Creole Gaudet

“No, baby, these hos are not your friends. All they want to do is impress their pimp. It’s the hos that are the most dangerous. They do the recruiting, the conditioning, the lying and the scheming.

“Whatever… He beat my ass behind that shit.” She showed the bruises on her arms and along her legs. “He won’t let me get high at all. I can’t even fucking smoke!”

Natalia looked to me. “This is what I’m saying. You see what happens when you bring a child into adult situations?” She turned to Sway. “Why don’t you go outside and wait in the car. Then, when Andre is done talking with the ladies, he can take you home and let you play with your baby dolls.”

The crowd was now smiling and cheering. I felt hot, cold, and clammy all at the same time. I looked back at Sway. She tugged my arm as we left to a round of applause.  I couldn’t make it to the exit quickly enough.

“After what Rosebud and Mandy did, I tried calling them to… I guess to explain. I was probably trying to ask for help, but I didn’t know how. My sister answered, and we were talking. They took the phone away from her and hung up on me.