Chapter 4 Thick Skin

Jojo:

My eyelids parted, much to my disdain, only to find my body flat against a soft mattress.

The fear that hugged my chest came after the stinging pain at the back of my head and the side of my left arm. The fear that Mykel had suceeded in having his way with me. I had lost the strength to fight him last night, and I suddenly passed out, so...

I shook my head vehemently as I struggled to sit up. Any iota of sleep that had remained, suddenly vanished from my eyes. I sprang up and lay my back against the head board. I looked down at my body and saw that I was fully dressed, relief washed over me like waves at the shore of the sea.

Mykel could not have touched me, because he could not own a bed like this. My green orbs traveled around the hexagonal room. Neither could he have a room like this.

But, if I wasn't with Mykel, then...where was I?

On reflex, my hand darted to my left pocket in search of my money, the one that had nearly got me raped. My pocket was empty! My money was gone! All of it!

I buried my face into my palms, while I fought back the urge to scream my head and cry my eyes out at the same time. The money was meant for Valerie's tuition, I had worked extra hard to gather that sum, and now, now it was all gone.

However, there was no time for me to sit around and feel sorry for myself. I had to get back to work and I had to do so fast. But first, I had to leave this place.

I sprang up to my feet and rushed towards the glass sliding doors. I found it pretty fancy, but I did not stop me from hurling myself out of the room, without turning back. I ran through an array of rooms and corridors, and did not stop until I was out of the building. I'm so flustered, I don't even know how I got to this place!

I searched for my phone in my pocket, and realized it was not on me. My fists rolled into balls and I punched the air. There was nothing else to take my frustration on anyway. I was only the goddess knows how far away from home with no money on me. GREAT!

I began to trek along the road, until I found a phone booth. I stepped into it and placed a call across to Mel. The dial tone came on immediately.

"Please, pick up."

"Hello?"

I swear that I could have shed tears of joy at that moment.

"Mel, it's me...Jojo."

"Jojo? Where are you calling from? Why didn't you use your phone? Where...?"

I silenced her question and told her everything. Luckily, she offered to pay for my ride to her house . At least, so I could get clean clothes before returning home.

And that, was why she was my best friend in the whole world, after my little sister of course.

I did not spend time in Mel's place, not like I had the time anyway. I only had a light breakfast, changed my clothes and borrowed some change from her to return home.

The moment I stepped my right foot into the house, I wished I had just stayed at Mel's or the strange place I had escaped from.

My aunt, the devil herself, stood in the center of her small living room, amongst her dead pieces of furniture, arms folded across her chest and eyes laced with disgust, fixed on me.

On reflex, I held on to the hem of my shirt.

"Look what the cat dragged in. Where's my money?"

I lowered my head in silence. I did not have or know what to say to her.

She stepped forward, closing the space between us.

"Can't you hear me? I said, where the hell is my money?!" Her tone increased, as she yelled at me.

I raised my eyes to look at her.

"I...I don't have it..."

Her scowl was instant.

"You don't what?" It was more of a warning not to repeat myself, than a question, but I had to carry on, there was no choice.

"I don't have it aunt. Mykel, he..."

It was then that the series of slaps came crashing at both sides of my face. Sending me hurling back towards the door, my back crashed against the hard wood.

"Stupid girl! It's bad enough that you're stealing from me, but lying against my son?! Mykel was home all night!"

No. That couldn't be right.

I opened my mouth to say something, but another resounding slap silenced me again. But I was stubborn.

"Aunty, you have to believe me! Mykel attacked me, and he..."

She pulled me by my shirt and flung me towards the ending of her couch. My waist locked with the edge of the chair and I found myself rolling on the floor, wincing in pain.

She found me and began to kick me. My stomach, my chest, my legs, anywhere that was open to her, no part of my body was spared from her heels. I took it, I endured until she were done with me and left me lying on the cold floor. I was getting better at receiving the pain now as it had become a daily routine.

"Let me go, stop it, stop. You've already taken most of my money and you know it. And you know what your son is made of. "

I wouldn't talk to my aunt like that, but the falling fists and the disappearing money are too much for me.

"You're getting really bold. How dare you talk to me like that! Get the hell out of my way if you dare."

Another slap on my face. I stared at her.

This made her mad, the violence made her excited.

I protected my head with my hands, I still need to work tonight.

Just bear it .

I had developed thick skin over the years. As Ariana Grande said, I had no more tears left to cry.

It had been eight years since my sister and I were taken in by my Aunt Elowen. I had not only been maltreated by my Aunt in those years, but also sexually harassed by her two disgusting sons, Mykel and Lev.

She blamed me for everything, but most especially for the death of her husband, months after we moved in with her. We had to move from the Raven's pack which was her husband's pack to the Rush Pack, our former pack. She said I was badluck, but I knew I wasn't.

My life took a different turn when my mother was diagnosed with brain hemorrhage, an illness that rendered her invalid until date. Valerie never experienced motherly care because of it and it made me work extra hard to make sure she did not miss out on anything. I was going to be both her sister and mother.

At nineteen, I had worked so many part time jobs, it should have been illegal. Even with how hard I worked, they always found a way to take it all, insisting that I had to pay for the roof over my head. My mother stayed at the hospital receiving little or no treatment, just surviving, because the little I brought in was never enough and my Aunt had long seized to care about her sister.

Hope? Justice?

These words were dreams to me. My father was probably enjoying the best things of life with his new mistress. My aunt vehemently refused to bring up a case against him. It did not matter to me anymore, all that mattered was being here for Valerie.

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Valerie.

I saw her kneel beside me from her peripheral vision and I smiled weakly.

"Hey sis."

She shook her head and sat neck to me, cupping both sides of my face with her feeble palms.

"She beat you again, didn't she?" Her soft and innocent voice was music to my ears. Even in my pain, my heart soared with joy.

"She was just being nasty. You know how she gets about her money."

Her soft eyes looked over me, before landing on my fairly bruised face again.

"One day, all of this would be over. You know right?"

"Mhmm." I hummed.

I felt her snuggle closer to me. I held her in my arms, hot and burning tears threatened to free themselves down my cheeks. It got worse when she sobbed against my chest.

"I hate when they do this to you." Her voice muffled with tears. I lowered my jaw and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"It's okay." I replied.

Her head snapped up, she frowned at me.

"It's not okay. You should've just let them have the money." She whined.

It was my turn to frown now. I had mysteriously lost the money, and would have to work extra hard for another one now.

"That money was for your tuition, Ley. I couldn't have let it go without a fight."

"Well, I don't want it." She spat out.

My right brow arched on its own accord.

"What?"

"If you have to go through this to put me through school, I don't want it, Jo. I want to be with you and mama. Just having both of you around makes me very happy." Valerie insisted.

"Things won't always be like this, Ley. I promise." I said in a whisper and she whispered back,

"I know." I felt her smile against my skin and it made me smile too.

But where is my money?