by Sequaia
“Come on.” Taking him by the wrist, I led him toward a Porta Potty.
“Why are you bringing me in here?” He frowned. A stench filled the air, but seeing as he’d only done a quick washup before we left the restaurant after I begged him to do so, he didn’t smell that great either.
Ignoring his question, I grabbed the buckle of his pants, unfastening them as I placed my lips on his. Massaging his manhood, I couldn’t help hating that in a few years, when it grew a little more, another girl would get to enjoy him, and she would absolutely fall in love. At 17, Prentice was packing. This I knew because, against my will, I’d been able to experience the girth of a grown man.
“You want to do this in here? I’d never—”
I cut him off. “Yes, I do. Please don’t ruin this moment with words.”
Even though he smelled a few stenches better than a garbage truck, I wanted the last time I slept with someone to be consensual. I also needed to feel him, to hold me over, since there was no telling when I’d see him again—if I saw him again. I dropped my pants, panties included, turned, and placed my hands in a frisk position against the wall in front of him. Glancing over my shoulder, I could tell he was battling with his lust and morals. Those morals were going to lose. I was making sure of it. This was the last time we’d be together, and I wanted to feel him inside of me once more. He was the only guy I yearned for, which meant a lot. It said a lot. With Prentice, I had a choice.
I hiked my ass up, thrusting into him. He got the point. As lust won, he slipped into my warm silky walls, stroking my insides. It didn’t last long, but still, it was worth it. Still satisfied to feel him this final time, I cleaned off with toilet paper before heading to get my bus ticket. We sat in the lobby holding hands, not speaking until the mention of my bus over the intercom.
“Prentice, it’s time for me to go.” With my right hand, I held it on the right side of Prentice’s face. Our eyes bore into each other’s as we both were silently engraving each other to memory. I didn’t want to forget his light brown eyes, even though they were currently full of remorse. Or his perfect nose and full lips.
“I don’t want you to.”
“I know, but you can’t stop me.” My tone was as gentle as it could be with such a harsh truth as I removed my hand from his face.
“You call me when you get there. Don’t get comfortable, either. I’m coming for you,” he declared, embracing me, kissing my forehead.
“I know.” I exhaled. “I hope you know I love you.” I wasn’t sure if I was trying to remind him or if I was confessing my love. Either way, I meant every word I spoke. I did love him. I do love him, which is why I was letting him go.
4
Prentice
With my head hung low, feet dragging, I continued aimlessly on my path. I didn’t know where I was going. As a matter of fact, I didn’t know anything, not since Aúrea left, taking my heart with her. The minute the bus pulled off, regret consumed me, seemingly swallowing me whole. I couldn’t think straight or even focus. The only thing I was sure of was, so far, every promise I made to her I had broken. Like a fucking failure was how I felt. Aúrea was going to do what she wanted, regardless. I knew this about her, admired this about her. Even with that in mind, I didn’t fight for her.
The sun was beginning to set as I proceeded to walk with no plan or destination in mind. I found myself bumping into stranger after stranger, not offering an apology for the shit either. It was crazy nobody cussed my ass out or ran up on me for the blatant lack of respect. Then again, if I looked as bad as I felt, they probably felt sorry for me. Probably figured I was a kid who didn’t have a soul in the world to call his own. They damn sure would’ve been right about that.
“Hey, Prentice? Back already, huh?”
I recognized the voice, though it didn’t sound as sure and authoritative as it had the first time I heard it. As tempted as I was to ignore it, I couldn’t. The same restaurant from earlier with the same guy from before was where I ended up. How ironic is that? We stared at each other, both standing outside of his place of business. His comment was a joke. It had to be intended to make me laugh when, right now, there was nothing funny. Crazy how fast life humbled me. It’s what had me choosing to remain silent until my growling stomach betrayed me once again. And just like before, he was concerned, worried about me, when I didn’t deserve his sympathy.
“Get in here and have something to eat,” he instructed.
I hesitated before ultimately going inside. I wasn’t in the mood to challenge Mr. Lewis. I was left behind for a few minutes while he headed to the back. When he returned soon after, he motioned for me to take a seat.
“I got them in there cooking something for you now.”
“’Preciate it,” I mumbled.
“What happened to Aúrea?” His eyes bore into me before he glanced around, assuming he thought she’d show up.
With nothing to say, all I could do was hide my face in my hands. It was the only thing I could do to avoid breaking down like a little bitch in front of another man. Bad enough I’d done the shit in front of Aúrea. Him? Couldn’t do it. That was a type of embarrassment I couldn’t handle.
“Is she okay at least?” he asked, and I could tell he cared. Only knowing us briefly, he cared what happened to us.
I exhaled, aware that I wasn’t getting out of the conversation. I nodded, using my thumb and middle finger to collect the moisture building in the corners of my eyes.
“I gave it to her. All of it.” I stretched my arms across the table, almost as if he could look at them and see how empty I was . . . my pockets included.
“That’s fine.”
“I’m going to pay you back,” I reminded him, not wanting to look like the boy who came around for donations.
“I don’t doubt it.” He paused. His facial expression changed like he was trying to think of what to say next. It wasn’t a long contemplation either. “Prentice, I can tell you’re a good young man. Whatever you’re going through, whatever you did or didn’t do, isn’t meant to break you. It’s a stepping-stone into the next level of your life. This is simply a lesson, no matter how hard of a lesson it may seem.”
“I guess.” I could only shrug because he had no idea what I was going through.
“A hard head will always make a soft ass, young man. I know you wanted to help and save her. You cannot make decisions for her or anyone but Prentice. Quit being down on yourself. I promise once you do that, everything will fall into place. You don’t see it now, but this all worked out exactly how it was supposed to.”
I sucked my teeth, shaking my head at this fool. How was I feeling like this and her being out in the world alone for the best? How would this shit work itself out?
“How’d you meet her, anyway? You two seem like fire and ice. Heaven and hell.” He chuckled, trying to make light of the grave situation.
“Opposites attract, don’t they?”
“That’s how the saying goes. I’d like you to elaborate, though.”
I studied him, wondering if telling him anything further about Aúrea and me was a smart choice. We weren’t his business . . . didn’t know him from a can of paint. Yet, I could tell that Mr. Lewis genuinely cared. I felt this fatherly vibe from him. I wasn’t an expert on that shit, ’cause my pops dipped years ago. Still, something told me I could talk to him. At least about something as simple as Aúrea and my meeting.
“Me and my mom had moved to Denver, into our own place, after having lived with my grandma down South. It was in the middle of my sophomore year. I wasn’t looking to make friends or meet new people ’cause I hadn’t wanted to leave behind the ones I had. Typical teenager stuff, I guess. Then she came along.”
I smirked, remembering it as if it were yesterday. Aúrea was wearing a pair of shorts not too short, but because she was thick, they looked like she would pop out of them at any moment. She wore a grey Mickey Mouse T-shirt tied in the front, revealing her flat stomach and belly button. On her fee
t were some grey and black high-top Vans. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail on top of her head, broadcasting her beautiful, blemish-free face with its almond-colored complexion. I remember thinking, Damn, she’s the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.
“It took me some time to get up the nerve to holla at her. It wasn’t until we slammed into each other at the corner store near our homes that I got the nerve to speak to her, and we clicked. She lived a couple of blocks from me, and it took that day in the corner store to build our friendship.”
“Most great love stories start like that,” he smiled.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“What do you think about Aúrea?” Why did I care? I don’t know. Maybe I needed one adult in my life to say something good about her—one person to see in her what I saw.
“I don’t know her enough to judge. What I got from a first impression is . . . She has the potential to be amazing. I can see why you care about her and want to protect her.”
He didn’t say a lot, but I’d be damned if the little he said didn’t mean something to me. To know he saw something in her like I did confirmed what I’d known all along. She was worth it. I knew her authentically. She allowed me in like she did no other. Aúrea had dreams. Goals. Heart. She also had pain and a lot of it. What she was dealing with at home, she hadn’t just come out and told me, even when there was occasional bruising, bags underneath her eyes, and worry lines doing their best to imprint her forehead permanently. With all the obvious signs, something was going on. It still took time for her to tell me.
“Can I ask you something, now?” Mr. Lewis countered. I nodded my head, looking him in the eyes. “Why did she need to run?”
I didn’t want to betray Aúrea’s trust by telling him her business. I also didn’t want to break the bond we were seeming to build by not being straightforward with him.
“She was having issues at home. Well, at her foster parents’ spot. She turns 18 in two weeks, so she decided to dip early.”
“Okay.” He nodded.
I was grateful for him to leave it at that. “I know I was acting up before, so thank you. For real.” How could I not let him know that I appreciated him? He’d looked out for me, way more than he had to. Displayed more of a caring spirit and personality than I’ve witnessed in a while.
“Don’t mention it. You’re a good kid. You’ll do good things . . . only if you stop running and go home.”
“Won’t be running anymore. What I plan to do next requires me to be home and get on my sh—I mean, get my stuff together,” I told him, and I wasn’t lying. I was going to get to Aúrea eventually, and I was going to get Von’s ass as well. Both were going to take time, so I had to plot and plan effectively.
5
Aúrea
My head practically slammed against the cold window, jolting me out of my sleep due to the bus coming to what felt like an abrupt stop. The entire drive was a bumpy one because the driver swerved as if he’d been drinking the whole trip.
“Last stop, Los Angeles, California,” the driver announced, and it felt as if my heart leaped in my chest. Nervousness and excitement were the two emotions flowing through me until I focused my attention outside the window. I didn’t see the Hollywood sign nor any fancy lights or well-dressed people walking up and down the street. The view I had in front of me was nothing like I’d seen in the movies. Instead, I saw a raggedy building and few people moving around with luggage. I silently prayed this wasn’t all L.A. had to offer. I mean, I knew it wasn’t, but from the inside, looking out of this bus, it was discouraging.
Removing my phone from my pocket to check nothing other than the time, I, instead, was bombarded with text notifications, all from Prentice. He was checking on me, wanting to make sure I had made it safely. He also apologized again while telling me he loved me and to remember he was coming for me. And those were only two of his messages that I read. The rest I ignored. Reading the rest would continue to remind me what I left behind—him, in particular, which was for the best, no matter how bad it hurt. I also believed he would come for me if he knew where to look. L.A. was a large city, and I planned to keep my whereabouts unknown once I figured out where I was going. Maybe I would send for him once I became the star I was born to be.
Until then, I had to act as if he didn’t exist, starting with not replying to his text. Placing my phone back into my jacket pocket, I stood and made my way off the bus and waited at the side for the driver to open the cargo compartment of the bus to unload my large duffle bag. Standing on the curb, I gauged my extremely disappointing surroundings. I had to have been dropped off in the hood because there was nothing clean about this area. Homeless men and women, as well as what looked to be hookers, lined the opposite side of the street. The bright orange lining the sky let me know the sun was soon to set, and I wanted to be off this street before it happened.
“Excuse me. Are you from around here?” I walked up to a girl who didn’t look much older than me. I was aware asking a stranger any kind of question was risky, but I was desperate. Besides, she didn’t look crazy, nor like a streetwalker, so I hoped I made the correct decision.
“Yeah, what’s up?” she smiled at me, and I felt relief wash over me.
At least she’s nice . . . so far.
“Are there any hotels in the area not too costly and willing to take a very-close-to-legal-aged young lady?” She turned her nose up, not like she was in disgust, more so as if she were in deep thought.
“Um, there is. I’m not sure if you’ll like it, nor if it’s even safe. But any hotel on this street should let you get a room.”
“Thank you. Um, can you tell me a better area also? This is only for the night.”
“Well, it’s not gonna be the best area, but much better than this. Try the Figueroa area.”
“Thank you so much.”
“No problem. Be safe.” She smiled right as a vehicle pulled up, and she got inside.
I removed the pocketknife I had and held it in my right hand as my left held tightly to my duffle. I was uncomfortable as hell but didn’t want to get jacked, either. With my head held high, I started up the street trying to look confident, even though I was scared shitless.
The first hotel I walked up on was called Super 7, and it had entirely too much traffic. Men and women were hanging in the front, so I kept going, moving my legs as quickly as possible, ignoring catcalls which I wasn’t sure if they were for me or not because I didn’t bother to look back. I continued up for another block and decided to stop at Motel 6. Walking up toward the front door, I immediately recognized there was no one at the front desk. There weren’t any people hanging around in front, which was significant enough for me to go inside and try my luck. When I pulled back the door, and it opened, I blew out the breath I’d been holding.
As I stepped inside, the office was eerily quiet.
Slowly, I made my way to the counter and rang the bell, hoping that it wouldn’t take long for someone to come out and help me. It didn’t take long for someone to respond to the bell. Heck, I heard whoever it was approaching before actually seeing them. The sounds of the sole of a shoe fighting to lift from the floor made its entrance before the short, white-haired man.
“Hi, do you have any rooms available? I only need it for the evening.” I asked as sweetly as possible as he stared at me skeptically.
“You have ID?” His accent was strong, and his tone firm. His Asian ethnicity was apparent, but for some reason, I didn’t expect him to sound so, well, I assumed he’d talk like me. Nodding my reply, I went into my purse, removing my identification from my wallet, and waited with bated breath as he examined it.
“Only one night?”
“Yes, tonight only.” I’m sure my desperation showed through my pleading eyes and shaky voice. The sun had gone down in the short amount of time I’d been standing here, and walking the streets right now was not something I wanted to do. I’d find somewhere in the back of this h
otel to sleep before risking being picked up by a pimp or pervert.
“Okay. One night, fifty dollars. You check out at eleven, no later.”
“I promise I will. Thank you.” Taking a fifty-dollar bill from my right sock, I gave it to the man, waiting for him to get me my room key. He looked at me oddly, more than likely because of where I retrieved the money. That was Prentice’s idea. He knew the money he gave me was all I had to my name and would be it until something worked out for me while here. He explained that the first thing someone would go for would be my bag if anyone tried me. Knowing he was right, there was no hesitation to put the money in my sock as he suggested.
“Room 201. You be careful. Lots of bad people out there,” he said as he handed me the key.
“I will. Thank you. Um, how do I get to the room?”
“You go up the front stairs right there.” He pointed to my right. “Never the back because of bad people.”
Nodding in understanding, I thanked him again, then made my way toward my room. Now I understood why this hotel seemed to be empty. Everyone hung out in the back. That’s probably where he had been, watching them to make sure no one was doing anything crazy enough to warrant the cops.
My room was the second door from the steps. I looked over my shoulder multiple times before inserting the key and opening the door. There was no shame in my paranoia, and I refused to open the door—only to be shoved inside by an unwanted guest, so as quickly as I opened the door, I shut it behind me. I found the light switch pretty fast because most hotel layouts were the same. Besides the bed, a desk and chair were next in my line of view, so dropping my bags, I took a few steps, removed the chair, and planted it underneath the doorknob. Unless they broke the window, no one was getting into this room. Feeling slightly more comfortable, I picked my bags up from the floor, placed them on the bed, and sat beside them. My phone vibrating in my pocket prompted me to retrieve it, and seeing Prentice’s face and name flashing across the screen didn’t surprise me at all.
