“That’s Odom’s room.” By now Nesha was fully crying as we stood outside the bedroom where we could hear the tussling going on.
Unsure of what to expect, I quietly pushed the door open. The image inside Odom’s room looked just like the rest of the house. I took it all in and then I landed on them and everything became fuzzy.
“Oh my God,” Nesha wept.
My hands squeezed into tight fists. My jaw became tight from grinding on my back teeth so hard. My nose flared. My breathing became crazy. A familiar feeling. A familiar snap.
Seeing Mr. Ryan pinning Odom down, who was crying with snot and blood coming out of his nose and mouth. His eyes even had turned red like a blood vessel burst. Mr. Ryan, a grown-ass man who was supposed to be his foster parent, sat holding a belt around Odom’s neck while he raped him.
I saw red. I heard nothing but static. I saw my dad beating my brothers.
With all my strength I pushed Mr. Ryan off of Odom and started beating him with my fist. The nasty fucker got his bearings and started fighting me back. We fought and fought. I could tell he was getting tired; I wasn’t. I was too filled with adrenaline, anger, and sadness to stop.
Somehow, I slipped and landed on the floor. He managed to get on top of me and tried to use the same belt to strangle me. I looked around for something to hit him with. My eyes landed under Odom’s bed where he kept his gun. Without thinking twice, I reached for the gun and smashed him in the face with it. The force behind the hit made him stumble. I kept hitting him and hitting him until he was the one on his hands and knees begging for me to stop.
Remembering every time, I watched Odom limp. Every time he was afraid to go home. Remembering Nesha crying for her brother. I removed the safety from the gun and shot two bullets through Mr. Ryan’s head. With no remorse or feeling of guilt I watched his body slump over. Staring at his body I felt relieved knowing that Odom wouldn’t have to worry about him anymore.
“Amell. Amell. Amell.” Nesha shook my arm until I finally snapped out of the haze I’d been in since opening the door. I glanced around and found Odom backed in a corner crying.
“What are we going to do? Mrs. Ryan just pulled up?” Nesha panicked pulling on my arm.
“Damn.”
We were going to jail. If she was outside, then I had no time to call Mitch for him to handle this situation like he did with my dad. At least now my brothers had a good family to take care of them while I went to prison.
“Go. Get out of here.” Odom slowly stood. He looked like a different person. I became angry and wanted to kill Mr. Ryan all over again.
“What? No. I’m not leaving you. I killed him.” I snatched the gun out of his reach. The sound of a car door closing made us all freeze. “Amell, leave. This is my mess. Nesha, take him out the back door.”
“No, Odom. Don’t take the rap for this. I did it and I’d do it again because he hurt you.”
Odom looked off and I knew he didn’t want me to see him cry but right now wasn’t the time for him to be prideful. “Please go, Amell. If you’re my friend, leave. Leave, Amell.” He eased the gun out of my hand.
“What the hell is going on here?” We jumped hearing the sound of Mrs. Ryan’s voice.
“Go, Amell. Leave, now. Nesha, take him through the back. Hurry up.” He shoved us out of the room.
Nesha took my hand and we ran through the utility room until we reached the back of the house. As soon as we stepped out of the house, we heard Mrs. Ryan’s chilling scream. Hopping the fence, we raced back to the front of the house where neighbors were starting to gather.
“I have to go back for Odom. The police need to know what Mr. Ryan was doing to him.” Nesha jumped in my arms, her trembling body hugging me. “Thank you for what you did. Thank you for helping Odom.” She kissed my cheek and ran back around to the backyard.
It felt like I was in a movie, watching from across the street as the police cars flew down the street and stopped in front of their house. The block was packed with cops and people in a matter of seconds, but not once did anyone stop and pay attention to me; the kid with a shirt covered in blood from the gun splatter and a bruised and beaten face. Mitch somehow found me and asked what happened. I couldn’t open my mouth to speak.
Two hours after the cops had come the crowd gasped seeing Odom being escorted in handcuffs by two officers. He locked eyes with me and I’m not sure what his expression read. Part of me felt like he blamed me for getting involved and the other half was unsure. After Odom was driven away next came the coroner’s office taking away Mr. Ryan in a black body bag on a gurney. Mrs. Ryan cried hysterically and even tried to get in the back of the van. What really made me ready to go was seeing Nesha with two duffle bags on her arms and getting in a car with her friend’s mom.
On the drive home, Mitch asked again what happened and I finally told him. Once I finished I expected him to lecture me about dipping in other people’s business and how Odom probably would go to jail because of me, but he didn’t. Instead, he told me that whatever I did from here on out, that I needed to make sure that I looked out for O’Nesha. I took her protector away and she’d need someone to be there for her now
In a year’s time, I had killed two people for hurting the ones I loved. Life I knew had definitely changed and something told me that this was just the beginning…
The Prelude
The beginning of who they are…
Chapter 1
Krishna 16 Years Old
“What’s up, Krishna. You look nice today.” Shit.
“Hey, Gavin. You look nice today too.”
Out of all the days in the world for the captain of the football team to speak to me, it would be the day when I’m dressed as a dark Vader emo. Normally I wore something couture and fancy from a Beverly Hills boutique, but Aunt Flo had graced me a visit and I refused to be that sophomore girl who bleeds out on herself.
Since fifth grade, I’ve been trying my hardest to get Gavin Scott to notice me. He’s like the dream guy to all teenage girls in Los Angeles. Came from a well-known prominent family. His father is a retired football player and his mother is a criminal defense lawyer. All of the Scott children came out the womb beautiful and all I wanted to do was rub my nose along Gavin’s peanut butter skin. Sniff his sweaty football pants and drink from his Gatorade bottle.
“Keep flirting with that boy and Ebony is going to beat your ass.” Sometimes I wondered if Beck valued our friendship like I expected her to have my back regardless of who a boy may or may not be attached to. But that’s what I get for placing high hopes in a black girl named Beck.
“Am I supposed to care, Beck? Ebony can try me all she wants to, but I promise I will mop the ground with her ugly ass.” My eyes followed Gavin and the rest of the jocks as they walked around the cafeteria. Playfully, they wrestled with each other. Spoke to those they passed and winked at the shy girls who they knew would never stand a chance with them.
“All I’m saying is…” Damn Beck.
“Is that all you’re getting, Beck? I’m telling you right now, don’t touch my fries once we get our food. If you want something else get it now cause I ain’t sharing.” If you ever wanted to see my temper, touch my food. Beck knew I hated it when she said she didn’t want something and then asked for a ‘taste’ once I got my food. Today was not the day to play with me about my loaded cheese fries.