Worth, Love (The Fever Of Desire)

14.

Chapter 14.
A trip Down Memory Lane

*10 years Earlier*

"Tareea-" I turned around facing an out of breath Alex. "You left your little pouch?" He held it out to me. My eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh God, thank you so much um...Your name's Alex right?" He flashed me a smile showing his dimples and blue braces. "Yeah, you know we have AP Lit together right?"

I shrugged sheepishly. "Sorry-" he shook his head, "nah it's fine. I doubt a pretty girl like you can remember the name of every guy who talks to you."

I laughed uncomfortably and shifted in the oversized T and baggy jeans I was wearing. "I guess..." I glanced at the clock behind his head.

"Class?" He said noticing. I nodded. "Yeah the Bell's gonna ring soon."

He waved me off, "alright, be careful with your stuff."

And somehow every 2weeks or so he'd run something to me that I left in AP before he one day slid in the seat next to mine.

"Tareea right?" He said as he sat down. I tilted my head, "mhm Alex yeah?" He nodded and smiled seemingly glad I remembered his name. I flashed him a smile back before getting to my work.

For a while we both worked in silence.

"You know you're really pretty?.. Beautiful actually.." he said suddenly breaking the silence. I looked at him making eye contact as he was already full on looking at me. My face heated up, "thanks.." I mumbled.

He let out a soft sigh smiling as though he was enthralled. "You know....I'm going to be honest I've been kinda taking stuff without you noticing so that you'd leave something."

I blinked a little surprised that he admitted to what I had been suspecting. "But why?" My brows furrowed. He scratched the back of his head nervously and gave me an awkward smile.

"Ive been wanting to talk to you for awhile but I didn't know how to approach you. Beautiful young women tend to make guys nervous."

I smiled genuinely then covered it up feeling shy. "Th-thanks.."

And that was the start of some amazing things...

It was amazing to me because...well home life wasn't great. School was fine, I was typically left alone but at home it was a different story...

_____

"TAREEA!" My mama called from downstairs, I immediately dropped my work and scrambled down the steps.

"Y-yes ma'am?" I coughed a bit as I inhaled the smoke filling the kitchen from her cigarette.
"Get the house cleaned up yo daddy is almost home and he's bringing a guest so try and make your fat ass look respectable." She hawked up some spit letting it fly into the trashcan before taking another puff of the cig.

I nodded before turning to leave. She was quick to smack me so hard in the back of my head I stumbled forward and fell. Panic flared in me as I wondered what I did wrong.
"Next time answer me with your words little girl." She kicked me on my side. "Now get the fuck up and get to work, fucking disgrace." She mumbled the last bit but I still heard the words, they cut deep. I got up quickly and began to clean.