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

but then broke out into loud laughter.

 

Tamarah, unable to hold in her anger, lashed out at the girl and landed a smack! against her face, whipping the young girl's head around. Her heart was pounding, eyes wide and the adrenaline she felt caused Tamarah to shake, loosing more control over herself.

 

"Damn Viv, she hit you good." The girl Brooke stated, coming up to her. Vivien Tucker's mocha colored skin flushed as she pulled up her sleeves. "Vanessa didn't deserve what you did to her Tamarah. You were supposed to be her friend. With friends like you, who needs enemies." Before Tamarah could respond, she was cast out with spit in her face. It was then her hands began to twitch and just as she reached up to give her the choke of a life time, she heard a voice say, "He that is without sin cast the first stone."

 

Another voice from the group of girls groaned and she said, "I can't hear this, I'm going to class. See ya'll later. The girl with her followed behind her. Brooke and Vivien stayed put. Tamarah stared at her with a new found hatred.

 

"You don't know what you're talking about." Her rescuerer had now chosen to make his presence known, standing in front of her. "This don't have anything to do with you Timothy, so mind your own business."

 

He exhaled, "Neither does it have anything to do with you. So leave her alone."

 

"Well, I'm making it my business. Somebody has to. I'm surprised Vanessa hasn't whipped her ass by now."

 

"That doesn't have anything to do with you. Vanessa knows she can talk to Tamarah any time she need to."

 

Brooke laughed, "So, what Timothy, you and Tamarah got something going on?" Her sky blue eyes were wide, her lips twitching a smile.

 

"None of your business, just leave her alone. Ya'll not any better than her."

 

"Yeah, well, we didn't sleep with our best friend's guy now did we?"

 

"Maybe not but ya'll are no better. Besides Jesus would call both of ya'll fake christians, right? Ya'll are Holy at church but it's different at school. I'm sure your moms would love to know what you both just said to her."

With that, Vivien's cheeks turned so red, she said, "What ever, I'll see you another time Tamarah."

 

Tamarah flipped her off.  Brooke tossed her hair at the two as if dismissing them and she walked away. Vivien's eyes stayed on Tamarah until she finally turned and went in the same direction as Brooke. 

 

Once they left, Timothy turned to her, "You should watch out for that girl."

 

"I know. Even pregnant, I still can whip her ass." 

 

Timothy nodded, "I believe you." 

 

Tamarah sighed, "Thanks." 

 

Timothy nodded, "Well, I'll see you later."

 

As he started to walk away, Tamarah stopped him with a call of his name. He turned back to her. 

 

"Why'd you step in there?"

 

"No one deserves to be talked to like that."

 

"No? You sure it doesn't have anything to do with this weekend?"

 

He gave a soft smile. "I had my reasons for behaving the way I did this weekend."

 

"Yeah?"

 

"It wasn't to shame you."

 

"No?"

 

"No. I did it because I care about you. They just want to hate you for what you did."

 

"What I did was wrong."

 

"Yeah, so. It doesn't give them the right to say stuff like that. If their parents heard them, they'd both be in trouble."

 

"Fake ass Christians." 

 

Timothy felt the corners of his mouth tilt in a smile.

 

Tamarah narrowed her eyes, "Is that a smile?" 

 

Timothy's eyes twinkled as he stared at her. 

 

"Can we be friends?" Tamarah inquired, her gaze serious.

 

"I thought we were?" 

 

"Let's make it official." 

 

"Official?" He laughed at this.

 

"Yeah." 

 

Shaking his head, he said, "Well you take care Tamarah, I'll see you later."

 

"Yep."

 

With that, he went on to class. 

~                                                                                                                                           ~

 

Tamarah had gone through first, second, third and fourth periods without any incidents like the one earlier that morning. It was during her fifth hour that the teacher pulled her aside and told her that Mrs. Dephne the school counselor wanted to see her. 

 

When she went to the counselor, Mrs. Dephne took out several snacks and offered her one. "How are you doing today Tamarah?" 

 

"Fine. Why?" 

 

"Have a seat please." 

 

Tamarah took the seat facing Mrs. Dephne desk. "How's everything going for you?"

 

"Fine, why?"

 

"Just curious. Have you told your mom the news yet?"

 

Tamarah sighed, pulling a pretzel out of the bag she'd sat in front of her.

 

"Why do psych doctors always want to know everything?"

 

"We just want to help."

 

"Help with what? All ya'll seem to do is get in mine and everybody else's business."

 

"Talking does help you know."

 

"That's what friends are for."

 

"We could be friends." Mrs. Dephne's tone was too eager sounding. Tamarah gaffawed at this. "So what you think you're talking to a seven year old? Don't be fooled, I'm not a kid." 

 

"What did your mom say when you told her about the pregnancy?"

 

"Nothing."

 

"Nothing?"

 

"Not a thing. She rushed out the house, went to work and I was left alone til she got off. Nothing unusual about that."

 

"I saw her drop you off this morning."

 

Tamarah rolled her eyes, sighing, "Talk about hawk eyes."

 

"The parking lot is not far from my window, I can see and hear everything that goes on."

 

"Great, now I don't have to talk about the convo." Tamarah glanced down at her watch a quarter to one. 

 

"The bell's going to ring in a few minutes to end class, can I go now?"

 

"I'll give you a pass to class. Let's continue talking."

 

"What else you want to know?"

 

"I want to know what your mom thinks about your pregnancy?"

 

"Nothing. She doesn't care one way or another. She just works. I told her that she was the reason why I was pregnant, she said I'm too old for the guilt trip."

 

"Really?"

 

"Yeah. Can I go now?" Tamarah was clenching at her back pack.

 

The counselor sighed, "See you Wednesday."

 

"Yeah, alright, bye." With that, she got up and left the office without looking back. 

 

~                                                                                                             ~

 

"I don't caare, you can do what ever you want, call my parents. I'm not going to see the counselor."

 

"Vanessa, we are concerned about you, that's all. We know that this incident hasn't been easy to go through."

 

Vanessa sighed, her gaze going down to her shoes. She didn't respond to that statement. 

 

"At least let her know that you are ok to be on campus." The assistant principal Mrs. Warner stated. Vanessa didn't respond. She just sat quietly with her head down.

 

"Alright then, you leave me no choice but to contact your parents." Mrs. Warner and Mrs. Dephne was standing there, their shoulders squared, trying to convince her it would be in her best interest to talk to Mrs. Dephne, but it had been an hour and she still refused to talk to Mrs. Dephne.

 

Vanessa listened as they first called her mother, when she didn't answer they called her father. He didn't answer either. 

 

"Are they the only two we have contact numbers for?"

 

"Victoria Paneleki is the next contact on the list."

 

"Call her then. Keep going down the list til you find someone who will answer." Mrs. Dephne stated. Vanessa sighed and rolled her eyes. She hoped her aunt Victoria was home, that way she could come and get her. Maybe get her away from school for the day. Although Victoria lived in New York, she frequented the area for different fashion shows and clients who requested house calls. 

 

~                                                                                                                              ~

 

Victoria flipped the lady off that was in line in front of her as her Lexus rolled past the lady's 2016 Prius. The lady was not paying attention as she made her way further down the highway. Vanessa on the other hand was set to get off at the next ramp for Hampton, when her phone rang. Immediately, the piece in her ear clicked and she spoke, "Victoria Paneleki speaking, how may I help you?"

 

"Hello, this is Helen Warner and I'm calling in regards to your neice Vanessa Williams..." She didn't complete the sentence before Victoria said, "I'm right around the corner, I'll be there in a minute." With out waiting for a comment, she told her phone to end the call.

 

When Victoria arrived at the school, Vanessa was in the principal's office sitting there with her head in her lap. The click clack of Victoria's heels and the smell of her Halle Berry perfume made Vanessa look up. Victoria's brown eyes held a smile for her favorite neice. "Hey, what's going on?" She asked, heading toward her. Vanessa stood up, her dark wavy hair a little messy. The lip gloss she wore softened her look and made her look more her age, while the beige blouse and blue jeans accentuated a beautiful curvaceous shape. "Hey auntie." Victoria smiled as she wrapped her arms around her neice, "How's it going lovely?"

 

"They're trying to make me go to counseling and I told them no."

 

Victoria's brows furrowed,confused "Counseling? Why?"

 

"We have reason to believe that your neice may not be dealing with the situation appropriately."

 

Victoria glanced over at the lady who'd spoken. A lady who's complexion mirrored her own, "What are you talking about?" Her brown eyes were bright as she spoke, full of concern.

 

"There was an incident that took place the other day and we are concerned that your neice may not be coping with it well." 

 

"What incident?"

 

"That we can't disclose to you." 

 

"You brought me all the way up here for an incident you can't disclose to me? Lady, I don't know who you think you're talking to, but I'm not a fool. If you have a reason for me to be here you better darn well tell it because if not I'll take her out of this place and you won't stop me."

 

"Ma'am we can talk about the situation if Vanessa allows it."

 

"What's going on?" Victoria glanced down at her neice, see for the first time in a long time a glazed over look in her eyes. 

 

"Tommy got Tamarah pregnant. They want me to take counseling for it and I told them no."

 

"We are required by law to do all that is within our power to help out our pupils, especially pupils we know are prone to violence." 

 

Vanessa's eyes went to them, flashing hot fires of green. Before she could say anything Victoria spoke, "Violent? Did you get her parents permission before engaging in this type of discussion?"

 

"We have a right to according to the law...." 

 

"To intervene when it is necessary or there are any indications of violence, but you don't have a right to make her take counseling without the consent of her parents. If her parents didn't give you permission to psychoanalyse,..."

 

"That's not what we're trying to do..." The counselor interjected, "We just want to make sure she's alright."

 

"Did she tell you she was alright?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Has she done anything since this alleged incident to suggest she is incapable of handling the situation?"

 

"Well...no...but..."

 

"Well no questioning without her parents consent." Victoria stated, her arm around Vanessa protectively as she spoke to the two women. "However, I would like to take her out of school..."

 

"But there's still