craned my neck toward Jordan.
"Under no circumstances are you to be up at the school fighting."
"She had it coming, Jordan."
"I don't care whether she had it coming or not. Fighting is not an option, especially with your court case pending."
"She's the very reason why I have the case, Jordan."
"That may be. However, we're going to let Asia, the attorney, deal with this."
"Asia doesn't know Liz like I do. Liz is a two-faced—"
"Keysha," Jordan interrupted, "fighting is bad for several reasons. You could seriously hurt someone or they could seriously hurt you, or even worse, if things get too far out of hand, someone could lose their life. I'm not saying don't defend yourself if you're being assaulted. What I am saying is that I don't want you initiating any physical confrontations with this Liz girl."
I placed my face in my hands.
"She's ruining my life and she doesn't even care," I said. "I can't let her get away with that."
"And she's not. We're going to prove our case in court," Jordan assured me.
"How, when everything points to me? How are we going to do that without any evidence? We need evidence or a confession or something. All I was trying to do was to save time, money and a big effort. If I get locked up at some juvenile detention center, you're not coming back for me and I know it." I stood up and began pacing the floor. I was trying to think of ways I could torture a confession out of Liz. I was thinking about my grandmother Rubylee and what she'd do in a situation like this. She knew how to make Liz talk like a bird singing in a tree.
"Keysha, I'm not going to leave you," Jordan said.
"Yeah, you say that now. But I know the minute I get locked up, you're going to disappear."
"Why do you think that?" he asked.
"Because everyone has always left me hanging," I answered.
"Keysha, who came and got you when the police pulled you out of school and took you to the station?"
"You did," I answered. Jordan was making me remember and think rationally.
"If I didn't leave you then, what have I done to make you think I'm going to turn my back on you now?"
"Nothing," I uttered. Jordan stood up, approached me and placed his hands on my shoulders.
"Look at me," he requested once again. I looked into eyes and listened to the words coming from his heart.
"I will always be there for you. I know it's hard to accept given the fact that we haven't really known each other very long, but I need you to place more trust in me."
"It's hard for me to trust adults," I answered honestly.
"I know it is, but you've got to place a little faith in me."
I studied his eyes for a long moment before breaking the connection. Not wanting to have another weird Grandmother Katie moment.
"I don't want you making things worse for yourself. Fighting Liz at this stage would send the wrong message to the judge and the prosecution. Not to mention it may draw more negative publicity to us."
"I just want to hit her one good time, though." Once again I was expressing how I felt.
"I know you do, but that's not the solution to our situation."
"I'll try not to beat her down but I can't make any promises," I said.
"Then I'll help you stay out of trouble. I want you and Mike to be together as much as possible."
"What?" I was confused.
"You heard me. I want him to be around you as much as possible during the time you're not with the family. I want you to walk to school together."
"But Mike has football practice twice a day sometimes."
"Then I want you to be at those practices with him."
I rolled my eyes.
"You can't be serious," I said.
"Yes, I am serious." Jordan stood his ground.
"I don't even like football," I whined.
"It's not about what you like or don't like. It's about keeping you out of trouble."
I huffed at the idea of being with Mike so much, but I agreed with him for the
"Under no circumstances are you to be up at the school fighting."
"She had it coming, Jordan."
"I don't care whether she had it coming or not. Fighting is not an option, especially with your court case pending."
"She's the very reason why I have the case, Jordan."
"That may be. However, we're going to let Asia, the attorney, deal with this."
"Asia doesn't know Liz like I do. Liz is a two-faced—"
"Keysha," Jordan interrupted, "fighting is bad for several reasons. You could seriously hurt someone or they could seriously hurt you, or even worse, if things get too far out of hand, someone could lose their life. I'm not saying don't defend yourself if you're being assaulted. What I am saying is that I don't want you initiating any physical confrontations with this Liz girl."
I placed my face in my hands.
"She's ruining my life and she doesn't even care," I said. "I can't let her get away with that."
"And she's not. We're going to prove our case in court," Jordan assured me.
"How, when everything points to me? How are we going to do that without any evidence? We need evidence or a confession or something. All I was trying to do was to save time, money and a big effort. If I get locked up at some juvenile detention center, you're not coming back for me and I know it." I stood up and began pacing the floor. I was trying to think of ways I could torture a confession out of Liz. I was thinking about my grandmother Rubylee and what she'd do in a situation like this. She knew how to make Liz talk like a bird singing in a tree.
"Keysha, I'm not going to leave you," Jordan said.
"Yeah, you say that now. But I know the minute I get locked up, you're going to disappear."
"Why do you think that?" he asked.
"Because everyone has always left me hanging," I answered.
"Keysha, who came and got you when the police pulled you out of school and took you to the station?"
"You did," I answered. Jordan was making me remember and think rationally.
"If I didn't leave you then, what have I done to make you think I'm going to turn my back on you now?"
"Nothing," I uttered. Jordan stood up, approached me and placed his hands on my shoulders.
"Look at me," he requested once again. I looked into eyes and listened to the words coming from his heart.
"I will always be there for you. I know it's hard to accept given the fact that we haven't really known each other very long, but I need you to place more trust in me."
"It's hard for me to trust adults," I answered honestly.
"I know it is, but you've got to place a little faith in me."
I studied his eyes for a long moment before breaking the connection. Not wanting to have another weird Grandmother Katie moment.
"I don't want you making things worse for yourself. Fighting Liz at this stage would send the wrong message to the judge and the prosecution. Not to mention it may draw more negative publicity to us."
"I just want to hit her one good time, though." Once again I was expressing how I felt.
"I know you do, but that's not the solution to our situation."
"I'll try not to beat her down but I can't make any promises," I said.
"Then I'll help you stay out of trouble. I want you and Mike to be together as much as possible."
"What?" I was confused.
"You heard me. I want him to be around you as much as possible during the time you're not with the family. I want you to walk to school together."
"But Mike has football practice twice a day sometimes."
"Then I want you to be at those practices with him."
I rolled my eyes.
"You can't be serious," I said.
"Yes, I am serious." Jordan stood his ground.
"I don't even like football," I whined.
"It's not about what you like or don't like. It's about keeping you out of trouble."
I huffed at the idea of being with Mike so much, but I agreed with him for the
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