Damaged by Kia DuPree Read Free Book Online Page B

acted different whenever I did that to him, like he just couldn’t help himself. I always felt like what me and Mr.
     Big did wasn’t right, but I ain’t know how to stop, or if I stopped what would happen to me. Danica was God knows where, for
     real. I still ain’t caught up with Mama. She wasn’t out there looking for me, and I wasn’t really looking for her, either.
     The Brinkleys made sure I had food and a bed to sleep in, but now that Chu was buying me my clothes and keeping money in my
     pocket, I ain’t really need Mr. Big sneaking it to me no more.
    That night when I got home, he came in my room like he always did, long after Mrs. Brinkley was in a deep sleep. When he climbed
     on top of me, I laid still as usual, listening to him grunt as he stuck his dick in and out a few times. He moaned real loud
     and let the sticky stuff get on my stomach.
    “Hurry up and wipe that off, Nectar,” he said, handing me a roll of toilet paper. “I don’t want your Mama asking me about
     the sheets again.”
    I rolled my eyes and wiped myself off. Now I knew for sure that bitch knew what the fuck he had been doing to me. Mr. Big
     put his night pants back on and left something on my desk before he left.
    The next morning, when I got up I looked at the wad of bills. I sucked my teeth, counted the money, and stuffed the crinkled
     dollars in my purse. It was enough to get the cute pair of True Religions I wanted. I sent Shakira a text to see if she wanted
     to skip school and head up Georgetown. She hit me back:
DWN 4 ?EVA.
School was almost over for the summer, so we was skipping like every other day anyway. As soon as I got out the house, I
     called her. We planned to meet at the bus stop on Rhode Island Avenue.
    Her and Rob ain’t become a couple like me and Chu. All Shakira ever wanted to do was talk about how Rob had fucked her and
     never called her back. I mean, I felt bad for her, but not really. She was a cute girl and could dress, so she could pull
     another dude easy. I wished she would stop acting like he was the only guy she could get.
    We looked around for a while, and then after I bought my jeans and she bought a cute red pair of stiletto sandals, we went
     to get something to eat. After that we decided to go to the movies, just to pass time.
    Around three o’clock, we went up to the rec center to see who was out there. We saw Nissa and Lauren and waved, even though
     we only spoke just cuz she was in charge of Ebony Fire.
    “That bitch is so fake,” I mumbled.
    “Damn, like that? You still don’t like Nissa?”
    “Nope.”
    “Why not?”
    “I don’t know. I guess cuz I can tell she still be hating on me.”
    “You think?”
    “Yeah. I be seeing her staring at me in practice. She don’t think I see her, but I do.”
    “Hmmm,” Shakira said. “I think she still scared of you.”
    “Maybe. Anyway, let’s go. Ain’t nobody up here.”
    Shakira followed me out of the building and we walked down the street, still carrying our shopping bags and book bags. Her
     cell phone rang and she started chatting away. I pulled my phone out, realizing Chu hadn’t called me all day. I dialed him
     up and listened as his phone went straight to voicemail. That was strange.
    “Hey, babe, it’s me. Haven’t heard from you all day. I’m about to go in the house like in twenty minutes, so you know it’s
     gonna be hard to talk to you. Call me back.”
    Shakira and I kept walking till we got to her corner and then we separated. I stopped at the corner store to buy a fruit punch
     and some Doritos, hoping to give Chu more time. After a while, when he didn’t call, I went in the house.
    Mrs. Brinkley was sitting in the living room watching
Oprah
when I walked in the door.
    “Hi, Mama,” I said before going to the kitchen.
    “You went shopping again?”
    “Um, yes, ma’am,” I said, opening the refrigerator out of habit, since it wasn’t like I was hungry. “You seen Jayson?”
    “No. He isn’t home