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Post by ladytoodee44 on May 18, 2013 22:34:36 GMT -5
"Sixteen...I'll be seventeen in a few months."
"And who do you live with?"
"Myself." Her eyes widened. "My dad put me in his will. His money was given to me and I had to leave. I was umm...pretty much treated like a slave. So my boss who is like my mom helped me get a place of my own. She cosigned as my guardian."
"So your father is dead right?"
"Well no...he was on death row, but not anymore. I'm not sure why, but he's not."
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Post by Desaree on May 19, 2013 15:10:36 GMT -5
"Do you know where he is right now?"
"I got a letter a little while ago where he said he was gonna come and see me, but that never happened."
"Did he specify when he was coming?"
"No."
"Okay, and does your boss have any legal custody of you?"
"No."
"Did your stepmother sign any documents stating that you could live alone?"
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Post by ladytoodee44 on May 19, 2013 17:07:05 GMT -5
"I believe she did, but I'm not sure."
"Well we're going to have to do an investigation, because this is really an interesting case. Here take this number and take a seat for me miss."
"Okay thank you." I took the number and took a seat.
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Post by Desaree on May 19, 2013 17:22:33 GMT -5
I looked around the room and noticed that there were at least ten other people there. I checked the time on my phone and noticed that school would be starting in less than twenty minutes. I knew that we wouldn't make it back in time.
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Post by ladytoodee44 on May 19, 2013 19:12:38 GMT -5
"I think you should just go ahead so you won't be late." I said to Traci.
"No I'm staying right here with my bestie."
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Post by Desaree on May 21, 2013 15:36:34 GMT -5
"If you insist."
We waited for another thirty minutes before someone was ready to talk to us. The lady at the front desk called us back up and sent us to a room where we could speak with an officer.
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Post by ladytoodee44 on May 21, 2013 19:33:52 GMT -5
I told him everything from day one when I got to my stepmothers house. I didn't leave any details out either. I made sure he was making a note of everything.
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Post by Desaree on May 27, 2013 17:09:37 GMT -5
"Alright, Cindy," he said as he closed his notepad. "I just have one quick question."
"What is it?"
"Are you staying with any type of legal adult?"
"Huh?"
"From what you've told me, it doesn't sound like your stepmother would have signed anything that gives you the right to live alone at your age, so are you staying with another adult?"
"Yeah."
"Who is it?"
I thought about saying Merce since he was technically legal, but I didn't think saying that I lived with my boyfriend would work too well in my favor. And I couldn't say Vickie because I had already told him the situation with her.
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Post by ladytoodee44 on Jun 4, 2013 18:56:48 GMT -5
I thought quickly and figured a little white lie would hurt.
"Come on I don't have all day."
"I live with a family friend."
"Their name."
"Merce...well that's what everyone calls him."
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Post by Desaree on Jun 21, 2013 18:45:21 GMT -5
"How old is he?"
"He's... twenty-one."
"And you live alone with him?"
"Not necessarily."
"What does that mean?"
I didn't answer. He sighed and continued. "Can I have his number?"
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Post by ladytoodee44 on Jun 22, 2013 21:22:09 GMT -5
I nodded then took out my phone. I gave him Merce's number knowing Merce would probably be a little upset since he thought he could handle it. The officer paused and wrote a couple things down before getting up to leave.
"Wait!" He stopped and turned around. "What do I do?"
"Well this is the part where you go about your business and let the police do their job." He said in a childish tone.
"Look I just want to be safe so it's nothing you all can do?"
"No not until something happens. They're probably going to investigate for a couple weeks. So all you need to do is go home and let us worry about it. Anything else?" He said and I shook my head no before he left. I went to the front desk and received my copy of the police report.
"So what do we do now doll?" Tracey ask.
"Go to school...I guess."
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Post by Desaree on Jun 23, 2013 11:03:57 GMT -5
***
Thirty minutes later, we were sitting in the office of our school, waiting to get late passes. There were only two other students in there for the same reason.
"Tracey," Ms. Williams called.
Tracey looked up from the latest issue of Ebony magazine, which he carried in his book bag. "Yes?"
"Here's your pass."
He got up and walked over to where she was sitting. "Thank you," he said as he took the pass out of her hand. He looked back and waved at me before leaving the office.
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Post by ladytoodee44 on Jun 24, 2013 5:05:39 GMT -5
"Cindy."
I came over to the desk. "Yes ma'am."
"Here you go."
"Thank you."
I walked to my locker to put my stuff away and something just didn't feel right. It was a moment when I wish I had a parent to call on or even Vicki. I turned around and the two students that was in the office with me were headed my way. They had this real suspicious look to them and the closer they got the more I started to sweat, tremble and fumble with my books. Just when I thought they were headed for me they turned the corner. That's when I caught a glimpse of Evilene's daugters and that's when I knew something was up. She was going to do anything just to get that money, but I wasn't letting up.
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Post by Desaree on Jun 24, 2013 22:59:45 GMT -5
I rushed up the stairs to my class and walked inside. I handed my teacher my pass and sat at my desk.
"Thanks for joining us today, Cindy," he said as he sat the assignment on my desk.
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Post by ladytoodee44 on Jun 25, 2013 20:41:07 GMT -5
I looked toward the door and Zonnique was looking in the window at me. I was necessarily scared of her, but after what her mom or what her mom got someone to do to Vicki...I had a reason to be terrified. I went through my whole day of school watching my back and nervously looking around for any dangers. I hope I didn't have to live like this, but in order to survive I may have to.
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Post by Desaree on Jun 27, 2013 15:55:35 GMT -5
When school ended, I met Tracey at the front as usual.
"What's up, girl?" he asked. "You look spooked."
"I'm fine," I lied.
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, well, I'm not riding the bus home today. I'm riding with my cousin. I'll call you later."
"Okay, later."
Right after Tracey walked away and I started walking towards the bus, Merce's car pulled up to the school. I started walking towards him with a confused expression on my face.
"Why you looking like that? Get in the car," he ordered.
I did so without hesitation, because he looked upset and I wasn't used to seeing him like that.
"Where's your boy Tracey? He need a ride?"
"No, he's riding with someone else."
Merce put the car in drive and drove off. We were both quiet for a long time, and I could practically see steam coming out of his ears. After about ten minutes, he finally spoke. "You went to the police station earlier and told them what was going on. Why?"
"Because I needed help."
"Am I not here?"
"You are, but you-"
"I told you I handled it, right?"
"Yes, but the problem didn't stop."
"And it's not going to now because I can't follow through on what I was gonna do with the cops involved."
"You told me that you had handled it, not that you were in the process of handling it."
"Well, it doesn't matter now, does it?"
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Post by ladytoodee44 on Jun 27, 2013 16:18:54 GMT -5
I rolled my eyes and looked out of the window. I really wasn't in the mood for Merce's to be lecturing me. If he was going to take care of the problem at a later date he should have said so, but now he says something. I can't walk around feeling unsafe and expecting him not to do something eventually.
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Post by Desaree on Jun 27, 2013 16:38:11 GMT -5
"If you woulda just chilled for a few more days, I would have taken care of everything," Merce continued as he pulled into the parking lot of McDonalds. He put the car in park and turned it off. "The last thing I need is the cops calling my phone, you dig?"
I nodded.
Merce stared at me for a few seconds, then shook his head. "Let's go inside, man."
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Post by ladytoodee44 on Jun 27, 2013 16:44:06 GMT -5
We ordered our food and sat down to eat. All was quiet and I really didn't have much to say.
"So what you gonna do now?" Merce asked with a little bit of an attitude.
"Wait for the police. It's nothing I can do and I'm scared as hell." I paused. "Merce I don't want to die." I started tearing up a little.
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Post by Desaree on Jun 27, 2013 16:50:26 GMT -5
He reached across the tables and wiped my tears away. "Chill with all that, Cindy. You ain't about to die."
"How can you be so sure?"
"'Cause I ain't gon' let nobody touch you, word to mine. They'll have to kill me first, ma, and them niggas Smith and Wesson won't let that happen."
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