Secrets In The City

19.2: Exposed

LILLIAN

MINUTES after I got off the phone with Brena, I text Damien to come over before heading to the shower. When I stepped out, my phone pinged. It was a text from Chyna.

I'm tight. Class got canceled.

She was upset because she didn't see the email before arriving at school. I was thankful that I wasn't dressed yet and because that was the only course I had today.

I slip on a black on black Puma pull-over hoodie and sweatpants. My hair was still wet so I let it air-dry by leaving it out in its natural state. With eye-lashes and lip-gloss only, I take my cellphone and wallet and go downstairs to the kitchen.

Settling for Special K Vanilla & Almond cereal, I spew Califa Farms Vanilla Almond Milk into the deep white ceramic bowl then poured the cereal in. Milk before the cereal, take notes.

I walk over to the couch to turn on the TV while taking a spoonful of my breakfast. As I sat down, the doorbell rang. I reduced the volume with the remote then placed my plate down on the glass table that sat in front of the TV in the living room.

When I get to the door, my height increases when I push my feet off the ground to look through the peephole. It was Damien. I hastily open the door to let him in.

"Wassup baby girl." He hugs me before peeking my right cheek while stepping inside.

His scent is a mixture of weed and spicy cologne. It was intoxicating. I pull him inside by tugging his jacket instead of returning his kiss.

"You Aigh? Why you acting paranoid?" He questions with concern garnished in his tone while removing his jacket.

"There's someone following me." I respond, peeking through the window to see if I could spot the car that was following me.

"Woah, what you said?" Damien practically roars like an injured lion as my eyes inspected the area carefully.

I sighted the car. It was parked by Ms.Martha's house. "Shh!" I exclaim when I turned around placing my index finger over his mouth to silence him.

I look back outside and discover that the car was parked near a big tree. The tree's branches were covering it while it's bark shone like the right kind of gold. Rushing over to the couch, I plop down on the couch to eat my cereal before it gets way too soggy.

"You not gonna tell me what you meant by that?"

I gulp the chewed bits down and turn to him. "Alright." I swallow before I continued. Damien turns to me and rests his back on the couch.

"Three times now, I've seen a black Toyota Avalon following me. The day I left your house after brunch. When I came back from school a couple of days ago and last night."

Damien gets up on his feet. "They outside right now? Why ain't tell me?" He walks over to the window.

I glance at the cereal and back at him. I groan as I contemplated and quickly took two more spoonfuls before walking over to him.

"Look to your left-hand side. You see that navy blue house with the grey Escalade in the front right?" He nods and takes his gaze to the direction I was pointing to.