Hood Ornaments

Since Dre’ confessed there wouldn’t be an actual trial. He would go to court with Reginald Chambers and plead guilty. Then he would be asked to give an allocution. After all of the details of the crime were given, the sentencing would commence. There’s no death penalty in the state where he was incarcerated, so more than likely, he would get at least twenty-five years to life and transferred to a prison upstate.

Or none of that would ever happen.

According to Tori’s plan.

When she walked in the door she overheard Trudy ending a phone with an I love you.

Besides her the only person Tori believed her grandmother loved was her father.

So since she knew it was him, and she knew by now that he contacted Trudy to tell her about Tori coming to see him, there was no need to sneak around pretend anymore.

“Was that Andre?” Tori asked as she walked over to the counter to pour herself a cup of coffee.

Trudy took a deep breath and stared out of the window as she mimicked wiping out the sink.

“That was your father, yes. Please don’t call him by his name no matter how grown you think you are; show some respect.”

Tori chuckled to herself, “Why is respect only a one way street in this house, Grandma? Why was it okay for my whole life to be a lie? Lies always get found out eventually. Shit Daddy is lying now.”

“Watch your mouth, Victoria!”

After Trudy snapped that command, no one said a word for a very long time.

And that was fine by Tori.

That helped to keep her plan a secret.

Dell tapped the window on the side door before entering.

Trudy said nothing as he glared at Tori.

“Do you mind coming outside so I can speak to you?”

Reluctantly Tori followed Dell around to the other side of the house. She stopped, leaned against the wall, and crossed her arms.

Dell sighed, “Are you mad at me too?”

Tori exhaled loudly, “I should be, but not anymore.”

“We are only trying…”

“Yeah I know Dell, to protect me. What makes you think I needed protection?”

He looked at her knowingly.

“Oh is that what this is? You feel like you let me down? Dell, I am over it! The fuckers who did that to me are dead! I am actually okay with that. What I am not okay with is that Andre has been alive all this time, and no one bothered to tell me!”

Dell attempted to make light of the situation, “For the record, I didn’t know about it until…”

“Honestly, I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I just want to go back to school or as far away from here as possible. Nothing but bad shit happens here. It’s like this city is cloaked in a grey blanket.”

“Tori you don’t mean that,” Dell said rubbing her arm. We grew up here. I’m here. As mad as you are at Trudy right now, she’s here and she ain’t goin nowhere. God willing.”

Tori wasn’t sure if it was those words that calmed her.

Or the fact that she was getting ready to unleash her secret.

That would shock the hell out of those who claimed to love her.

The next few weeks were quiet. Almost still. But the anger, frustration, and worry still hung in the air. Tori did her best to avoid everybody by contacting her professors and explaining her predicament as delicately as possible. They were matter of fact when they wished her luck for next semester and hoped for her return.

All except for Professor Holmes who went ape shit. But Tori halfway expected the rant about African-American fine artists and controversy. How she needed to come back to capitalize on this unfortunate turn of events.

Like Michael has.

Tori frowned, “Like Michael has?”

“Yes darling. He is so good at being a tortured artist. Already as a catalog of work for spring. I even think he named it The Tragedy of “What’s Watts.”

She hung up on Holmes.

Another damn betrayal.

But at least this one she could cut ties with and it wouldn’t hurt.

Wouldn’t be a tragedy.

Fucker.

She definitely would have to transfer schools. There was no way she could go back to Chicago again. But she did want to finish her schooling.

Back to the library she went searching for European art schools. Hoping that an ocean could separate her from all of this bullshit. This research was just enough to keep her mind occupied in the week left before the plea hearing.

And actually it helped her plan.