ADDICTED TO HIM II (7 page)

Shaking my head, I headed towards Tamia’s car. They looked like they were the best of friends as I knocked on the car’s window. Tamia looked up at me and just like I knew she would, Candy aimed her double barreled automatic pistol at me. I smiled at her and she sat it back down in her lap once she realized it was me. “Bitch, can you uncock it or something?” Tamia asked with a serious expression on her face. Candy and I both looked at the gun pointed in her direction and started laughing at her. “I’m just saying, I don’t want you to sneeze or something and I get shot,” she reasoned with her making perfectly good sense. If she was shot with that double barreled pistol, it’d probably blow her whole fucking leg off. I watched Candy turn the gun away from her. “Candy, get the fuck out! Yo crazy ass ain’t fina shoot my shit up!” Tamia snapped.

I heard what she said but the van that had just pulled up directly behind Tamia’s car had my full attention. Before I had time to say anything or react, I felt light headed then everything went dark.

Michelle

I smashed out of the parking lot full speed, not caring even a little bit if I hit someone. I don’t know what made pedestrians think they had the right away but if you know like I know, you’d better move!

I can’t even begin to describe the amount of anger I have coursing through my veins at this very moment. I don’t see what it is about Tamia that has Ray and Brandon wanting her! She’s doing good for herself at our age but neither of them knew that. Well, I’m sure Ray does now but upon seeing her, you couldn’t tell. She’s not much bigger than me and we’re both pretty, so I don’t know what makes her better than me.

“AAAAAHHHHH!!!!” I screamed as I punched the steering wheel.

“Ok, you need to calm down before you have an episode,” Tiffany warned me. I almost forgot she was even in the car.

“I’m good!” I snapped without looking at her or slowing down. I needed to get her home, so I could call my partner and see if he would help me get some payback.

“Michelle, can you slow down please?” Tiffany asked with fear evident in her shaky tone. I hadn’t had an episode in years, so I don’t know why she’s bringing it up. As a matter of fact, I hadn’t had one since Ray and I started dating, so I know it’s him I need.

I hadn’t taken those pills in I don’t know how long. As I drove like a bat out of hell, my mind drifted back to what triggered my last episode.

“Daddy, where are you going?” I asked, rubbing my eyes as I walked into the living room. I saw suitcases lined up by the door. Mom and dad had been arguing all day and through the night, and I could barely get some shut eye. When they finally stopped arguing, I had already given up on sleeping. I waited a while, expecting them to start arguing again and when they didn’t, I got up to use the bathroom. I could see my dad in the living room and hear mom crying in the bedroom. Go see what’s happening, someone said to me, it’s the only reason I walked into the living room.

“Baby girl, mommy and daddy aren’t working out. I’m leaving,” he said, squatting down in front of me.

“Can I come with you?” I asked with tears welled up in my eyes. My daddy was my life, so I knew I couldn’t live without him.

“No, baby girl, but I’ll come pick you up sometimes,” my daddy said. He’s lying idiot! Don’t listen to him! Stop him from leaving! Someone said to me. I grabbed his leg, holding on as tight as I could. “Please don’t leave daddy please!” I begged while crying with my arms and legs wrapped tightly around him.

It took a few minutes for him to break free from my tight hold. “I have to go Chelly,” he said, grabbing two suitcases and heading out of the door. You have to stop him from leaving! “I tried!” I screamed crying. You didn’t try hard enough! Stop him! I walked into the kitchen, grabbing a knife before patiently waiting on the sofa for him to come in and get his other suitcases. “Can I have a hug before you go daddy?” I asked with my hands behind my back. He walked slowly to me before wrapping his arms around me.

Grabbing the knife, I stuffed it into his back as hard as I could. He gasped loudly in my ear before falling to the ground. He’s still going to leave! “No, he’s not!” I yelled. I watched my daddy roll over onto his stomach, making his way towards the door. Told you he would leave! “You’ll never leaving me!” I yelled, running to him. I stabbed him over and over with the knife until he wasn’t trying to leave me anymore.

“Michelle! Baby! Oh my gosh! What did you do?” my mom asked hysterically.

“I made daddy stay mommy! You don’t have to cry anymore! He’s not leaving us,” I explained.

“Michelle, watch out!” Tiffany yelled, bringing me back to our current moment. We were heading straight for another car. I jerked the steering wheel back just in time. “Want me to drive?” Tiffany asked.

“I’m good,” I replied calmly. I desperately needed to calm down before the voice came back. I absolutely refuse to take anymore medicine since I’ve done so well all of these years without it.

The rest of the trip to Tiffany’s house was a quiet one with both of us lost in thought. After I dropped her off, I went home to set my plan in motion.

Armani

Somehow I had broken free of this prison and found my way back home. Tamia was the first person I called and as soon as I saw her, I knocked her out. I got my crazy sponsor, Vincent, to help bring her body into the apartment and tie her up. She cried and begged for her life as I sat in a chair in front of the bed. “Why are you doing this?” Tamia asked with tears streaming down the sides of her face.

“Because your life was too easy. Because you’re the reason I got abducted! Because you’re trying to steal my sponsor! Because you don’t deserve to live!” I screamed while I punched her in the stomach with every statement I made.

“Please, let me go Mani!” she continued begging, which made me smile. Watching her in pain gave me great joy! I hopped out of the chair before going into the kitchen to get a knife. I needed her to feel everything I’d felt my entire life. Walking back into the bedroom, I grabbed her hand and attempted to cut her pinky finger off. It wasn’t as easy as it looked on TV. I had to damn near saw it off to get the whole thing off as she yelled out in pain.

“Yeah, that will take too long.” I said out loud before I stabbed her in both hands. I began to stab her over and over but she wouldn’t die. She continued to scream, even with blood spilling out of her mouth. All of sudden the screams ended, so I looked up at her face. Her eyes were wide open and looking directly at me. A slow smile spread across her face, which caused my blood to boil. I took the knife and place it at her ear, ready to slice her neck completely open.

BOOM!

The sound of the door bursting open before hitting the wall jarred me out of my dream! I looked over at the door at the woman who comes to torture me daily. I wondered what she had against me that made her come hurt me every day when Steve left. As I watched her walk closer in the room and shut the door behind her, I wondered what she had in store for me today. She sat next to me on the bed and I could feel her staring at me, although I couldn’t see her eyes.  “Do you know me lady?” I asked as I looked directly at her. She didn’t move a muscle. “Did I do something to you?” I asked and again, she didn’t move a muscle. Sighing heavily, I rolled my eyes at her.

WHAP! She slapped me so hard that if I wasn’t tied to the bed, I would have flipped out of it. I didn’t cry or frown at her. I simply stared at her and thought of ways that I would kill her, once I got out of here. I heard vehicles pulling up before the lady put a towel over my mouth and nose. Knowing she was trying to knock me out, I held my breath and relaxed my shoulders. I heard the door open and then close.

A few minutes later, the door opened again. I heard footsteps getting closer before I was slapped in the face. It took everything in me not to let them know I was awake. I allowed my body to stay hung over in the direction I was slapped before I felt Steve’s large hands position me the way I was. “Why’d you slap her?” I heard the voice I recognized as the cabbie that abducted me say.

“To make sure she wasn’t awake. So, you saw her?” Steve asked. The cabbie didn’t respond, so I assumed he simply gave Steve a head nod.

“What happened? Why isn’t she here?” Steve asked.

“Man, you ain’t give me no picture of her. I grabbed the wrong bitch!” the cabbie replied aggressively. Smack! “The fuck you hit me for?” the cabbie yelled.

“How the fuck you grab the wrong bitch, bruh?!” Steve asked.

“I knew what kind of car she had. The bitch that was in the driver’s seat wasn’t her though! By the time I snatched the wrong bitch, the right one started shooting!” the cabbie exclaimed, which caused my eyes to shoot open.

Tamia was shooting? She had a new friend? So, she just said fuck Armani, huh? I got abducted because she stopped an assault that could have prevented all of this from happening and she replaced me! Now I’m being tortured daily by a woman that I’m not really even sure if she’s a woman or not! I can’t wait until I get out of here, so I can teach her and her new friend a lesson! You don’t fuck with Armani Wright!

My breathing became irregular and the more I thought about Tamia having a new friend, the angrier I became. I found it hard to catch my breath as I breathed faster and faster. “Look,” the cabbie said to Steve, which caused them both to look in my direction. I could feel my cheeks flushing as I hyperventilated and tried hard to calm my nerves.

“Oh shit, yummy! Breathe, baby, breathe!” Steve screamed in my face as I continued to hyperventilate. I was confused as to why he would kidnap me and not hurt me himself. Instead, he allowed the lady to hurt me every day. “Baby, don’t die on me. I love you,” he said with tears welled up in his eyes. I could feel myself about to lose consciousness but I was fighting hard as hell to stay alive. I couldn’t go out like this! Not here! The deck was already stacked against me from birth. I couldn’t go out like this. “Go start the car! I gotta get her to a hospital.” Steve said to the cabbie.

“Wait. What?” the cabbie asked, probably as confused as I am.

“GO!” Steve yelled, which cause him to jump up and run out of the room.

I could feel Steve untying the ropes but I couldn’t see well. Purple dots started to cloud my vision. He scooped me up, ran out of the house, and tossed me in the backseat before getting in with me. “Hold on yummy! Don’t die on me! We have so much we have to do together!” Steve said as he rocked my body in his. Tears were streaming down my cheeks because I was scared that I was about to die.

I haven’t lived or loved! I just been going through the motions. Nobody will ever remember me if I die like this. I can’t even die a survivor. “Help…. me.” I forced out before I passed out.

Tamia

I was a nervous wreck as Candy weaved in and out of traffic as she followed closely behind Deuce’s truck. I prayed hard for God to save him because we had already passed two hospitals. Being from the streets, I know they don’t normally take their boys to the emergency room. I thought it was just for gunshots though. We could have made up a story about how he got hit over the head. Of course, I’d have to change so they wouldn’t think he and I got into a fight and arrest him later, but we could have come up with something good. “Are we going to Deuce’s house?” I asked Candy.

“Naw, we going to Doc’s house. We’re almost there,” she answered without taking her eyes off of Deuce’s truck. I started to wonder why she was watching his truck so hard if she knew where she was going. I decided against asking though.

A few minutes later, we pulled up to the biggest house I had ever seen in my life. Candy parked next to Deuce as a stocky white man about 5'3" walked out of the house followed by two women. Both of them were as short as me but the difference between the two were that one was slim and light skinned while the other was thick and dark skinned.

“What’s up Doc?” Deuce asked and gave the stocky man dap before he returned to his truck. I thought it was rude that he didn’t acknowledge the women at all.

“Nothing much my man. Let’s get our guy inside, shall we?” Doc said and turned on the heels of his feet. Brandon hopped out of the car and looked in my direction before helping Deuce get Rashard’s body out of the back seat. Candy approached them and I followed closely behind her.

I didn’t miss the cold glares sent Candy’s way by the slim light skinned chick as we passed by them. Nobody acknowledge them but me and I quickly understood why. “Hello, how are you?” I asked as we passed by the ladies. They both turned their noses up at me, which caused me to laugh at them. Like I said before, when you grow up, you react different. In all actuality, my laughing at them was just as petty for the simple fact that what they did didn’t require a reaction at all.

Candy looked back at me and winked before turning back around. I looked around Doc’s spacious home and took in the plain decor. If I had a house like this, it would be laid out! Every room you went in would make your mouth drop. The chandelier is the only thing I’d seen so far that was jaw dropping as we made our way down the hall. The weird thing was all of the doors in the hall are wide open. Curiosity got the best of me each time as I looked into each dimly lit plain room. I continued to trail closely behind Candy while observing basically nothing until I ran right into the back of her. “Sorry,” I said and stepped away from her.

I looked around her and saw everyone ahead of her removing their shoes one at a time. They even took Rashard’s shoes off! All of our shoes were placed in cubby holes designed to house shoes as we ventured further into the house. We walked through the living room and my jaw hit the plush all black carpet beneath my feet. Mounted on the wall was a plasma screen TV that looked to be about 78". There was an all-black sectional that went damn near around the entire living room. There were two children jumping around and playing the XBOX Kinect. It was some kind of exercise or race game. One of them looked in our direction but neither of them spoke to anyone. Learning my lesson the last time I spoke to someone in this house, I decided to keep my mouth closed. There were pictures of Doc and the children everywhere, which made me wonder where their mother was.

Walking into the next room was like walking into a museum. There were Egyptian artifacts all over the place. There was a glass counter with different types of fossils in it. I don’t know anything about this kind of stuff, so I can’t tell you too much about it. There were four tombs, one in every corner of the room, all shaped like women. It was the kind of tombs they put mummies in, along with everything they will need in the afterlife. I thought that was pretty weird but it was normal compared to the next room.

We walked out of the museum and made a right into the hallway before being led down the stairs. The first room we encountered was anything but normal! “Hey Sweetheart,” Doc said for the first time since we entered the house. Everyone followed suit, speaking to whomever he was speaking too but I hadn’t seen anyone. Candy turned around and mouthed the word ‘speak’ to me, so I spoke to her too. I was beyond confused as I looked at the pictures of this beautiful woman all over the walls. I looked at the bed, thinking maybe she was there but she wasn’t. Upon further examination of the room, I saw her seated at a vanity table looking into the mirror. Her posture caught my eye first because she sat up straight like she was raised not to ever slouch. She had beautiful hair flowing down to the middle of her back and it didn’t take me long to figure out she was the woman in the pictures. I couldn’t help but wonder why everyone here was so rude though because she didn’t speak to any of us, not even Doc.

Wondering why her bedroom was downstairs and not with the rest of the rooms made me feel sorry for her. Why would he have her isolated like this all the way down here? I wondered if she ever got to talk to or play with her children, or did they get to come down here to visit her? So many questions were running through my mind as I followed them down a few more steps.

“Put him on the table,” Doc said as he stepped to the side and washed his hands. We all filed into the sterile room that looked like we walked out of his house and into a hospital. I mean, the entire room looked like part of the hospital. “Suit up. I need help,” Doc said as he looked directly at me.

“Huh? Me?” I asked, wondering how he figured I was qualified to help him do whatever it is that he wanted me to do. Instead of responding, he pointed down a small hallway. I followed his finger with my eyes leaning around Candy to see what he was pointing at.

“Everything you will need is in the last room on the right,” he said to me.

I looked at Candy as she gave me a reassuring head nod before I walked down the narrow hall to the last door on the right. Inside this room, there were lockers, like the ones in our break room at the hospital. I walked slowly around the room and read all of the names on each locker until I came to one that said guest. Opening it, there were a pair of scrubs, booties for your feet, all of the personal protective equipment, an otoscope, ophthalmoscope, and a stethoscope. Surprisingly, the scrubs were a perfect fit. Looking around, I noticed a shower so I hopped in to relinquish my body of any germs that could possibly infect Rashard’s wound. It took about fifteen minutes but once I came out, I was so comfortable.

Walking back into the room, I locked eyes with Brandon and quickly looked away when Candy cleared her throat. “Do your thing,” Doc said and put me on the spot. I grabbed the blood pressure cuff off the table and quickly checked his blood pressure while counting his breaths. They were both normal, so I moved on to check his pulse, which was 125.

“His heart rate is 125,” I said and looked back at Doc.

“Why?” he asked me. I was beginning to panic because he’s the doctor, so why is he asking me. I started to breathe heavy as I looked from Doc to Rashard. “Calm down and think,” Doc said, too calm for my liking. I began to take slow deep breaths with my eyes closed and tried to think of reasons why his heart rate would be so high right now.

“Sometimes head injuries cause your heart rate to speed up?” I asked Doc.

“Why are you asking me?” Doc asked and looked at me with his head tilted sideways.

“Um… ok! The head injury caused his heart rate to pick up. It’s not uncommon for patients to exhibit tachycardia after being hit over the head,” I said as I began to feel comfortable with myself. I know if something happens while I’m playing doctor, I’d never forgive myself but Doc had given me no other choice. I grabbed the ophthalmoscope and checked his pupils. “Rashard, I know you can hear me. I’m going to shine the light into your eyes to make sure they are both the same size and that they react to the light by constricting,” I said to Rashard before I checked his eyes. They were both fine.