C H L O E ' S P O V

I GROAN AT THE OPEN COMPUTER IN front of me, not willing to do the essay I needed to finish. Since I wouldn't be having class today, I was free to sleep in and finish the piled work on my desk.

"Can you not groan? I'm trying to nap here," Miriam complains from her side of the room. I roll my eyes at her. Sometimes there was only so much love I could show people and Miriam was on the borderline of love and dislike.

My phone buzzes with a text message and I check to see who it was coming from before my eyes widen in shock as I read the details, my stomach churning.

Denasia

Girl, what is wrong with your man?

video link attached

sent 12:34

I press play for the video, only to turn off my phone just as fast as I had turned it on. He did it again. Kareem had fought Cameron, busting his nose in the small portion I had seen. Why are you still with him? Not only does he do it to you, but he also does it to others.

My phone then starts ringing, the noise on full volume, which causes Miriam to throw a pillow at my face. I throw it back at her and head out of the dorm to answer, my desire to finish my work now gone.

"Is Kareem okay?" Talita asks me, not even bothering to greet me.

Truth was, I had been avoiding Kareem as much as possible which was a hard task to do considering he was well-known on the campus. Even now as I was on the call with Talita, my phone flooded with messages from people all over the campus, all asking me questions I wasn't even sure I had the answer to.

"Hello? You there Chloe?" Talita brings me out of my thoughts reminding me that the call was still going on.

"I'm not sure," I mutter.

"He's your boyfriend what do you mean you don't know!"

"Talita, can we not have this conversation right now."

She lets out a long breath of air, annoyance visible in her tone. "Fine, excuse me for caring."

Click.

My hands go up to my forehead in frustration, annoyance, and so many other emotions. The past 6 months had been torture, followed by beatings after beatings after beatings. I was tired. Tired of believing in God who only seemed to watch me suffer. Tired of Talita who kept pestering me. Tired of Kareem and tired of his horrible attitude. Tired of life.

XXX

K A R E E M ' S P O V

"What were you thinking?" Coach yells at me, slamming his hand on his desk, causing me to flinch a little. "Tell me, Kareem. Tell me why you were fighting your teammate."

"He was talking trash," I muttered, my eyes avoiding everything but his, which were already filled with fury.

"So you thought that it'd be best to fight him with your fists," he ridiculed. "Kareem, do you know that man I was with earlier while you were fighting?"

I'm about to shrug but catch myself, knowing it would infuriate him even more. I had only seen a glimpse of the man Coach was with before getting punched in the cheek by Cameron. "No, sir."

"That was a scout for the Lakers, Kareem. I'd invited him here to talk to you because he was interested in looking at our players."

Noticing my face, he continues. "Funny thing was I was telling him all about your talents on the court until I saw you fighting him."

Of course, you screw your chances. You're good for nothing child.

Coach's face softens a little as he looks at me before saying the words I had most dreaded. "Son, your Mom told me about your Dad's release. I know it's hard but I expect you to be a man about it."

There it goes. Your pathetic excuse of a Dad entering the conversation yet again. My blood boils at the thought of him, my fists returning to their clenched position.

"For the next 3 games, you will be suspended from playing but I expect to see you there on the bench."

"But that's ridiculous!" I protested.

"The only thing that's ridiculous was this fight of yours. Now, I called a good pastor friend of mine and he agreed that for the next month, you'll be volunteering at the church food drive every Friday since I know you don't have class on that day!"

"Cameron was the one who started the whole goddamn fight! Why do I have to go to some church when I don't even believe and he gets away with it!"

"I'm not talking about Cameron, I'm talking about you, Kareem. And change your tone before something bad happens. You either go to church and the games or you can be kicked off the team for the rest of the season."

I slink in my chair, Coach's eyes glaring into mine, intimidating me to make my decision. "Fine, fine I'll do it."

"Not with that attitude you won't. I'll send you the details tonight about the food drive and the location. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"You may leave now," Coach says, pointing at the door. "And don't forget, tomorrow you'll be starting your work at the church food drive."

Storming out of his office, I head outside, ignoring the stares and whispers from those around me, and instead head to my car, hopping inside before driving off, not even sure where I was going, just knowing I didn't want to be here anymore. 

Sorry for the short chapter y'all. 

Any thoughts? Concerns about Kareem or Chloe? 

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