CHAPTER SIXTEEN: ELICIA

As February started, I applied for psychology at UCLA.

The following weeks were filled with Treadway showing me that he was serious about me.

Andre asked if him and I were dating and I was afraid he would say no because he seemed like someone who liked his life private but he said yes.

This made me feel special.

He walked me home every day and at weekends he sometimes came to see me when mom wasn't around.

We texted at times, he wasn't much of phone person instead he was  a rather be with person.

I was glad l was one of the few contacts in his phone.

Sometimes I would bring him food at work and packed him a few lunch boxes when he visited home.

We went to meet Michaela and Valerie turns out my suspicions of Michaela being his wife and Valerie being his daughter was wrong.

Valerie was his little sister and Michaela was a very close friend of his who offered to stay with Vee.

One day as he was walking me home I decided to ask him the question l dreaded the most.

"You remember the day I treated your wound on the side walk. What had really happened?"

I ask and continue talking," I feel like you know everything about me and I know just a few things about you."

"Let's find a place to seat and I will tell you everything you want to know." I nod and we head for the park.

"My dad passed away two years ago and since he was the breadwinner and mom was the housewife we struggled to make ends meet. I hadn't finished school so Michael paid for the remaining semesters and I managed to graduate from high school. I met Michaela in my junior year before dad passed away. I saved her from being gang-raped by these other kids from school so she paid my tuition saying she owed me her life and we became good friends. A few months later, dad passed away, mom started getting involved with this man named Ron, he is a drug addict; I tried to tell my mom that he was bad for her but Ron had a tight grip on her she couldn't even see it.

At first Ron was using his own money to buy the drugs but after he ran out of money, mom started giving him money that was saved up for my college tuition by dad. She started distancing herself from me, treating me like shit and it wasn't until eight months ago that I found out that he was giving her drugs as well and now my mom just lies in bed all day unable to move or do anything. I clean after her all the time. After Ron squandered all the money he started asking me for money saying if l didn't give him he would give mom drugs and she would black out for days." Treadway said tears now streaming down his face and I hugged him really tight trying to put across the message that I am there for him and he seemed to get it.

"I tried going to the police but it turns out that three of the stations I went were somehow acquainted with Ron so instead they called him to come pick me up and that's when the beating started. He would beat me every time he felt like it and I couldn't resist because he had leverage on me with mom. So, I worked myself to provide money every time he wanted it. I kept trying to talk to mom but I do not know why mom keeps taking his side, can't she see what he is doing to me. Doesn't she love me enough to choose me over him? Michaela wanted me to move in with her but I couldn't leave mom alone with him, instead I let Valerie go with Mick. With the help of Mick, I managed to get a job at the café. I asked to stay at the café because whenever Ron sees me home doing nothing he says I am wasting time sitting instead of working to bring him money. As long as l bring him money he doesn't lay a finger on mom. I think he somehow managed to see that I was going out to lunch with you and said I was wasting money on impressing you so he threatened to come after you if I didn't stop and I didn't want him to hurt you so l had no other choice than to cut you out of my life but after I realized that you were the only thing I had ever wanted for myself for once in my life I wanted to be selfish." By the time he finished I was a sobbing mess and instead of me comforting him, he was the one who was comforting me.

We went home together and asked if he wanted to come in and he denied but surprisingly he ended up sitting with me and my mom at the dining table having dinner with us.