. I followed Daniel to the parking lot.

As we neared his car, I saw my friend Janie near a fancy car with an older Chaldean guy. I recognized him. He was the man with the knife who raped me. He gave me an evil smile. Janie, had been flirting with him, and hurriedly turned away when she saw me watching.

No, no. Not her too.

Seated in Daniel’s Trans Am, I began, “I can’t do this anymore. This is the last time.”

“I know,” he said sadly. “I don’t know how you have survived this long.”

“They can give the pictures to my parents. I don’t care.”

“OK. I will ask them again.”

“Tell them. This is it. No more. I want the pictures. I’ve done more than enough to earn them, Daniel.”

“I might finally be able to convince them.”

We drove to a part of Detroit I had never been to before. This was an upper class neighborhood. In the middle of the night, we usually went to Daniel’s family home. After school, it was usually to unknown, unfamiliar places.

I remembered my dog that I would never get back.

Daniel parked. He seemed more apprehensive than usual. The driveway was full of cars.

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