Church Girl Gone Wild by Ni’chelle Genovese

saying I had a half an hour to come up with an exit strategy. He still didn’t have a real idea of what I was running from, or that I was even running. Our conversation was catered more to Leslie, which was fine by me. There were too many things buzzing around in my head, all I could do was make polite conversation.
    It’d started drizzling earlier while we ate and hadn’t stopped. The only reason Leslie wasn’t talking our ears off was because she’d dozed off. She talked a hole in Quinn’s head after asking for restaurant food and then begging to go to the Pizza Hut buffet. It didn’t matter one way or the other to me, my appetite was shot from the moment three-thousand dollars slipped through my fingers.
    â€œNever would have expected to see a water spout and a tornado in one day. Kind of like a life altering experience,” Quinn started saying. He was giving me that after-school special look. The kind of look the coach or counselor has just before they tell you to keep straight and push ahead. He leaned his head back against the headrest while he sorted out whatever he was trying to say. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. “Back there at Pizza Hut you said something about going to Norfolk State. Well what if–”
    The door was yanked open, I was snatched out the car before I could even hear what the “if” was. Deacon’s first connected with all the impact of a cannon ball hitting me in the face. My head snapped to the side, blood went pulsing back towards my eye and poured from my nose at full strength. Momma Rose’s voice combined with Leslie shrieking was all just a bunch of squawking over the ringing in my ears. I could feel my knees going out of service and I braced myself. I could feel myself falling but, Deacon’s hand around my neck kept me from hitting the ground. If my eye wasn’t black yet it was slowly getting there. His fist went up again and I willed myself to pass out.
    Quinn stepped between me and Deacon. He was so close Deacon’s arm was almost resting on his shoulder.
    â€œEvery punch you land is about to come right back to you times a thousand old man. I been on an ass-whoopin’ spree today,” Quinn growled.
    Deacon’s fingers tightened around my throat in a quick warning squeeze before he let go. Maybe he figured out Quinn was the same guy that put Derian on his ass earlier. Quinn pushed me out of the way as Momma Rose rushed over in a flurry of apologies with her fingers going all over my sore face.
    â€œI’m sorry Eva. Why would you do something like this? You know how he gets,” Momma Rose cooed at me with her eyes full of worry. “Sue! Sue, take the baby in the house and get me some ice ready for Eva.”
    I watched Deacon and Quinn over Momma Rose’s shoulder. The words police, and child protective services floated towards me over the sound of Leslie whining about being called a baby. She immediately launched into telling Sue how we’d just gone on our first date with a man, her sickness long forgotten.
    Momma Rose cupped my cheeks with onion and lemon dish soap scented fingers saying whatever grown folk say to make you feel special after you get hit like you’re nothing. I didn’t listen. I stared at the space just above her eyes at the reddish-brown frame surrounding her face. Her foundation was about two shades lighter than the rest of her and her eyes were all done up with silver and blue eye shadow. That was her look.
    â€œWe talked and sometimes I just let that old fool have his way so I can go about my business in peace. But I can’t let this one go and he isn’t hearing a thing I say.”
    I squinted at Momma Rose, trying to understand what she was saying or apologizing for. Her whole demeanor was off.
    â€œDeacon only offered you in the choosing to get you out of the house before I found out you were his.”
    One by one my muscles locked into place.