Need A Light?

The sirens were coming closer, my breath was becoming heavier, running faster than a police cruiser was probably the hardest thing I had ever attempted. 'Just a few more feet, then jump and you're clear.' I kept reminding myself, finally I was at the gate, grasping onto the rusty chain links I hoisted myself up over the top bar, and fell onto the hard concrete ground, a pang of pain shot through my left leg, ignoring the shock, I kept running. 'Can't get caught again or you will be beaten, just keep running, you're almost to James' house, just run a little longer.' The sirens were soon far behind me. Knocking on the wooden door that stood before me, I panted and tried catching my breath.

Then he answered, just opening the door he wrapped one arm around my waist, pulled me in faster than he ever had, and pushed me onto the couch, "Stupid bitch, are you trying to get me caught too?!"

Catching my breath I looked off to the side, "No, not intentionally, I just had to run as fast as I could, I don't feel like being beaten when I get home, that's the last thing I need honestly. You know how my old man is, if I get caught one more time, he'll surely kill me, and I like living." Settling down into the couch further, I propped my combat booted feet up on his coffee table, my fishnet stockings criss crossed all over my milky pale legs, which led up to my black ratty mini skirt with a red belt and silver studs on it, which then led up to my battered black cami with the white one underneath it. I had fingerless forearm gloves on, also fishnet, and my metallic blue nail polish was chipping off of my chewed on fingernails. But of course all of this came up to my face, which was the same milky pale color as the rest of my body, but it had dirt caked onto it, and smeared messy eyeliner with mascara, my bottom lip pouted out slightly which I guess was a turn on for the guys, and my deep brown eyes, which were huge, and then my blond hair, which was down to the middle of my back, with some black highlights all around it. Everyone said I was gorgeous, but I disagree, I know I'm not.

He grunted at my feet being placed on top of the table, I didn't really care, he was already fucking me, and hit me around a few times, I should be able to put my feet wherever I please, "Look you gotta get going, I really don't even want you here in the first place, just go. I will see you tomorrow night at Marks' party, see ya," he headed straight back to his room, where there he would fall asleep on the worn sheets, with the multiple stains of either blood or semen.

Standing up, I straightened out my outfit, then headed to the door, slamming it open, listening to the screen door rattle, I scurried outside, shoved my hands into my deep military green jackets' pocket and started down the dark street. The town or the end of town I lived on wasn't the one anyone would be caught dead in, I mean it was messy, there were homeless men everywhere, and of course a prostitute on every other corner, I knew about five of them, they were close friends. Not the ones you would see in school, for the dropped out, but they were the friends you could count on, and who would have your back in any situation, including your abusive father. Mostly because they each worked every other night, I would stay at their house when they weren't there, because when they were there they did the good shit that I couldn't do because of certain reasons, that didn't always stop me, but it did mostly. And tonight, Berri was working the worn down street on the south end of town, meaning her place was open. Taking a quick right turn, and about five more blocks, I was there.

-

No doorman watched the place after midnight, so just about anybody could get in, and plus they knew me, so it didn't matter anyway. Jamming my finger into the up button, I stepped into the chipped gold doorway, then hit the third floor button, and waited. Once the doors opened to the floor, I stepped out, and headed to apartment Four C, grabbed the spare key I had out from around my neck, pushed it in, turned it, grabbed the knob, and entered my home for the night.

Stepping into the small one bedroom apartment, I looked around, the wall colors were more discolored than my last time of being there, and the couch had new stains, and the white carpet, or what used to be white, had a new copper colored stain on the far right side, "Probably got herself into a good one with Smith, damn bastard doesn't get that she can't pay her rent half the time, fucking bastard," the comment was made out loud. Shutting the door behind myself, I headed back to the bedroom, kicked off my boots, laid myself down on the white bed, grabbed the red sheet, pulled it over myself, closed my eyes, and inhaled, 'This was one long night.'

"You fucking bitch!" my eyes shot open as something slammed into the wall, I got off the bed lightly and tip toed over to the doorway and looked out it, Xavier, Berris' "owner", "You're holding out on me, you slut! I got you this place to fucking live and you hold out on me?! Give me the rest of my damn money."

Berri was on the ground, her curly red hair was sprayed out all around her small pixie face, she looked over at me with her pleading sharp blue eyes, then took her vision away from me, probably in fear that Xavier would do something, "I'm...I'm not holdin' out on you! I promise, I gave you all the money I made tonight, please, please, just leave, I'll work harder tomorrow night, please."

He brought his right hand back further than it originally was, then brought it down hard, the sick sound made my stomach do flips, the echo of her slight scream still rang through the small area. Xavier smiled at his work, then turned on his heel, then turned, slammed the door, I ran to her side, "Berri, baby wake up! Please wake up, he's gone."

Lifting her head into my lap I pushed her soft hair back away from her face, the side where he had hit was a bright inferno red, she looked at me with soft eyes, "Kandi, you gotta get outta here, and don't come back, I love you girl, you will go far in life, I really don't wanna take this bull shit anymore. Now whatever you hear when you walk away, you don't look back on it, got that?!"

I sniffled, she was my best friend, the only other person I could trust in the world, sure I had the other four girls, but I mean she was the one who got me the most, she came from an abusive family, her mother a coc addict, her father a pedophile, her older brother a dealer, and in jail, and the worst was her baby sister, she got pregnant, then moved out, her boyfriend beats her everyday and still does, I would know, I go to school with her, "Berri, you can't give up!"

She looked at me, then sat up and kissed my cheek, "I love you girl, go far in life and don't ever give up, got that? Don't be like me and get your ass beat by some damn asshole, got it? And if your old man gives you shit and hits you like mine did, just take out a gun and hold it to that bastards head, and threaten to pull the trigger, scare him shitless."

I laughed slightly, but my tears had covered it mostly, "I love you too girl, I promise I'll go far."

We hugged tightly, for what seemed like forever, then let go, "Leave, and don't turn back around."

I nodded, stood up, and walked to the door, blew her a kiss, then shut the door, and leaned up against it, my back to it, then the sound rang through my whole body. I stifled a sob, bit my bottom lip, slid down the door and sobbed with my forehead to my knees, "Rest in peace Berri, I'll miss you girl."

-

The next morning, I sat up and stretched, I fell asleep in front of her door, I looked at the clock in the hallway it read five o'clock in the morning, shooting up from my sitting position, I bolted down the stairs at the far end not waiting for the elevator. Then once down the stairs and out of the lobby I started down the street to my house before the old man woke up with a raging hangover.

Climbing into my window, I changed my outfit, washed my face, brushed my hair, grabbed my cigarettes, lighter and started towards the bus stop, waited, climbed on and rested my head against the cool glass window.

-

The screech from the tires woke me up, I looked out the window and saw my stop was only a good ten minute walk to the school, stretching, I climbed off the bus, blew a kiss to the driver-my ex boyfriend age 26-then began walking to my own personal hell away from home.

School started in ten minutes by the time I had arrived, the hallways were practically empty. Grabbing into my ugly mint green locker, I got out my history book, and folder with the pen I needed, then headed to my class. But by the time I had made it, the bell had already rung, and Mr. Phillips gave me a detention, "Thanks Mr. P, this just makes my day so much better!"

He rolled his eyes, ran a hand through his gray hair, then turned his back on me and faced the board, "And today class we will be learning about..." Setting down my books, in the back of the room, I sat down, took out a pen and a piece of paper and began to doodle, "Well, well, well this is a surprise, Allie, you're late!"

My ears perked up, then I brought my attention to the front, the preppiest girl Allie was standing at the front of the room, the damn virgin had her brown hair tied back perfectly in a pony tail with a cream white ribbon tied around it, then her outfit was the perfect pink color for her skin tone, which wasn't a deep tan or a pale white, just right though, then she smiled at him, "Oh Mr. Phillips I am so sorry, I didn't mean to be late, it won't happen again."

He smiled at her, "Oh Allie, it won't happen again, because you have a detention at three o'clock with school lets out, along with Kandi."

I rolled my eyes, 'Great.'

"A detention?! I've never had one before though, are you sure we can't just forget about this, the one time? I mean I've never been late before, but today I got held up coming to school because an ambulance rushed past me, towards the south end of town, and I couldn't get my car started again-." she was cut off.

"An ambulance? Why would one of those go to the south end of town? I mean there is always crimes and injuries, let them take care of themselves," he was smiling right at me while speaking.

I bit my tongue, she didn't, "Well I heard some girl committed suicide in the apartment complex out there, she was a hooker or something."

"Hooker you say?" he looked interested now, so did the whole class.

"Yes a hooker, you know a woman paid for sex? Anyway I only know that because my cousins' friends' ex boyfriend lives next door to her, and heard the gun shot, and then he called it in this morning."

Everyone sat back in their seats, "Very interesting, but who cares about those disgusting people anyway? Well class let's get back to the lesson, and Allie, you still have detention."

She sighed, then took her seat in the row in front of mine, I threw a piece of paper at her head, then stared out the window, 'Fucking bitch.'