chapter 2

“Wh…wh..where were you?” was all Tania's father was able to slur as he put the empty bottle of bourbon on the lamp desk. He stood about 6 foot 3 and towered over Tania. “I was at school dad, some boys tried to hassle me and the co…..*WHACK* Tania never saw the open hand slap coming. He cracked her hard across the face, knocking her into the door. The impact nearly sent her father spiraling as well. It had been a long two years for Tania and her father Lewis. Lewis was a foreman for the local auto factory for 18 years, he got the job just as Tania was born. Unfortunately when Tania’s mom Kate was diagnosed with cancer, the family fell apart. Kate passed away two years later and Lewis turned to the bottle. 6 months later he was fired for drinking on the job and had been both depressed and unemployed since. He was pretty much drinking away his 401K and Kate’s life insurance. Tania fell to her knees and the tears welled up in her eyes. “You were su…su…supposed to be home at 2:30….its 3.” He reared back and caught her behind the ear. From outside, the man crouched in a nearby tree and could hear the whacks and the wails of Tania. He clenched his fist but there was nothing he could do for now.

The next day Tania went to school with a red mark on her left cheek. The teachers asked but she claimed it was from the thugs. Today she was wearing black leggings underneath a black tank top. She went through the motions at school again, as she had almost completely given up on her studies. Before her mom got sick, Tania was considered one of the brightest students at her high school. She was wearing black lipstick and heavy mascara today to cover the dried tears that flowed in the bathroom before school got out. She hated her father for what he became, she hated the fact her mom died and she hated being alone. As she walked home she prayed she wouldn’t have any unpleasant run-ins with thugs, her inebriated father or Chris. “Hey wait up!” Came a voice behind her as she walked. “Too late” she thought. Chris was her on-again, off-again boyfriend since they were in middle school. He was tall, lanky and dressed as gothic as Tania was. He had buttons in his ear-lobes, a dozen piercings and was wearing a torn Rancid t-shirt with ripped black jeans. He was puffing on a Marlboro unfiltered cigarette as he caught up with Tania. They originally broke up because he was as abusive as her father became, of course back then Chris wouldn’t dare cross Lewis when he was sober. Now that Lewis was mostly out of it, he felt he had carte blanche to do whatever he wanted to Tania. He always held it over her head that she lost her virginity to him, some would he even say he raped her. “How are ya Tania, want a drag?” Tania looked at him and then away “I don’t like the unfilitered, I like the Lite 100’s, you know that.” He scoffed and took a drag “Well excuseeeeee me princess. Sorry my smokes aren’t fuckin’ good enough for ya.” Tania shook her head and continued to walk, Chris keeping pace. “So I heard Roshawn's crew jumped you and you kicked their asses. Pretty cool, although I don’t believe it.” Tania shook her head “I don’t want to talk about it.” Chris laughed, spat on the ground and spoke “So you comin over tomorrow?” Tania shook her head “I can’t, my father would kill me.” Chris scoffed and took another drag “Your father doesn’t know if its day or night right now, his worthless ass wouldn’t know the difference.” Even though she hated what her father had become, she still loved him like any daughter would. “Shut the fuck up Chris, he’s not worthless.” Chris spat out his cigarette and jumped in front of Tania, grabbing her arms. “Oh yeah, what are you gonna do about it? I know he’s not going to do nothing.” Tania “Let go of me.” Chris “Aww poor little Tania…make that not so little.” Chris grabbed the front of Tania’s tanktop and lifted it up, exposing her chubby belly. He grabbed a hold of her belly and gave it a jiggle as she struggled to get away. “Look like someone’s been letting herself go since her momma died.” Suddenly, the wind picked up. Tania stopped struggling and began to smile. “Something tells me if you don’t let me go, something bad will happen.” Chris could feel the wind pick up and it blew his spiky hair all around. He let go of Tania and wondered why it got windy all of a sudden. The wind picked up even further and Chris felt himself being blown away. “Awww fuck this” he said as he ran off.

Tania pulled her tank top down and continued to walk uninterrupted until she got home. As she got in the door her father was there. This time, the bottle of bourbon was still ¾ full so all he did was yell at her for not doing the dishes that morning. He could have easily done them himself had he not been hung over from yesterday. Wednesday brought more going through the motions although this time Chris was all over her. He banged her into the locker, jumped out from the bathroom and screamed plus followed her to her last class. Finally when Tania got out of class, he appeared. She hurried through the corridors until she got outside. She looked behind him to see Chris with a sadistic smile on his face. She tried to hurry once she got outside but she was so out of shape from smoking and her size that she couldn’t make it very far. Finally Chris caught up to her and grabbed her by the arm. “Well well well, did not-so-little Tania thought she could get away from me?” Tania struggled to break his grip but couldn’t. “What the fuck is wrong with you Chris?” Chris threw her against a fence “I didn’t say you could talk back to me.” Tania felt the tears well up in her eyes as Chris continued. “The word around school is that you beat up Tayshawn and his crew. Well maybe you can take them but there’s no chance you can take me. You know better.” Suddenly the wind began to pick up and Tania broke out into a smile. “I think you have bigger problems to deal with now.” Chris felt the breeze blow back his hair and looked around. “What the fuck are you talking about?” A voice behind Chris chimed in “She’s talking about me.” Chris whipped around to see him standing there, his blonde hair flowing in the wind. He had on his leather jacket, a plain black t-shirt, blue jeans and sneakers. Chris looked at him up and down “Who the hell is this guy?” The wind died down as he spoke “I’m a friend of Tania’s that doesn’t like to see her pushed around, especially by puny humans.” Chris looked startled but then laughed. “So YOU’RE the one who took out Roshawn’s crew. I knew Tania couldn’t have done it on her own.” He folded his arms “Take the hint then. If I can take out 4 guys armed with weapons, what do you think I can do to you?” Chris looked over at Tania then back to him. “You can’t hurt me. I’ll sue you. I’ll call the police if I have to.” He spoke “They’ll never believe you.” Chris “Why’s that?” He flicked his wrist and suddenly Chris was propelled into the fence. Tania smiled as Chris gathered himself. “Woah, what the fuck was that?” He then opened his palm and waved it in a slap motion and Chris was flung against the fence like he was just slapped. Chris gathered himself again “This is some Harry Potter shit man.” He then frowned “So you read that fable huh. The little bastard used a wand…I…have..no..WAND!” He then made Chris levitate while grabbing his throat. Tania laughed as Chris choked, he then spoke “The next time you lay a hand on Tania like that, it’ll be a lot worse. You don’t want that.” Chris gagged for a few seconds before he released him. Chris caught himself and spoke “If…if…I didn’t have to work…I’d get you both for this. You got lucky this time, but there will be a next.” Chris staggered off as Tania ran over and hugged her friend. He looked down and kissed her forehead. “Why aren’t you afraid of me?” Tania closed her eyes and felt the butterflies in her stomach when he kissed her forehead. “If you were going to hurt me, you wouldn’t have saved me….twice.” He smiled and kissed her forehead again. She shivered as the chills ran up her spine. “That’s true, you’re a smart girl Tania. Very attractive too.” Tania shook her head “Nah, I’m not. I do have to ask….what are you?” He shook his head “Not here, that idiot may really call the cops. Is there somewhere where you like to go alone?” Tania took him by the hand and smiled “The riverbank.”