Valencia

When I woke up for school the next morning, I told Ruby that I was walking I needed to clear my head.  I could not sleep because Tamera was on my mind. What was going on in that house? The entire day went by; she did not even show up I was worried.

So, I stopped by her house. I knocked on the door, and she answered and snatched me in. “Why are you here?” She questioned, looking out the window.  “What's going on here?” I asked her. She looked at me, embarrassed. “Is he hurting you?” I asked her. She looked at me like she was thinking. “Valencia, I know I said I want to be friends, but that’s crazy” “why would you ask something like that?” “I’m sick, so that’s why I stayed home, so thanks for coming, but bye.” I went home and told mom.  This went on for a couple of months her being sick.

After her missing for a week straight, I told Ruby She looked at me, confused. I was also confused. “Invite her over!” “let me read her,” Ma said.

I went over to her house again for the 6th time. This time speaking to the man. “Hello Mr. Evans, is it okay if Tamera stays a night at my house?” I asked him. “Got Any brothers?” he asked. I told him no. “It’s just me and my ma,” I told him. He got close to me and stared me in the eyes. I repeated my answers. I just wanted to get her out of there.  The sleepover went well, but the whole time she at my house, she had night terrors. Something was wrong with her emotionally.

At my house, ruby was showing us how to be girls. Well Tamera already knew how to put on make-up and play dress-up. Tamera knew a lot about a lot of things, just like Ruby. The way she talks and looks with makeup on you would think she was Ruby's age. Ruby got our nails and toes done. I got French tips, but Tamera got claws sharp nails with diamonds on them. They both sat in front of me, painting my face. They said I was already pretty without makeup.

So what they did was add something called nude makeup. Ruby and Tamera shaped my eyebrows and braided my hair. Tamera and I wore the same size, but she filled out everything better than me; she was curvy, and I was fit. When I looked in the mirror, I almost cried. It didn’t really look like me. I appeared a little older, and I was showing too much skin. When I turned around, Tamera and ruby blinded me with flashes from their camera.

Tamera made me go live with her on social media, and our pictures and videos blew up. One thing that I loved about Tamera; she was smart just like me or even more intelligent. Tamera could sing you off the ground. And she had musical instrumental skills.

 She talked about wanting piercings and wanting to cut off her hair. Tamera was a different type of girl, and I liked her for it. Ruby gushed over her as we did a sleepover with pillow fights and scary movies. She left us alone because she needed to visit Monica.

We had it. We were like sisters. But I could tell she was hiding something she was having night terrors like I use to have before I met Ruby. Ruby was my light in all this darkness. I always wondered what it would be like to have a sister, strangely enough, she’s more like a mom but still…

 After five months- Tamera and I had become besties. Even though something was -off about her, I didn’t push it. Tamera had spent the night over at my house for like 6 days now this month, and every night she had night terrors, I didn’t want to press the issue, but I wanted to help. When she woke up the next day, she was tired. With bags under her eyes, the smile that showed in the first couple of days had left. She looked stressed. “Tamera, can we talk?” I asked her. She looked at me and smiled a weak smile.

“What’s going on with you?” I asked her. “What do you mean?” she replied back. “You cry and scream in your sleep,” I said, scanning her face. “No, I don’t,” she said, walking away. “Do you think Ruby would let us play her PlayStation?” she asked, changing the subject.  I didn’t press her when she was ready, she would talk. “Do you want to spend a night at my place?” she asked.

I didn’t want to be rude, but I hated going to her trailer; it smelled like animal piss outside. And the roaches were disrespectful. We have some cockroaches, but they hide and come out at night. But the bugs at her house will dive onto your plate while you’re eating.

But Tamera was my friend, and I was going to accept her for who she was.

“Sure,” I said, packing a bag. “Can you drive yet?” she asked me. “I only have my permit,” I told her. “Well, that’s good; let’s go,” she said. “Oh, I can’t drive somebody 21 with a valid driver’s license must be with me,” I told her. “Lancia let's go,” she said, dragging me out the door. The whole car ride I was paranoid looking out the mirrors and looking for the police. I didn’t want to go to jail or get in trouble with ruby.

After we pulled into the trailer park. My heartbeat calmed down. I was here. I didn’t get pulled over Tamera was smiling. She ran up the stairs to her trailer. I was told to wait in the car. She reached under the rug for a key. But it wasn’t there; she flipped the whole carpet into the air. She put her hand on her hip, walked around the trailer, and looked through the windows. She ran back to the front door and started kicking to the door. My eyes widen; she was wilding.

“Open the damn door,” she yelled, still kicking the door. She kept banging. After 10 minutes, the door opened. I watched her put her hands on her face. Mr. Evans reached out for her Tamera shook Mr. Evans off.  Then she pointed and started yelling. She pushed Mr. Evans, and then she went into the trailer. When she walked back out, she was crying. She jumped into the car with me. “Can you take me to the store?” “We need some toilet paper for the house,” she said, wiping her face. I tried to calm her down. In my rearview mirror, I saw a lady run out of the trailer with a blanket she ran into the mobile home next door. The situation went over my head.  After we bought the toilet paper, we went back. We walked in the trailer; the man was in the kitchen cooking. She grabbed my arm, and we went into her room. He called out to her, but she walked past him.

Later that night, I couldn’t sleep. So much was on my mind like the dance. Watching Tamera cry, My birth mom. I was up, and I couldn’t fall back to sleep. Plus, the roaches crawl on your face at night. I heard the floor creak. I quickly closed my eyes. The door made a sound, but it was locked. I heard light tapping. Tamera jumped up, and I played sleep cracking my eye.

She looked at me, then opened the door and left. I heard her next door in the bathroom; she was running water. The toilet flushed.  I heard her whining and talking, then I heard music blasting. When I checked my phone last, it was 2 am she left at 12 I was nodding off when she came back. I closed my eyes and went to sleep. I wasn’t waking up in the middle of the night by her night terrors like at home. I got up to go pee. I walked into the bathroom and noticed that the shorts Tamera had on were on the bathroom floor. I picked them up to take them to the room, but as soon as I picked them up, her panties fell out of them, and they were torn.

Did she take a bath? Her bra was in here too. I touched the towels and washcloths, but everything was dry, including the shower. I left her clothes in the bathroom and went back into the room. I looked at her, Tamera had on a large t-shirt. She didn’t have that on when she went to bed.

I next day, I went home and deep-cleaned my body. I was happy to be back home. That must be how she felt that’s her environment. I told myself I was going to find out what going on. As soon as I woke up. Something was eating at me. I went over to Mera’s house, and instead of knocking on the door, I went around back and climbed through the bathroom window. I’ve been over to the house enough times to study it. I climbed through the window and landed on the toilet. I slid the door open it didn’t make a sound if you lifted it while opening it.

I heard loud grunting coming from down the hall. I slowly crept down the hall I stood in front of her door peeking in. She was not there So, I went further toward the second bedroom. Mr. Evans was top of Mera, and they were having sex. She did not look scared. Her legs were wrapped around him, And her hands rubbed his back. Her eyes were closed, and she was biting her lips.

 I watched in complete shock. Standing in the doorway, Mera and Mr. Evans were so focused on each other that they hadn't noticed me. I took a silent picture I couldn't believe this. I was putting my phone in my pocket.  I turned around to leave, and the floor creaked.

I quickly and quietly ran the house was spotless for the first time ever. I quietly pushed the door open and crept out the door locking the bottom lock on my way out. I sped home and busted through the door, wheezing out of breath. Ruby ran to me. “What’s wrong” she yelled! I was speechless, I just showed her my phone; Ma dropped the phone. I had so many thoughts going through my head.

I went to bed early. I couldn’t speak on what I saw because I didn’t entirely want to judge. However, it was wrong and sick and needed to be reported. I wasn’t a snitch but she was my friend and she was in danger and living with a preditor.

“lencia” ruby knocked on my door softy. “come in” I responded. “Lenica its a lot to take in at once its not something a child should have to witness” “if you want to stay home today I understand” “nah I shouldn’t miss days I am not sick” I got up for school but decided to stay home. “I will stay” ruby held me as I cried.

Tamera called me back to back, asking if I was okay because I had been absent. I told her that I wasn’t feeling well. I didn’t lie; I was still processing what I saw. I had questions. But I was never stepping foot in that house again. A week later

I drove to school the police were there, and Joseph was in handcuffs. The whole damn day was a rape seminar. The school board had professionals at the school talking to everybody—the number of underage girls he had sex with caused heads to turn at our school. Toya told her parents about being pregnant; the other girls found out that they weren't his one and only, so they all came clean.

They all signed papers pressing charges for rape. The psychology people did a full presentation about how it isn't your fault. We even got a new teacher, some old lady that talked really slow about sexual intercourse it was even worse.

This was killing me Tamera sat across from me, and I avoided eye contact. I didn't know if he was raping her. Or if she was just having sex with her dad. The situation was more complex than I was ready for.  Tamera texted me and told me to follow her to the bathroom. I checked all the stalls to make sure we were alone then I blurted it out! “Are you sleeping with your dad?”

“No,” she said, turning her head. “Why are you asking me such a weird question?” “You’re starting to piss me off,” She said, making a weird guilty face. I stepped back, “Tamera I saw everything,” I said, turning red in the face. You always sit on his lap backward. You disappear for hours at a time. Then you come back with different clothes on. You freaked out when you saw somebody in your home.

“So what that explains nothing” “lencia “why do you keep pushing the subject?”  “Why are you watching me so hard?” “And to just shine a light on your darkness, I saw you in the bed with him naked I said with my voice cracking.

Tamera kicked the bathroom stall and fell on the floor. She locked herself into the booth, keeping her back on the door when I pushed. “Tamera come out of there!” I yelled at her banging on the door. “Don’t look at me!” She screamed. “Did you tell the school?” “Is this shit for me to come clean?” “I was so careful!”

 “Why did you have to be nosey!” “I didn't want anybody to find out,” “I was handling it.” She screamed! I stayed silent, boiling on the inside “How long were you there how much did you see?” She asked. She started sniffing, “A while,” I finally spoke up.  "I had... To make it work.” She said, crying. “I’ve been dealing with him for years.” “I fought him off I locked the doors,” “nobody ever knew” “He always found a way to get to me.” “He told me if I told anybody would arrest him” “so I kept my mouth shut!”

“My grandma let me live with him because she never knew!” She cried tears pouring down her face! “At first, it was just small touches.” “Like close hugs Asking me to sit on his lap.” “Then it was inappropriate jokes about how sex can make you a woman.” “It was more people back then. He touched his other kids and me,” she said, coming out of the stall with dead eyes. “But when his baby mamas found out, it was too late.” “He had already tainted his kids.” “She thought she pleased him.” “She thought he loved her, but all he wanted was her kids” “only one kid he didn’t touch she was too young to be touched she was an infant the only reason why.”

“his stepdaughter and I had become friends, and she warned me.” “But I thought she was lying.” “she said always keep the door locked We locked the doors at night.” “One day her and my mom left us with him while they went out of town. “on my way to the bathroom he stopped me and led me into his room” “He touched on me and she came looking for me, when she found me he made us touch each other” “All we had was each other, but her mama took her away as soon as she found out” “At no point in my mind did I think you don't have to do this even when he said so!”

“After they left, he was so rough with me.” “He told me I was going to be a woman he was trying to take my virginty by force” “I fought him off, but he wouldn’t stop so he tried to lure me.” “Whenever he had a woman over They always had sex with the door open. I watched him make her feel good. He looked at me while he did it.” “He said I was pure and that some boy was going to try to take that from me”

“How did her mom find out?” I asked her. She closed her eyes in front of the bathroom mirror. “We were all alone, and I can't really remember...” She said. “he was licking between my legs, and it felt good.” “I was fully naked.” “I was never naked before,” he sucked on my boobs. “I told him to stop, but he told me to take it.” “She came home early, banging on the door.” “I tried to quickly put my shirt back on...” “But I put it on inside out.” “Why was the door locked!” She screamed. He told her he was sleeping, “I felt dirty, and I sat there rocking.” She flipped out and packed her shit and left.

“He wanted me...” “He showed me how to suck him off. I didn’t want to.” “he hurt me” “when he tried to put himself in me.” “I told him it was painful,” but he continued. “he saw my tears and never stopped.” “He said he had to do it or somebody bad would.” “So, I let him after it was over, He told me that he would never hurt me again.”

““After a couple of years, her daughter came clean and told everything.” “But, we had already moved away.”