Nayely's finger's flitted across her keyboard as she sat at her kitchen table. Her bottom lip was pulled between her teeth as she typed into the search bar, hoping to find the right answer to her problem. She had found herself debating on how to go about reporting Terrence's misconduct, wanting to make sure she did things the right way. On the way home from seeing Cheyenne, she guided herself to the closest police station, ready to burst in and scream out Terrence's dirty deed. However, as she sat in the parking lot, she was stilled into hesitancy as the fear of having to bear this news alone clamped down on her. Before she had left Cheyenne, she had rejected her offer to join her in reporting what they suspected to be a relationship between Terrence and the high school athlete.

Nayely stared in confusion as a bitter taste was left in her mouth. When Cheyenne took back her phone, she shuddered thinking of the photo she had revealed to her friend.

"Now, come on. Tell me that isn't Terrence for sure."

"I-I don't know." Nayely shook her head as her thoughts became jumbled up. "I mean... it looked a lot like him but-"

"Of course, that was him! There's no way a little teenage boy is walking around looking like that. Right?"

"Have you shown this to anyone else?" Nayely asked. From what she saw, the photo was months old. Had anyone else seen the disgusting proof of Terrence's ways? Nayely couldn't place the anxious feeling that rose as her own mind travelled back to when she was younger and her own experience with the older man.

The initial shock she had felt began to wear off as anger replaced it. Nayely could only imagine how a young girl would have gotten caught up with a man who knew his away around impressionable students. Nayely saw red as she remembered just how lost she felt when facing the inappropriate turn Terrence took their relationship long ago. At a fresh 20 years old, Nayely had thought that she would burst from keeping the crush she had on Terrence a secret during their first year of working together. Most of her formative years were spent more than fulfilled with what the relationship she had with MJ gave her.

Peace, love, and serenity. She had all that she needed in him. However, once high school was over and the divide between the two became too wide to bridge, she had stumbled around in forming relationships with others. Nayely had tunnel vision as she simply focused on her track career, knocking expectations out the park each and every competition. When she had made herself known, Terrence found his way to her as he could never turn away the potential fame. At first, she was more than astounded at the fact that a member of one of the leading families in their field had studied her close enough to keep up with her races.

She could still remember being called in by her coach to meet a special friend who had shown great interest in her talents. He had promised to take her far, supporting her in a way that no one else would be capable of. Nayely never would have predicted that a once in a lifetime meeting filled with awe and gratefulness for Terrence's desire to work with her would have locked her into years of confinement that blinded her.

"I personally haven't. I don't know if anyone else has seen this or what, but I just thought I should let you know just in case anything pops off. You never know with these things." Pulling her arms close to her chest, Cheyenne shook her head. "I never liked Terrence, but this? This is something I never would have imagined."

Cheyenne's intuitive nature couldn't help but sense the shift in Nayely's demeanor. She watched as she licked her lips, swallowing hard as if she had become parched. Nayely's eyes blinked rapidly as she looked tempted to crawl out of her own skin.

"Hey, are you good?" Cheyenne lowered her voice as she placed her hand on Nayely's. The simple touch seemed to do the job of bringing the startled woman back to the present.

Thinking that she had made her upset, Cheyenne moved quickly to remedy the situation.

"You know what? Maybe I'm just tripping. That's probably what I get for snooping through her photos. There's no way that can be Terrence. If it was that'd make him a-"

"Pedophile. If that's him half naked with a sixteen-year-old girl-he's a pedophile and he's my coach."

"Nayely, this has nothing to do with you. Don't even do that to yourself. We don't even know for sure if that's really him."

A moment passed as Nayely's head slowly fell towards her chest. She had to do something. How could she not? What kind of woman would she be if she were to let something this serious stay hidden?

"The closest police station is 15 minutes away. If you're down, then we can hop in my car and-"

"Cheyenne." Nayely interrupted her. In the younger woman's eyes, she could see that she had read her mind and committed herself to helping Nayely out with whatever she did.

"Someone has to say something, Nayely. This picture was posted only 4 months ago-that means this shit could be still going on! Did that look like the first time they've been together?"

"Please. The last thing I want to think about is a kid and a grown ass man being together. Like that isn't-" Nayely choked on the final word as it was something she hadn't spoken in 8 years.

"Rape? Yeah, that's exactly what this is no matter how they try to spin it. Terrence is a sick fuck! It's official!" Digging around in her bag, Cheyenne searched for her keys as she ranted on. "As soon as we show them this picture, give them Terrence's name, it's all set! They should pick his ass up as fast as possible. He's a danger to children."

"And you know what!" Cheyenne suddenly remembered how the girls she looked after had gotten into a conversation about their zodiac signs and birthdays during one of their breaks. "I promise you this girl only turned sixteen two months ago. Isn't the age of consent eighteen?" She slammed her hands down on the table looking for clarification.

"I-I'm not sure, Cheyenne."

"Well, it doesn't even matter because he's all around wrong for this. Is he still here? Let's go before he pops up." Before Cheyenne could stand, Nayely's hand gripped her forearm stopping her.

Pulling her back to the seat, Nayely looked around as she spoke low. "Is this enough?" Looking down to the picture, she began to question if this was all they needed to seal away Terrence's fate. Something she had learned throughout the years was that he always found a way out of nothing. She had to know that if she turned him in, he couldn't slip through the cracks.

Cheyenne's lips moved but offered no sound as she considered the question. "How could it not be? It's him! You knew it was him the moment you saw it! If we screenshot this and get this to the police as soon as possible, they'd know just what this means."

"You can't even see his face."

"But you can!"

Pulling the phone from her hand, Nayely turned it around to show Cheyenne once again. "It's only his profile. We could take this to a police station, tell them it's without a doubt Terrence, and still get turned away because there's no way they could just match this up easily. Then what?"

"Well then we could-I mean it shouldn't be that hard to get him-" Cheyenne fell silent as she realized the possibility of Nayely's words. "We can't just let this go."

"I can't. But you will."

"What do you mean? I'm right there with you, girl!"

"No. I don't want you to get involved with this. Who knows what could happen once this gets out?"

"Wait, don't tell me you're thinking of not saying anything?"

"You should know me better than that by now." Nayely took slight offense to the suggestion she would turn a blind eye to this matter. It had to be handled, but if she could avoid entangling Cheyenne into this mess, then by all means she would.

"I feel responsible." Nayely admitted. Holding her forehead in her hands, she could feel tears form in an instant. When Cheyenne saw this, she shook her head vigorously.
"No! What did I tell you? This isn't your cross to bear!"

"I-I should have gotten rid of him a long time ago, but I used to be so afraid I could never get anywhere without him. He made me believe that for so long." Her words trailed off as the memories of the past that flooded her." For that reason, I am responsible. He's the man I took on as my coach and even as my manager."

"This is his sin to carry all the way to hell."

"If that's going to happen, I should be the one to cut him at his knees."

Sliding from the booth, Nayely angrily gathered her things. "I have to go." Before she could move to leave, she was quickly met by Cheyenne.

"I'm sorry. I should have thought about this before I showed you. I didn't think this would really be happening." Hearing the regret in her voice, Nayely slowed down as she turned to her friend.

"There's nothing to be sorry for. I think this was something I needed to see. I-I think it's time I make a change in my life. I have to clean some shit up." Giving her a reassuring hug, Nayely connected with the worried woman's eyes, saying a silent goodbye as she made her way to the exit.

She thought this would be easier than it turned out to be. It felt like the longer she waited, the more time Terrence would have to wreak havoc on the lives he entered. For hours, she had imagined just what the young girl must have been thinking while receiving Terrence's attention. All she could remember was the smile on the child's face as she seemed to proudly showoff adult who should have known better. Cheyenne had messaged her a screenshot and link to the girl's page just in case. Nayely felt the need to swipe her phone of all content once she was able to use the photo, as she felt sullied by its existence.

At one point, she had considered direct messaging the girl to ask for a clear answer, but something told her that may have the opposite effect of having the girl open up to her and be wiling to file a report on her own and instead lead to Nayely losing the key and only piece of evidence she had. If the girl's experience with Terrence was anything like hers when they first met, then it would probably be nearly impossible to convince her to see that what he was doing was wrong.

Dry eyes looked to the corner of her screen to see that it was already 5:34 am. This had kept Nayely up all night, despite the day she had waiting for her. Today was supposed to be filled with shooting her solo scenes for the campaign. She was glad that things were drawing to a close, with her finally being able to meet the students she handpicked at the end of the week. Thinking of the kids she would meet for the first time, she felt disgusted at the thought of Terrence going so low as to manipulate a child the way he had. Knowing that he'd be there in their presence, her stomach turned.

In just two hours, the station would finally be open and she would have her chance to do what she failed to do the day before. Deciding that she couldn't let anymore time slip away, Nayely made her way to the bathroom, ready to start her day off right.

"Have a seat here. Officer Sharpe will be with you shortly." Tucking her ID into her wallet, Nayely sat stiffly in the wooden chair as she watched the officers and employees move about the room. She had arrived as soon as their doors were opened and yet it already seemed as though they had many things going on at once. Nayely had fought against the exhaustion she felt from pulling an all nighter, even though she knew it would have been best to arrive bright eyed and bushy tailed to her filming for the day.

The more she thought of her purpose that morning, the less afraid she felt. There would be no more going back and forth with what she should do-now was the time. As she thought of all the things she needed to say, Nayely was approached by a fit officer who stood before her confidently. His close cut gave him the authoritative look those in his position went for. Nayely had never thought much of the police before, as she remembered how often they failed in settling the disputes between her parents. She had figured them useless in many aspects, but for today she wanted to trust that this would be a reason for them to do their jobs.

"Ms. Polite?" The man asked, lending his hand to her. When Nayely returned his gesture, he gave a curt nod. "Officer Sharpe. Why don't you come on back?"

Nayely remained silent as she followed the officer down the hall, to the special room used for conducting interviews for reports. For a moment, Nayely thought back to all of the police shows she had watched in her lifetime. The feeling was so nerve wrecking that she could hear the dramatic suspense filled music that would be heard in a scene like this.

"Go ahead and have a seat right there, I'll be back in just a moment." She hadn't even realized that Officer Sharpe had been standing with the door open, waiting for her to come back to the moment. Following his directions, she squeezed past him into the small bare room, taking a seat at the table.

When she was left alone, she found herself annoyed at the extended wait. She closed her eyes as she counted backwards from one hundred, hoping that would help to clear her mind of the jitteriness she felt. She had to get this right the first time.

At the sound of the door closing softly and a small bottle of water being placed on the table before her, Nayely opened her eyes to see the officer had returned.

"I figured an Olympian like yourself would want to stay hydrated." He spoke as he took his seat, opening a manila folder he had brought with him. Flipping through the papers, he began to set himself up as Nayely cringed at the fact he was able to already bring up who she was so easily. Sometimes she forgot that there were people out there who would know her. She figured the many commercials and ads she was a part of helped to keep her fresh in their brains.

"Thank you." Was all she could offer. Twisting the cap off, she nearly downed the small bottle in two gulps, waiting for this to move along.

"There's no need to be nervous, Ms. Polite. I don't know what's brought you here today, but I can assure you this is the right step to take. This will be a general interview process where I'll need to find out the who, what, where and when." Removing a pen from his shirt, he clicked it for good measure as he braced himself on his forearms, intent on staring her down.

"So, tell me, what brings you in today?"

"I'd like to report an inappropriate relationship." She quickly stated, drawing a raised eyebrow from Officer Sharpe." It's between a minor and an adult." She clarified.

"Understood. Do you happen to have the names of these individuals?"

"Yes, I do. The minor is a young girl-a high schooler." Licking her lips, she could already feel her throat becoming dry. "Her name is Brittany Stewart."

Nayely caught the brief pause that Officer Sharpe had taken at the mention of the girl's name.

"And I must ask, Ms. Polite, what is your relationship with Ms. Stewart?"

"Well that's the thing. I don't have a relationship with her. I don't know the girl at all."

"And you're filing a report involving her?"

"Only because the adult is someone I know." Scratching her nail along the side of the plastic bottle, Nayely took a breath. "Terrence Thompson." Nayely felt like she was getting closer to lifting the weight that sat on her chest.

"Relationship?" Within a matter of moments, a shift could be felt in the room that Nayely could not quite place.

"He's my coach. Has been for years."

Leaning back in his chair, Officer Sharpe spread his legs, losing the attentive posture he held before.

"Terrence Thompson?" The sound of skepticism in his voice alarmed Nayely.

"Yes. Terrence Thompson. I have a picture as proof! This isn't explicit but it's clear what is going on between these two. I'll just-"

"Stop!" The officer's command cut through the air sharply, stilling Nayely's hand as she slid her phone across the table. "You just wait until I ask you the questions I need to." Wishing she could sink back further in her seat, Nayely watched the man carefully as his demeanor changed.

"What makes you think there's something going on between these two? Were you there?" The officer waved his hands in the air, looking for a reason to continue the conversation.

"N-No I wasn't there. But I have a photo that clearly shows-"

"Was this recent?"

"Recent?" Nayely's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "Does four months count? With something like this who knows how long or often it's happening. That's why I was hoping that after today-"

"Ms. Polite, let's not get ahead of ourselves. I need to determine just what is going on."

"I'm trying to tell you!" Nayely exclaimed as she tapped on her phone screen. "Terrence Thompson is having a relationship with this girl. She's only sixteen! Terrence is a married thirty-eight-year-old man with kids. He's been using this girl, and no one has done anything about it!"

"I need you to calm down!"

"I am calm! I-"

"Quiet!" As Officer Sharpe's hand cut through the air, Nayely could feel her blood boiling. What was going on? "Are you the victim, Ms. Polite?"

"No, but I know the perpetrator. He's sleeping with a child! He has to be stopped as soon as possible."

"That's a very big claim to make. You do understand you can be charged with a misdemeanor for filing a false report?" Officer Sharpe narrowed his eyes, making it evident he was set on only one outcome for the day. Nayely's heart beat against her chest as the situation turned for the worst.

"Officer, I assure this is not false information! I have a picture of the two of them clearly being intimate with one another. Can't you at least investigate this before you say no?" Nayely began to feel desperation seep through her words as she sat bewildered by what was happening.

He hadn't taken a note in so long, she wondered if he would even keep record of her report. "Can't you just look at the photo, and check in on this? What if something happens before this can be handled."

Sighing loudly, Officer Sharpe cut her off. "Listen, what I can do for you today is act as if none of this ever happened. It's in your best interest to get up, walk out this station, and keep your nose out of things that don't concern you. I'm sure there are plenty of things to occupy you in your spare time, don't you think so?"

"Sir!" The scraping of the hair against the ground told her he had made a final decision. Walking towards the door, he opened it wide.

"Have a good day, Ms. Polite."

Nayely's eyes widened in disbelief, as she felt a wave of helplessness fall over her. How? How could this have gone so badly? Bringing her phone to her chest, she was prepared to make one last plea before seeing the daring look in the Officer's eyes as he sensed the next attempt.

On quick feet, Nayely rushed out, burning with rage.

The week had passed by painstakingly slow as Nayely was left with the disappointment of her visit to the police station. Today would be the first day that she would have to face Terrence since learning of his activities outside of work.

Nayely clutched her phone as she entered the track and field stadium where the final shoot for the shoe campaign would be held. On this day, she would finally film with the high school students chosen to represent their schools. As the crew below came into better view, Nayely's steps slowed as she could see the outline of Terrence standing at a distance, speaking to a staff member. His sunglasses reflected in the sky as he instantly turned to her. When he raised a hand in greeting, Nayely's dark mood deteriorated even faster. Her hand strangled the backpack strap at her shoulder as she reached the last of the steps.

Standing off on their own, it was hard to not notice the nervous bunch of students who couldn't seem to stand still. The two girls and two boys talked amongst themselves, dressed in the sportswear that had been provided by the company for the shoot. Seeing that Nayely was making a beeline for the students, Terrence was just about to cut his conversation short before a single hand stopped him from coming over. Nayely bypassed catching up with the staff to introduce herself to the students on her own.

A girl with relaxed hair sitting high in a ponytail looked over her shoulder only to whip her head around quickly as she was the first to see Nayely closing in. Her lips spread as she watched the girl poke each of the other students, shaking her head sharply whenever they tried to take a peek for themselves.

"Excuse me..." walking around to face them, Nayely waited for them to have enough courage to face her, making her even more determined to get them comfortable around her. She knew some athletes who reveled in being gawked at or having admirers openly distraught because of their presence, but after all of these years, she had yet to see the enjoyment in that. The support and love she received from those who looked up to her was more than enough.

"Oh my God. Oh my God!" The girl with the ponytail covered her mouth as she tried to calm herself down from the excitement that bubbles over.

"Latisha!" One of the boys whispered as he kept his cool. Nayely pegged him as the youngest of the group as he was a good heads length shorter than the others. His red hair and freckles against his dark skin gave him a unique look, as well as brightened the childish glimmer in his eyes.

"I'm sorry! I just- I didn't think- I mean you're actually going to be here while they film us? I thought they were just going to edit it all together at the end!" Latisha rambled as she bounced from foot to foot. Nayely tried to follow her words as she rattled them off at top speed. Swirling her head in circles trying to catch up, she realized it would be impossible. Taking the girl's shaking hands into her own, she patted them as Latisha's mouth fell open.

"Of course, I'm going to be here! I picked you guys because I'm so excited to meet you. I've kept up with you all since last season so it's great to finally meet you. I'm Nayely."

The kids burst into laughter at the idea of Nayely introducing herself to them. In their minds, it should be a given that she needed no introduction.

"Uh, yeah you're Nayely! Nayely Polite aka Cloud. We should be the ones introducing ourselves." The second girl stepped forward, taking a chance and pulling Nayely into a hug. The embrace was returned with just as much enthusiasm.

"I'm Candice." She said cheerfully before stepping back for the others.

"Jacques." The red headed boy said, stepping in for a half hug.

"My name's Shamel, but you can call me Mel." The second and older boy looked to her with confidence. Nayely knew him to be the oldest of the group, as he was in his senior year and already moving forward to making his big decision. "You can follow me on Instagram at- "

"Uh uh!" Latisha pushes past his elevator speech attempt, causing him to stumble as he put his phone back into his pocket. Mel sucked his teeth at the girl as she thwarted his plans.

"And I'm Latisha! It's so nice to meet you."

Clapping her hands together as she shook with laughter, Nayely was already enjoying the group.

"If y'all are already hyped this early in the morning, then we are going to have a good day I just wanted to come and say thank you for agreeing to join me in this. I wanted to make sure that I had your opinion on these shoes and what we're trying to do here."

"When my coach hit me up and told me who had called and asked about me I almost fainted." Candice admitted. They had all been taken aback when their respective coaches had brought them in to their offices. When the announcements had been made, they were met with much praise from their teammates. Nayely was sure that the swag bags she had planned for them would make them happy- not to mention the news of shoes for each member of the team they would return with.

"Well I hope you weren't too surprised by all of this. You have more than earned this chance and hopefully we can keep shout outs like this going for the kids coming up." Nayely had gotten so lost in conversation with the teens that she hadn't noticed Terrence's appearance until the moment a shiver was cast over her skin. Turning sharply, she began to wonder if she was imagining the way he looked the female students from head to toe.

I'm not imagining that.

She couldn't stop the frown from forming as he interrupted them. As he spoke, it was clear he had no intention of acknowledging the students. The bitterness of being denied his own choices was still fresh all these weeks later.

"Let's go. We need to get things running so we can stay on schedule."

"Sorry! He's right- we've been talking to you when you probably need to be in hair and make up or something like that." Latisha shrugged her shoulders as she imagined the things that went into preparing an athlete like Nayely.

"No, don't say sorry. I am the schedule." Nayely felt herself acting out of character but did not cringe when those words left her mouth. She had purposely arrived nearly an hour before the time she was expected to. With Terrence attempting to find the control he had slowly began to lose over her, she would not tuck her tail and run when he said so.

The teens all shook their head, letting out a low ‘ooh' as she laid it out.

"Nayely."

"Since we're worried about each other's schedules and where we should be, don't you think you need to be on your way?" Turning to face him, Nayely walked towards Terrence, pushing them both a few feet away so that the students could not hear what she said.

"Wherever I'm at is where I'm supposed to be." He retorted.

"Let me be the one to tell you that right here?" She pointed her finger angrily towards the ground," Isn't it." She couldn't stand for him to even be in the presence of the younger girls, suddenly hyper aware of the short clothing they had been gifted with. On any other day she wouldn't have given the attire a second thought as it had become a normal part of her life as an athlete. Yet, with memories still fresh in her mind of how Terrence was wrapped around another young female athlete who was no different from then, she was appalled.

"What's up with you? You have me thinking you and I need to have a long talk." Terrence's words seemed light, but there was an underlying tone that picked at Nayely.

"You're right." She bit her tongue from letting out the first thing on her mind. "When it's time I'll be the one to let you know, so until then? Do what you get paid to do. For now."

Deciding then to take the students to the wardrobe area, Nayely ushered them past a silent Terrence.  There was no need to see his glare from behind his glasses, the daggers could be felt as she walked away.

The cameras moved quickly as the five athletes raced towards them. Just before they reached the finish line, they looked to each other with a smile of determination, giving the best ending shot as the director yelled cut.

"Perfect, you guys!" The crew clapped as the runners slowly came to a stop. They caught their breath as they walked together towards the monitors to watch the playback for the final shot. They were handed water as they stood around, admiring the way they looked on camera.

"Oh man, is this how it feels to see yourself in HD?" Jacques asked as he squeezed in to the front.

"To be honest, I don't really watch myself if I happen to be on." Shaking her head as she wiped at the sweat on her forehead, Nayely shivered. "Too weird for me."

"Dang, my start looks clean." Mel smiled as he admired himself on camera. Nayely could see him as the face of many brands should he ever get the chance to be sponsored. Laughing to herself, she could only imagine how that would play out. From the brief time spent together that day, she could tell that Mel was no stranger to a mirror.

It was a good thing his talents could rival his looks.

"Um, I didn't want to be the one to ask but-" Latisha tugged at the sleeve of her tank top" if we sweated in these, can we keep them?" She asked hopefully.

"You didn't think I'd only send you off only with the clothes you got your stank all over, did you?"

"Hey! I was just trying to make sure I can get the hook up with some gear before this is all over." Latisha turned on her heels as she smiled at Candice with glee.

"Don't worry. I've got stuff for each of you as well as for your teams. I hope you'll be able to enjoy it all." As the kids whispered excitedly and shouted their thanks, Nayely flagged down a staff member who could point them in the direction of their things. Unfortunately, she would not be able to go with them and watch them accept the gifts.  The hairs on her arms still stood tall as she knew Terrence had remained at the shoot, staring her down with evil intent in his eyes.

As the students walked away, Nayely's face dropped into a solemn expression, folding her arms across her stomach, she thought back to the horrible police visit.

She didn't want to believe it, but there was no doubt that the moment she revealed the names of the individuals she came to report, a iron curtain had fallen before her, barring her from going any further. The officer's aggressiveness left no room for Nayely to get her case across. If a simple officer like him was such a staunch gatekeeper, who else could she talk to?

"Busy day, huh?" Terrence's words brushed across the shell of her ear as he leaned in close from behind. Pivoting on her feet, Nayely glared at him for getting so close.

"That's what you get when working a big campaign like this. "

Nayely stared into his eyes, trying her best to decipher his aim. Terrence's eyes were hardened towards her as he didn't back down. The swift switch to his usually charming sparkle happened so fast that Nayely held her breath as she waited to hear what he would say next.

"You have been working hard, Nayely. Really hard." Pulling out his sunglasses, Terrence slid them back on, leaving his only wide smile shining in her face. "Make sure you're taking care of yourself while you're being a busy body. We don't want anything happening to you, do we?"

"You don't have to worry about that. I'm sure I can handle whatever comes my way."

"Alone? I know working by yourself-particularly without me-has been your new motto lately." Reaching a hand out, Terrence's fingers gripped into the skin of her shoulder, leaving indentions that she had to force herself not to shy away from. "Just remember there's only so much one person can take before they break. And when it happens to you, you'll be begging me to step in. Won't you?"

Roughly releasing her, Terrence shoved his hands into his pants as he walked away, eyes never leaving Nayely's. Once his back was to her, she could see his shoulders shaking with what she could only guess to be a chuckle of confidence in the secret he knew.

Terrence was more than informed on where Nayely had been that morning. It helped that the father of Brittany Stewart was a well-known judge who had once been the go to attorney for the Thompson family years ago. When he had received a heads up from Officer Sharpe, he had found himself enraged at Nayely's attempt to report him. When he had heard that she was there because of a picture, he had called Brittany's school, pulling her from class to demand that she remove not only the picture, but her entire account. The extent of the safety net that surrounded Terrence was one Nayely couldn't even begin to imagine.

She should have known better by now.

MJ opened the door of the facility for the last time as he emerged outside. The sun shined down brightly, welcoming jim back into the world free of supervision. As he squinted, he rolled back his shoulders, feeling as though he had just woken from a deep slumber. Looking around, he realized that while he had been released, he had no way to get home.

Powering on his cell phone, he saw that he only had ten percent left of his battery which meant he needed to figure out arrangements as soon as possible. He knew Christina wasn't available as she had been called out of town last minute. When he approached the curb of the sidewalk, he scrolled through his phone looking for Kahlil's number.

Within seconds, a black SUV swooped in to his side, pushing him back from the curb.

"They freed my boy, MJ!  They done fucked up now! Let's go!" Kahlil called out from inside the car, with his phone pointed at MJ, as he took a welcome home video.

"Yeah! You back, baby!" MJ couldn't help but join in with his laughter. Opening the back door, he tossed in his bag just as Kahlil rounded the car, drawing him into a tight bear hug.

"Damn, you're looking a little scrawny. They didn't feed you in there?"

"I've never had so much quinoa and kale before in my life." MJ admitted, as he clasped hands with his friend. "I feel like I lost 15 pounds."

"You look like it!" Kahlil joked. As they sobered up, Kahlil's face looked on with content.

"I'm proud of you, bruh. You went through some shit there and look at you now."

"I appreciate that. And this." MJ motioned to his car." I didn't think to even ask for someone to pick me up."

"There was no need to. You know I got you. Even if Christina could have come I was still going to show up. This is like your rebirth, MJ. I'd never miss that."

As they climbed into the car, Kahlil replayed the video he had taken, smiling as he sent it off in a message.

"Don't tell me you posted that?" MJ looked over just as Kahlil closed out his screen.

"Nah, I wouldn't do that to you. I'm just keeping it for memories." Putting the car in drive, Kahlil cruised down the street, as music filled the car. "I just sent it to Nayely so she can see it too."

"Nayely? You've been talking to her?" MJ's voice was high pitched on the last word, causing Kahlil to burst out laughing.

"Damn, you're curious, huh?"

"No, I'm just surprised." MJ sat back, hoping he could reclaim the cool he had lost at the mention of Nayely's name. He had spent six weeks fighting with his need to speak to her, know whatever he could since he was away. Had she and Kahlil really communicated while he was gone?

"Keep playing if you want to." Looking over, Kahlil gave him a knowing look."You're not wrong, though. I've been doing most of the talking. Ever since she helped me drive your car back to your place, I kind of finessed her number out of her so that I could text her updates on you. I figured you and her would have both wanted that even if you won't admit it."

"She went to my house?" MJ's selective hearing missed the important part of what Kahlil was saying.

"Relax. We didn't go inside, just dropped it off." He assured him. "You better take it easy, I don't know if your heart can handle you flipping out just so soon." Pointing to his chest, Kahlil was amused by the reaction, but still concerned for his friend's health. He had no idea what MJ could or couldn't do for now and wanted to make sure that he kept himself in check until things were in the all clear.

"She hasn't responded to any of my messages, but I know she's read them. I was trying to get her to come with me so that she could be here when you got out." Kahlil shook his head, sad that he wasn't able to convince her. "At least she can see the video. Know that you're straight now."

A silence fell in the car as MJ hid the interest he felt. "You shouldn't do that." His voice wasn't as convincing as he had hoped.

"I had to."

"No, no you didn't. She doesn't need to be involved in any of this more than she already has been."

"MJ, you almost died on her doorstep. I think the fact that she is still reading my messages means she cares. Even ten years later, she has to care." Coming to a stoplight, he nodded his head towards MJ. "And so do you."

"It doesn't even matter. This thing is all over."

"Is it? I know for damn sure that this wasn't a coincidence. Quit trying to fight it. You two need to bury the beef and get back on good terms."

"Kahlil, none of that is as easy as you make it sound."

"Does it have to be hard?"

"Even if I wanted to, it's not possible."

"So you want to? Then make it happen!"

Kahlil caught his slip up and latched on."You know, from where I'm standing I should be pissed off at both of you. How fucked up is it that you two just decided on your own to dead our friendship without telling me? I have no idea what went down, but that never changed the fact that I'd still call both of you my closest and only real friends. We've known each other for damn twenty years but I can't even know what happened?"

Kahlil's true feelings just couldn't take a backseat on this day. If neither of them wanted to make the moves, then he would. He was tired of it all. After almost losing MJ and being brought back together with Nayely, although briefly, it was time to grow up and act like they cared for one another.

They had all the proof they needed to understand that tomorrow isn't promised.

"We can't lose another year away from each other, MJ. It's time to cut that shit out."

"Some things just aren't meant to be."

"You mean like trying to force yourselves apart?"

"Nayely and I have too much pain between us. I don't think it can be resolved at all. It's best for both of us to keep going on with life the way we have."

"What could she have done for you to push her away like this? It'd help if I knew so maybe I could at least try to understand you. I probably won't agree, but maybe I could understand."

"Nayely found out a secret I spent my entire life searching for, and she hid it from me. She thought that she could keep it to herself and try to lie to me." Looking out the window, his jaw became tense as he remembered the unfairness he had felt that night. "I just couldn't do it. I couldn't stay her friend knowing what I did after that."

Kahlil always knew that there was something special between MJ and Nayely since the day they arrived at The Rose House together. They had known each other far longer than any other kid did and shared in a story that only they knew. Kahlil had never prodded too much into MJ's past, knowing that they all shared something that was better left alone. Whenever he did try to feel out MJ's story, he was adamant in changing the subject, making it clear that it was to remain untouched.

Kahlil could respect that.

It seemed the only person who could come close to approaching the subject with MJ was Nayely herself. Having to see the masked pain MJ had maneuvered through nearly tear him apart only made Kahlil want to find a way for MJ to deal with the issues he ignored. If he couldn't be the person for that, he'd be more than happy to bring the only one who could back into MJ's life.

"You never know how much something means to you until it's gone. I know you have your reasons and you've been running from what you had with Nayely all this time, but has anything gotten better because of it?"

MJ sighed, not having an answer for his question.

"Seeing you change the way you have hasn't been the hard part in all of this, I could deal with that." Kahlil spoke." It's remembering who you used to be."

"This is the way it has been and the way it's going to be. You just can't force a bond that was cracked from the start."

MJ wondered if their friendship ever stood a chance. From the beginning, their fates had been tied to one another. To MJ, he had been the one to suffer the most. His mother was taken away from him while Nayely's father lived on. This thought had crowded his mind for years, as it became embedded in his reason to hate her.

With each day came the realization that the hate he had been holding on to was weakening faster than he could rebuild it to protect himself. He had left an opening in his life which he invited Nayely back into, and now he knew it would be hard as hell to kick her back out.

When MJ unlocked the door to his apartment, it was to find it the same way as he had left it. Even though his home was tidied up, he couldn't help but see remnants of the day he kicked Danny out in his memory as he looked around.

Needing a hot shower, MJ kept his eyes on the bathroom as he went to his room to strip down.

He wasn't sure how long he had stayed in there, but it was enough time to clear out his mind. Lying back on his bed, MJ's body cooled as the fan above his bed dried the remaining water droplets on him.

His eyes began to flutter shut as sleep tempted him. Being in his bed after so long was more than comforting. But before he could drift off, the sound of his phone ringing tore him away. Rolling over on his side, he reached for the sounding intrusion, reading Christina's name across the screen.

"I'm so glad you answered. Kahlil just texted me to let me know you got back alright." She spoke the moment she heard the phone being picked up.

"Everything's good, Christina. I've been back home for a while now."

"And no one is hanging out around the building?"

"Not that I know of." Getting up to pull the curtain from his window, MJ looked down to watch life pass by outside." Should I be concerned?"

"It's just that some paps were camping out while you were gone. I told security there to keep an eye out and let me know if anything suspicious happens, but hopefully they've finally gave up. The only ones who know about you being back are me, Kahlil and the rehab center. And if they leaked any information then--!"

"Christina. Don't worry. You've done more than enough during all of this." MJ was more than appreciative for her loyalty to not only her job but him. He felt it whenever she panicked and knew that it came from a genuine place." I want to apologize for putting you through all of this. It's not fair for you to have gotten wrapped up in the shit storm I caused. I'm sorry."

"We almost lost you, MJ. There is absolutely nothing for you to apologize for. Not to me, not to anyone. You just need to focus on getting better. Take your time, you have plenty of it." Christina's words were true for the most part. She didn't know that MJ did owe at least one apology to someone.

Nayely.

The only problem was he didn't know how or when it would be given.

"Besides, this is my job. It's about time you added a little excitement to my life." Christina was able to joke comfortably with him after hearing that he sounded better. "But I'd rather not have something like this happen again. Let's tone it down a bit for next time, maybe?"

"I'll try to keep that in mind, but I can't make any promises."

"I can accept that." The sound of a voice calling out to Christina could be heard in the background. "Well, I've got to go. I won't be back in town until next week so if you need anything don't hesitate to call me. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Focus on what you've got going on, Christina. I know you've been working nonstop, so I think it won't hurt for you to take some time to yourself when you come back. I owe you that."

"Thanks boss, I won't forget you said that!"

Saying their goodbyes, MJ threw on the first thing he could pull out of his drawers. Drawing the curtains in, he darkened his room before climbing into the bed. He emptied his mind as he finally gave in to his tiredness.

Only when he was finally under were the thoughts of Nayely and memories of her matured face allowed to resurface, guiding him into unconsciousness.