Broken, Navaura Campbell [top young adult novels txt] 📗

got to the door, the glass slid open automatically. The place was crawling with teenagers both sober and drunk. Tamarah looked around, all the furniture had been moved from the living room and sitting area, which was big enough to engulf the entire apartment she stayed in with her mother. As soon as they walked in, people greeted her and Tommy. There were a lot of questions about Vanessa and her whereabouts. Tamarah told them that she hadn’t been able to make it. She and Tommy split up, him going toward a group of guys and her heading to the kitchen to find her first drink.

 

Timothy shook his head in annoyance with the people out on the front lawn. Half were making out and the other half were throwing up whatever alcoholic beverage they’d consumed. He despised alcohol and had plenty of reason to. Going on into the house, he made his way from the living area and into the kitchen, where there was an equal amount of stupid teenagers in there too. He watched as one kid stumbled out onto the back patio from the kitchen and went into the back yard. He continued on, forcing his way over to the fridge. Opening it, he searched the fridge for something that wasn’t alcoholic. Settling on a root beer, he closed the door and turned around. Just as he did, he felt someone hit his chest. Looking down, he saw a girl staring at him with dark black opal colored eyes. Her smooth skin was the color of maple wood on a wet day. Her long hair was straight as it hung at her shoulders. He felt a tinge of color rise in his cheeks as she glanced up at him with a smile. “Timothy Rawsin. How nice to see you.”

He felt the fear that always froze him in place whenever she was anywhere near him. As usual, he wasn’t able to do much but nod.

“I see you still don’t talk much.”

He shrugged his shoulders in response, hoping the pounding of his heart would cease at some moment.

“That’s too bad, because I’ve always thought you were quite the looker with those deep sea blue eyes and dark dirty blonde hair.”

He smiled at this. She continued to look him in the eyes. Waiting for him to speak something, but again, nothing came forward. He tried to will himself to respond to her statement, but his mouth wouldn’t follow the orders his brain gave. Instead, he did like he always did when ever she approached him. He grabbed the hand that seemed to mold itself to his chest and tenderly removed it, feeling the electrical undertones as he did so. He gave her one last lingering look and then walked away.

 

Tamarah watched him walk away from her with a sadness filling her heart. She couldn’t explain what it was about him that made her feel rejected. It seemed like every time she’d approach him to talk, he wouldn’t do anything but nod. From the first time she’d spotted him in the gym running with the rest of the baseball team, she’d been taken in by the beautiful curly hair, big blue eyes and nice sun kissed skin tone. In her eyes, he’d been the only guy to stick out with his medium height yet muscular build. He reminded her of a Grecian with his slender body. She had watched him every day during gym, until one day she caught him staring back at her. She’d smiled at him. He’d smiled back and the next time she’d seen him, she’d gone up to him without hesitation and spoken to him. All of this had occurred in January. Now here it was March and he’d yet to hint at whether he’d liked her or not. He’d always been cordial enough when spoken to, but he was a loner. She’d never seen him hang out with anyone at school, always by himself. Sighing, she went to the fridge and grabbed a cup of red jello.

 

About fifteen minutes after Tamarah had eaten her first cup of small Jello, the kitchen door opened and Tommy came in, “I see you found the Jello.”

“Yeah, I can’t see why everybody’s downing this stuff, it’s got a weird taste to it.”“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, like some type of bitter cherry flavor. It’s nasty but good too, in a way that if you eat one, you gotta keep eating it.”

“No Jello is that good.” He stated, coming over to where she was. Pointing to the fridge, she said, “Reach in there and get one.”

Tommy reached into the fridge and grabbed a jello. “Spoons are in the cupboard if you wand one.”

 

“This Jello is the shit, man.” Tommy stated, after he and Tamarah had eaten the whole bowl. The crowd in the kitchen had already diminished, leaving them by their selves.

“I know right; but you know what, I don’t know what they put in it but I feel kinda sick and dizzy.”Tommy glanced over at Tamarah, “ You alright?”

“I’ll be ok, but, hold on a second...” She got up and ran to the nearest restroom and threw up in the toilet bowl.

~ ~

 

“Vanessa’s in her room pissed off, Jordan.”

“Is she now?” He inquired, not glancing up at his wife. He’d been in the study rearranging case files that he’d already completed, but hadn’t had the time to put back in their proper place.

“Yeah, I caught her sneaking out of her bedroom window.”“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, she was. When I caught her, we exchanged some words.”

“Did you?” He continued to surf through his files looking for one labeled Billinger Chemical Corporation. He’d worked on this case two months ago, in which his client, the plaintiff had sued the Billinger Chemical Corporation for workman’s compensation because of an accident he’d been involved in when a piece of equipment had malfunctioned at the company. Although the employer had offered him half of the pay he’d received when working there, the employee had been let go almost immediately due to the extent of his injuries. His client James Gardner had been given full compensation and also received a settlement for their wrongful termination and he’d also received money for punitive damages. Due to the amount he’d received in the settlement, he’d been generous enough to not only give Jordan what he’d requested in legal fees but he’d also given him a bonus.

“Are you listening to me, Jordan?”

Jordan paused in what he was doing, glanced up at his wife and said, “You said something about Vaneessa sneaking off to a party and you caught her in the act.”

“Did you hear anything after that?” She inquired, her tone irritated. Denise Williams hated repeating herself. Her irritation took him back to their high school days when she’d been the same way. He’d assumed that she’d get over it, but that was a part of her personality that remained. Exhaling softly, he gave a smile and sat down on the corner of his desk. “I’m listening now Denise.”

“She called me a bitch and I...”

“She did what?” He inquired, his tone incredulous. He could feel the fuse that had been lit fire underneath him.

“She called me a bitch.”

Standing up, he got ready to walk out of the study. On his way toward the door, his wife held up her hand, “Wait.”

His tone was low and deadly as he stated, “Denise, our daughter just called you a bitch and you want me to wait. For what?”

Denise ran her hands over his shoulders, “I already handled it.”

“You handled it and now I want to go handle it some more.” He went to side step her but she inquired, “What more can you do to her than what I’ve done. She’s grounded for a month, no t.v. No cell phone, no company, just school, cleaning and her room. She’s too old for a whipping.”

 

Jordan thought about this. She was right. She’d taken away everything that mattered to her, so what more could he do? As he began to brain storm, Denise wrapped her arms around his neck. “Just let it go, baby. I’ve already taken care of it.” Although Jordan’s shoulders loosened some and his breathing returned back to normal, he knew in his mind that there was some way to make her see that how she treated her mother was wrong. He didn’t know what had gotten into Vanessa lately, but she was treading on very thin ice with him and he knew that if her behavior didn’t change, she was going to make him and her mother blow a fuse. They’d tried everything they could think of, yet she still refused to be respectful to her mother and him whenever he took her mother’s side. This, he was getting tired of. His mother didn’t raise him like that and he’d be damned before he allowed his own daughter to mistreat him and her mother. It didn’t matter how old she was, she still had to respect them.

 

 

Tamarah stopped the car in front of Tommy’s house. Her guilt evident all over her features and in her heart. How could she do something like that to her best friend? They’d been close since the second grade and now, should she find out what had happened at the party, their friendship would be ruined.

“I had fun Tamarah.” He stated, reaching out to touch her hand. She pulled her hand back, “I’m sure you did.” Her tone was full of bitterness.

“Come on T- don’t be like that. You know I’ve always liked you.”

“Sure you did, that’s why you chose Vanessa over me.”

He grinned and sighed, “Look at it this way, you got what you wanted. That’s what you’ve been itching for isn’t it?”

Tamarah exhaled, her breathing harsh, “Not from you Tommy. Vanessa is my best friend.”“If you cared that much about Vanessa Tamarah, you wouldn’t have done what we did tonight.”

“If you don’t care that much about her, why are you with her?”

“Are you jealous?”

“Uhh,No. I’m just saying you act like she doesn’t matter.” Vanessa's eyes were already clouding with anger. There was something about Tommy that made her angry all the time.

“Believe me, she has her purpose in my life." He smirked, "When the time is right, she’ll be down too. I know I’m getting closer.”

“Get out of my car, Tommy.” Tamarah stated, her stomach beginning to get Nauseous.

He leaned over and kissed her on her fore head. “I hope our little secret stay between us.”“Get out!”

He laughed but still did what she demanded and got out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Two:

 

I was so angry over mom grounding me. I can’t stand being in this house, let alone having to do everyone’s laundry and help her clean. That was her job. She was the one who took the house apart on a daily basis to inspect and ensure that nothing was left undone. I didn’t want to do that. I feel like that’s a waste of my time. It’s boring. Anyhow, I was so angry at having been caught and having everything I had planned go down the drain. I had just finished dressing and was now making my way downstairs to the kitchen where I could smell the eggs and bacon frying in separate pans.

 

Despite how much I loathed my mother’s need to suffocate me, I couldn’t deny that she knew her way around the kitchen. She could cook anything from Ham-hocks and chitterlings, to Ramen noodle soup. Anything that woman made was good. I felt my stomach rumble as I reached the doors to the kitchen. There were three plates set out at the table. My dad, Jordan Williams and my little brother, Craig Williams sat across from one another. I was about to take a seat in front of the third plate setting when my dad said, “That’s Denise’s seat.” I looked at the forth seat with no plate setting. Maybe mom forgot to set a place for me. No big deal really. I knew she was still angry, so I went to the beige colored cupboards and grabbed a