Chapter 7:Carter

I sat down on the couch and wrote in my journal. Time got the best of me when I was with Ahliyah, I was comfortable around her. I could talk to her about anything. This time when I opened up my journal, I wasn't writing about my stepmother. I was writing about my time spent with Ahliyah and how I felt.

Lorenzo stopped coming by after I snapped at him. He wanted to make friend and try to discuss what happened when I was living with my stepmother and father. I should've been able to talk to Lorenzo about it, but there were things he didn't know and I didn't want him to react on what I would tell him. I was fine for now keeping these feeling locked deep inside.

I wish Lorenzo knew that I was okay though. He needed to stop worrying because I was fine. I pulled the rest of the boxes out of the guest room into my own. Mercedes is worried that she might get kicked out of where she is staying now and she wanted to have a place to sleep, just in case she did get kicked out. I sat back on the couch to watch tv when my phone rang.

As I was making sure the guest room was cleaned, the front door opened. My heart raced and I panicked. I didn't have anything to protect myself. I walked out of my room to see who it was and I sighed when it was Lorenzo.

" I know I should've called, I'm sorry. I'm also sorry for not understanding where you were coming from and I promise I will give you the time you need and when you're ready, we can talk." He said.

He sat on the couch and I stood in the hallway staring at him. He knew how I felt about people just showing up at my door. I smiled though because I knew he just came to check on me. " Well, now that you're here, do you mind helping me clean up?" I asked.

" You're not done unpacking, yet?" He asked.

I shook my head because I didn't want to look through those boxes yet. I didn't want to pull those things out and find out I kept it all when my stepmother and father didn't really give a shit about me.

" No, I'm going to have a room mate soon, so I'm trying to clean up before she gets ready to come by." I told him. I looked over the room making sure everything was in order for Ahliyah. Lorenzo was standing by the door with his arms crossed over his chest.

" Wait, don't tell me it's that girl you met," We stared at each other and he sighed. " You just met her and why does she have to stay here with you." He said. I knew what it felt like to be on your own and what it felt like not having anyone in your corner to protect you. I slept on the streets once and I worried about someone what someone was going to do every time I closed my eyes at night.

I didn't want anyone else to go through that either.

" I was in her shoes once. She's going to stay here with me because I've been spending time with her and she's nice. " I said.

" Nice? You've made a new friend and hung out with her a couple of times and now she going to stay here with you. Might as well make her your girlfriend next." He laughed.

I wasn't laughing and I didn't find any of it funny. He told me to make friends and talk to someone so they could help me, but instead he wanted to mock me. At least I was warming up to telling her what the issue was. I had my reasons for not telling Lorenzo anything else, and now I was regretting telling him anything at all.

I wanted to tell Ahliyah everything. Our situations were not different from each other but it was going to take us some time and courage to talk about it. Friend or not, if he wasn't going to help or understand what I was doing then I didn't want him here.

" Get out." I said quietly.

Lorenzo stood there clenching his jaw, he said what he wanted to say. I didn't want to argue or fight about why what I was doing was the right choice. " Why are you kicking me out? I didn't do anything wrong but tell you the truth." He said.

" You don't understand. Maybe it's not meant for you to understand, please leave." I said, clenching and unclenching my fist. I cried after Lorenzo because this was the second argument we had. I wish I was comfortable telling him the whole story about what was done to me in that house, but I couldn't.

I talked to Ahliyah because she understood where I was coming from. I didn't have to stutter or struggle telling her want happened. It was differ with Lorenzo though because he been my friend for so long, I just didn't feel comfortable yet telling him what was wrong.

Ahliyah: Elias is upset at me and I have to leave.

Carter: Come over, I need the company anyways.

Ahliyah: Coming over now.

It didn't take long for Ahliyah to come over. She dropped her bags by the door and sat on the couch. I sat beside her and I told her what everything. How Lorenzo go upset when I said she would be moving in and how we argued because he didn't understand.

" I couldn't allow you to sleep in a hotel, or on the streets somewhere. I've been in your shoes but I didn't have anyone offer me a place to stay," I told her. " I know what it feels like and he didn't understand that." I smiled.

" Thank you, I really appreciate it. I might not show it but I do." She said.

After we talked, I grabbed her bags and showed her to her room. " I'm sorry if it's not perfect, but once you get settled you can make it yours." I told her.

She nodded her head and I gave her some time to herself. I went to my room and pulled out my journal jotting down everything I was feeling, even the emotions I didn't want to feel. I was sure Ahliyah staying here was going to be good for me though.

I knew that if I started talking to her about what happened then I might be okay because you can share what happened, but the scars don't leave you.