The next week at school, Booter refused to speak to Tracy. He wouldn't even let her sit at the usual lunch table. So Alexis grabbed her tray and sat with Tracy at a lonely table tucked deep in the corner of the cafeteria.
Ms. Cherry stayed kind to Tracy. She'd heard what happened and felt Tony had gone too far—hurting a girl who had only ever looked at him with trust.
But not everybody felt sympathy.
Pru treated the situation like a blessing. She started blowing up Tony's phone, inviting him over for dinner like she'd been waiting for her chance.
The more Tony came around, the more annoyed he got with paying for two apartments for Pru and Veronica. He moved them into a townhouse together—told them it'd "save time and money."
Neither girl liked it. Now they weren't just sharing a guy—they were sharing a mortgage. And both of them felt threatened by the sudden shift.
⸻
Two weeks passed, and Tony started feeling the silence. He missed talking to Tracy every night. Missed the way she sounded when she smiled over the phone.
One afternoon, he pulled up in front of her and Alexis after school.
"Get in, Tracy," he said flatly.
Tracy folded her arms and shook her head.
"No."
Tony stepped out of the car.
Tracy panicked and yanked on Alexis' locked car door, trying to escape. But Tony caught her and gently—but firmly—put her in his passenger seat.
He handed her the phone he took weeks ago.
"Here. Take your cell back so I can call you again."
He didn't wait for a response. He let her out, and Tracy darted into Alexis' car like a spooked kitten. Alexis sped off immediately.
Tracy shoved the phone into her sock drawer that night and didn't touch it.
Still, Tony called every single day for two more weeks.
In the meantime, Tracy started talking to Steve. He drove her home after school and after work sometimes. He even met her mother.
But Steve wanted more than Tracy was ready to give.
"Come on, Tracy," he whispered one night. "It ain't gonna hurt."
She kept saying no—but he kept pushing.
⸻
One day after Steve dropped her off, Tony was sitting on her porch. She froze—there was nowhere to run.
"Why haven't you been answering my calls?" he asked, voice calm but eyes sharp.
"Please leave me alone," Tracy said, already crying.
"Why, Tracy? Why?"
She snapped.
"You made me feel like you didn't care that I was poor. Like that didn't matter. Then you threw it in my face because I didn't wanna do something I wasn't ready to do. You made me feel stupid. Worthless. I hate you. Leave me alone!"
Tony stepped forward and pulled her into a tight hug while she struggled.
"I'm sorry, baby. I swear. When you said you didn't want me touching you, I got mad and said things I didn't mean. You know I didn't mean it. I was trying to look out when you was wearin' the same pants over and over. Baby, please…I'm sorry you felt like that."
Tracy's breathing slowed. Her small frame relaxed against him even though she didn't want it to.
"Tony…you're squeezin' me too tight—it hurts," she whispered.
He let go and stepped back. Tracy stood there in a baby-doll dress, looking like a porcelain doll—fragile, breakable.
Tony leaned down and kissed her, slow and gentle, like trying to rewrite their last memory. Tracy kissed him back.
Truth was…she missed him.
And Steve had made it clear he didn't want her—he wanted a piece of her.
"I wanna meet your mom," Tony said suddenly.
"No!" she gasped, stepping back. "You can't meet my mother."
"Yes, I can. And I will. I like you, Trace. A lot. I wanna meet the woman who made you."
Before she could protest again, he led her inside.
"Mom, I got somebody I want you to meet."
To Tracy's shock, her mother came out smiling.
"I've been waiting to meet you," she said warmly.
Tracy blinked.
Her mother explained she'd found Tracy's phone, saw Tony's missed calls, and called him herself—cussing him out for upsetting her daughter.
Tracy wanted to scream. They'd been talking behind her back. But she kept her anger quiet.
Tony stayed for dinner. Washed dishes with Tracy afterward. Helped her pick out an outfit for school.
And before he left, he told her they were going on a real date Sunday after church.
⸻
The next day at school, everybody was suddenly friendly again—fake smiles, fake hellos, fake everything. Alexis was disgusted.
Booter was the worst of all.
Alexis snapped.
"Why you wanna speak to her now? When your cousin walked out on her and called her names, you didn't have nothin' to say!"
"Baby, what was I supposed to do? He's my cousin," Booter mumbled.
"Be a man," Alexis shot back. "You do all that talkin' and none of that standin' up. You knew damn well he was wrong. But you ain't say nothin'. You even stopped her from sittin' at your table."
She walked off before he could answer, leaving Booter staring at the floor.
And she wasn't wrong.
Everyone at that house heard Tony tear into Tracy. None of them stepped in.
At lunch, they waved Tracy over.
She glanced at them, shook her head, and sat at the corner table. Alexis followed, as always.
Booter came over, shoulders slumped.
"I'm sorry."
Alexis narrowed her eyes.
"Who you talkin' to?"
"Both of y'all. I said I was Tracy's friend and I didn't act like it. And Alexis…I let everything get to me. I'm sorry."
He kissed Alexis, then sat down with his lunch.
⸻
Things with Steve weren't so simple. He kept hassling her between every class. Nobody stepped in—they all assumed it was "relationship drama."
By the end of the day, they were screaming at each other in the hallway.
Still…nobody stepped in.
And nobody saw what was coming next.