Chapter 2: A Mother's Fury

Selene rushed to her son, arms open wide, and wrapped him in a warm hug. "Mali," she whispered, her voice shaking with worry.

Malakai hugged his mom tight, his little body shaking a bit. Selene held his face, her eyes checking every inch of him.

That's when she saw it - a small bruise on his left cheek. Her heart raced with anger and fear. "What happened, my son?" she asked, her voice full of concern.

Malakai stayed quiet, looking down. Selene's eyes turned to the old lady, burning with anger. "What happened to him?" she asked, her voice strong but calm.

The old lady sneered, her face twisted in disgust. "Your son got into a fight, and I told you this could get him kicked out." She spoke with hatred, her eyes filled with dislike for Selene and Malakai.

Selene's face turned red with anger, her hands squeezing Malakai's shoulders as she pulled him behind her. "Malakai is not a thug," she growled, her voice low and threatening. "I don't care who you are, but you can't talk about my son like that."

The old woman snarled, her eyes lighting up with hate. "He'll probably turn out to be one anyway," she said, her voice full of disgust.

Just then, a door opened and a short, fat man with a thinning hairline and a thick mustache walked in. He looked at Selene and couldn't stop staring at her with a creepy desire.

His eyes moved over her body, stopping at her hips, chest, and face. He licked his lips, his eyes shining with excitement.

Selene's face twisted in disgust, her skin crawling at the sight of the principal's dirty look. But she knew who he was - the person in charge of her son's future.

The principal looked at Selene with a creepy smile. "You're still hot, Selene," he said, his voice full of sleaze.

He told the old lady to bring him a chair, and she did without saying a word.

He sat down, staring at Selene with a mean look in his eyes.

Selene felt scared and angry, her mind racing with thoughts of what might happen next.

She knew she had to be careful, but she couldn't help hating the principal for enjoying her son's troubles.

"Your son got into a fight," the principal said with a smirk. "I know you're struggling as a single mom, so I 'helped' lower the punishment. But you still owe $700." He looked very pleased with himself.

Selene took a deep breath, trying not to get angry. She looked straight at the principal's smug face and squeezed her son's hand.

"If you need help paying, come see me in my office," the principal said, talking down to her.

The principal struggled to stand up, his eyes staring at Selene's chest before he left. But he couldn't help looking back at her body one last time before he finally left the room.

The old lady smiled widely, her eyes sparkling with a knowing look. "Time to go, school's over. Please leave the premises."

Selene didn't argue. She looked at Malakai's scared face and knew she had to be strong for him. "Vámonos, m'ijo,"(Let's go my son) she said softly, her voice shaking with emotion.

As they left, Selene felt relieved. She wanted to get Malakai away from the principal's creepy looks and the old lady's mean smile. She held his hand tight, her heart racing.

She knew she had to be strong for Malakai and protect him no matter what.

The rain had slowed to a drizzle, like it felt sorry for them. Selene hugged Malakai close, her heart filled with fear and a desire to keep him safe.

She didn't ask him about the fight or scold him for the trouble. She knew the principal was behind it.

Even though it was still dark, she kept Malakai close, not wanting anything to happen to him, as they walked home.

As they turned a corner, a figure, then two, then three suddenly appeared, two lurking in the back and one stepping forward. "Look at here, boys, we've got ourselves," they joked, but their eyes were roaming on Selene's body.

Selene's heart raced as she tightened her grip on Malakai, her eyes fixed on the trio.

"Please, just let us go," Selene begged, trying to stay calm. The guy in front looked at her and Malakai with a mean gaze. "Nah, you're not interesting enough. Give me your phone and wallet, that's all."

Selene didn't fight back, knowing it would only make things worse. She handed over her stuff, keeping her eyes on Malakai's face.

The guys took what they wanted and quickly left, leaving Selene and Malakai feeling scared and helpless.

Malakai's hands were clenched, his eyes burning with anger and helplessness. He was only 12, but he knew what had just happened.

He felt trapped in a world that seemed to be against them. He wished they could escape to a better place, where they could be safe and happy.

Selene quickly pulled Malakai along, her heart racing with fear. She didn't want to see those thugs again.

They arrived at their worn-out house, with cracks and holes in the walls.

She pulled out her key from her pocket, a habit she had developed after many break-ins.

Selene locked the door and led Malakai to the sofa, trying to calm down. "I'll make you dinner, okay?" she said, forcing a smile.

But as soon as she was alone in the bathroom, she broke down in tears. She cried hard, her body shaking with sadness and frustration.

She wiped away her tears and heard a noise. She turned to see Malakai standing there, looking worried about her.

"What are you doing here, baby? I told you to wait for me," Selene said, her voice trembling as she tried to hide her tears.

Malakai opened his mouth to speak, but a loud crash made them both jump. A window broke, and Selene's heart skipped a beat.

She rushed to Malakai, looking around for danger. "Get down, hide!" she whispered, pulling him to the floor.

As they huddled together, Selene worried about what might happen next. Had those thugs followed them? Were they breaking in? She held Malakai tight, her heart racing, and waited.

Selene quickly took Malakai to the bedroom, her heart racing with fear. "Hide under the bed, baby, and don't come out until I say it's safe," she whispered, pushing him towards the bed.

Malakai's eyes were wide with fear, but he quickly scrambled under the bed.

Selene knew she had to act fast, thinking about the thugs breaking in.

Selene opened the wardrobe, her hands shaking, and grabbed the hidden revolver. It was Carlos's gun, left for her protection. She never thought she'd use it, but now it was her only hope.

She checked the gun, her heart racing, and moved towards the door. She heard breaking glass and footsteps getting closer.

Selene gripped the gun tightly, her finger on the trigger, and waited by the door, ready to face the intruders.