Her Wife And Kids

sixty

"Damn. You really do like her! Andrew owes me 20" His mouth drops before bursting into a fit of laughter.

"You can't even look me in the eye to deny it" He continues laughing hysterically while clapping his hands like a seal.

"Ok enough" I wave him off.

Is it really that obvious?...

I can't believe they bet on it. "Nah but ain't she married? Y'all just some nasty mofos" He laughs again.

"Justin!" I warn. My voice stern and forbidding.

"Fine I'll stop"

"Thank you. Now back to why I initially asked for you" I tie my hair up. Why it feel like 100 degrees all of a sudden.

"Life is life miss. I really don't understand your purpose in asking"

"My purpose is to understand you Justin. And by that, hopefully I can help you excel in life and get you back on the right path"

"Back on the right path?" He scoffs "We're two different people. My right may be wrong to you but at the end of the day I don't care what you think"

"Maybe you can help me understand the right in your path" I ask curious of his response.

"Nah, you tryna get me in trouble. I'm not falling for that"

"Justin, I don't know if you remember but when you first came to this school we had a long talk. Just you, your mother and I"

"I remember" He lowers his head staring down at his shoes.

"And do you remember what we talked about that day?"

"Mmhmm"

"Justin look at me" He looks up teary eyed.

"What promise did I make to your mother?"

"You promised her a good education for me. One that'll prepare me for college, she was always so obsessed about me attending college" Justin smiles eyes fixed on the window.

"She's probably hates me...the path I chose" His smile fades as tears cascade down his cheeks.

"Knowing your mother she'd never stop loving you. But I did promise her this Justin, and I've failed you once, I don't want to do it again. Seeing as we're near the end of the school year..."

"If anything I failed myself. I think like that too, sometimes I hate the person I've become but it's hard to go back...my stepdad expects me to be one way and mother I promised my mother I would work hard to be another. But it's hard. I-" He swallows his spit.

When I look into his eyes a cold shiver runs through my skin.

"I ran away from home. The home my mother worked hard to own...I learned I can't live up to her expectations in that house. It's like walking into a crime scene every day. I had to leave miss, I'm homeless now but I feel more free emotionally, physically and mentally"

I hadn't noticed I was crying till the wetness hit my arm.

Before I knew it he was in my arms sobbing his eyes out. The last time I seen him like this was a week after his mother was reported dead.

"I'm scared to ask for help. The last time I did that I ended up in my stepdads care. I don't want to go back"

"I hear you sweety but it's not safe out there"

He pulls back from me angered. "And you think Dereck is any better?! I'm not going back miss, see this is why you can't trust adults. Y'all think you know what's best, you don't understand my situation. I'm tired of getting beat up by a grown man for the simpliest shit. Miss I'm not going back, I can't!" He repeats breathless in his tone.