The Realest Ever - By Keith Thomas Walker Page 0,31

safe at home.

Kyra had developed most her womanly physique by then, and she had quite a few admirers, both in and outside of school. Donovan was not among them, and he didn’t mind talking to Kyra about some of the boys she liked. She didn’t tell Donovan about the one crush that made her uncomfortable until things nearly got out of hand. This admirer was bad news from the start because Marvin was already in a relationship with Kyra’s mother. And he was 38 years old.

Sometimes, late at night, Marvin had a look in his eyes that chilled Kyra to her core. She was so frightened, she started barricading her bedroom door before she went to bed. Unfortunately she could only block her door with items she could lift or drag herself, and Marvin was much stronger than she was. He pushed her door open twice already. Kyra was awakened both times. She stared wide-eyed at the door, and she saw Marvin’s ugly face in the opening. But he didn’t walk in. Not yet anyway.

When Kyra finally told Donovan about the way her mother’s boyfriend watched her and always felt the need to use the bathroom when she was in the shower, Donovan was upset that she didn’t tell him sooner. His concern became anger when Kyra told him that she complained to her mother several times, but she wouldn’t listen. Marvin was a dopefiend, too. He provided Deidra with a mostly free source of drugs. Kyra’s mother wasn’t willing to give that up just because her youngest daughter might get raped. Hell, a lot of things might happen.

Less than a week after Kyra confided in Donovan, her troubles at home reached a boiling point. Marvin broke through Kyra’s barricade one night after he sent Deidra to score their next high. Egged on by the hard liquor he’d been consuming, Marvin stepped into Kyra’s room for the first time and tried to pull the sheets off her body. She held on to them with all her might and screamed at the top of her lungs.

Spooked, Marvin retreated and didn’t bother her anymore that night. Kyra lay in bed trembling until her mother returned. When she heard Deidra’s voice, Kyra summoned the courage to confront Marvin in her mother’s presence. But nothing happened.

Marvin said he thought Kyra barricaded the door so she could sneak out of her bedroom window. He said he lifted Kyra’s sheet to if it was really her under there, rather than a pile of clothing. He said he was startled and confused by her scream. He never did anything to harm her. He didn’t know why she didn’t like him.

Surprisingly, Deidra sided with Marvin. She threatened to kick Kyra out if she continued to lie on her boyfriend. Deidra told Kyra to stop barricading her door at night. She said she wanted to be able to check to see if Kyra really was trying to sneak out of her room. Plus Kyra’s barricade might prevent someone from saving her if there was a fire, Marvin added.

Kyra told Donovan what happened when she got to school the next morning. He was in a foul mood for the rest of the day. She had never seen his eyes so dark. The best buds usually went to Donovan’s house after school, but he insisted on visiting Kyra’s home instead. She was against it, but Donovan marched on alone when she tried to stop him. Kyra caught up and pleaded with him along the way.

Donovan was only sixteen at the time, but he’d been playing football since the fourth grade. He had the build of a college freshman. When they arrived at Kyra’s house, Donovan knocked on the door while Kyra paced anxiously in the front yard. Marvin answered. His expression was quizzical. Donovan dropped his backpack and grabbed a fistful of the man’s tee shirt. He yanked him out of the house so quickly, Marvin stumbled down the steps and face-planted on the dry lawn. Kyra screamed. Deidra rushed from the house, her eyes spooked from cocaine. She started yelling, too.

Marvin scrambled to his feet with anger quickly replacing his confusion. He went after Donovan with his fists raised. Kyra started crying. The difference between their sizes looked astronomical. Deidra demanded to know what was going on. Kyra wanted to know, too. She talked to Donovan about everything, and he never reacted like this.

“What the hell’s your problem?” Marvin barked. His tee shirt was ripped. Dead blades of grass clung