One Among Us - One Among Us Part 16
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One Among Us Part 16

"Wait. Back up. You need to tell me everything," Juju said, hoping Maggie would share her story.

Chapter Fifty-Three.

Maggie spent the morning telling Juju some of the things that had happened to her and the others over the last several years. When she was finished, she sat still. The two teens watched each other.

Finally, Juju spoke. "Holy fuck! So you're telling me that you were kidnapped when you were eleven, put into some freaky sex thing, Cali and Max were killed, and now you're here."

"Yeah, that's what happened. I worry about Seth. He's the one Rock took to his house to live with his wife, Thelma. Rock told me he'd kill Seth if I ever lied to them again. I wish I could see him so I would know for sure he's OK," Maggie said sadly.

"He's OK," Juju said tentatively. "I've seen him. A bunch of times."

"What? You've seen him? How?" Maggie asked.

"I go to Rock's house every two to three days to pick up my dope. He's a little blond-haired kid, right?" she asked.

Maggie nodded vigorously. "How is he? Is he doing OK?"

"The last time I saw him was a couple of days ago. He was very quiet. He was sitting on the sofa. Thelma said he was being punished for talking back to her, and he wasn't allowed to move or speak. I only know 'cause when I said hi to him and he didn't say anything, I asked her if something was wrong with him," Juju explained.

"What else? How did he look?" Maggie persisted.

"He looked...well, he looked like shit. He had a bruise on the side of his face and didn't make eye contact with me. I was gonna say something to Rock, but he don't like anyone getting into his business. I know they send him to school, though. I've seen him walking there a couple of times when I was in the neighborhood selling," she said.

"They let him go to school? Oh my God, I can go see him then," Maggie said joyfully.

"Yeah, they always let the kids Thelma raises go to school. Rock needs them to be smart enough so they can sell dope when they get older. Thelma doesn't want them when they get too old. She only likes to raise them-if you can call it that-when they're young," Juju said.

Then she added, "I can figure out what time he leaves the house, and we can meet him along the way to school. Would that work?"

"Yeah, that'd be good," Maggie said, and then she thought hard for a moment. "Are you sure you want to do that for me? I mean, if Rock ever found out, he might kill you."

"Rock is an idiot. He ain't gonna find out. He could care less about Seth. Just as long as that useless piece of shit, Thelma, is happy, he doesn't give two fucks about anything," Juju informed her.

Maggie sat back on the old folding chair with the cracked seat. She reveled in the thought of seeing Seth again. She'd missed him so much and wanted him to know that she loved him. She had worried over the months that he'd think she'd abandoned him. Now, with her new friend, she'd get to see him again.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Juju said cautiously.

Maggie nodded.

"Do you ever think about calling your mom and dad?" Juju asked the question quickly.

"Yeah, like every day. But Rock and his guys know where my family lives. They told me they'd kill them if I ever try to contact them. Besides, I'm nothing like I was the last time they saw me. So much has changed, and I've done so many horrible things-they'd die if they knew everything I did. Believe me, I'd be a complete embarrassment to them," Maggie told her.

Juju was raised by screwed-up parents who were as irresponsible and stupid as they come. She could imagine how her mother would treat her if she were in Maggie's shoes-she would disown her, if for no other reason than not to have to be a mother anymore. Juju knew nothing about Maggie's parents, but based on her own experience, she believed that Lorraine and Rob Clarke would do the same to Maggie.

"Parents can really fuck you up. I'm probably lucky mine ditched me when I was still young before they screwed me up forever," Juju told her. "Let's make a plan to get you to see Seth. I'm gonna pick up more dope in the next couple of days at Rock's house. I'll see what time Seth leaves for school," she said.

Maggie was beaming. She was so happy to have someone she could talk to. "Thank you so much, Juju. I'll come back here in a couple of days," Maggie said.

"Hey, how about if we go down to Needle Park now? I can introduce you to some other people that I know. Most of them are drug dealers like me, but some of them are just addicts," Juju offered.

Maggie was a bit terrified at the thought of hanging out with dealers and addicts.

"Aren't you afraid to hang out with those kinds of people?" Maggie asked.

"I am those kinds of people, Maggie. There are some real assholes out there, but there are also a lot of decent kids that are doing it for the same reasons as you and me...it's all we know; it's how we survive. Don't get me wrong, I've had my problems with some real thugs. You learn who to trust and how to take care of yourself," Juju told her, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"Yeah, speaking of that, how exactly did you get me from the car all the way up to your apartment the other night?"

Juju flexed the muscles in her arms like Popeye. "I carried you up. You weigh like ninety pounds; you're so skinny. I just put you over my shoulder and carried you. I stopped to rest a couple of times, but that's it. I work out a lot, so I'm pretty strong. I had to learn how to defend myself on the streets. Being a girl and all, people think I'm an easier target. But I ain't. I know mixed martial arts-you know, kickboxing and grappling. I do a lot of training."

"Wow. So you know how to beat people up?" Maggie asked, not completely sure of what it all meant.

"I know how to defend myself. When people fuck with me, I give them an opportunity to walk away, but if they don't, I can handle it. Sensei, my teacher, has helped me a lot. He doesn't know what I do to make money-he would never approve-but he's taught me how and when to defend myself," she said humbly.

"I have to learn how to take care of myself on the streets too. That's what Trinity told me. She said there isn't anyone who's going to help me. I have to learn how to survive on my own," Maggie confided.

"Well, I know you're gonna be just fine. You're smart and beautiful. All that shit that happened to you just makes you stronger," Juju said, encouraging her.

A short while later, the two girls walked over to Needle Park. Even though the sign read McPherson Park, Maggie quickly understood why it was known by a different name. There were used syringes and small plastic bags scattered about. Empty beer and liquor bottles seemed to be growing from the earth, sprouting up through the snow. It was a depressing place, yet Maggie didn't feel threatened or unnerved by it. It was no worse than the prison or the farmhouse she'd once lived in. Plus, even though everyone was stoned, people seemed friendly.

Afterward, as Maggie walked back to the house to get ready for the evening, thoughts of Juju ran through her mind. She felt safe with her. She liked Juju a lot and wished that someday she could be just like her...strong, independent, and in control of her own life.

But Maggie's wishes wouldn't come true in the near future.

Chapter Fifty-Four.

Several nights later, Juju spotted Maggie coming out of a vacant lot, followed by a tall young man who couldn't have been more than twenty.

"Maggie! What's up, girl?" Juju yelled.

Maggie smiled and waved. Then she turned to the man, who put money into the palm of her hand. She quickly walked toward Juju.

"OK, Seth has to be at school by eight fifteen in the morning," Juju said.

"Were you able to find out what time he leaves the house?" Maggie asked.

Juju smiled. "Sure did. He leaves around seven forty-five. Let's meet up at the Salvation Army store on East Alleghany Avenue. He's gotta walk by there to get to school."

"Perfect. Juju, I'm so excited. I can't wait," Maggie said with longing. "Juju, how did Rock get Seth into school? I mean, doesn't the principal ask questions?"

"Are you kiddin'? Rock runs this town. He's been payin' off the principal at that school for years. That way, the kids he brings to Thelma to ruin can go to school without a bunch of questions. Almost every person in that school is paid off by Rock. Once they get too old, Thelma doesn't want them no more, and then she gets a new kid to send there," Juju explained.

The next morning, just as planned, the two girls were standing in front of the Salvation Army store. In the distance, Maggie saw a young kid walking toward them, and adrenaline began to pump through her veins. As the child got closer, she noticed the long blond hair of a cute little girl. Her excitement faded until the child was only ten feet away. Then she recognized Seth.

"Seth?" Maggie proceeded with caution.

The child looked up, noticed who it was, and sprinted toward Maggie. Their arms were wide open as they came upon each other, and Maggie scooped him into the air in a loving embrace.

"Aggie! Oh, Aggie. Where have you been? Why didn't you come back for me?" the nave seven-year-old asked.

"Oh, Seth, I wanted to come back for you. But they wouldn't let me. Then I found out that you go to school, so I came here to see you," Maggie explained, heartbroken.

"Can I come and live with you now?" Seth asked hopefully.

"Not yet, baby. Let me take a look at you," she said, holding the child at arm's length to scrutinize him.

Seth's hair hung well below his shoulders. His blue eyes were devoid of life and swallowed up by dark circles, an indication that he was suffering. He was pale and bone thin. Maggie's heart broke as she looked at him. She wanted more than ever to save him.

"How are they treating you?" Maggie asked, afraid of the answer.

"Thelma is mean to me," he cried. "She smacks me for nothing. She only leaves me alone when she's not taking her needles. And, Aggie, she doesn't let me do nothin'. She says I'm bad, and I don't even do anything bad. I hate her, Aggie."

"You're not bad, Seth. Thelma is wrong, OK?" she stated, at a loss for words.

Maggie turned to Juju. "This is our new friend, Juju."

"I see her come to the house," Seth said shyly, afraid she'd tell Thelma that he was bad because he talked to Maggie. "Is she gonna tell Thelma on me?" he asked in a whisper.

"No, Seth. Juju is our friend. She helped me find you. Remember Cali and Max?" she asked.

Seth nodded.

"Well, Juju is like them. We can trust her. But listen, when you see Juju come to the house, you have to pretend like you don't know her, OK? If not, then we'll all get in big trouble."

"OK, but when am I coming to live with you?" he asked again, wanting desperately for Maggie to stay with him and take him far away from Thelma.

"I'm working on it, Seth. You need to be patient. Do you know what that means?" Maggie asked, wanting to be certain he didn't blow their cover.

Seth shrugged.

"It means that you'll have to wait until we can get you out of there safely. If we make Thelma or Rock angry, they might hurt us. Do you understand?"

"Like John William hurt Max?" Seth asked.

"Yes, like that. Until then, I'm going to come here and meet you every day before school. I can walk you to school, and we can be together," Maggie explained.

Juju stepped forward and knelt to put herself at Seth's eye level. "Hey, little man," she said, "we're gonna be good friends. We're gonna be like the Three Musketeers, all for one and one for all."

Seth tilted his head. "Who are they?"

"They were three friends that never left each other. They stayed together all the time. They watched over each other and did everything together," Juju explained.

Seth visibly relaxed and smiled at Juju. "OK, we can be the three musky tears," he said with a smile.

Maggie felt warmth rush to her heart at Juju's words. She hugged Seth closer to her and as she held him, she mouthed, "Thank you" to Juju.

Maggie and Seth talked the rest of the way to his school. He told her how Thelma treated him, and that he wasn't able to talk to her unless she asked him questions. "Sometimes, she doesn't let me eat dinner 'cause she says I need to get tough. She told me I can't have everything I want, or I'll be a spoiled brat," he said solemnly. "But I'm real hungry when she does that and my tummy makes bubbly sounds when I try to go to sleep."

"Well, when we meet you in the mornings, I'll bring you something to eat," Maggie pledged.

As Seth left the girls to head into the school, he kept looking back over his shoulder to make sure Maggie and Juju were still there. He wanted to run away with them and go to a place where people were nice. He hated school. All the kids were mean to him. However, he did have one teacher who was nice to him, even though the rest of his teachers looked at him like a worthless piece of white trash. But now that Maggie was back, he had a tiny sliver of hope that he would get to leave his school and, better yet, get to leave Thelma and all her nastiness.

Chapter Fifty-Five.

As the two girls walked back to the heart of Kensington, Maggie turned to Juju with a burning question. "Seth said Thelma has to take needles. Is she a drug addict?"

"Yeah, the bitch is a major junky. She'll shoot anything into her arms that she can melt down. I avoid her as much as possible when I'm in the house. She's as crazy as they come," Juju explained.

"Oh God, Juju. How am I ever going to help Seth? I can't even get myself out of my own mess," she said, defeated.

"Hey, what's with all the self-pity? Pull yourself together, or you'll never be able to help Seth. I don't know what the answer is right now, but I'll look out for him when I'm over Rock's house, and we'll see him every morning on his way to school. For now, that's what you got. It's better than what you had before, right?" Juju asked.

"Yeah, I guess," Maggie responded.

"You guess? Well, you need to do better than that. This is something. It's a start. We'll figure it out together," Juju said and put her arm over Maggie's shoulder.

Maggie was grateful that Juju had found her on that bitterly cold night. She didn't feel alone any longer, and now, Juju was helping her with Seth. She clung to the words Juju had just spoken: We'll figure it out together. Maggie realized that her friend was right...things were getting better.

As the months passed and summer drew nearer, Maggie began to worry more about Seth. Once school let out, she wouldn't have a way to see him. Thelma neglected and abused the poor little soul. He had told Maggie about all of the nights that he went to bed without dinner as he gobbled down jelly doughnuts like a savage on the mornings she met him. He also cried about the slaps and punches Thelma rained upon him when she couldn't find "any of that white stuff for her needles."

Juju was Maggie's eyes inside Rock and Thelma's house. Maggie had come to learn that Seth was never allowed to go outside to play, so he had no friends. His easiest times were when Thelma was so high that she forgot he existed. On those nights, he could sneak into the kitchen after Rock left and make himself a mustard sandwich or fill a napkin with dry cereal. His worst times were when Thelma was waiting for more dope to be delivered. On those days, she would scream at him as soon as he got home from school. Seth's silence during her tirades infuriated her more, but when he found his voice to answer her irrational questions, he'd be batted around and told he was disrespectful. Over time, he'd learned that neither silence nor speaking saved him from her cruelty.

As the warmer weather approached and the days got longer, more undesirable people filled the streets of Kensington. This meant that Juju went to Rock's house more often to pick up drugs. One warm day in mid-June, two days after school let out, Juju was at Rock's house. As she moved through the house, she noticed that Seth wasn't anywhere in sight. She wondered if he was upstairs in one of the bedrooms and tried to find a reason to go up, but she didn't want to make Rock suspicious.