Chapter 10
“You’re one of my best employees, Dru, but I can’t continue to allow this. You constantly clock in late. If you leave early, you’re going to lose your job,” Shawn made clear, and while Dru understood where he was coming from, she didn’t give a fuck about that shit.
Rather than defend herself and explain she worked two jobs daily, one of which required her to stay on the clock sometimes until three in the morning, Dru remained silent.
She knew a person’s compassion and empathy could only excuse so much.
Shawn wouldn’t care about why she sometimes overslept.
All he cared about was her sometimes being late.
While she wanted her being a great employee to matter more, it was clear that wouldn’t be the case.
“I hear you, and I respect your decision. My sister’s school cannot get in touch with my mother, and I have to go get her. I don’t have time to find someone to cover my shift in the middle of this family emergency. If you want to fire me, then fire me.”
“I don’t want to fire you at all, but if you leave, I’ll have no choice.”
Standing, Dru removed her name tag and put it on Shawn’s desk. “Thank you.”
Without saying another word, she quickly stormed out of his office.
The last thing she had time for was a back-and-forth session about a job she couldn’t care less about keeping, knowing something was going on with her sister.
When she got the repeated back-to-back calls from Dreya’s school, Dru already knew what was up.
Either Dreya was sick, or she’d gotten into a fight.
As soon as she was done ringing up a customer, she rushed to the break room and called the school.
She could barely hear what the principal was saying over Dreya’s screaming, and since Dreya hardly ever raised her voice, that concerned Dru even more.
Once the dust settled, Dru would lament over losing her job.
For now, the only thing she cared about was getting to her sister.
“Fuck!” she yelled when her car didn’t start.
“Not now. Please not now.” With a growl, she turned her key in the ignition, and again, the car didn’t start.
“Fuck!” After pounding the wheel, Dru sat back in her seat, refusing to cry.
“God, please. I have to get to my sister. Please let this car start.” Dru pulled in a few deep breaths, and when she tried a third time, the car started.
“Thank You, Lord,” she said with tears in her eyes before swerving out of the parking lot.
Having made it to the school in record time, Dru made a mad dash toward the principal’s office.
With wide eyes and panic on her face and in her heart, she looked around until her eyes landed on Dreya.
She was sitting in the corner, leg shaking as she wiped her face of its tears.
Sniffling, she plopped back in her seat and crossed her arms over her chest.
Dru walked over to her, sitting down and wrapping her arm around her shoulders.
“What happened, kid?” Dreya leaned against her shoulder and cried harder.
“Aww, baby.” Holding her close, Dru rocked her sister as she released her feelings.
The sound of her crying caused Principal Ragen to come out of her office.
“Dru, can we talk in my office?”
“In a second,” Dru replied, refusing to leave Dreya until she was composed.
It wasn’t until her sobs turned into whimpers that Dru put some space between them. As she wiped Dreya’s tears, she asked, “What happened? I want to hear it from you first.”
Sniffling, Dreya released a trembling breath as she looked into her sister’s eyes.
“Some girls were talking shit and bullying me. Tina is having sex with Adrian’s daddy.
Apparently, she’s supposed to be putting together some kind of sex party for him with some strippers and prostitutes.
Can you believe she asked him if he wanted me there?
Adrian came to school telling all her friends, and they’ve been taunting me all day, Sister.
“I tried to ignore them, but during lunch, they had the whole section laughing and talking shit about me. When I tried to walk away, Adrian pushed me and told me I’d better not come anywhere near her daddy, or her and her mama would beat my ass.
I’m sorry for cursing. Even still, I told her not to put her feelings on me, and I tried to walk away.
Her and her friends circled me and she pushed me again, so I swung.
We started fighting, and I blacked out until some teachers pulled me off her. ”
“This isn’t your fault,” Dru said, holding Dreya’s hands.
“I tell you to take accountability and responsibility for your actions, but this isn’t on you.
Whatever you did, you were provoked. I would never tell you to let anyone bully you or attack you and you not defend yourself.
Whatever Principal Ragen says, you are not in trouble, okay? ”
Dreya nodded as Dru stood. Making her way into the principal’s office, Dru tried to contain her anger. She knew all about being taunted and bullied in school because of their mother’s actions, words, and the way she dressed.
A vivid memory came back to Dru as she made her way into the office of Tina walking down the hallway before her lunch period at the start of her tenth-grade year.
Her mother was dressed in a skimpy dress, hooker heels, and a thick fur coat.
Dark shades covered her eyes, and her curly hair was wild and all over the place.
She’d come to Dru’s school that day to confront Dru about hiding money for bills.
Tina wanted to use the money to go out of town, and she tormented and publicly embarrassed her daughter until Dru broke down and told her where she’d hidden the money. Tina left, satisfied. The only good thing about it was Tina left her and her one-year-old sister alone for two weeks.
“Close the door please,” Ragen requested, putting on her glasses. Dru closed the door, then made her way further inside the office. “Have a seat, Dru.”
Dru sat down, fully prepared to listen and defend her sister, no matter what. Now that she’d finally seen her sister, she was calmer, but hearing about the way she was treated had a different, fiercer, more protective rage simmering and ready to combust, depending on what the principal had to say.
“First, I want to make it clear that we’ve talked to a few students who said what happened in the cafeteria was not Dreya’s fault,” Ragen said, “but even with that being the case, our school has a no fighting policy. We urge our students to walk away, no matter what.”
“I’m going to have to stop you right there,” Dru said with a quiet chuckle. “My sister was cornered and physically assaulted. There’s no way you expected her to get out of that situation without defending herself.”
“She could have yelled for assistance.”
“In a loud cafeteria with hundreds of kids crowding around expecting a fight? How long do you think that would have taken?”
“I understand you wanting to defend your sister, but the fact remains, fighting goes against our policy.”
“Bullying does too, which is why they were fighting to begin with. She’s been bullied all school year by this same group of girls.
I’ve made three reports, and because you all said it was a case of she said-she said, nothing was done about it.
Now that my sister finally reached her breaking point, you want to address it and talk to me about policies? ”
“We would have taken the proper steps to address the bullying if there was proof,” Ragen reasoned.
“Yes, I do believe Dreya was bullied, and I get why. I’ve been the principal of this school since you were a student here.
I saw the way you were treated because of your mother, and I’m sure what Dreya is experiencing now isn’t much different.
” Ragen’s tone softened when she took off her glasses with a soft sigh.
“I wish I could tell you Dreya could go back to class and we can forget this, but that’s now how it works.
Just like the rest of the girls were suspended, she will have to be too.
And because we have this fight on record, if Dreya does come to us again reporting bullying, we will have a foundation to believe it and respond accordingly.
All involved parties will be expelled. I’m sorry if that seems unfair, but there’s nothing else I can do. ”
Massaging her temples, Dru nodded her agreement. “How long will she be suspended, Principal Ragen?”
“Three days. The other girls will be suspended for five.”
“Is there a way I can get a report of what happened today? I’m going to try and get custody of Dreya, and I think this will help.”
Ragen smiled as she nodded. “I’m . . . happy to hear that. Yes, I can definitely get you an incident report, and please let me know if there’s anything else I can do to help.”
“Thank you.”
Dru made her way out of the office and told Dreya to come on. “Am I suspended?” she checked.
“Yeah. Three days.”
“Shoot. Tina’s gonna kill me.”
“She better not say shit to you. This is her damn fault.”
Dreya sighed as they stepped out into the hallway. “You know she won’t see it that way. All she’s going to do is complain about me being in the house in her way for the next three days. Ugh.”
“I’ll handle her. Just stay in your room if you feel like you have to avoid her. Or come in mine. Unfortunately, I lost my job today, so I’ll be at home with you.”
“Oh no!” Dreya stopped walking and turned toward Dru. “It wasn’t because of me, was it? I always mess things up for you.”
Before Dreya could get too upset, Dru cupped her shoulders and assured her with, “It was not because of you. It was because of me coming to work late and leaving early. You come first, above everything. I’ll never not show up for you.”
Dreya’s head shook as her eyes watered. “I’m so sorry, Dru. I just keep making things worse for you.”
“Aht aht. Stop with all that. You have nothing to apologize for. I’m good, and we’re going to be good too. I promise.”
It was clear that wasn’t what Dreya wanted to hear, but in that moment, Dru didn’t have too much energy to spare.
As much as she wanted her sister to believe her, she’d have to believe on her own.
Dru was mentally and emotionally exhausted.
She’d take one or two days to rest before seeing if she could pick up some afternoon shifts at the lounge until she found another job.
It was ironic that she was late because she was oversleeping, and temporarily saw getting fired as a way to rest. That wouldn’t last for long.
She still had to pay their rent, and she’d never rely on Tina to do the right thing.
One or two days to rest, . . . that was all she’d give herself, and then, it would be back to the grind.
Dreya’s giggles were like a balm to Dru’s soul. As horrible as the day started, it ended well. They’d decided to watch Disney movies and pig out on pizza and ice cream, and Dru couldn’t be happier. She didn’t think anything could ruin her night until Tina stormed into her room.
“Dreya, go to your room,” Tina demanded with fire in her eyes and her step. Dreya looked at Dru before moving. “Hey!” Tina yelled, snapping her fingers. “Contrary to what the two of you believe, I’m your mother, and you do what the hell I say. Not her. Now go.”
With a pout, Dreya stood. “She’s been more of a mother to me than you,” she muttered.
“Hey, be respectful,” Dru urged, though there was nothing but truth behind her sister’s statement.
“I should smack the shit out of you,” Tina taunted as Dreya walked past her.
“Touch her, and I will forget you gave birth to me,” Dru warned, cutting the TV off. “Now what do you want?”
“When were you going to tell me she got suspended from school?”
“When you got home. You’ve been gone literally all day. I called you when we first got here, and you didn’t respond.”
“Then you should have texted me.”
Rolling her eyes, Dru released an annoyed breath.
“I will not allow you to take your anger out on me. I know the school called you and told you or at least left you a voicemail. I called to tell you, and like I said, I was going to tell you when you got home. Whatever anger you’re feeling, you do not need to direct toward me. ”
Tina laughed. “You know what? You’re right. It needs to go toward her little bad ass.”
“No, it needs to go toward yourself! You don’t even realize how your selfish decisions affect her.
Dreya got into a fight because you’re planning sex parties for her classmates’ daddies and offering her to them.
What kind of fucking woman are you? Damn being a mother.
You’re a woman. How do you think that shit is okay?
She’s sixteen, and you’re offering her to a man that’s more than twice her age.
You’ve already stripped her of her innocence.
What more do you want to take from her?”
“Look, I don’t need to hear this shit. She’s my child, and I’m going to raise her and use her how I see fit. Let me repeat, she is my child, not yours. If you keep acting like you’ve forgotten that, I will kick you out and cut off your access to her.”
“Get real, Tina. If you put me out, who’s going to pay your rent?”
A slow smile lifted the corners of Tina’s mouth. “I’m glad you know that’s all you’re good for. When anything happens concerning my child, you call me so I can handle it. I don’t care if you have to call me a million times. And stop turning her against me.”
A bark of laughter escaped Dru as she shook her head. “How am I turning her against you? By being there for her?”
“By acting like you’re her mother! Keep that shit up and I swear to God I will keep her away from you.”
The only thing that kept Dru from responding was the fact that she knew what her mother was capable of.
She’d put her out before, and it was torture trying to get back in.
So instead of arguing with her mother, she yielded, reminding herself it would all work out in the end.
With the incident report that Principal Ragen agreed to send, Dru was going to start recording her conversations with Tina to build her case for custody of Dreya.
Until she got it, as difficult as it would be, she’d have to continue to put up with her mother’s bullshit.