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"Tati," I whispered again, a little bit louder this time, but she didn't answer. She just stood there, frozen, staring into the living room.
I crept up behind her, my eyes going to the small room, and suddenly I understood everything.
There were no preparations for a birthday party, no bright pink or purple wrapping papers, no red ribbons lying about. No birthday cake or lit candles.
And, no need to whisper.
Both her parents were on the couch. They were awake but their eyes drooped; they stared beyond us like we weren’t even there. On the table next to the couch was a spoon, blackened in the middle, a lighter, a tie, and a needle.
Fury rushed through me.
With the new money working for Abuelo, they’d gotten heroin and shot themselves up, instead of having a birthday party for Tatiana.
And I’d forced her to come home, getting her hopes up. They probably didn’t even remember it was her birthday.
Tatiana was just staring at them with wide eyes. Her face was really pale, and her chest was fluttering in and out with short breaths.
"Tati," I knew I needed to take charge. I'd been around this plenty of times but Tatiana was still innocent.
I was wrong.
It wasn't going to be better that her parents had gone to work for Abuelo, because now, she would grow hard, just like all the other girls around here.
I suddenly hated that her parents were too weak to protect her.
Wrapping my fingers around her arm, I pulled her away. "Let's go to your room."
“No," she shook her head. "I don't want to go in there." She finally looked away from her parents, her eyes going to me. "Can we go back to the docks? Or downtown." She saw my face harden, and her voice turned pleading. "Please, Knight. I don't want to be here anymore."
I shook my head, knowing she had to grow up now, and fast. "No."
Turning around, I pulled her away from her disgusting parents and into the hallway, down to where I knew her room was. She didn’t argue with me like I thought she would, but stumbled behind me until we made it into her small, mint-green room.
I walked her over to her twin mattress, covered by a simple white sheet, and sat her down on it. Then I shut her door firmly behind me, and turned to look at her. She was staring at her black and white checkered floor, and her fingers were brushing across her cheek, wiping at a tear that I knew she didn't want me to see.
I didn't say anything but let her collect herself. When she finally looked at me, her nose was red and there were unshed tears in her eyes.
"Are you okay?"
She nodded, not saying anything, and I went to sit next to her on the bed. I took her hand, and her eyes went to my wrist, where I'd tied her ribbon.
"Tatiana, look at me."
She met my eyes, and Ihatedthe pain in them. Hated that her parents were hurting her. Hated howweakthey were.
"I'm going to take care of you from here on out. You understand me?"
She just looked down, not answering, but instead stared at my chest, her face still so pale. I took her chin, firmly forcing her face upwards so she wouldlookat me. "I'm serious, Tati. From here on, you need anything, you tell me, and I'll get it for you."
"How about you get me new parents?"
"I can't." I swallowed hard. "Not yet."
She jerked her head out of my hold. "That's the thing, Knight. You'll be gone at the end of the summer. You can't take care of me."
"I'll bring you money. We'll find a place to hide it from your parents. And any time you need something, if I'm not here, you'll use that."
"You'd do that for me?" She finally looked at me, and a tear escaped her eye.