Chapter 2

Mike promised himself that he was going to do what was necessary to help this girl make it. Little did he know the chance would come so soon.

They had a routine. Mike stopped every morning right next to Cherry's apartment. She would be slouched in a doorway and would slouch across the parking lot to his car. Once she was in and they were two blocks away, she would suddenly straighten and beam, animated, talking about how she managed to solve the math problems, or occasionally, frustrated that she couldn't solve one of the special problems he gave her. Mike would laugh when she had trouble, telling her she was working on advanced problems other kids wouldn't see for years.

That morning, Mike pulled up and parked, expecting to see Cherry start across the lot. Nothing. Concerned, Mike shut off the car and crossed the lot looking for Cherry. Nothing. He knew the room where her Mom lived. He headed there, to be met at the door by a policewoman. "You live here?" she asked.

"No," he answered surprised by the interrogation.

The police woman politely sneered, knowing full well the usual business that men dressed well like this one did in these apartments. "Sorry, you can't enter." She didn't say it, but her face said, 'Go get your jollies somewhere else.'

"I'm looking for a girl..." he started out.

"Yeah," she sneered. "They all are."

Mike exploded. "No, God Damn it! I'm a teacher at the middle school and I'm trying to get a girl out of this place."

"What's her name?" the officer asked.

"Cherry..." Mike stumbled to a stop at the look on the woman's face. "Did something happen to her?"

"No, she's fine. Her mother was stabbed."

"Stabbed?" Mike asked. Things like that were in the movies, not real life.

The officer shooed him aside as a stretcher holding a woman was wheeled out and to an ambulance. Cherry followed. When she saw Mike, she burst into tears and rushed to him. He wrapped her in his arms and pulled her aside as the woman was put into the ambulance. In the commotion, no one saw Mike lead Cherry around the building and to his car. Some days later, a report was duly filed with Child Protective Services. Overloaded and bogged down in bureaucracy, the report wound up at the bottom of an in-basket until one day, that person retired and the basket was emptied into the trash.

That was all in the future as Mike led Cherry to his car. "Can I take you to school or do you want to go to the hospital?"

Cherry pondered for a moment. 'Forward, she needed to look forward'; the words were clear in her mind. She loved her mother, who had never really been a mother to her, but the future wasn't with her mother. She knew that in her heart, even though sadness welled up from deep inside as she had the thought. "School," she said. Mike nodded and started the car.

Cherry was quiet on the way to school. Mike let her be, not knowing what to say in any case. He dropped her and went to park. He saw her in the fourth period for math. Hopefully, he'd know what to say by then.

The class went pretty much as usual. Cherry was quiet, but attentive in class. He asked her to stay after the bell rang for lunch.

"What about your mother?" he asked.

"She'll be okay. The medics said the knife didn't cut her too deep. She lost some blood, but not too much. It'll be good 'cuz she'll dry out in the hospital. She's been doing too much meth anyway," Cherry said. "She'll be out in a week or so."

"What are you going to do?" Mike asked, his brain fried trying to imagine how an eighth grader like Cherry could handle this like it was normal.

"I think she paid the rent this month. If so, I'll just hang out at home. We got some food," she said.

Mike could only imagine what that must be: peanut butter and jelly on rat-eaten bread? "Cherry, I'd like to give you a ride home after school. Okay?"

"Why?"

"It'll make me feel better," he said with a rueful smile.

She laughed. "It's okay, really. But if you want, I'll ride with you," she said.

"Thanks. See you after school. Go have lunch," he said.

Mike sat in his empty classroom and considered many things. His idea was crazy, maybe just crazy enough. It'll blow up and create a stink. It'll never work. But damn it, sometimes you have to do what is right no matter what the consequences. With that, he steeled himself. An inner peace filled him now that he knew what was right and that he was following that path.

On the drive to her apartment, Mike, knowing the path he wanted to follow, asked her, "Do you have any relatives you could stay with?"

"No. I don't know my dad. Well, you know, I don't actually know who my dad was," she said.

Mike shrugged like no big deal, though in his mind he wondered what that must be like.

"My grandparents live in Montana, at least I think they still do. They tossed mom out about seven years ago and told her not to come back. She stole some money to buy drugs," Cherry finished quietly recognizing just how alone she was in the world.

"Cherry, I want you to do me a favor," Mike said.

"Sure," Cherry said gladly.

He smiled. "Okay, I'm making you stick to that as a promise." Cherry just nodded. "I want you to live with me until your mom can take you back."

Cherry looked at Mike, her face unreadable. Finally, she managed, "Why?"

"Because I couldn't sleep at night thinking about you alone in that rat infested, sorry..." he said.

"That's okay. It is," she said quietly.

"Anyway, I'd sleep better at night if you were staying with me. Really, it's a favor to me if you'd stay at my place," he finished. He waited, watching from the corner of his eye as he drove. He saw the contemplative look on her face, occasionally crossed with the faintest trace of a smile. He hoped that was good.

They arrived at her apartment. He looked at her, "What do you say?"

"You serious?" she asked.

"Yep," he said lightly.

"Well then, I guess it's better than a rat infested..." she said teasing him.

He crimsoned, "I am sorry I said that."

"Nah, Mr. O'Hara. You are right. It is."

"Let's go get the stuff you might need, clothes, makeup and stuff," he said.

"Stuff?" she asked.

"You know, girl stuff," he said.

"Girl stuff," she said a smile on her face as she teased him.

Cherry smiled as she bounced out of the car and led him to the apartment. There was a large brown stain on the floor. Cherry looked at it and ran into her room. Mike felt like he was going to lose his lunch when he realized what it was. He threw a sheet that was askew on the one couch onto the floor over the stain. He was able to breathe again after it was covered.

Cherry came back into the room, saw the sheet and smiled thankfully at Mike. She grabbed some paper grocery bags. A while later, she came out with the bags. Mike knew he shouldn't ask if she had luggage instead: he knew what he answer would be. There were several bags; Mike grabbed two of the bags and led her back to the car.

Deciding to tease her, he said, "Got enough to last you a week?"

"That's everything," she said.

Mike looked at the bags. 'Everything?' He felt like a heel for even bringing it up. Cherry seemed not to notice. For her, this was usual.

At his house, he installed Cherry in his spare bedroom, the one that had his exercise machine that he had used exactly four times in two years. The machine went into the garage.

They settled into a routine. Mike would take her to school and drive her home. During school hours, they were teacher and student only and avoided each other, not wanting the comments that would inevitably come. At home, Cherry found out what it was like having a teacher as a pseudo-parent. Homework was always first, before TV or even dinner. She also found out how much time a teacher spent in the evenings grading papers, preparing class materials, and general paperwork. Her respect for Mike, and by association her other teachers, went up.

What she really enjoyed were the evenings. They would settle into the couch and watch TV, or play some game. Mike was passionate about board games. For Cherry, this was all so new, spending time just having fun together.

Sometimes at night, she would lay awake and wonder what it would be like when her mother recovered. Could she go back to living like that? The answer would come soon, she knew, and she felt a dread welling up from deep inside that she tried very hard to ignore.

It had been several weeks and they still had not heard from Cherry's mom. Mike called the hospital. He was informed that she had been released two weeks earlier. Mike called the apartment. The rent had not been paid for the current month. The apartment had been cleaned out of personal items. The landlord hadn't seen Cherry's mom. She had disappeared.

He tried calling the police. No, they had not heard of her since the initial report. No, they had no forwarding address and no perp. The case was cold unless she would identify some suspect, which she had been unwilling to do after the stabbing.

That night, Mike told Cherry. She was quiet for a minute, then said, "She's gone." Cherry burst into tears and fled to her room. Mike thought about going to her but he knew she was right. She had every reason to feel betrayed and abandoned; she had been. He slept fitfully that night.

The next morning he knocked on her door. "Cherry?"

"Go away," he heard a muffled voice.

Mike shook his head and opened the door. Cherry lay on the bed, her head covered by the pillow. One foot stuck out from under the sheet. He grabbed the ankle and began tickling the sole of her foot. It was amazing, he thought, how she could levitate her entire body off the bed like that.

She screamed, "Quit it! I gotta pee. Stop!" she grabbed at her ankle, but Mike was stronger. He kept tickling, "No, stop..." she begged. "I gotta pee..."

He was having fun until the unsuspected pillow caught him full force in the face, loosening his grip. Cherry bounced out of bed and ran for the bathroom, slamming the door closed. Smiling, he picked up the pillow and tossed it back on the bed. As he went by the restroom, he called out through the closed door, "Breakfast is ready."

A Bronx cheer followed him down the hallway. Cherry joined him shortly, clad in a long tee shirt and panties. He was pretty sure she didn't own any real sleep clothes.

He served them both a stack of pancakes. She fiddled with hers for a bit, then said, "She's gone."

"I think you're right," he acknowledged her.

"Damn her," Cherry said on the verge of tears. She wiped her eyes. "I ain't got nowhere to go."

"Yes, you do. Here," he said emphatically.

She looked up, surprised. "But I thought this was just until she got out of the hospital."

"It was, originally ... I like having you here," he said.

Cherry looked about to cry again but suppressed it. "Yeah, so you can torture girls when they have to pee."

"No, so I can punish girls who won't come to breakfast when I've worked so hard preparing breakfast."

She looked down at her plate and asked, "You really mean that?"

Mike knew it wasn't the breakfast she was asking about. "Yeah, I like having you here. Will you stay?"

"Oh yes," she burst into tears as she came around the table and grabbed him in a bone crushing hug. There were tears of happiness mixed with sobs of loss as Cherry released all of her pent up emotions. Mike held her and soothed the girl, petting her hair as she cried herself out.

The next weekend, Mike decided to take Cherry to the mall and get her more clothing. He knew that she was going to be living with him from now on, he just had a feeling. If she was going to be virtually his daughter, he needed to start taking that responsibility. The shopping started out fun as she wandered from store to store not quite believing that Mike was really going to buy her clothes.

As they wandered down the main way, Cherry saw a guy come from one of the stores. Her stomach clenched up and she felt sick. Hector. He glanced at her and saw it was Cherry. He immediately put a macho sneer on his face. Mike saw the look in Cherry's face, the fear, the loathing all mixed up. Mike followed her glance and knew that must be Hector, the hated Hector. Mike saw the sneer, the complete bravado of his walk and stance. It drove Mike crazy. He was overwhelmed with the desire to punch Hector. Only his utmost restraint kept him from running down the punk and battering him until he could never sneer again. His thoughts were quickly of Cherry, he didn't want to get Cherry involved since she was now recovering from so much in such a short time.

Cherry was unaware of all of this. She saw him, the evil one, and she strode towards him, Mike trailing but looking for a chance to avenge her.

Hector smiled. "Hey babe," he said.

"You creep," she hissed. "How can you 'hey babe' me?"

Mike saw a couple come from the same store and walking up behind Hector, concern on their face. He realized things are about to get ugly. His thoughts were how to protect Cherry.

Hector, still in his cool mode and unknowing of their approach, said, "You wanted it. I just gave you what you wanted."

Cherry, low and harshly, hissed back at him, "No woman wants to be raped, you piece of shit."

Hector started to raise his hand to slap Cherry. Mike felt the adrenaline rush and was prepared to leap between them and take the blow when a hand grabbed Hector's hand at the top of its arc. He spun around, looking to fight. A middle-aged man was holding his hand, the man's face red with anger. "What is happening, Hector? Why are you going to strike a woman?"

"Nothing, Pop," he said, breathing hard, trying to suppress his anger.

"What did you say, young lady?" the man asked Cherry.

She looked away, "Nothing."

"I thought I heard you say no woman wants to be raped." The woman who had been a few steps behind but had now caught up, gasped, then covered her mouth with her hand and looked at Hector.

Hector could see the accusation in the woman's eyes and said, "She's a puta's daughter. She asked for it."

Her hand lashed out striking him hard on the cheek leaving livid red marks. "No woman asks to be raped. You scum. My own son..." she turned away, her back to him.

The man looked at Mike and Cherry, the sorrow evident in his face. "I am sorry Miss. Is there anything I can do?"

"But Pop," Hector said.

Furious, the man turned on Hector, "You shut up, basura." Then fighting to regain his calm, he looked at Cherry, "Miss?"

"No," she said, the tears flowing.

The man grabbed Hector by the arm. "You, you come with me," he said leading Hector off.

The woman turned to Cherry, trying to stop her own tears. "Please, Miss, if I can do anything..."

Cherry smiled. "Seeing you slap his face, that's what I wanted to do, so thank you."

"You are welcome," she said. She nodded to Mike and Cherry, turned, and strode off, a hard purpose in her walk.

That night was hard for Mike, watching Cherry struggle with the stirred up emotions from the rape. He tried to act as naturally as possible, which was all he could think to do. In the morning, he was concerned, but Cherry seemed chipper. He didn't know she had spent the night thinking about what Vivian had told her, the future. She now had a future because of Mike. Vivian had been right, there was a future and she had to keep looking ahead. What had happened didn't matter as long as she kept looking ahead. Mike was surprised when Cherry hugged him fiercely before sitting down to breakfast. Nothing was said about Hector.