Intercept My Heart

Chapter 3

“If it isn’t loser girl. Where’s your little slutty sidekick been? You must be lost without her.” Brielle sneered, cutting me off as I tried to get out of the bathroom. I really wanted to know why she hated me so much because I’d do anything to get her to stop.

“She’s probably somewhere sucking dick behind the bleachers. Johan and Micah talked about how they ran a train on her behind the bleachers a few weeks ago. She better stay far away from my man if she knows what’s good for her,” Nadia spat, glaring at me as if I’d taken her man.

Trust me, I lived with him; he wasn’t all that special. Drake brought different girls to the house weekly, so I wasn’t sure why she thought she was so special anyway.

“We’ll beat her ass if she even thinks about it. Anyway, I saw you staring at Dinero, and I’m warning you now, he’s off limits. Besides, you’re not even his type. He likes pretty, popular girls… two things you are not. You’re a dirty foster kid that nobody wants.” Brielle’s words pierced through my soul, but I remain stone-faced. If nothing else, I knew she fed off getting reactions from people, and I refused to give her the satisfaction, even if she did get under my skin.

“I’m not interested in Dinero or any other boy, so there’s no need for the warnings. Can I go now?”

“Oh, what, are you some kind of lesbian or something? Bitch, you don’t have to worry because no one wants to be associated with a dusty bum like you.” Nadia interjected. I’d never understand why girls like them chose to pick on people they believed were beneath them. Ciera insisted they were jealous of us, but for what reason? They had beauty, money, and popularity. Meanwhile, I had to wash the same three pairs of underwear in the sink every other day. I wanted to understand how kicking me while I was down made them feel better about themselves.

The warning bell sounded off, and I breathed a sigh of relief when the mean girl trio walked out of the bathroom. I’d take a tardy mark for a few extra moments of peace. Ciera was one of my only friends, and I felt naked without her. Everyone called her my bodyguard because she never allowed anyone to bother me when she was around.

There was no way I would be able to survive the rest of the school year without her, let alone go into senior year. A part of me thought about trying to find her, because I knew where they hung out, but I didn’t know if I should. Once Ciera had her mind set on something, there was no convincing her otherwise. Still, I missed her, and I wanted to see her face.

Most of the school day felt like a blur as I traveled from one classroom to the next. I normally carried all my textbooks in my backpack so I wouldn’t have to make too many trips to my locker during the day. Brielle’s locker was next to mine, so I tried to avoid running into her as much as possible.

“Ouch!”

“Watch where you’re going, bitch!” Speak of the devil, and he shall appear . Brielle shoved me to the side while Nadia snatched my backpack from me.

“What are you doing?”

“You were in our way, so we moved you. It’s simple.” The two of them slapped hands as they laughed at me. Instead of reacting, I grabbed my backpack and raced to the cafeteria. We all had the same lunch, so I decided to grab my food and eat outside at the picnic tables. I needed this day to speed up because I didn’t know how much more I could take. It seemed like they were riding me harder because I was alone.

Today’s menu included Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, corn, and a dinner roll. While the food didn’t look the most appetizing, I decided not to be ungrateful. Meals were few and far between at home, so I was happy to be able to put something on my stomach.

The sun shined brightly, and the bench was hot the moment my thighs touched it. My uniform shorts were supposed to be just above the knee, but since these were hand-me-downs, I had to take what I could get. The breeze brushed across my face as I sat here, taking it all in.

The birds were chirping, and the squirrels chased one another up a nearby tree. They all seemed happy and carefree. I wondered what a life of peace would feel like. We only had thirty minutes for lunch, so I decided not to waste my time. Leaning over my tray, I took a bite of my food, but before I could fully chew, some kind of liquid dripped down my head.

Leaping out of my seat, I was met with the smiling faces of my enemies. Clearly, they hadn’t gotten enough of torturing me for one day.

“Oh, my bad. I must have slipped and spilled my drink on you.” Brielle snickered. Anger burned inside of me as I stared down at my juice-stained clothes. She tossed the Gatorade bottle on the ground before wiping her hands on her pants. My tears mixed with the juice, and all I saw was red. To make matters worse, all the students were lined up by the door with their phones out.

I’d never been suicidal, but I wouldn’t mind if today were my last day on Earth.

“You’re so wrong, best friend. That’s probably the only uniform she has, and now it’s ruined,” Nadia instigated. My fists were clenched together as I tried to calm myself down. My shorts were soaked, as well as my panties. There was no way I’d be able to finish out the school day like this, but I had no other way to get home because I rode the bus.

“Well, at least the Gatorade enhanced her looks. Her ponytail looked dry as hell. Technically, I helped her out,” she boasted. The sound of their laughter triggered me, and before I knew it, Brielle and I were fighting on the ground.

“Bitch! Get offa me!” We rolled around on the ground until I gained control. As I straddled her chest, I released all my anger on her face.

“Nadia! Navy. Y’all help me!” Brielle begged while I clutched her hair in my left hand. I didn’t care who jumped in because if I ended up suspended, I would make it worth it. Of course, Nadia went for my hair, yanking my neck back so far I thought I may have heard a snap. I blacked out the moment her fist connected to my head. Dennis’s face flashed before my eyes, and I thought about the way he would punish me once he found out I was fighting.

Tears sprang to my eyes as I fought both girls at the same time. Life wasn’t fair, and I was so tired of being on the losing end of things. Nadia continued to throw blows to my face and head, but I refused to let go of Brielle. She wanted to fight me, so I was going to give her a fight to remember. My adrenaline was so high, I barely felt Nadia’s licks.

Reaching back, I punched her in the middle of her chest, and she stumbled back. The oohs and ahhs from the crowd did nothing but fuel me even more. I was sure there would be a video floating around the internet, but I didn’t care. Hopefully, people learned not to pick on people they didn’t know. You never knew what someone went through or were dealing with at home.

School was supposed to be my one place of refuge to escape from my reality, but they took that away from me.

“Aye! What the fuck is going on?” The sound of a deep voice boomed from behind me, but my mind was too occupied to make out who it was. I didn’t care whether the principal came out. No one would be able to get me off her without effort.

“Yo! Get her!”

“Why the fuck are you just standing here watching it happen?” More voices sounded off, and I could feel the presence of more people surrounding me.

“Get this bitch off me!” Brielle cried as if she was the victim. Blood covered my right hand, but I refused to let up until a strong arm wrapped around me as they attempted to separate us. My legs dangled in the air while they carried me away. Nadia was within reach, so I drew my foot back and kicked her as hard as I could.

“Bitch!” She lunged for me, but the person next to her stood in the way. It took me a moment to realize it was Drake. He gave me a sympathetic glance, but I didn’t want his pity. He knew what his family was doing to me, and he never once tried to help me. He could save his fake concern for someone else.

“Calm down! I’m going to let you go, but I need to know you aren’t going to go after anyone when I do.” My heart rate sped up once I heard his voice. Embarrassment flashed across my face because he’d seen me act a complete fool out here. Not to mention the fact that I’d beat up his little girlfriend.

“Are you good?” How could he even ask a question like that? No, I wasn’t good, and I probably never would be. I lost track of my thoughts as the robust scent of his cologne took over my senses. He smelled so good I didn’t want him to let me go. If I could stay wrapped up in his arms forever, I would.

“I’m not letting you go until I know you’re okay.”

He turned me to face him, and I burst into tears. Dinero wrapped his arms around me while I cried my heart out. I should have been embarrassed since he didn’t know me that well, but I needed someone to comfort me. I was out here in this world alone, and I needed someone to tell me it would be okay. Even if it wasn’t true, I desperately needed something to hold on to.

Dinero rubbed my back while I held onto his neck for dear life. I kind of felt bad because my clothes were still wet, so I knew I’d probably gotten some on him as well. He didn’t seem bothered by it, so I wouldn’t say anything unless he brought it up. We remained there until everyone began to disperse after the bell rang. Dinero stood me back on my feet, and I hated how much I missed the feeling of him holding me. When I looked up at him, he tilted his head over to the school building. My eyes followed his direction, and that was when I noticed the principal as well as the assistant principal. My head dropped in shame.

“Pick your head up. You don’t have any reason to feel guilty for standing up for yourself. Now, Principal Lovett will more than likely give you detention, but they were the ones in the wrong, so don’t even trip.” His words were reassuring, but my luck wasn’t the best.

He reached out for my hand as we walked back over. They had sent everyone back inside, which made me grateful. At least the whole school wouldn’t be present for my punishment.

“Ms. Royster, I’m surprised to see you involved in something like this. What seems to be the problem?” Principal Lovett was a short older white man. The only time I ever had to deal with him was when I got nominated for an award. I held perfect attendance for the last three years, because I never wanted to miss school.

“Oh my goodness. What happened to your clothes?” Mrs. Maverick asked. She was the assistant principal, but she really should have been the guidance counselor with how she poured into us students. She looked between me and Brielle. I would admit a smirk crossed my face when I saw her face covered in blood and bruises as the nurse walked her back into the building.

“All I wanted to do was eat my lunch, but they wouldn’t stop messing with me. Brielle came out here and poured her drink over my head.”

“Are you sure it wasn’t an accident?” My eyes cut to Principal Lovett.

“No, it wasn’t an accident. She stood over me and dumped her drink on me. She and her friends have been picking on me for years, but today, things escalated. They cornered me in the bathroom, pushed me in the hallway, and then continued out here. I’m sorry for fighting, but at the time, I didn’t feel like I had a choice. They weren’t going to leave me alone.”

“Well, fighting is certainly not the answer. Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

“I’ve done it twice, and both times, Mrs. Pritchard told them that I reported them, and they came after me again. I figured since no one was going to help me, I needed to suck it up until I graduated.”

Mrs. Pritchard was the actual guidance counselor, although I wouldn’t consider her very helpful. She was one of the people who favored the popular kids and brushed off the ones she deemed as damaged. Ciera warned me not to even waste my time, but I wanted to see for myself. I should have known better, because the school system functioned much like the foster care system. They pretended as if they didn’t see a problem until things got out of hand. As long as they were able to sweep things under the rug, nothing would change.

“Well, I’ll have a conversation with Mrs. Pritchard about this. For now, I think it’s best you go home for the day. I’ll make a call to your parents to come and pick you up.” My heart fell to my feet when I heard the principal speak those words. Although I knew it was inevitable, it didn’t make me feel any better.

“Hey, Principal L. I need to get home and change my clothes before practice. Would it be okay if I gave her a ride home? That way, she doesn’t have to inconvenience her parents while they’re at work.” My head whipped over to Dinero, wondering why he’d made such a request.

“Well, what do you think, Mrs. Maverick?” The sympathetic expression on her face worried me. I hated for people to have pity on me. Life was already painful enough without having others judging me from the outside.

“I’m okay with it. As you stated before, Ms. Royster hasn’t had any issues since she’s been here, and there were no records of any issues from the middle school either. Everyone has a rough day. However, you need to make sure this is the first and last time you use your fists to express yourself. If you feel as though no one is helping you, then come to me. Do you understand?” I nodded before whispering that I understood.

“I will be making a report about this so it’s on file. You will also have to serve two days in in-school detention. Please don’t make me regret this. You are much too bright to involve yourself in activities like this. It’s very unbecoming of you.” Principal Lovett had this way of complimenting you while also throwing shade. This was definitely one of those moments, but I was grateful for the leniency.

“Yes, sir. I promise it won’t happen again.” I prayed I could keep my promise, but if they tried again, I wasn’t backing down.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the team take home that win against the Spartans, Dinero. Go out there and make us proud.” He patted him on the shoulder before turning his attention to Mrs. Maverick. There was a rumor that the two of them were having an affair, and I wondered how true that was. From how close they were, I wouldn’t have been too surprised to find out they were knocking boots or whatever people their age called it.

They walked off, leaving Dinero and me outside. I wondered what type of punishment they would give the other girls. The idea of them being in ISD with me made me anxious because I knew it wouldn’t be a good idea.

“Let’s go get cleaned up.” Dinero smirked, glancing between the two of us. His white polo was wet at the bottom with the remnants of my juice assault. I expected him to throw a fit since his clothes were way more expensive than mine.

“Sorry about that. I don’t have any money. Otherwise, I would offer to replace it.”

“It’s all good, love. Trust me, I have plenty of clothes.” We walked back into the school together, and the students from C lunch were now in here. Many of the students were staring and whispering as we walked through the room. I wished we could have taken another way because I hated being the center of attention.

Dinero spoke to a handful of people, and I debated on whether I should walk off. He wanted to be social, while I was standing here with soggy clothes and juice covered panties. The only thing I needed was my backpack, so I walked off to my locker to go get it.

After a couple of minutes, I heard someone jogging up to my locker. My reflexes kicked in as I prepared for someone to try and hurt me.

“I thought you told Principal Lovett you were done fighting? You turned around like you were about to pop me right in my shit,” Dinero teased, showingoff his beautiful smile.

“I’m not violent, but I am a little on edge. Can you blame me?” I went to toss my backpack over my shoulder, but he snatched it from me.

“I’ve got it. Let’s get out of here. Principal Lovett gave me a pass for the rest of the day so I have time to eat, shower, and chill before practice.” Instead of responding, I nodded and followed behind him. Man, I wished Ciera was here. It’d been three weeks, but it felt like an eternity. She promised that it would be the two of us for life. We made plans to get jobs and get our first apartment together. Now I was stuck trying to figure out life by myself.

“Aye, I need to make a couple of plays. Do you mind?” My brows furrowed because I had no clue what he meant. He noticed the confusion on my face as he laughed.

“I sell drugs, shorty. I’m asking if you’re okay with me making a couple of runs while you’re in the car. Normally, I’m in class, but since I’m out and about, I want to make some extra money. If you’re in a hurry to get home, I’ll drop you off first.”

“No! I mean, umm, I’m okay with riding. I’m not in any hurry.” My heart raced, but I tried to play it off. Nothing good would be waiting for me at that house, so I wasn’t in any hurry to go there.

“Alright, bet. Put ya seat belt on. I don’t play about safety and shit,” he scolded. I rolled my eyes while doing what he told me to.

I’d never ridden in a car with a boy before, but the experience was one for the books. I thought Dinero was popular at school, but it was nothing in comparison to the people in the neighborhood. Everyone went out of their way to speak to him, whether it was the corner store clerk, a pastor, or a junkie on the street. Everyone seemed to love him. We stopped at a house, and Dinero got out and ran inside. He told me to stay put, so I pulled out my chemistry homework and got to work. I kicked my shoes off and crossed my legs Indian style in the seat while he handled business. When he returned to the car, I lifted my head up briefly, and I noticed him smiling at me.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You’re different. It’s a good thing, though. Don’t ever change for anyone.”

His gaze sent chills down my spine. My words were caught in my throat, staring into his dark brown eyes. I recognized the pain in them because mine held the same sadness. His presence commanded the attention of everyone around him, but I could tell there was more to him than what he allowed others to see.

“What’s up, Money?” A man walked up to Dinero’s car, and the two of them shook hands.

“What’s good, Monk?”

“I’ve been meaning to chop it up with you about a few money-making opportunities. I see you’re out here getting it how you live, but I can put you on to something that’s really gonna bring in the bread.” I kept my head down so Dinero wouldn’t think I was intentionally trying to be in his business.

“I feel you. I’m straight, though. I can’t get down with that jackboy shit. It’s much too risky for me.”

“Aww, come on, man. You run on the football field, so it shouldn’t be a problem getting away. I lost my fourth man last week, and we have a big ass lick lined up. I’m talking eighty racks plus some jewelry.” Dinero listened intently without interrupting the man, making me wonder if he was considering it.

“Football is one of the main reasons I can’t do it. I’ve got too much on the line to risk it. All I need is one fuck up and my NFL dreams are down the drain. Shit, if we’re being honest, I’m probably about to be done with this shit I’ve got going on now. My future is too close for me to gamble with my freedom. I’ll check with a few of my homies around the way to see if anyone is looking for an opportunity, but I have to pass on it.”

“I respect it. You’re gonna go out there and make something of yourself. Just make sure you don’t forget about us when you get to the big leagues.”

“Never. I’m a King Street kid till the day I die.”

“Always and forever. Alright, well, I’ll get up with you another time. I’ll be at the homecoming game, so make sure you show out because I’ve got some money on that game.” Monk and Dinero both laughed, then shook hands again.

“I’ll see what I can do. You stay safe out there.”

“No doubt.” Monk hit the roof of the car before walking away.

“You know you don’t have to pretend like you weren’t listening.” Dinero chuckled.

“Well, I tried not to, but there wasn’t much I could do.”

“It’s all good. I can tell you’re solid, so I’m not worried about you saying anything.” The butterflies in my belly were going crazy, and my hands were sweaty. I’d had a crush on Dinero for so long, but this was the longest we’d interacted with each other. Dinero may have been a little rough around the edges, but he had a soft heart.

We rode around for a few hours before he took me to JJ’s Chicken and Fish. I should have been embarrassed by the way I inhaled those wings, but I wasn’t. Hell, Dinero couldn’t talk about me anyway because he ordered three ten-piece meals with fish on the side and fried rice as well. That was the best food I’d had in a long time. We sat in the parking lot, eating and talking about school and the stupid kids in our classes. I appreciated this time because only God knew what was waiting for me at home. I wasn’t in a hurry to return. Luckily for me, I had to work tonight.

By the time we made it to my house, it was around the time I would normally be getting home. I breathed a sigh of relief that neither Dennis nor Vera were home, because I would be able to get dressed and head right to work without hearing their mouths.

“Thanks for the ride.”

“It’s no problem. I appreciate you riding with me. I prefer to work in silence, but you made having company enjoyable.” I gathered my things and headed out of the car. I checked my surroundings because it was a habit of mine.

“Hey!” I heard Dinero call out to me. Slowly, I turned around to face him.

“You forgot something.” My brows dipped in confusion. I made sure everything was placed back in my backpack before I got out.

“What is it?” Dinero reached in the back seat and grabbed one of his to-go plates. This only confused me more because I ate my food already.

“One thing about JJ’s, you always need a plate for now and one for later.” Dinero smiled, causing feelings to stir down below.

I found myself mesmerized by his aura and handsome features. His smooth, dark chocolate skin left me captivated and in a trance whenever we were in close proximity. I was proud that I’d handled our time together so well because, on the inside, I wanted to scream like the teenage girl I was.

“Oh, wow. Thank you for thinking of me. I probably would have grabbed something at work, but this is much better.”

“It’s no biggie. You mentioned work. Did you need a ride, or is Drake gonna take you?”

“Yeah, right. I’m invisible to Drake. I can’t even get a ride to and from school and we live in the same house,” I vented. My eyes bulged when I remembered he and Drake were best friends. “Sorry about that. I?—”

“No need to explain. Your feelings are valid. Ain’t nothing wrong with expressing yourself,” he assured me. Nervously, I twirled my fingers around the end of my ponytail.

“Anyway, I appreciate the offer, but I’m okay. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

“You do the same. I’ll see you around.”

I stood there as he pulled off, watching as he made it down the street. Today started off terribly, but things turned around in a major way. Nothing could rain on my parade today. Not even my shitty ass foster parents. I walked into the house after stuffing my food into my backpack. Lord knew what would happen if they caught me with outside food. I planned to take it to work and then discard the empty containers on my lunch break.