“Did Darrell know?” said Milo.
That raised her head. “Where's Darrell?”
“On his way to jail, Chenise. He's in big trouble.”
Her lip trembled and she scratched her arm.
Milo was sitting next to her, hovering, one hand on the back of her chair, the other flat on the table. He shifted slightly closer, she angled away from him.
“Chenise,” he said softly. “I'm not saying you're in trouble. Just Darrell. So far.”
No reaction.
“Maybe you can help us. Maybe you can help Darrell.”
More weeping.
Angela Boatwright walked over and touched the girl's knobby shoulder. “Can I get you something, honey?”
Chenise's mouth dropped open as she considered the offer. Her peg teeth were caramel-colored, her lips chapped and cracked at the edges.
One short thumb scratched her cheek, then the black stripe, then the arm again.
“A snack, Chenise?” said Boatwright. “Or a drink?”
“Candy?” said the girl in a very small voice.
“Sure. What kind do you like?”
“Um… Mounds?”
“Okay, and if we don't have that, what's your second choice?”
“Um… krackel?”
“So some kind of chocolate, huh?” Boatwright smiled at her and the girl nodded. Another touch of Chenise's shoulder caused her to sink in her chair.
“Be right back, hon.”
When the door closed, Chenise leaned farther away from Milo. Her small size made him look huge. He glanced at me.
“So,” I said, “you and Darrell met in a class.”
Nod.
“Were you both in the class?”
“Uh-uh.”
“You weren't.”
Headshake.
“But you met there.”
“Yeah.”
“Where was Darrell?”
“Leaving.”
“Leaving the class?”
Nod.
“He finished the class?”
Nod. “Gradated.”
“He graduated but you were still in the class.”
Nod.
“Do you remember where the class was, Chenise?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Where?”
“North Bower.”
“Is that a street?”
Headshake.
“School. In the back.”
“In the back of North Bower School,” I said. “What kind of class was it?”
That seemed to confuse her.
“What kinds of things did you learn in the class?”
“Change.”
“Change?”
Nod.
“How to change?”
“Like from a dollar.”
“How to make change.”
Nod.
“And other stuff?” I said.
“Uh-huh.”
“Like what?”
Shrug.
“Washing up.” She touched behind one ear and a tin earring shaped like a lightning bolt swung back and forth. “Food.”
“Food,” I repeated.
Emphatic nod.
“Making food?”
“Buying healthy food.”
“Was the class called DLS?”
“Yeah!” Big smile.
“Daily Living Skills,” I said to Milo. State grant for educating the borderline retarded that had run out six months ago.
Chenise said, “Dare to live special. It's also that.”
She batted heavily mascaraed lashes, touched her hard, white tummy, pressed her knees together, then spread them slightly.
“So Darrell finished DLS,” I said.
“Uh-huh.”
“And you guys met at the school.”
Nod. “He got a job.” Pride.
“For Ready Messenger.”
“He had a room.”
“His own room?”
“Yeah.” She winked at me. Licked her lips. “Macipated.”
That took a moment to figure out. “Darrell was emancipated?”
Nod.
“Darrell was an emancipated minor?”
The full phrase went right by her.
“Emancipated,” I repeated.
Her eyes narrowed. “He hit on him.”
“Who did?”
“Lee. Her boyfriend.”
“His mother's boyfriend?”
“Yeah.”
“His mother's boyfriend hit on him?” I said, unsure if that meant beating or sexual abuse.
“Yeah.”
“How?”
“With a belt.”
“So Darrell ran away and got emancipated.”
Nod.
“When?”
“I dunno.”
“Must have been a while ago because he's nineteen, now.”
She shrugged and licked her lips.
Boatwright came back with a krackel bar.
“Here you go, hon.”
The girl took the candy tentatively, unwrapped a corner, and nibbled at it. “Slow,” she said.
Boatwright said, “Pardon?”
“Eat slow, don't choke.”
“Good advice,” I said. “Did they teach you that at DLS?”
“Show up on time, napkins in lap… your smile is your…”- wrinkled brow-“is your… manner?”
“Banner?” I said.
“Yeah!”
“Anything else?”
“Yeah.” Another wink.
“Like what?”
“Safe sex means life.”
That line recited in a deeper, authoritative voice.
She giggled.
“What is it, Chenise?”
Harder laughter. Saucy smile. The eyelashes worked overtime.
She rubbed the chocolate against her front teeth, turned them brown, licked it away.
“Safe… sex,” she said, unable to stop giggling.
“What does safe sex mean?” I said.
Giggle. “Skins. Darrell don't like 'em.” Rolling her eyes.
“No?”
“Bad, bad boy.” She wagged a finger. Giggled some more. Touched her belly.
“When did you first know you were pregnant?” I said.
She grew serious. Shrugged and nibbled.
I repeated the question.
“No period. Then my stomach puked.” Giggling. “Mom said, “Oh no, shit!' ”
Giggling.
“So she took you to Dr. Cruvic.”
Nod.
“Did she tell you why?”
Silence. Suddenly, she hung her head, touched her tummy again.
I leaned in, spoke very softly. “What did your mother tell you about Dr. Cruvic, Chenise?”
Silence.
“Did she tell you anything?”
Long, slow nod.
“What's that?”
“You know,” she said.
I smiled at her.
“Can you tell me, Chenise?”
“You know.”
“I really don't.”
Shrug. “Bortion.”
“She told you Dr. Cruvic would be doing an abortion.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Did you talk to Dr. Cruvic before the abortion?”
“Uh-uh.”
“Did you talk to someone else before the abortion?”
Nod.
“Who?”
“Her.”
“Who's her?”
“Dr. Vane.”
“Dr. Devane?”
“Yeah.”
“What did Dr. Devane tell you?”
“Good for me.”
“Did you agree with that?”
No answer.
“Did you think the abortion was good for-”
“Had to,” she said in a clear voice. Her eyes were clear, too. Purified by anger.
“You had to think it was good for you?”
Hard nod.
“Why, Chenise?”
“Mom said.”
“Mom said you had to-”
“ “You can't raise it, stupid, and I'm sure as hell not raising your basta!' ”
She stared at me with defiance, then her head dropped and she began playing with the candy wrapper. The hand dropped to her tummy again. It reminded me of something… The black girl in the clinic waiting room had comforted herself exactly the same way.
“So you knew you were going to have an abortion.”
No answer.
“Cheni-”
“Yeah.”
“Did you know Dr. Cruvic was going to do any other operation?”
Silence. Then a small headshake.
“Did he do another operation?”
No answer. She shoved the candy bar away and it fell off the table. Milo retrieved it, turned it between his thick fingers. Angela Boatwright was in a corner, eyes alert.