Obsidian Faith (5 page)

Chapter Eight

Trevor waited out in front of the condo for Isaiah and Shanice to pick him up Sunday afternoon. Thankfully, he’d gone relatively light on the drinking and gotten high on a little weed and the sexual prowess of Tracee Douglas. So he was more than happy to spend an afternoon in the company of his surrogate sister. Hopefully this would make up for the other times he’d stood her up.

Isaiah pulled up to the curb, and Shanice climbed over the console to let him have the front seat. He settled in and they took off.

Shanice had dressed up in her best and brightest short set, and even had on a bit of clear lip gloss.

“You look nice, squirt,” Trevor said.

She rolled her eyes, but smiled all the same. “Thanks.”

“You hoping to see Owen Nettles at the park today?” Owen was a boy she’d told Trevor and her parents about a few months before, who’d given her an elaborate Valentine’s gift and since then had been making goo-goo eyes at her.

“Oh, shut up, Trevor. You know I don’t like him like that.”

Trevor and Isaiah both laughed.

“How’s it going, Trev?” Isaiah said, careful to keep his eyes on the road as they wove into traffic on a busy thoroughfare.

“Great!” Trevor hoped he didn’t sound too enthusiastic. The last couple of times he’d spoken to Isaiah and Brenda about Philip, he had not been singing the guy’s praises.

Isaiah turned to look at him in the eye. “Is this the same young man who’s been unhappy at Casa de Philippe all summer?”

“Aw, Uncle Phil’s not so bad,” Trevor said. “I guess I just had to get to know him. You know what I mean?”

“I know what you mean.” Isaiah’s eyes squinted as they locked on Trevor’s neck.

“What?” Trevor said.

“Nothing.” Isaiah shook his head. “We have some great news, though. Brenda and I are expecting another child.”

“Really? That is great,” Trevor said. “So, you ready for another little brother or sister, Shanice?”

“Yes, it’s going to be a little girl, so I won’t be the only one.”

“We’ll be thankful for either,” Isaiah said. “Although Shanice is convinced it’s a girl.”

“I dreamed I had a little sister. The stork brought her.”

“Um, you know that’s not how it works, right?” Isaiah said.

“Yeah,” Shanice said. “But I’m not sure about the real way it happens.”

“Your mom and I will talk to you about it later, okay? But first, I think I might need to have a conversation with Trevor about it.”

Trevor was appalled. “Why me?”

“There’s evidence that you might be engaged in some activities, that could produce just such a situation.”

“What situation?” Shanice said. “Are you talking about sex?”

“Not to you at the moment,” Isaiah said. “Hold up, I’m going to stop at McDonald’s right up here to use the bathroom. I guess I drank too much coffee at the service this morning.”

“TMI, Dad,” Shanice said.

Trevor grinned nervously. Then he remembered where Isaiah’s eyes were trained and lowered the visor to look at himself in the mirror.

Fuck!
He had a hickey. Tracee had been so enthusiastic during their shower and afterward, she had sucked on his fair skin too hard.

Isaiah parked the car. “Anybody else need to take a bathroom break?”

Both Trevor and Shanice shook their heads.

“You want a drink or something, ‘Nice?”

“Yes. Thanks, Dad.”

Isaiah then turned to Trevor. “Want to come with, Trevor?”

“Nah, I’m good.” Trevor’s mouth was suddenly dry, but he wasn’t about to let Isaiah know.

“Come on,” Isaiah coaxed. “You can bring Shanice’s drink back.”

“Okay.” Trevor got out and followed Isaiah into the McDonald’s and they got into the line behind the last person.

“So, what did you do this weekend?” Isaiah asked. “Did you go out with friends, yesterday? Because Shanice thought you and she were going to see Spiderman.”

Trevor shook his head. “I didn’t go out, and I’m sorry I had to disappoint Shanice, but Uncle Phil had a party, so I stuck around to help him out.”

“And did one of his friends help you out?”

“What do you mean?”

“How’d you get the hickey, son?”

Trevor’s face grew warm, and he was sure he was some very alarming shade of red. “From this girl. Uh, Phil’s girlfriend, Stacee’s little sister.” Trevor hoped his description of her as Stacee’s little sister would get Isaiah off his back. However, Tracee was nineteen and would be twenty soon. He knew intuitively that this was not information that would go over well with Isaiah, so he withheld it.

“Listen, Trevor. You’re a young man and I know your hormones have kicked in big time, and David probably didn’t get a chance to have a talk with you about things, but I’ll be happy to step in if Phil hasn’t done so.”

“Oh, Phil and I did have a talk, just last night.” Trevor just didn’t share with the good pastor the extent of that talk. “So, I’m good.”

“Are you sure?” Isaiah said, skepticism written all over his face. “Because I’m trusting you with my daughter... ”

Trevor’s indignation bordered on anger. “I would never ... ”

Isaiah cut him off with hands raised, palms out. “I know, I know. Shanice is like a little sister to you and I know I can trust you with her, but you might inadvertently expose her to things she’s not ready for.”

Trevor shoved his hands in his pocket and toed the floor. “I won’t. I promise.”

“Okay, Trevor. But next time you’re making out tell the girl to go easy on your delicate skin.”

Trevor didn’t know whether to laugh or stay serious, but then Isaiah pointed at his own neck. “See this? Black never cracks.”

And Trevor lost it, not sure if his laughter was borne of relief that he’d dodged the Pastor Isaiah Bailey bullet, or if the joke was really all that funny.

Chapter Nine

Shanice noticed the change in Trevor first, because she still saw him at school the first year he was in Philip’s custody. Courtesy of Tracee Douglas’ sexual tutelage, he got a bit of reputation with the girls at his high school, especially those willing to put out. Most were saving themselves, since it was a Christian school, but he didn’t have to look far or long to find a girl who was willing to walk a little bit on the wild side with him.

He also had money to burn, so he got an immediate in with the “bad boys” at school. Shanice found him hanging out with boys at school who were into the stuff he’d discovered through Phil’s influence, and needless to say, she didn’t like it one bit.

At eleven, she was still the same Shanice she always had been: never afraid to speak her mind. She marched over to them where they were smoking a joint under a copse of trees on the edge of campus and called him out.

“Trevor!” She stood there with hands on non-existent hips.

“What do you want, Shanice?”

“What’s that in your hand?”

His friends snickered. “Trevor’s getting pwned by his little sister.”

“She looks like a darker version of that little girl on Drake and Josh with that expression on her face,” another said. They all laughed outright this time and passed the joint around.

Trevor was mortified and scared that these guys he was hanging out with were going to rag him forever for this, so he was uncharacteristically harsh. “Mind your own business, kid. Now get the fuck out of here.”

She put her hand on her mouth in shock, because she’d never heard Trevor talk like that to her before. The look of hurt and betrayal on her face made Trevor feel like a first-rate asshole, but he couldn’t take it back in front of his friends. Then she turned and ran away.

Trevor went by the Baileys’ after school. By that time, his fleeting high was gone, and he worried Shanice would rat him out to her parents.

Brenda answered the door with one of the twins on her hip. Ezekiel and Ezra were almost two. “Hey, Trevor! Would you hold Zeke a second until I corral his brother?” She didn’t seem upset or like she didn’t want him to be around, so he figured Shanice hadn’t said anything.

“Sure,” he said and took the toddler, who squealed. “Twevor!”

“Hey, buddy,” Trevor said. He closed the door and carried Zeke into the house behind Brenda, who walked briskly into the family room and scooped up Ezra, who was making circles around the furniture, and deposited him in his high chair.

Trevor sat Zeke in the high chair next to his twin. “Um, where’s Shanice?”

“Homework,” Brenda said as she set places at the table. “But she’ll be down in a few minutes for dinner.”

“Whatever it is you’re cooking smells really good,” he said.

“Pot roast,” she said with a smile. “If you’ll wash your hands and help me finish setting the table, you can join us. I worry Philip doesn’t feed you well.”

“He doesn’t cook, but I get by. I nuke most of the stuff I want to eat.” Trevor went to the sink and quickly washed his hands.

Brenda shook her head. “I keep letting you know you have an open invitation for dinner. And you don’t have to stay in that house alone while Philip’s out of town.”

Trevor followed Brenda’s example and set the rest of the places at the table. By the time he was done, Pastor Isaiah came ambling into the house, booming, “What smells so good?” He walked into the kitchen and saw Trevor. “You don’t look anything like my lovely wife.” Then he gave Trevor one of those guy shakes where they lean in and bump shoulders.

Trevor grinned. “She’s in the kitchen, and the answer to your other question, is pot roast.” Isaiah went over to greet his twins by kissing them each on the top of their heads.

“Daddy!” they squealed.

“You’re staying for dinner, right?” Isaiah said as he left Trevor in the dining room with the twins.

“Yes,” Trevor said. When he turned back to the twins, he saw Ezra was trying to climb out of his highchair. “Oh no you don’t,” Trevor said and re-seated him and adjusted the tray in front of him.

Shanice came down, yelling “Mom!” When she saw Trevor, she pursed her lips and refused to speak to him. She sauntered over to her little brothers and handed Zeke his fallen sippy cup then ruffled Ezra’s hair.

She took the place setting Trevor made next to his own and moved it to the other side of the table by the twins.

“I know you’re mad at me, Shanice, and you’re right to be mad, but please don’t tell your parents what you saw,” he said quickly, before Brenda and Isaiah came in carrying dishes of food to the table.

Shanice just glared at him and took her seat then played with the twins as if Trevor weren’t there.

After Isaiah said the blessing, they all dug into the meal. There was conversation around the table, but Shanice refused to address Trevor directly; She gave one-syllable answers directed at someone else, or none at all.

Brenda and Isaiah had to notice what was going on, but they didn’t pry. Trevor didn’t have time to be upset. This was his first home-cooked meal in a long time. Since Brenda offered, he’d make this a habit.

At the end of the meal, Trevor said, “I’ll help Shanice do the dishes, Ms. Brenda.”

“Oh, thanks, guys,” Brenda said with a smile. “That means I can bathe the twins early and get them to bed.”

“What about me?” Pastor Isaiah said and waggled his eyebrows.

“You can get your own bath,” Brenda said.

“Ew!” Shanice said. “You guys are gross.”

Trevor felt his face heat up.

“Someday you young people will know what it’s like to have that special someone in your lives,” Isaiah said and helped clear the table.

Shanice held back. “I’ll carry one of the chunkies upstairs for you, Mom,” she said and grabbed Zeke. Brenda took Ezra and they disappeared upstairs.

“My daughter appears to be upset with you.” Isaiah said.

Trevor should have seen this coming. “Yes, sir.”

“What did you do? Honestly, anything you did was wrong from the word go, but you want to talk about it?”

“Well, I was with some guys at school today and Shanice interrupted us.” He left out the part about what they were doing. “I may have hurt her feelings when I asked her to leave us alone.”

“I know you’re growing up, Trevor, and Shanice still has a ways to go, but she has always idolized you, since our Baptist Home days. Go easy on my baby girl, or I might have to slap your face with a glove and challenge you to a duel.”

Trevor grinned. “I can’t duel without a weapon.”

“Who said anything about weapons?” Isaiah put up his fists. “I’m talking about duking it out the old fashioned way.” He jabbed in the air in Trevor’s direction a couple times, and Trevor played along, dodging his fists.

“I was going to apologize while we were doing the dishes, but she went upstairs.”

“She’ll come back down in a little while. You know she can’t stay mad at you.”

Trevor hoped Isaiah was right, because it was just miserable having Shanice mad at him. They’d just finished loading the dishwasher when Shanice came back down, and Isaiah retired to the den. He said it was to watch CNN, but Trevor knew he was giving them some privacy.

“‘Nice,” Trevor said. “I’m sorry.”

Shanice didn’t respond. Not even to his nickname for her. She took her book and sat down at the dining room table then flipped it open.

Trevor took a seat in the chair beside her and tried again. “‘Nice?”

Isaiah yelled, “Shanice, put that boy out of his misery and accept his apology. You’ll learn later in life that as a gender collectively, we tend to sometimes say stupid things.” Trevor heard the TV turn off, then Isaiah headed upstairs, but not before he yelled, “I’ll drive you home when you’re ready, Trevor.”

Trevor felt really stupid now, but he’d do anything to not have Shanice mad at him. “What you saw me doing earlier… I quit. I promise. And I won’t use bad words around you anymore. I don’t want Pastor Isaiah and Ms. Brenda to stop me from coming around.”

Shanice put her book down and looked up at him. “You hurt my feelings, Trevor,” she said, and her bottom lip trembled. “Don’t do it again.”

“I won’t,” he promised, not altogether sure he would be able to keep that promise.