Chapter 8.

woke up the next morning by someone's yelling and by the sounds of it, it was a female. She got out of the bed and lazily walked to the dresser and saw that her hair was all over the place. She raked it with her fingers and she walked over to her suit case and picked out some clothes for her to take a bath.

"How the fuck you mean you forgot Rodney, I told you 11p.m sharp!" She yelled at him, Cyn was honestly surprised that he didn't react as she thought he would.

"I'm gone need you to calm your ass down alright, I told you that it was a one time mishap." He said soothing her but then she sighed. Cyn turned the door knob and slowly walked out of the room hoping that they would ignore her presence, but that all changed when the door closed.

Cyn's eyes snapped towards the both of them as they both stared back at her.

"Oh, so this why your ass couldn't come and get me, you too busy fucking this young ass little girl!" She yelled, Cyn was very much taken back and Rodney just rubbed his hands over his face.

"Relax your ass alright." He gritted through his teeth stepping up, she sighed and rubbed her hand through her hair.

"Rodney I honestly cant believe this shit. You fucking around some little ass girl." Cyn scanned his face and she watched him steam up, rage filled his eyes as he gripped her by her throat pulling her into him.

"Listen to yourself Lay, for the last time you better watch your damn mouth before I fuck you up and bust a cap between your motherfucking eyes. I told you why I didn't show, I told you what the deal was. Now if you want to keep believing yourself go ahead." Cyn saw the fear in her as she shook and it was no doubt that she was getting in between them. Lay gasped for breath but for a split second it looked like she had stopped breathing, he let her go and her body dropped to the ground and she started panting.

"Now get the fuck out my house." He said walking past Cyn bumping her shoulder.

Cyn looked back at the girl who stood to her feet and gave her a death glare. She spat at her and Cyn jumped a bit, she then turned on her heels and walked to the door heading out.

Deciding to go back to what was intended in the first place Cyn went to the bathroom.

She turned the cold shower on to get a good wake and she stepped into the tub, Cyn spotted a rag hanging up and a bottle of body wash in the corner of the tub. She wet the towel and poured the wash on the towel and she began to scrub her skin clean.

She wanted to clean herself not only physically but mentally. She figured she'd start a new her, Cyn was graduating in two months timing and with every day winding down life approached. She had planned not to look back for nobody, just her.

She rinsed out the rag and stepped fully under the shower to wash the soap off. When she was done she stepped out of the shower and saw a little closet door, opening it; bath items were revealed. She took out a towel and dried her wet body.

When she was done she threw on her clothes which was an over sized sweat shirt and a black mini jeans skirt Cyn simply left her hair wet.

She walked out of the bathroom and was was immediately faced with Rodney.

"Uhh..." Cyn grew nervous and her eyes shifted from his face straight down to her toes, she felt his hand reached under her chin and tilted her head up.

"What's wrong with you and looking down?" He questioned.

"You mean other than the fact your face is just inches away from mine?" Cyn watched as his facial expressions changed immediately.

"Always got something smart to say." He said roughly moving his hand away from her chin eyeing her body and what she had on. Cyn undoubtedly had a nice figure, solid thighs, round hips and a nice levels tummy. She was your average B cup.

"That's real short." Rodney said as he grew uncomfortable.

"It only is if you think about it." She shot back as he chuckled shaking his head.

"I'll be gone for the day, most of the day. Don't do no shit, do not invite nobody over here and don't answer the damn door." He said.

"So that means I'll be locked up in here like some prisoner." She said with her brow raised.

"Call it what you want." He said.

"Rodney?"

"What?" He answered.

"What's your occupation?" Cyn asked tilting her head to the side.

"By now I thought you'd already have found out, smart ass." He commented lifting his head.

"I knew, I was just hoping that I was wrong." He turned towards Cyn with a questionable look and parted his lips to speak, but the words never made it out. He tried to figure out Cyn, he wanted to get to feel her every emotion; but at this time she showed none.

He walked into the room so she assumed that he was probably leaving. Cyn walked to the refrigerator and pulled out the jug of water and she got a cup pouring some out.

When she was done she rinsed out the cup and rest it inside of the drain pan. Soon, Rodney came out of his room and Cyn could've smelt him before she had seen him. When he stepped into view, he stood before her in a last king shirt, true religion jeans and a pair of Jordan's Cyn had never seen.

"Are you goin' anywhere?" He asked pulling a set of keys out of his pocket.

"No. I'm gone stay here." He looked at Cyn as if she was serious but she just gave an assuring smile. He didn't know that Cyn was a loner, he didn't know a lot of things.

"I ain't even knew you could've done that..." He chuckled sliding the keys back into his pocket.

"Done what?" She asked curiously.

"Smile."

Cyn gulped as he stared at her for a few more seconds and she shifted uncomfortably.

"See you later." He said.

"Yea see you." Cyn said more to her self, since he was already walking out the door​.

She walked back over to the couch and sat down, she didn't want to go with him knowing that she don't want to get involved with anything he's in.

Cyn only living with him for the time being and that was that. She found the remote and she clicked on the television.

Her mind wondered a lot, like why was she staying with someone she barely knew and the other part of her mind's just yelling ungrateful.

She felt her phone buzzed off as she looked down picking it up.

Travis

-5 missed calls

-17 messages

She decided to shoot him a text letting him know that she was alright.

Cyn got up and went to the room that she was staying in and she went straight for my suitcase, Cyn opened the small compartment and pulled out the book what Mrs. Parker gave to her.

Christopher Paul Curtis: Elijah of Buxton

She flipped through the pages and there were no pictures, to her this didn't make any sense.

Not judging the book by it's cover, she started on the first page...

It was Sunday after church and all my chores were done...

'Damn it even sounds like me.' She thought to herself.

Chapter 1: Snakes and Ma

'I was sitting on the stoop, trying to think what to do.......'

Cyn continued reading and the more she did the interested she got, she read up to twelve and before she knew it she heard the keys jingling and sound of the opening of the door, Rodney walked through with a smug look on his face.

"You okay?" She asked resting the book down.

"I'm good. Why?" He asked throwing the keys on the table and rubbed his hands across his face, he then took a seat beside Cyn.

"You just look like shit, that's all." His head snapped up and he hit her leg as she grinned.

"Man I'm tired." He sighed, he got up and Cyn watched as he went to the kitchen and pulled the cupboards open.

"I see you ain't eat nothing." He said realizing that the cupboards were the same as he last left it.

"I was just caught up." She said referring to the book.

Cyn leaned back on the couch and stretched out my feet how she was at first and suddenly her feet came in contact with something....hard and cold. She looked at where her feet laid and there was a gun right beneath them.

She quickly sat up and looked at Rodney who was taking out a ramen noodle, seeing that he was busy doing something else she reached for the gun, she looked at it as her hand lightly pressed up against the cold metal, she was even surprised by the weight it carried.

"What are you doin' with that!"Rodney rushed towards Cyn and yanked the gun out of her hand and she immediately flinched.

She covered her face and expecting a hit she never got, she removed her hands slowly and cautiously, Rodney stood there staring at her with with confusion written all over, he didn't know how to handle this situation.

"They fucked with you real bad huh?" Cyn didn't answer, matter of fact she already forgot who stood before her.

"I don't know who did what they did to you and why they did it, but I not gone do no shit like that, so take it out your head."

He really had Cyn puzzled he made it seems as if she was going to be here forever when she clearly wasn't, and that was the problem, everything you played for and won wasn't always for keeps.

"So why'd you do what you did to Lay?" She asked being bold and instantly regretted it.

"I don't give a fuck about Lay Cyn, she knows what it's been between us and that's that. Probably if she'd known her place none of the shit that was happening to wouldn't have been happening at all." He sat beside her once more and looked her in the face.

"You really think I'll do that to you?" He asked squinting his eyes.

"I don't know, I've just had enough of the hurt that people was giving me and its really taken a toll on me." She held her head down realizing she was about to share her feelings. Cyn was horrible at this, she had never done this with anyone other than Travis.

"I feel you." He looked at her closely and she did the same, Cyn bit her lip and looked down only to Rodney lifting up her chin. He examined her face as if he had never seen anything like it before, this went on for about six more seconds before he pulled away.

"You don't even try...."

He stood up without another word and walked out of the living room leaving Cyn lost and alone....she rubbed her temples for a mere second and sighed deeply, she just didn't know anymore.