CHAPTER FIVE

Steepest (Pia’s Beginning)

Jackson High was all abuzz as Kenny, Isaiah, and Sebastian were ushered off the premises in handcuffs. Since it happened before the first bell rang, a crowd of students and teachers watched the drama unfold.

Pia also had a front-row seat. Most of the school knew that Pia had been a victim of rape. Rumors had been flying for weeks. The police had told Pia that she didn’t have to be in school during the arrests. But she’d decided that she wanted to be there. She wasn’t gloating. She wasn’t happy this was happening. It actually brought back memories of the horrifying things that the three young men had done to her back in December. As much as Pia wanted to block memories of the rape from her mind, she was emotionally scarred from their actions. She had become pregnant through the rape and then had an abortion. Recalling that procedure was painful for Pia too.

Since Pia was a caring person, she didn’t want to harbor hatred in her heart. But some of her classmates rolled their eyes at her and called her names as the police left with the boys, Seeing this, Pia was beyond angry. The boys had violated her, and yet people were supporting them. Pia wondered why she had no support.

“I can’t believe this! Those idiots took everything from me! Why are folks mad at me? This is so wrong!” Pia cried out.

Before more horrible accusations could be thrown her way, her boyfriend, Stephen, rushed over to her from out of the crowd. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to an isolated corner. Tears flowed from her eyes, and he held her, wanting to take away her pain.

“You can’t worry about those people. Who cares what they think? Don’t let them get to you.”

She replied, “But now they aren’t going to be able to march with our class at graduation because of the pending charges and stuff. Should I have looked the other way after all they did to me? Should I have not cared? Come on, Stephen. Why do I feel like the villain when they were the ones who were monsters?”

“I’m telling you, you shouldn’t feel that way. Don’t stress. Don’t let it get to you. Come here. Let me take your mind off of it,” he said as he pulled her close and kissed her.

“This is just sick,” a voice said.

The loud voice startled Pia and Stephen. They backed apart. Neither were pleased to see Hillary standing there with her hands on her hips. Hillary was always talking smack about the swoop list girls.

Pia looked at her and said, “What’s your problem?”

Hillary scoffed, “You are my problem, sitting here all cuddled up with him like the world is okay when you done messed up the lives of the best ballers we got.”

“You need to keep it moving,” Stephen said to Hillary, letting her know that her jab to him not being one of the best ballers didn’t faze him.

“Don’t tell me what to do, tattletale,” Hillary replied as she got all up in his face.

Stephen grunted, “You know what. I’m not even going to let you affect me.”

“You’re just a punk. Anybody who’s going to tell on his teammates better be watching his back around here,” Hillary said as she shoved him.

Stephen went to sock her. The last thing Pia wanted was for Stephen to have more trouble because of her. She motioned for him to settle down.

Hillary didn’t let up. “You need to slow your roll. You don’t want me to tell everything I know.”

“What you gon’ tell?” Stephen said, blowing her off.

Confidently working her neck, Hillary responded, “Don’t make me go there. That’s all I’m saying.”

Frowning, Stephen said, “You ain’t got nothing to tell on me.”

“What she talking about?” Pia asked.

He said, “I don’t know. She’s just trying to make trouble. Ignore her.”

“Oh, I’m not trying to make trouble. But it will be trouble if I tell it,” Hillary smiled and reported.

“What you going to say? I wanted to be with you one day? In your dreams,” Stephen joked.

Hillary said, “Oh no, I know you didn’t want a sweet girl like me. You wanted to be with a ho.”

“What you talking about?” Stephen asked.

“Tell your little girlfriend who put her on the swoop list,” Hillary demanded, looking like she knew Pia was going to hate the answer.

Stephen’s yellow skin turned red. Pia looked at him with desperation in her eyes. She was basically pleading for Hillary’s words not to have merit. But Stephen said nothing.

“Oh my gosh. You put me on the swoop list? Wait a minute, all this time you been after me, and you put me on the swoop list? You been acting like you cared, and you put me on the swoop list! Say something!” Pia yelled out as she pounded on his chest.

“It’s not like that. You don’t understand,” Stephen pitifully tried to explain.

Hillary grinned and grunted, “Oh, it’s just like that. And I know he put you on there.”

“How do you know?” Pia grabbed Hillary’s shirt.

Moving Pia’s hands away, Hillary boasted, “Because I am the author of the swoop list. Booyah! I put you on it after he sent your information to me. He said you were too fast, and now he can’t wait to keep all the guys off you so he can get with you. Have you hit it yet, Stephen? Making her think you really care when you hurt her so bad.”

Pia was devastated at that moment. For a spilt second, she wished she had a knife so she could stab both of them. She didn’t know what she was more shocked about, who the author of the whole entire swoop list was or who the one who put her on it was. Both were horrifying, so she ran away. She’d been through a lot over the past few months, but now her depression was at its steepest.